CIUDAD to - the Catholic Kingdom!

556 CITY OF GOD
the Catholic faith. On this feast of the Incarnation,
however, this privilege was made still more extensive;
for on these days She merited for many kingdoms, prov
inces and nations the blessings and favors they have re
ceived in being called to the holy Church. Those that
have persevered more faithfully in the Church are so
much the greater debtors to the petitions and merits of
the heavenly Mother. But it has especially been shown
me, that on the day on which She celebrated the Incar
nation, She liberated all the souls from purgatory; and
that from heaven, where this favor was granted to the
Queen of all creation and the Mother of the Redeemer,
She sent the angels to bring them to Her in order that
She might offer them as the fruit of the Incarnation to
the eternal Father. For in that mystery He had sent
his Onlybegotten Son to regain for Him the souls from
the tyranny of their enemies. For all these souls Mary
composed new canticles of praise, and in the jubilee of
having thus augmented the heavenly court of heaven She
returned to the earth, where She continued her thanks
giving with her accustomed humility. This miracle is
not at all incredible, for it is not strange that on the day
on which the most holy Mary was raised to the immense
dignity of Mother of God and Mistress of all creation, all
the treasures of the Divinity should be opened to the chil
dren of Adam, her brethren and her children ;
for on that
same day the Divinity itself was poured out on Her,
entering her womb and uniting Itself hypostatically with
the substance derived from Her. She alone in her wis
dom could worthily appreciate this blessing special to
Her and for the common good of all.
656. The solemnity of the birth of Christ her Son
She celebrated in still another manner. On the evening
before She commenced with the exercises, hymns and
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