the-glories-of-mary

GLORIES OF MARY. 499
or the triumph of Mary, came himself from
paradise to meet and accompany her.* And
precisely for this object it was, says St. Anselm,
that the Redeemer wished to ascend before his
mother, not only to prepare for her a throne in
that palace, but also to render her entrance into
heaven more glorious, accompanying her him
self, with all the blessed spirits.-f
Hence St.
Peter Damian,coutemplating the splendor of this
assumption of Mary into heaven, says that we
shall find it more glorious than the ascension of
Jesus Christ; for the angels only came to
meet
the Redeemer, but the blessed Virgin went to
glory met and accompanied by the Lord of
glory himself, and by all the blessed company of
saints and angels.J Hence Guerric the Abbot
represents the divine Word speaking thus: I
descended from heaven upon earth to give glory
to my Father but
; afterwards, to pay honor to
my mother, I ascended again into heaven, that
I might thus be enabled to come to meet her,
and accompany her by my presence to paradise.
Let us now consider how the Saviour really
did come from heaven to meet his mother, and
Surrexit gloriosus Jesus in occursum gu
dulcisBim* matris.
t Prudentiore consilio illam praecedere volebas, quatenue in regno
tno ei locum prseparares, et sic comitatus tola curia tua festivus ei
occurrens sublimins, sicut decebat, tuam matrem ad te exal tares.
Vid. de Exc. Virg. cap. 8.
$ Invenies occnrsum ejus pompje digniorem, quam in Christi ascensione;
soli quippe angeli redemptori occurrere potuerunt, matri
vero fllius ipse cum tota curia tarn angelorum quam sanctorum oc
currens, auxit ad beat* consistorium seesionis. Serai, de Ass.
5 Ego ut patrem honorarem, ad terrain descend!; ut matrem iiouorarern,
ad cesium reasoendi.