Let us now pass to the third point: the consecration and dedication our glorious Lady made of her whole self unreservedly to the Divine Majesty; it is this, O faithful souls, that we should try to imitate. Our Lord does not certainly expect us to be more liberal to Him than He is to us; nevertheless, if He shows the greatness of His goodness to us by giving us His whole Self, is it not just that He should require of us the total dedication of ourselves to Him? But what means this total dedication of ourselves to God? It means that we make no reserve whatever in our consecration, not even of the least of our affections or desires; it is this that He requires of us. Listen, in fact, to this Divine Saviour of our souls: _Fili praete mihi cor tuum--'My Son,'_ says He to each one of us in particular--_'My Son, give Me thy heart.'_ 'Ah!' you will add, 'how shall I dare to give my heart to God when it is so full of imperfections and sins? How can He accept the offering of this heart in which He finds nothing but disobedience to His Most Holy Will?' Ah! be not troubled on this account, but offer it to Him all the same, because He does not require of you a pure and spotless heart, like that of the Angels and of Our Lady, but He says: 'Give Me thy heart,' such as it is. Ah! let us not refuse it to Him then, although it be full of miseries, weaknesses, and imperfections, for we know that all that is placed in the hand of His Divine Goodness is converted into good. Let us not fear, then, for when He holds this heart of ours in His hands He will know well how to render it perfect. To make it less unworthy of God let us resolve to imitate Mary; for amongst all the Saints who are proposed to us as a model we should in a special manner consider our most glorious and dear Patroness, the Queen of all Saints. What mirror more beautiful, more precious, or purer, can we place before our eyes? Is she not the most excellent example of evangelical teaching? Who amongst creatures is more adorned and enriched with every kind of virtue and grace? _Multae filiae congregaverunt divitias, tu supergressa es universus--'Many daughters have gathered riches, but thou hast surpassed them all.'_ Certainly it is beyond all doubt that there is no Saint comparable to her, because this glorious Virgin surpasses in dignity and excellence not only the greatest Saints, but the very Cherubim and Seraphim. She consecrated herself perfectly to the Divine service, from the very first instant of her Immaculate Conception. SPIRITUAL FLOWERS. When the senses are not well guarded, they are mysterious inlets by which our enemies insinuate themselves into our souls. A glance of curiosity changed holy King David into an adulterer and a murderer. How many have reason to exclaim with Jeremiah, _'My eye hath been the thief that has robbed my soul of every good'!--Riva_.