upon the earth, and her soul flies to the bosom of her God, where she is to enjoy, for ever, union with him, in the dear company of Agnes. Let us unite with the Church, which so devoutly honours these touching incidents of her own history. Let us ask Emerentiana to pray that we may have the grace to be united with Jesus and Agnes in heaven; and congratulate her on her own triumph, by addressing her in the words of the holy Liturgy. ANT. Come, O Spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever. . Grace is poured abroad in thy lips. R. Therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. LET US PRAY. Let blessed Emerentiana, thy Virgin and Martyr, O Lord, sue for our pardon: who by the purity of her life, and profession of thy virtue, was always pleasing to thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. ANT. Veni, Sponsa Christi, accipe coronam quam tibi Dominus præparavit in æternum. . Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis. R. Propterea benedixit te Deus in æternum. OREMUS. Indulgentiam nobis, quæsumus, Domine, beata Emerentiana Virgo et Martyr imploret: quæ tibi grata semper exstitit, et merito castitatis et tuæ professione virtutis. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. THE SAME DAY. SAINT ILDEPHONSUS, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR. THE Gothic Church of Spain deputes, to-day, one of her most glorious Prelates, to represent her at the Crib of the Divine Babe, and to celebrate his ineffable Birth. The praise, which falls from Ildephonsus' lips, seems, at our first hearing it, to have the Mother's dear honour for its only theme: but, how can we honour the Mother, without at the same time proclaiming the praise of the Son, to whose Birth she owes all her greatness? Among the glorious Pontiffs, who honoured the noble episcopate of Spain, during the 7th and 8th centuries-for example, Leander, Isidore, Fulgentius, Braulio, Eugenius, Julian, Helladius-among them, and in the foremost rank, stands Ildephonsus, with his glory of having been the Doctor of the Virginity of the Mother of God, just as Athanasius is the Doctor of the Divinity of the Word, Basil the Doctor of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, and Augustine the Doctor of Grace. The holy Bishop of Toledo has treated the dogma of Mary's Virginity in all its com. pleteness. With profound learning and with fervid eloquence, he proves, against the Jews, that Mary conceived without losing her Virginity; against the followers of Jovinian, that she was a Virgin in her Delivery; against the disciples of Helvidius, that she remained a Virgin, after she had given birth to her Divine Son. Other holy Doctors had treated sepa rately on each of these sublime questions, before our Saint: but he brought together all their teachings, and merited that a Virgin-Martyr should rise from her tomb to thank him for having defended the honour of the Queen of Heaven. Nay, Mary herself, with her own pure hand, clothed him with that miraculous Chasuble, which was an image of the robe of light wherewith Ildephonsus shines now in heaven, at the foot of Mary's Throne. The Monastic Breviary gives us the following Lessons, in the Office of our holy Bishop. Ildephonsus was born at Toledo, in Spain, of most noble parents, whose names were Stephen and Lucy. He was brought up with great care, and instructed in all the liberal arts. His first master was Eugenius, Bishop of Toledo, who, seeing him to be a youth of very great promise, sent him to Seville, that he might be under the guidance of Isidore, whose reputation for learning was well known. He lived with Isidore for twelve years; after which, being formed to piety, and imbued with sound doctrine, he returned to Toledo, to Eugenius, who made him Archdeacon of that Church, on account of his great virtues and learning. Ildephonsus, desiring to avoid the snares of the world, embraced the monastic life, in the Monastery of Agali, of the Order of Saint Benedict, though his parents endeavoured to divert him from his holy resolution, by every possible entreaty and every sort of menace. Ildefonsus, natione Hispanus, Toleti nobilissimis Stephano et Lucia parentibus ortus, omnique cura nutritus, liberalibus disciplinis instructus est. Primum habuit præceptorem Eugenium Toletanum antistitem, a quo ob præclaram indolem, Hispalim ad Isidorum, magna tunc eruditione pollentem, missus est. Apud quem duodecim annos commoratus, tandem fruge bona, doctrinaque sana imbutus, Toletum remeavit ad Eugenium: a quo, propter eximias virtųtes, peritiamque non vulgarem, Ecclesiæ Toletanæ Archidiaconus effectus, mundi cupiens laqueos declinare, in Agaliensi monasterio Ordinis sancti Benedicti, monasticum institutum amplexus est, frustra parentibus precibus et minis omnia tentantibus ut eum a sancto proposito revocarent. Monachi non multo post in defuncti Abbatis locum eum subrogarunt; suspiciebant siquidem in eo, præter virtutes reliquas, æquitatem, morum facilitatem, prudentiam, et admirabilem sanctitatem. Tantus itaque fulgor, tanta veræ pietatis lux, quod ipse timebat, latere non potuit. Eugenio namque vita functo, cleri, senatus, totiusque populi decreto, Toletanus Archiepiscopus electus est. In qua dignitate, quantum populo sibi commisso, verbo, et exemplo profuerit, quæ miracula ediderit, quam multis fuerit nominibus de Virgine matre benemeritus, non potest paucis explicari. Coenobium virginum in Deilfensi villula ædificavit, ac magnis muneribus auxit. Hæreticos quosdam, qui in Hispania hæresim Helvidianam, tollentem perpetuam Mariæ Dei Genitricis virginitatem disseminabant doctissime confutavit, et ab Hispania ejecit. Ejus autem hac de re disputatio, libro quem scripsit de beatæ Mariæ virginitate continetur: ipsa miraculo servi sui zelum confirmante. Cum enim Ildefonsus ad preces matutinas Expectationis beatæ Mariæ in Ecclesiam nocte descenderet, comites ejus in Ecclesiæ limine, fulgore quodam repentino deterriti retrocesserunt: ille vero intrepidus ad aram progressus, Virginem ipsam vidit et adoravit, ab eadem The Abbot of the monastery dying not long after, the monks elected Ildephonsus as his successor; for they had observed in him, amongst his other virtues, a love of equity, affability of manner, prudence, and admirable piety. It was not possible, though the Saint had hoped it, that so much merit, and such resplendent virtues, should lie long concealed and therefore, on the death of Eugenius, he was elected Archbishop of Toledo, by the wish of the clergy, senate, and the whole people. It would take too long a time to tell how much he did, in this his new post of honour, both by word and example, to the people committed to his care-and how many miracles he wrought-and in how many ways he merited at the hands of the Virgin Mother of God. He built a Monastery for virgins at a place called Deilfa, and richly endowed it. He most ably refuted, and drove out of Spain, certain heretics, who were disseminating the heresy of Helvidius, which denied the perpetual Virginity of Mary, the Mother of God. His controversy on this subject is contained in the Book he wrote on the Virginity of our Lady; and she herself rewarded the zeal of her servant by a miracle. Ildephonsus having gone down, during the night, to assist at Matins for the Feast of our Lady's Expectation, they who accompanied him, had no reached the threshold of the sooner Church, than they beheld a dazzling light inside, at which they were seized with fear, and withdrew. The Saint fearlessly entered and advanced to the altar, where he beheld the Blessed Virgin; he fell on his knees before her, and received from her a vestment, in which to offer up the Holy Sacrifice. 66 On another occasion, when the Clergy and a great concourse of people were assembled for the feast of St. Leocadia, and Ildephonsus was kneeling at the Saint's tomb, praying the tomb suddenly opened, and St. Leocadia came forth. She then spoke of the great things done by Ildephonsus in honour of the Mother of God, and said, in the presence and hearing of the whole assembly: "O Ildephonsus! our Lady, the Queen of heaven, has gained a triumph through thee." As she was retreating from the spot, Ildephonsus seized the sword of King Receswind, who happened to be there, and cut off a portion of the veil, which Leocadia wore on her head. He, with much solemnity and ceremony, placed both it and the King's sword in the treasury of the Church, where they are kept to this day. 66 He has left several eloquent writings, some of which he never finished, owing to the many troubles and occupations, which engrossed his time. He at length made a happy death, after being que vestem, qua in Sacrificiis uteretur, accepit. Cum etiam dies Leocadiæ festus ageretur, et Clerus frequensque populus convenisset, Ildefonsus ad sepulchrum Virginis accedens,flexit genibus orabat: et ecce reserato repente sarcophago, Leocadia sanctissima prodiit; videntibusque cunctis, et audientibus, Ildefonsi merita de Virgine Maria commendavit, dicens: O Ildefonse, per te vivit Domina mea, quæ coeli culmina tenet. Illa vero recedente, Ildefonsus, arrepto Recesvinthi, qui forte tunc aderat, gladiolo, velaminis partem, quo caput Leocadiæ tegebatur, resecuit, eamque cum gio simul cultro celebri pompa in sacrarium intulit, ubi usque hodie servatur. re Scripsit multa luculentiori sermone, sed variis molestiarum occupationibus impeditus, aliqua imperfecta reliquit. Obiit tan dem feliciter, cum sedisset in Episcopatu annos novem |