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76 CITY OF GOD
50. Every morning and evening She approached the
Apostles to receive their benediction, first that of saint
Peter, as their chief, then of saint John and of the rest
according to their age. At first they
all shrank from
performing this ceremony, beholding in Her their Queen
and the Mother of their Master Jesus. But the most
prudent Lady insisted that all should bless Her as minis
ters and priests of the Most High, explaining to them
how the highest reverence and respect was due to them
on account of their supreme dignity and office. As this
was a contest of humility,
it was certain that the Mother
of humility would be victorious and the disciples would
be overcome and instructed by her example. Besides,
the words of Mary were so sweet and persuasive for
moving the hearts of those first believers, that She urged
them on with a heavenly force and enlightened them to
practice the highest perfections
of virtue and holiness.
Perceiving these wonderful effects upon themselves, they
wonderingly commented upon them among each other,
saying: in
"Truly this pure Creature we have found
again the teaching and consoling doctrine, of which we
are deprived by the absence of her Son, our Master. Her
words and doings, her counsels, her sweet and gentle in
tercourse, teach us and draw us on in the same way as
the conversation of the Lord, when He lived in our
midst. Our hearts are inflamed by the teachings and
exhortations of this wonderful Being as with those of
Jesus our Savior. There is no doubt that He as the om
nipotent God, has deposited in the Mother of the Onlybegotten
his own divine wisdom and grace. We can now
dry our tears, since for our instruction and consolation
He has given us such a Mother and Mistress, and since
He has left with us this living ark of the Testament,
wherein He has placed for us his law, his wonderful
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