We read of two occasions on which JESUS wept--once for the sorrows of His friends (St John xi. 35), and once for the sins of His enemies. (St Luke xix. 41.) I need not then be ashamed of tears--not even if I have to say with the Psalmist: "My tears have been my bread day and night." (Ps. xli. 4.) But I must be careful that they resemble those of JESUS, that the cause of them is never self-love or self-pity, but sorrow for my own sins and those of others, and for anything which grieves the Heart of JESUS. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy," for He Himself "will wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Ps. cxxv. 5, and Apoc. vii. 17.) EIA ERGO ADVOCATA NOSTRA. _Therefore_, just because of our misery and need--it is our only plea, and one which appeals more than any other to a Mother's heart--we appeal to her as _our Advocate_: one who will plead our cause, who will speak to the King for us and tell Him of our needs, as she did long ago at Cana of Galilee. Had ever banished children such an advocate--one to whom the Judge has pledged Himself: "I must not turn away thy face!" O _Advocata nostra_, plead for me with thy Son when I stand before Him to be judged! In that terrible moment remember my _Salve_, for I shall be unable to say it then. MISERICORDES OCULOS AD NOS CONVERTE. _Turn thy merciful eyes upon us._ We only ask her to _look_. It is quite enough for a mother to see her child in trouble. She does not need to be told what to do. ET JESUM BENEDICTUM FRUCTUM VENTRIS TUI NOBIS POST HOC EXILIUM OSTENDE. Here we get to the point of the prayer--the sighs, and groans, and cries, and tears of the banished children are all because they want to see JESUS. _And after this our exile show unto us the Blessed Fruit of thy womb, JESUS._ "We would see JESUS" (St John xii. 21), and we come to ask His Mother to show Him to us. This is her great work; and she turns to the children and says: "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye," and you shall see His Face one day. _After this our exile._ "When the voyage is o'er, O stand on the shore And show Him at last to me." It is because I cannot see JESUS that I am so often in trouble in the land of exile. If my faith were strong enough I should see Him continually, and sorrow would flee away. We have not got to wait till the voyage is o'er before seeing Him. Many and many a glimpse of the Blessed Fruit of her womb does our Mother give us. To be near her means that we are near Him too. Each Communion, each absolution--yea, each humiliation and sorrow is our Mother letting us see JESUS if we will only look; and when she stands on the shore to show Him _at last_, we shall see that it is the "same JESUS" Who so often walked with us in the land of our exile, though our eyes were for the most part holden by our want of faith, and we did not recognise Him.