What must have been the grief of the Apostles--their Friend, Teacher, and Lord dead, their hopes all dashed, and their consciences ill at ease as they thought of their base desertion of Him in His hour of need! They were scattered everyone to his own, but probably one by one they found their way back to the Cenacle. It was the last house where they had been all together with Him, and it seemed natural to go there again--and besides, His Mother was there. She was next to Him, and therefore more to them than anyone else could be. _She_ had been faithful to the end. She could tell them more about Him than anyone else could. Her very voice and manner reminded them of Him. Somehow, they felt that she would look at things from His point of view, and that if _she_ forgave them for the wrong they had done to her Son, _He_ would. Then they would learn from John what JESUS had said about her with His dying lips--that they might now regard her in very deed as their Mother; that she was now in fact the Mother of the Church which He had founded; and that they could turn to her in their times of perplexity and difficulty. "Behold thy Mother"--the Mother of Good Counsel and the Mother of Mercy! Was it not just what they wanted? How well He knew! How thoughtful it was of Him to leave us Mary! And so we may think of Mary on Holy Saturday rallying her new family round her, loving them for her Son's sake, making excuses for their weaknesses, as a mother ever does, and putting fresh heart and courage into them. And then we may think of her stealing away to ponder--to make the first Meditation on the Passion, presenting willingly her heart to the sword once more, that her compassion might fit her for her position as Mother of Mercy. _Colloquy_ with Mary, who says to me: For you, too, my child, "I am the Mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. He that hearkeneth unto me shall not be confounded; and they that work by me shall not sin." (Ecclus. xxiv. 24-30.) _Resolution._ To take my troubles and difficulties to Mary to-day. _Spiritual Bouquet._ "Mater Dolorosa, Mater misericordiæ, ora pro nobis." The First Glorious Mystery "_He shall reign for ever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end._" (St Luke i. 32, 33.) _1st Prelude._ A picture or statue of Our Lady. _2nd Prelude._ Grace to learn from Mary how to rejoice. _Point I._--MARY'S EASTER DAY