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THE CORONATION 171
I have given her. I have fought against the demons in
her defense, but they resisted, standing on the rights
which this soul has freely yielded and continues to yield
to them. The power of divine justice has not co-operated
with me as I desired in trying to fulfill thy will; and I
cannot, O Lady, give Thee the consolation Thou ex-
The loving Mother was much afflicted at this
pectest."
answer; but as She is the Mother of love, of knowledge
and holy hope, She would not yield in what She had
merited for all of us and what She teaches. Retiring
once more to pray for the salvation of that erring soul,
She prostrated Herself upon the ground and said:
"My
Lord and God of mercy, behold here this vile wormlet of
the earth ;
chastise and afflict me, but let me not see this
soul, which was marked as one of the first-fruits of thy
become the
blood and is now deceived by the serpent,
spoil of his malice and of his hatred against thy faithful."
165. The most blessed Mary continued for some time
in this petition; but she received no answer from the
Lord, in order that her invincible heart and her charity
toward her neighbor might be put to the proof. The
most prudent Virgin bethought Herself of what had
happened to the prophet Eliseus (IV Kings 4, 34), who
had vainly sent his staff with his servant Giezi to resus
citate the boy and had found that he himself must touch
and stretch himself over his body in order to restore him
to life. Neither the angel nor the Apostle were power
ful enough to awaken from sin and from the stupor of
satan that unfortunate girl; therefore the great Lady
resolved to go and heal her in person. This resolve She
recommended to the Lord in her prayer, and, although
She received no answer, She considered that the work it
self was a sufficient warranty to proceed. She arose
therefore to leave her room and to walk with saint John
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