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There being in the room six great stone pitchers, Jesus ordered them to be filled brimful of water; and afterwards commanded the servants to fill out and carry it to the master of the feast, who, on tasting, found it was excellent wine. And this is the first miracle Jesus wrought at the beginning of his public ministry.

From hence our Lord went to Capernaum with his mother and brethren; that is, with his relations and disciples, in order, as St. Chrysostom thinks, to fix the Virgin Mary in a settled habitation, while he travelled about the country in the exercise of his ministry; and this, indeed, seems to be the place where the Holy Virgin afterwards principally resided. St. Epiphanius, on the contrary, believed that she followed him every where, during the whole time of his preaching; though we do not find that the evangelists make any mention of her when mention of her when they speak of several holy women of Galilee, who followed him, and ministered to his necessities.

The gospel informs us that as our blessed Saviour, in the course of his travels for the fulfilment of his divine mission, was on a certain day teaching in a house at Capernaum, so great a crowd of people stood about him that neither he nor his disciples had time to take any refreshment, which caused a report to be spread abroad, that he had fainted away. It was not the multitude who raised and circulated this false report, but the ignorant and malicious Scribes and Pharisees, who were ever devising such methods as their malicious dispositions could project to lessen the character and reputation of the blessed Jesus, and to prepossess the minds of the people against the doctrines he preached and taught. It was from this view they raised so unjust a report, and which occasioned some confusion and interruption for a time; but it was soon discovered to be false, the tumult appeased, and the enemies of our Lord looked upon by the people with that contempt they de

served.

The mother of Jesus and his brethren, as it was natural for them, upon hearing such a report, came instantly to seek him, and endeavoured to take him out of the crowd, in order to give him all the relief in their power. But when they could not get into the house for the throngs of people, they caused a message to be conveyed from one to another, till it was told Jesus, "that his mother and his brethren were at the door, and desired to speak with him." Jesus being accordingly informed of their coming, and that they waited to speak to him, being at that instant engaged in the work of his ministry, preaching the word of God, he asked this question: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? and looking upon those that were round about him, he said, these are my mother and brethren; declaring, "That whosoever did the will of his heavenly Father, the same was his mother,

and sister and brother. This was what Christ had taught in another place, that we must prefer God to all human relations, and give the preference to his service. But this saying could not reflect upon his mother, who was among the principal of those who did the will of his heavenly Father. Immediately upon her approach, a woman of the company said with a loud voice, directing her words to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked." To which he replied, "Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of G God and keep it " Not intimating hereby that she who had the honour to bear him, did not deserve to be called blessed throughout all generations; but that even her bappiness consisted more in doing the will of Christ, than in giving him a human body.

From this time we have no further account of the Holy Virgin, till we find her in Jerusalem, at the last passover our Saviour celebrated in that city. Here she saw all that was transacted against him, followed him to Mount Calvary, and stayed at the foot of the cross during the passion of her

blessed Son. We cannot doubt that her soul was at this time pierced through as old Simeon had prophecied, with the most acute pains for the death of such a son. Yet her constancy was remarkable; for when the apostles were frightened away from their master, she, with a courage undaunted, and worthy of the mother of Christ, continued even in the midst of the executioners, being prepared to die with her son.

On this melancholy occasion, we cannot but suppose the holy Virgin to have been affected with sentiments fit for one who had so miraculously conceived, and so carefully observed and laid up in her mind all occurrences that related to the Son of God.

stances soever we

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Our blessed Lord, who came to see us a pattern of all virtue, through the whole course of his life, was pleased in these last moments, to teach us that in what circumwe must never cast off that love and care which God's law obliges us to have for those who gave us life. Being now ready to leave the world, and seeing his own mother at the foot of the cross, and his beloved disciple St. John, near her, he bequeathed her to him by his last will and testament, saying to his mother, ،، Woman, behold thy Son.” And to the disciples, "Behold thy mother;" and from that hour the disciple took her home to his own house.

It is not to be doubted but that our Saviour appeared to his holy mother immediately after his resurrection, and that she was the first, or at least one of the first, to whom he vouchsafed this great consolation.

St. Luke acquaints us, in the first chapter of the Acts, that the Virgin Mary was with the apostles and others, and continued with them when assembled at Jerusalem, after his ascension, waiting for the descent of the Holy Ghost; and it is probable that from her they learned the whole history of our No. 24.

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A learned writer has added to the beforecited passage of the council of Ephesus, another remark from their act: That the cathedral church of Ephesus was dedicated under the name of the Virgin Mary; and that we find no other church of her name at that time in any approved author." For though the holy Virgin was always held in great veneration, yet it was not the custom of the first ages to give the name of any saint to a church, except they had some of the relics, or built it in the place where such a saint was martyred: or for some reason of the like nature.

The sentiments of the Roman church are that she is dead; but they are divided as to

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her having risen again : or whether she stays for the general resurrection at Ephesus, Jerusalem, or any other place.

With regard to the age at which she died, and the precise year of her death, it is needless to trouble ourselves about this enquiry since nothing can be said on these matters but what is very doubtful: and they cannot be fixed but at random. Nicephorus Callistus, and those who have followed him, give no proof of what they advance on this subject, and therefore deserve no credit. Nor shall we build upon the description of the Holy Virgin, given us by the same author, who says, that she was of a moderate stature; or according to some, a little below the ordinary stature of women; that her complexion was of the colour of wheat, her hair fair, her eyes lively, the eye-balls yellowish, or olive-coloured, her eye-brows black and semicircular, her nose pretty long, her lips red, her hands and fingers large, her air grave, simple and modest, her clothes neat, without any pride and ostentation, and of the natural colour of the wool. It has been said that St. Luke drew her picture; and in several places are shewn pictures of her, which, it is affirmed, are copies from the original by St. Luke.

The above-mentioned Nicephorus Callistus, an author of the 14th century, is the first who has spoken of this in a positive manner; but Theodorus, lecturer of the church of Constantinople, who lived in the sixth century, says, that Eudocia sent from Jerusalem to Constantinople, to the empress Pulcheria, a picture of the Holy Virgin, painted by St. Luke. But we need be in no great pain about this, since the true images of saints are the ideas of their virtues which we should form in our minds, and express by our actions.

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Mary the Sister of Lazarus.

HIS holy woman has been preposte

rously confounded with the sinful person who sat at the feet of the blessed Jesus, weeping, while he was at meat in the house of Simon the Leper. (see Luke vii. 37, 39) Who this sinner was, is unknown; some will have her to be Mary Magdalene; but this opinion has nothing more than conjecture for its basis.

But whoever that sinner was, she was a very different person from Mary the sister of Lazarus, who, with her sister Martha, lived with their brother at Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. The blessed Jesus had a particular affection for this family, and often retired to their house with his disciples. One day, and perhaps the first time that Jesus went thither, Martha received him with remarkable affection, and took the greatest pains in providing a proper entertainment for him; but Mary, her sister, continued sitting at our Saviour's feet, listening to his words with peculiar attention. This Martha considered as an instance of disrespect, and therefore said to Jesus, "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her, therefore, that she help me." But the blessed Jesus justified Mary, by telling her sister that she had chosen the better part, which should not be taken from her.

Some time after, their brother Lazarus fell sick, and his sisters sent to acquaint Jesus of the misfortune; but he did not arrive at Bethany till after Lazarus was dead. Martha hearing Jesus was come into the Heighbourhood, went and told him, that if he had not been absent, her brother had been still alive. Jesus promised her that

her brother should rise again. To which Martha answered, "I know that he shall rise again at the last day." Jesus replied, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this? Martha answered, "Yea Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."

Having said this, she departed, and gave her sister notice privately, that Jesus was come. Mary as soon as she heard the welcome tidings, arose, and went to Jesus: and, as Martha had done before, said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died." The blessed Jesus was greatly moved at the pathetic complaints of these two worthy sisters, and on asking where they had buried him, they conducted him to the sepulchre.

On his arrival at the place where the body of Lazarus was deposited, the great Redeemer of mankind groaned deeply in his spirit: he wept, he prayed to his Father, and then cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The dead obeyed the voice of the Son of God, Lazarus immediately revived, and Jesus restored him to his sisters.

After performing this stupendous miracle, Jesus departed from the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and did not return thither till some days before the passover. Six days before that festival, Jesus came again to Bethany with his disciples, and was invited to a supper at the house of Simon the leper. Martha attended, and Lazarus was one of the guests.

During the supper, Mary, to express her gratitude, took a pound of spikenard, a very precious perfume, and poured it on the head and feet of Jesus, wiping his feet with the hair of her head; and the whole house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Judas Iscariot was highly offended at this generous action; but his Master vindicated Mary, and told him, that by this she had prevented his embalmment, signifying, that his death and burial were at hand.

After this we have no account of Mary the sister of Lazarus, in the sacred writings.

Several authors, indeed, by not distinguishing properly between Mary the sister of Martha, aud Mary Magdalene, say, that she was present at the crucifixion of the great Redeemer of mankind and also that both she and her sister accompanied the women who went to embalm the body. This is not, indeed, improbable; but it is certain neither of them are particularly mentioned by the evangelists. The ancient Latins believed, and the Greeks are still of the same opinion, that both Martha and Mary continued at Jerusalem, and died there; and several ancient Martyrologists place their feast on the nineteenth of January.

Joseph.

JOSEPH, or Joses, was the Son of Mary

Cleophas, brother to St. James the Less, and a near relation to the blessed Jesus, according to the flesh; being the son of Mary, the Holy Virgin's sister, and Cleophas, who was Joseph's brother, or son to Joseph himself, as several of the ancients suppose; who have asserted that Joseph was married to Mary Cleophas, or Escha, before he was married to the Holy Virgin. Some believe Joseph the son of Mary Cleophas, to be the same with Joseph Barsabas, surnamed the Just, who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and was proposed,

with St. Matthias, to fill up the traitor Judas's place but in this there is no certainty. We learn nothing particular in scripture concerning Joseph the brother of our Lord. If he was one of those among his near kinsmen who did not believe in him, when they would have persuaded him to ge to the feast of tabernacles, some months before our Saviour's death, it is probable that he was afterwards converted; for it is intimated in scripture, that at last all our Saviour's brethren believed in him: and St. Chrysostom says, that they were signalized for the eminence of their faith and virtue.

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