This was the great sacrifice that Mary made of her beloved Son. She was resigned to the will of God, though she knew the unavoidable future. She had given to God a sacrifice in every way equal to God; never had such a sacrifice been made from the beginning of the world. She had surpassed the angels in constant prayer, she had made a more acceptable offering than the ancient priests of God: because here was offered to God, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, and the equal of God the Father. It was in sympathy with her divine Son and out of love for mankind that Mary offered this holy sacrifice. He was her Son, and yet, from this moment, she was not to possess Him as her own; she was only to guard the Victim for the day of the great sacrifice. Mary knew that it was not for her joy and consolation that Jesus was born; it was for a higher purpose that He came into the world. She resigned all the joy His coming brought to her, and offered Him a sacrifice to almighty God. Her heart is full of wounds as she sees the persecutions of the Jews, the infidelity and hardness of heart of many. Prayer. O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc. Sixth Day. What lessons may we draw from the first sorrow of Mary—from the prophecy of Simeon, which changed her whole future life? The sorrows of Mary lasted all her lifetime; she suffered without looking for consolation; she suffered in the depth of her heart, supported only by God’s goodness. Mary’s griefs were intimately united to the sufferings of Jesus; her sorrows were caused by His sufferings, and with these Mary was in perfect sympathy. It is in this way that we should live, and suffer our trials and troubles in perfect union with those of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. We can make of them a perfect sacrifice to God, simply because they are connected with a little pain. We must consider ourselves happy if God chastises us in this world, because He intends to make us better; we suffer because we have sinned; sin claims a punishment and we should be satisfied to be punished for our sins, and to give some atonement for them; they can hardly be called sacrifices when they are well‐merited punishments. Still it is possible, even while we justly suffer for our sins, to make our sufferings more meritorious by uniting them to those of Our Lord. With joy we can look up to the Mother of sorrows, and suffer, like her, with patience and resignation. Prayer. O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc. Seventh Day.