happened one day to find some money, and, as if suddenly enriched, he began to rejoice, and to ask himself what he should buy with it. After revolving this matter for a long time, at length he said, "It is better to give it to a priest, who may offer sacrifice to God for my dead father." The same motive which made the child an object of reverence, continued to secure respect and tenderness for the boy. St. Bonaventura, in his Meditations on the life of Christ, and Sermons on the festivals of the infant Jesus, will show what tenderness for youth was entertained by holy men, from an especial regard to the sufferings of Jesus, in that age; and his reflections on this subject will serve more, perhaps, than any other passage that could be produced, to give an idea of the beautiful halo which was thrown around it by the spirit of religion. "The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying that he should fly with the child Jesus and his mother into Egypt. So Joseph, without delay, informs the mother, who is all obedience and zeal to save the life of the child, and they set out in the night to go into Egypt. See and meditate on what is said, and how they raise the sleeping child Jesus, and feel compassion for them, for then the tribulation of the mother and Joseph was great, when they found that there was a design against the life of the child; for what could they hear more grievous, since, though they knew that he was the Son of God, yet through their sensuality*they might be troubled, and say, 'Lord God Omnipotent, what need is there that thy Son should flee? Can you not defend him here?' Moreover, there was tribulation from the length of the journey before them, and their ignorance of the way through rough places, and from their being but ill able to travel; from the youth of Mary, and the old age of Joseph; and the infancy of the child which they had to carry ; and they would have to dwell in a foreign land as poor people, having nothing-for all these are matter of affliction. Consider the benignity here shown, how soon he suffers persecution, and how he yields to the fury of men, and refuses to attack in his turn. The Lord flies before the face of his servant. They fly into Egypt by a way woody and dark, rough and solitary, and very long. For them it was a journey of about two months or more. How did they procure food and lodgings for the nights? for rarely did they find houses in that desert. Compassionate them-because the labor was difficult, and great, and long-and go with them, and help to carry the child, and serve them in every way that you can imagine. Now let us behold them arrived; and here will be another ground of meditation. For how did they live during all this time? Did they beg? The mother earned what was needful by spinning; and when the child was five years old, did he not often carry her work for sale? and perhaps at times some proud and loquacious woman would take the work, and send him away empty, without the price. Oh what injuries await strangers; and the Lord is come, not to avoid, but to endure them! What, and if returning home, and having hunger, after the manner of little boys, he asked for bread, and his mother had none to give him? Must not her bowels have yearned at this? But she consoled her son, and procured work, and perchance deprived *Sensibility. Am Ed.

herself of part of her food, that she might reserve it for him. On these and similar things you can meditate respecting the boy Jesus. I have given you the occasion-do you extend and pursue it, and make yourself little with the little boy Jesus and do not disdain such humble and puerile things. For they seem to give devotion, to increase love, to kindle fervor, to excite compassion, to confer purity and simplicity, to nourish the vigor of humility and poverty, to preserve familiarity, to make conformity, and to raise hope. For we cannot ascend to sublime things: but the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and such meditations cut off pride and weaken cupidity, and confound curiosity. Therefore, say, be little with the little, and grow tall with him, as he grows in stature, and always follow him whithersoever he goes, and always behold his face.

I

"At the end of seven years, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Take the boy and his mother and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead who sought the life of the boy.' Now let us meditate on this return of our Lord, for it is full of pious fruit. Let us suppose ourselves in Egypt, for the sake of visiting the boy Jesus, whom you will find perhaps, amongst other boys; and he seeing you, will come up to you, because he is benign and affable, and courteous; but you bending a knee will kiss his feet, and receive him in your arms and rest with him. Then, perhaps, he will say to you, We have leave given us to return home to our country, and to-morrow we are to set out from hence; and you will answer joyfully that you are glad of it, and that you are to go with him wherever he may go, and with such words be delighted with him. And then he will lead you to his mother, who will receive you with courtesy ; and you bending a knee will show her reverence, and also St. Joseph, and you will rest with them. The next morning you will see some good matrons of the city, and also some men coming to see them set off, and following them without the gate of the city, on account of their amiable and holy conversation; and from their having talked of their journey some days before. So they walk on, and Joseph, with the men, goes first, and our lady follows from a distance with the matrons. But do you take the boy by the hand, and walk in the midst before the mother, for she does not wish him to be after her. And when they had passed the outer gate, Joseph will not allow the fest to follow them any longer. Then some one of the richer sort, pitying their poverty, calls the boy to give him some pieces of money towards the expense of the journey, and the boy is ashamed to take it; yet through the love of poverty he prepares his hand, takes the money, and returns thanks; many of the rich friends do the same; the mother is called by the matrons, and they do the same. Nor has the mother less shame than her son, albeit humbly she thanks them. At length, thanking them all, they wish them farewell, and proceed on their journey. But how is the boy Jesus to return, who is still but a tender child? It seems to me that the return is more difficult than the first coming; for when he came into Egypt, he was so little that he was carried: but now he is so big that he cannot be carried, and yet he is so little, that he cannot go by

himself. Perchance some one of these good men accommodated him with an ass, upon which he might go. O admirable and delicate boy, King of heaven and earth! how thou hast labored for us, and how soon thou didst begin! well did the prophet predict in your person, 'Pauper sum ego et in laboribus a juventute mea.' Great poverty, arduous labors, and afflictions of body, thou didst constantly assume and thou hadst thyself, as if in hatred, for the love of us. Certes this single labor ought to have been enough for our redemption. Take, then, the boy Jesus, and

place him upon the ass, and lead him faithfully, and when he wishes to alight take him joyfully in your arms, and let him wait for his mother, and then he will go to his mother, and she will have consolation in receiving him. So they travel onwards, and then pass through the desert by which they came, and during that journey, you may often compassionate them, having so little rest; and behold them fatigued and spent with labor by night as well as by day. And when they were near the end of the desert, they found John the Baptist, who there was doing penance, though he had done no sin. It is said that the place of the Jordan where John baptized, was the same as that where the children of Israel passed when they came from Egypt; therefore it is propable that the boy Jesus, in returning found him there. Meditate, then, in what manner he received them, and how they tarried a litle with him, and did eat with him of his raw fare, and at length took leave of him spiritually refreshed. Do you also, in advancing and retiring from him bend the knee to John, kissing his feet, and asking his blessing, and commending yourself to him: for that boy was excellent and wonderful from his cradle; for he was the first hermit; he was a most pure virgin, and the greatest preacher, and was more than a prophet, and was also a glorious martyr. And thence Joseph passsd into Galilee to Nazareth. And when the child was twelve years old he went up to Jerusalem with his parents, still going through labors; and he went to honor his heavenly Father in his festivals, and so he stood observing the law, and conversing humbly along with others, as if he had been only any other poor little boy. And when the days were accomplished his parents returned, and he tarried in Jerasalem. "And now attend well, for you will be shown a devout and fruitful matter. Nazareth was distant about fourteen or fifteen miles from Jerusalem, so when the mother and Joseph, returing by different roads, had reached the place where they were to lodge, it being late, our lady seeing Joseph without the boy, whom she believed had been accompanying him, she asked him, where is the boy? And he replied, I know not; he did not return with me, for I thought he had returned with you. Then she burst into tears, and said, he did not return with me. I see that I have not well guarded my child, and so immediately, that is, as quickly as might accord with decent grace, she went about to all the houses, asking for him and saying, have you seen my son, did you not see my son; and scarcely through grief and ardor did she feel her desire. Joseph followed her in tears. Not finding him, you can judge what rest that mother had. And though encouraged by her acquaintances she could not be comforted. For what was it to lose

Jesus? Behold her, and compassionate her, because her soul is in straits ; never since her birth had she been in such. Let us not, then be disturbed when we suffer tribulation, since the Lord did not spare his mother; for he permits them to come, and they are signs of his love, and it is good for us to have them. At length, our lady, shutting herself in her chamber, had recourse to prayer and complaint, saying, 'O God and eternal Father, most clement and benign, it was your pleasure to give me your Son; but lo! I have lost him, and I know not where he is. Give him back to me. O Father, take away my bitterness, and show me my son; have regard to the affliction of my heart, and not to my negligence; I was imprudent, but I did it ignorantly; but give him back to me, for without him I cannot live. O dearest child, where are you? What is become of you? with whom are you? Are you returned to your father who is in heaven? I know that you are God, and the Son of God, but how, would you not have told me? say where are you that I may go to that you may come to me. you, or It is but a moment since I have been without you, and I know not how it has happen

ed. Never since you were born was I before alone.' With such words did the mother mourn all the night for her dearest son. Early the next morning they sought for him through all the ways, for there were many ways of returning, as if he that would go from Sienna to Pisa, might go by Podium Bonichi, or by Celle, or by other places. On the third day they found him in Jerusalem, in the temple, in the midst of the doctors. Then she rejoiced as if she had been restored to new life, and bent her knee, and thanked God with tears. But the boy Jesus seeing his mother, came up to her, and she received him in open arms and kissed him, and put face to face, and holding him to her bosom, remained without moving for a short time, because through tenderness she could not then speak. At last, looking on him, she said, Son, what hast thou done? thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he, wherefore didst thou seek me, knewest thou not that I must needs be about my Father's business? But they understood not his words; therefore his mother said to him, Son, I wish to return home, will you not return with us? And he, I will do what you please; and he returned with them to Nazareth.

"You have seen the affliction of the mother; but what was the boy doing during these three days? Mark him attentively. He took up his lodging with some poor people; himself poor. See him sitting among the doctors, with a countenance placid, wise, and reverend, hearing them and asking them, as if he was ignorant; which he did through humility, and lest he should make them feel ashamed by his wonderful answers. But you must consider here three things very remarkable. First, that he who wishes to adhere to God, ought not to have his conversation with his relations, but to depart from among them; for the boy Jesus dismissed his beloved mother from him when he wished to be about his Father's business, and afterwards he was sought for among his relations and acquaintances, and was not found. Secondly, that he who would live spiritually

ought not to wonder, if he should be sometimes left by God, since this happened to the mother of God. Let him not, therefore, despond, but diligently seek him in holy meditations, and persevering in good works, and he will find him again. Thirdly, that he ought not to follow his own will; for when the Lord Jesus said, that he must needs be about his Father's business, he changed his mind and followed the will of his mother, and departed with her, and was subject to her. On his return, then, from the Temple and from Jerusalem, he lived with his parents in Nazareth, and was subject to them till the thirtieth year of his age. What do we suppose he was doing during this time? It is not said in the Scriptures that he did any thing which seemed wondrous. What do we suppose he did? Was he unemployed, that the Scriptures should have recorded no action of his then? It seems altogether amazing; but mark well, and you will perceive that doing nothing he did things magnificent; for none of his actions are without mystery. But as he labored virtuously, so he kept silence, he remained quiet, and withdrew himself. He went to the synagogue, that is, to the church; he prayed in a humble place, he returned home; he assisted his mother; he passed and returned amidst men as if he did not see men. All were surprised that so comely a youth should do nothing worthy of praise; they expected that he would do magnificent things, for when a boy, he grew in favor with God and men; but growing up, and advancing to thirty years of age, he did nothing remarkable or manly; they began to deride him-he is a useless fellow-good for nothing-a fool. You see, then, doing nothing he became abject in the eyes of others. little to you?

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what he did while But does this seem

Certainly in all our works this is the most difficult; for he has reached the highest grade of perfection, who, from his heart, and with a mind not feigned, has conquered himself and subdued the pride of the flesh, and is willing to be despised. Greater is that man than he who has conquered a city. Consider, therefore, that you have done nothing until you have effected this; for we are in truth all unprofitable servants, and until we are in this mind, we are not in truth, but we walk in vanity.

"But let us return to a view of the life of our great pattern, our Lord Jesus. Consider, therefore, the poverty and humble state of that blessed family, the mother working with her hands, and the son endeavoring, as far as he was able, to assist her, for he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. So you may consider him arranging the table, and fulfilling all kinds of offices; see how the three eat at one little table every day, and partake not of exquisite fare, but of the commonest and vilest; and consider how holily they conversed together, and how, after some little recreation, they applied themselves to prayer, having no place to meditate but by their beds, for it was but a small house; and consider our Lord Jesus composing himself to sleep upon a poor bed on the floor, as if one of the poorest sons of the people. O hidden God, wherefore dost thou afflict that innocent body, for the travel of one night ought to have sufficed to redeem the world.