Colloquy. The Salve Regina:—"Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning, and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus: O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary." (Anthem from Trinity to Advent.)
Resolution. To learn the exile's lessons.
Spiritual Bouquet. "For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come." (Heb. xiii. 14.)
Mary's Death
"They that work by me shall not sin." (From the Epistle for the Vigil of the Assumption, Ecclus. xxiv. 30.)
1st Prelude. A picture of Mary's death.
2nd Prelude. To prepare for death by living "by Mary."
Point I.—"The sting of death is sin" (1 Cor. xv. 56)
Sin had never touched Mary; there was therefore for her no sting in death. She had no penalty to pay, neither had she to die for others as her Son died. Why, then, should Mary die?
1. Because she had a mortal nature. She belonged to the great human race, and it was therefore appointed unto her to die. (Heb. ix. 27.)
2. Because she chose to die (the Fathers say her Son gave her the choice) that she might be conformable in all things to her Son, and also that she might be the better able to help, and pray for, and sympathise with her children, who throughout all time would be constantly saying: "Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death."
3. Because Our Lord wanted her to have a specially chosen death—one that came neither from old age nor sickness, but simply from love. Her love for Him was so great that her body could no longer hold her soul captive.