_Prayer._--O Jesus! only Son of God, Who from the bosom of Thy Eternal Father, descended into the bosom of Mary, Thy Mother, receive the homage of my adoration and love. Through Thee I go to Thy Father, and through Thy Mother I come to Thee. Like the spouses at Cana, I dare not address my prayer directly to Thee, but I fear nothing when I direct it through Thy Blessed Mother. O Lord! well Thou knowest that I have no wine, no courage, nor strength, nor holy and generous resolutions; I have lost all! Ah! say not to Thy Mother, who intercedes in my favour: 'Woman, what is there in common between us?' because I know for certain that she is all-powerful over Thy filial Heart. Add not 'My hour is not yet come!' Ah, no; Thy hour, O my God, to benefit those who pray to Thee, through Thy Blessed Mother, is ever at hand. O Lord! behold, the vessel of my heart is full of the insipid waters of earth; change this water into the delicious wine of holy affections for heaven, where the Saints celebrate the nuptials of the Lamb amidst eternal joys. Amen. _Ejaculation._--Succour my weakness, O most powerful Virgin! _Practice._--Endeavour to preserve confidence in God, when He delays the graces you desire. TWENTY-FIRST DAY. MARY OBTAINS THE FIRST MIRACLE FROM JESUS BY HER LIVELY FAITH. THAT we may conceive a just idea of the power the Most Holy Virgin possesses over the Heart of Jesus, let us meditate upon those other words which He addressed to her at the marriage of Cana: _Nondum venit hora mea_--'My hour is not yet come.' Without discussing the opinion of certain Doctors, who think that Our Lord, by these words, meant to say that the wine was not yet wanted, I shall call your attention to this reflection: that there are certain times ordained by Divine Providence upon which our conversion and salvation depend. It is certain that God had from all eternity determined the hour and moment when He would work the great miracle of His Incarnation, and give to the world the first sign of His power, but yet this determination could be accelerated by prayer. The greater number of the Fathers assert that Mary, by her loving sighs and aspirations, merited the acceleration of the Incarnation of Our Lord. Not, indeed, that He became Incarnate before the time that He had determined, but that, from all eternity He foresaw that the Holy Virgin would beg Him to hasten the time of His coming into the world; and therefore, in consideration of the great merit of her intercession, He ordained to become Man sooner than He would have done had He not been petitioned to do so. The same may be said of the first miracle, wrought by Our Lord at the wedding of Cana. _Nondum venit hora mea_--'My hour is not yet come,' said Jesus to His Holy Mother, but as I can refuse you nothing, I shall hasten to hear your prayer.