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THE CORONATION 373
which made it possible for him to continue the govern
ment of the faithful, and also the casting forth of Lucifer
and his demons from Jerusalem, which freed the faithful
from their tyranny and allowed them some respite, afford
ed the most holy Mary some relief and consolation in her
anxiety. The divine Wisdom, which dispenses labors and
consolations with weight and measure (Wis. 11, 21), or
dained that the most blessed Mother should at that time
have a very intimate knowledge of the evil disposition of
Herod. She perceived the abominable ugliness of that
most unfortunate soul brought on by his boundless vices
and oft-repeated crimes, which had roused the wrath of
the just and almighty Judge. She knew how greatly
Herod and the Jews were enraged against Jesus and his
disciples after the escape of saint Peter. She saw, also,
how the seed of rage, sown by the demons in the hearts
of Herod and the Jews, had grown, and how furious their
hatred against Jesus our Redeemer and his disciples had
become; how the iniquitous ruler had conceived the pur
pose of exterminating
all the faithful within the confines
of Judea and Galilee and how he would employ in this
work all his forces and means. Although the most blessed
Mary was aware of this design of Herod, She was not
informed at that time of his horrid death. But as She
knew his power and the depravity of his soul, She was
horrified at his evil state, and deeply grieved at his wrath
against the followers of the faith.
416. In her anxieties and in her reliance upon the divine
help our Queen labored incessantly in prayers and tears,
travailing in her clamors as I have shown on other
occasions. Ever governed by her most exalted prudence,
She spoke to one of the highest angels of her guard, say
ing:
"Minister of the Most High and creature of his
hands, my solicitude for the holy Church strongly urges
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