Aunt M. recommends Dr. Dobson’s “The New Strong-Willed Child.” It changed the way she talks to her children.

A friend’s favorite book is “The Sinner’s Guide” which is available from TAN books.

An excellent, comprehensive, balanced book about vaccinating or not vaccinating children is Aviva Jill Romm’s “Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives”.

Love,

Luke, Corinne, Catherine, and David Dashjr

Disney (including Baby Einstein) – twists classic storylines; makes “sexy” female main characters like Pocahontas; uses foreign sweatshops; and more as detailed in the Schweizers’ book “The Mouse Betrayed” (used products you didn’t pay for like a Pinocchio are generally okay)

American Baby magazine – content makes it a waste of paper

clothing that advertises brand names instead of being cute or pretty (example: saying “Baby Gap” on the front of the shirt instead of just on the tag)

conventionally grown apples – we buy organic applesauce and apples because the skin is so nutritious, and pesticides stick to the skin or go right through: same with pears and grapes

trick-or-treating – we want to celebrate Saints on the eve of All Saints Day, not glorify witches, demons, vampires, etc. & get a ton of junk food . . . Catherine likes pumpkins so we might decorate one and try to make a pumpkin pie, and pass out Catholic or healthy things to anybody who comes to the door that night (or just keep the porch light off if it’s too cold to keep opening the door!)

sugar – except when cooking for Luke, I substitute with stevia because it doesn’t hurt my teeth or mess with my blood sugar levels, and I minimize the sugar I feed to Catherine

hydrogenated oils – these are unhealthy so we use butter instead of margarine, and buy natural Smart Balance Omega-3 peanut butter for our celery

gluten – no, I haven’t been diagnosed as having an intolerance to gluten, but I do sometimes feel yucky and have diarrhea after consuming it so I avoid it because both David and I can’t afford to lose nutrients through diarrhea, and gluten is not a necessary food

soda/pop – only Luke drinks this and only occassionally; as long as you don’t give it to us or try to give any to Catherine, you’re OK putting some in the fridge for you when you need to

music with a defining beat – I can’t stand it but we love piano, a tiny bit of country, some ethnic music, classical, Gregorian (played most often upstairs), etc.

pacifiers – babies are so beautiful without them, they can interfere with breastfeeding by causing nipple confusion (and I wonder if I would always be able to tell when our babies are hungry if they were using pacifiers), and they can be hard to take away from the baby when the parents want to stop giving it to him – and fingers are better than plastic when Mama is not available!

vaccines – many of these are made from aborted babies. Most, if not all, have toxic ingredients such as mercury and fermaldehyde. Some do cause autism in some children and many other severe health problems in some children. Mass vaccinations can lead to mutated viruses that people are unable to fight. Our children will not be exposed to the germs at school except on Sundays, and our healthy diets will help their immune systems to be prepared for whatever trials God leads us through.

jeans – none of us wear jeans because they emphasize the shape of the buttocks and make an upside down V pointing to the private area instead of taking attention away from it like skirts, dresses and some baggy pants

shorts – none of us wear shorts so that we will have more protection against sunburn for our fair skins and because Marylike modesty entails covering the knees

tank tops – see shorts and substitute shoulders for knees

V-necks – these go too low to be modest on me but are OK on some women in terms of not going too far down to the chest when exposing skin

tv – we don’t have a hooked-up tv, we only have cable for the Internet connection, and we watch some movies on Luke’s computer – this lack of a tv gives us peace and quiet when we don’t want to play music and helps protect our innocence

cribs – we’ve done the research and decided to continue with our happy family bed

http://skindeep.ewg.org will tell you which ingredients in cosmetics should be avoided (we don’t use Johnson & Johnson because of this and stick with safer, organic and natural brands)

Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Toxicity Information Center
Aspartame Kills
Aspartame & Aspartame Poisoning Informational Site
Aspartame And Other So-Called “Artificial Sweeteners” News and Articles
What is aspartame?
Aspartame, cause of diseases? Nutrasweet Equal Spoonful Equal-Measure
Aspartame – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aspartame, Nutrasweet – the danger of consumption
Aspartame controversy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aspartame – most dangerous of all artificial sweeteners! (also has information about other artificial/chemical sweeteners)
Animal studies suggest aspartame is toxic to the nervous system. It was shown to cause damage to the brains of infant mice. Approved by the FDA, with a warning label required for those with PKU.

Acesulfame-K (or Acesulfame Potassium)
Acesulfame-K Toxicity Information Center
Life After Aspartame
Acesulfame-K from a college website
Sample Quotes From Cancer Experts’ Letters On Acesulfame Testing
Whole Foods Market: Whole Body: Ingredients: Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame potassium – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Animal studies suggest it may cause cancer and breakdown products shown to be toxic to the thyroid gland. Approved by the FDA.

Cyclamate
Cyclamate Update from the FDA
Cyclamate Controversy
Cyclamate – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Animal studies indicate it causes cancer and may increase the potency of other cancer-causing chemicals. A National Cancer Institute study found that heavy use of blended cyclamate and saccharin was associated with a higher incidence of bladder cancer. Like saccharin, it was created early enough to be considered GRAS at first, so it was likewise not examined until independent non-FDA investigations exposed the possible dangers. It has been banned by the FDA, but may be considered for reapproval.

Neotame
Neotame Toxicity Information Center
Neotame Artificial Sweetener Approved by FDA: But is it Safe? Mindfully.org 7/6/02
For Better or Worse: A Quarterly Commentary
Neotame from the Feingold ADHD dietary management website
Neotame (Near Clone of Aspartame) Now In Spain? The Latest on Nutrasweet
Neotame – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aspartame plus 3-di-methylbutyl, which can be found on the EPA’s list of most hazardous chemicals. Approved by the FDA.

Saccharin
Saccharin
Saccharin – the sugar substitute we’ve all heard about – but how bad is it really?
Saccharin – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Animal studies show it can cause cancer of the bladder. Saccharin has also caused cancer of the uterus, ovaries, skin, blood vessels, and other organs. Created early enough to be considered GRAS at first, it was not examined until independent non-FDA investigations brought the potential dangers to light. The FDA required a warning label on it for a while, but it no longer does.

Sucralose
Whole Foods Market: Ingredients: Sucralose
Sucralose Toxicity Information Center
Splenda (Sucralose) Toxicity Exposed
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose: Reader Testimonials
BodyTechnician.com – Splenda Sucralose Causes Pain
Sugar-Free Blues from the Weston A. Price Foundation (also contains information about other artificial chemical sweeteners)
Sugar substitutes and the potential danger of Splenda
Sucralose – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preapproval data showed evidence for antifertility effects, immune system toxicity, potential mutagenic activity, and fetal edema in offspring. Approved by the FDA.

The Delaney Clause:
“the Secretary of the Food and Drug Administration shall not approve for use in food any chemical additive found to induce cancer in man, or, after tests, found to induce cancer in animals.”
Delaney Clause – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gerber All In One Waterproof Trainers
Gerber webpage

Cheapest price so far (same as at Babies R Us if I recall correctly, about $7):
Store webpage

The Google link:
Google search results

TFP Student Action volunteers handed out flyers and took surveys in front of the Allen Street Gate in State College, Penn.

Americans have good reason to distrust China. The recent contaminated Chinese exports remind us of a problem larger than tainted produce or toxic toys: China is still under communist rule and its people suffer brutal oppression, proven by continued forced abortions, religious persecution, and human rights violations.

Tradition Family Property Student Action members alerted university students about the China scandals at the Allen Street Gates located at the heart of Penn State University on Monday, September 10. Leaflets were distributed all over campus titled “Warning: Made in China.” Students received the information eagerly and questioned whether unrestricted trade with China will come back to haunt us. “Aren’t we feeding a communist giant?” was a sentiment shared by many, concerned with closer ties with communist China.

More on the website:
TFP article

I was reading Sheila Kitzinger’s book “The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth” this morning when I realized how offensive parts of it are to us. I am writing to ask for your prayers and any other help you can give me so that we can publish a pregnancy and childbirth book written by and for Catholic mothers.

It would not have any nude pictures of laboring women that you would hide from your husband or sons. Most pictures would be of women in dresses.
The term “family planning”, if used at all, would refer to helping the mother and father allocate funds for medical care and baby supplies, and think about how living arrangements will change after their baby’s birth.
Contraception will never be endorsed as a valid option. If mentioned at all, it will be in the context of helping the woman’s body heal from past contraception. NFP will be presented only as a means to conceive, with relevant Church teaching.
Abortion and sterilization will never be presented as valid options or “choices”. There could be a section for mothers whose bodies have survived an abortion or a reversed sterilization, perhaps with a piece by a priest about repentance, forgiveness, and healing.
The baby, whether born or unborn, will never be referred to as an “it”. I realize that many Catholic authors have done this, but it is especially disconcerting to me as a mother in third trimester to continually read “it” in place of “him” or even “him or her”. Our children have souls, therefore they are never “it”s.

Catholic teaching about the beauty and responsibilities of motherhood will be sprinkled throughout. Sections written by priests are welcome! Breastfeeding will be given precedence over formula feeding, and healthy alternatives to conventional formula will be presented. There could be a short discussion about circumcision with medical facts, and instructions on how to care for an “intact” penis and a circumcised penis.

I would love to include information about breastfeeding from Catholic professionals. I’ve heard that La Leche League was begun by Catholic mothers, but I have yet to find a Catholic LLL Leader.

Are you interested in accomplishing this with me? Do you think this is needed, or at least a good idea? Will you pray to St. Anne, St. Gerard, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and the Divine Infant Jesus of Prague for this effort, that it may be pleasing to God?

By Samantha Singson
     (NEW YORK — C-FAM) The US delegation to the UN sharply scolded a top UN official this week for perpetuating the falsehood that there is a new UN mandated global goal related to “sexual and reproductive health.” The exchange came during the Executive Board meeting of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The US also criticized UNFPA’s promotion of abortion.

     UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid was presenting UNFPA’s strategic plan and its proposed global and regional programs.  In her report Obaid claimed “The target on universal access to reproductive health under Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 paves the way for further progress to improve the health of women, reduce maternal and newborn deaths, expand contraceptive choice, and protect reproductive rights.” The US representative interjected that there is no new global target on reproductive health and that the only thing that could generate one was a resolution of the General Assembly.

     The Millennium Development Goals were first negotiated in 2000 by more than 150 heads of state, the largest such gathering in history, and included eight broad goals none of which included the controversial issue of “reproductive health,” a term that is frequently used by UN agencies to promote abortion. Pro-abortion radicals, including UNFPA, tried to get a new goal on “reproductive health” negotiated by heads of state in 2005 but they were defeated. Since then, they have tried to get a ninth goal or at least a target as part of an existing goal but continue to be defeated. Their defeat has not stopped UNFPA and others from continuing to claim that such a new target exists. Governments around the world are being told such a target exists and are being asked to change their laws accordingly, most recently in the Philippines.

     The US also complained to Obaid about UNFPA’s promotion of abortion and asked Obaid for a clarification. Obaid claimed UNFPA was neutral on abortion and only tries to prevent “unsafe abortion.”  “UNFPA does not speak for or against the legalization of abortion,” said Obaid. UNFPA, however, has a history of promoting the legalization of abortion most recently when the agency intervened when Nicaragua’s National Assembly banned all abortion. UNFPA, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other UN agencies directly intervened to stop the law which eventually was passed unanimously by the Nicaraguan Assembly.

     In contrast to the US position, the Swedish delegate urged Obaid to “make sure that sexual and reproductive health and rights remain squarely on the agenda.” A final decision by the country delegations on the UNFPA strategic plan and programming will be made when executive board meetings wrap up this week.

     On Friday, the United States announced that it would suspend its contribution to UNFPA for the sixth year in a row. The US first suspended funding in 2002 upon receiving evidence that UNFPA was complicit in China’s draconian one child policy.

For more news visit us at www.c-fam.org

The Assumption of Mary.
*On this day the Church celebrates in honor of Mary two solemn festivals; the first is that of her happy passage from this world; the second, that of her glorious Assumption into Heaven.
August 15.

How precious was the death of Mary, both on account of the special graces that attended it, and on account of the manner in which it took place.

Death being the punishment of sin, it would seem that the divine Mother – all holy, and exempt as she was from its slightest stain – should also have been exempt from death, and from encountering the misfortunes to which the children of Adam, infected by the poison of sin, are subject. But God was pleased that Mary should in all things resemble Jesus; and as the Son died, it was becoming that the mother should also die; because, moreover, he wished to give the just an example of the precious death prepared for them, he willed that even the most Blessed Virgin should die, but by a sweet and happy death. Let us, therefore, now consider how precious was Mary’s death: first, on account of the special favors by which it was accompanied; secondly, on account of the manner in which it took place.

I.

There are three things that render death bitter: attachment to the world, remorse for sins, and the uncertainty of salvation. The death of Mary was entirely free from these causes of bitterness, and was accompanied by three special graces, which rendered it precious and joyful. She died as she had lived, entirely detached from the things of the world; she died in the most perfect peace; she died in the certainty of eternal glory.

I. And in the first place, there can be no doubt that attachment to earthly things renders the death of the worldly bitter and miserable, as the Holy Ghost says: O death, how bitter is the rememberance of thee to a man who hath peace in his possessions! (Ecclus. xli. I.) But because the saints die detached from the sins of the world, their death is not bitter, but sweet, lovely, and precious; that is to say, as St. Bernard remarks, worth purchasing at any price, however great. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. (Apoc. xiv. 13.) Who are they who, being already dead, die? They are those happy souls who pass into eternity already detached, and, so to say, dead to all affection for terrestrial things; and who, like St. Francis of Assisi, found in God alone all their happiness, and with him could say, “My God and my all.” (Deus meus et omnia.) But what soul was ever more detached from earthly goods, and more united to God, than the beautiful soul of Mary? She was detached from her parents; for at the age of three years, when children are most attached to them, and stand in the greatest need of their assistance, Mary, with the greatest intrepidity, left them, and went to shut herself up in the Temple to attend to God alone. She was detached from riches, contenting herself always to live poor, and supporting herself with the labor of her own hands. She was detached from honors, loving a humble and abject life, though the honors due to a queen were hers, as she was descended from the kings of Israel. The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, that when her parents left her in the temple, she resolved in her heart to have no father, and to love no other good than God.

St. John saw Mary represented in that woman, clothed with the sun, who held the moon under her feet. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. (Apoc. xii. I.) Interpreters explain the moon to signify the goods of this world, which, like her, are uncertain and changeable. Mary never had these goods in her heart, but always despised them and trampled them under her feet; living in this world as a solitary turtle-dove in a desert, never allowing her affection to center itself on any earthly thing; so that of her it was said: The voice of the turtle is heard in our land. (Cant. ii. 12.) And elsewhere: Who is she that goeth up by the desert? (Ib. iii. 6.) Whence the Abbot Rupert says, “Thus didst thou go up by the desert; that is, having a solitary soul.” Mary, then, having lived always and in all things detached from the earth, and united to God alone, death was not bitter, but, on the contrary, very sweet and dear to her, since it united her more closely to God in heaven, by an eternal bond.

II. Peace of mind renders the death of the just precious. Sins committed during life are the worms that so cruelly torment and gnaw the hearts of poor dying sinners, who, about to appear before the divine tribunal, see themselves at that moment surrounded by their sins, which terrify them, and cry out, according to St. Bernard, “We are thy works, we will not abandon thee.” (Medit. c. 2.) Mary certainly could not be tormented at death by any remorse of conscience, for she was always pure, and always free from the least shade of actual or original sin; so much so, that of her it was said: Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee. (Cant. iv. 7) From the moment that she had the use of reason, that is, from the first moment of her immaculate conception in the womb of St. Anne, she began to love God with all her strength, and continue to do so, always advancing more and more throughout her whole life in love and perfection. And all her thoughts, desires, and affections were of and for God alone; she never uttered a word, made a movement, cast a glance, or breathed, but for God and His glory; and never departed a step or detached herself for a single moment from the divine love. Ah, how did all the lovely virtues that she had practiced during life surround her blessed bed in the happy hour of her death! That faith so constant; that loving confidence in God; that unconquerable patience in the midst of so many sufferings; that humility in the midst of so many privileges; that modesty; that meekness; that tender compassion for souls; that insatiable zeal for the glory of God; and, above all, that most perfect love towards Him, with that entire conformity to the divine will: all, in a word, surrounded her, and consoling her, said: “We are thy works; we will not abandon thee.” Our Lady and Mother, we are all daughters of thy beautiful heart; now that thou art leaving this miserable life, we will not leave thee; we will also go, and be thy eternal accompaniment and honor in Paradise, where, by our means thou wilt reign as Queen of all men and of all angels.

III. Finally, the certainty of eternal salvation renders death sweet. Death is called a passage; for by death we pass from a short to an eternal life. And as the dread of those is indeed great who die in doubt of their salvation, and who approach the solemn moment with well-grounded fear of passing into eternal death; thus, on the other hand, the joy of the saints is indeed great (at) the close of life, hoping with some security to go and possess God in heaven. A nun of the Order of St. Teresa, when the doctor announced …her approaching death to her, was so filled with joy that she exclaimed, “O, how is it, sir, that you announce to me such welcome news, and demand no fee?” St. Lawrence Justinian, being at the point of death, and perceiving his servants weeping round him, said: “Away, away with your tears; this is no time to mourn.” (Bern. JuSt. Vit. c. 10.) Go elsewhere to weep; if you would remain with me, rejoice, as I rejoice, in seeing the gates of Heaven open to me, that I may be united to my God. Thus also a St. Peter of Alcantara, a St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and so many other Saints, on hearing that death was at hand, burst forth into exclamations of joy and gladness. And yet they were not certain of being in possession of divine grace, nor were they secure of their own sanctity, as Mary was.

But what joy must the divine Mother have felt in receiving the news of her approaching death! she who had the fullest certainty of the possession of divine grace, especially after the Angel Gabriel had assured her that she was full of grace, and that she already possessed God. Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee . . . thou hast found grace. (–St. Luke, i. 28.) And well did she herself know that her heart was continually burning with divine love; so that, as Bernardine de Bustis says, “Mary, by a singular privilege granted to no other Saint, loved, and was always actually loving God, in every moment of her life, with such ardor, that St. Bernard declares, it required a continued miracle to preserve her life in the midst of such flames.” (Marial. p.2, s. 5.)
Of Mary it had already been asked in the sacred canticles, Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke, of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and all the powders of the perfumer? (Cant. iii. 6.) Her entire mortification typified by the myrrh, her fervent prayers signified by the incense, and all her holy virtues united to her perfect love for God, kindled in her a flame so great that her beautiful soul, wholly devoted to and consumed by divine love, arose continually to God as a pillar of smoke, breathing forth on every side a most sweet odor. “Such smoke, nay even such a pillar of smoke,” says the Abbot Rupert, “hast thou, O Blessed Mary, breathed forth a sweet odor to the Most High.” Eustachius expresses it in still stronger terms: “A pillar of smoke, because burning interiorly as a holocaust with the flame of divine love, she sent forth a most sweet odor.” (De Assumpt.) As the loving Virgin lived, so did she die. As divine love gave her life, so did it cause her death; for the Doctors and holy Fathers of the Church generally say she died of no other infirmity than pure love; St. Ildephonsus says that Mary either ought not to die, or only die of love.

II.
But now let us see how her blessed death took place.
After the ascension of Jesus Christ, Mary remained on earth to attend to the propagation of the faith. Hence the disciples of our Lord had recourse to her, and she solved their doubts, comforted them in their persecutions, and encouraged them to labor for the divine glory and the salvation of redeemed souls. She Willingly remained on earth, knowing that such was the Will of God, for the good of the Church; but she could not but feel the pain of being far from the presence and sight of her beloved Son, Who had ascended to Heaven. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (St. Luke, xii. 34.), said the Redeemer. Where any one believes his treasure and his happiness to be, here he always holds the love and desires of his heart fixed. If Mary, then, loved no other good than Jesus, He being in Heaven, all her desires were in Heaven.

Tauler says, that “Heaven was the cell of the heavenly and most Blessed Virgin Mary; for, being there with all her desires and affections, she made it her continual abode. Her school was eternity; for she was always detached and free from temporal possessions. Her teacher was divine truth; fo her whole life was guided by this alone. Her book was the purity of her own conscience, in which she always found occasion to rejoice in the Lord. Her mirror was the divinity; for she never admitted any representations into her soul but such as were transformed into and clothed with God, that so she might always conform herself to His Will. Her ornament was devotion; for she attended solely to her interior sanctification, and was always ready to fulfill the divine commands. Her repose was union with God; for He alone was her treasure and the resting-place of her heart.” (Serm. in Nat. V.)

The most holy Virgin consoled her loving heart during this painful separation by visiting, as it is related, the holy places of Palestine, where her Son had been during his life. She frequently visited — at one time the stable at Bethlehem, where her Son was born; at another, the workshop of Nazareth, where her Son had lived so many years poor and despised; now the Garden of Gethsemani, where her Son began His Passion; then the Praetorium of Pilate, where He was scourged, and the spot on which He was crowned with thorns; but she visited most frequently the Mount of Calvary, where her Son expired; and the Holy Sepulchre in which she had finally left Him: thus did the most loving Mother soothe the pains of her cruel exile. But this could not be enough to satisfy her heart, which was unable to find perfect repose in this world. Hence she was continually sending up sighs to her Lord, exclaiming with David: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest? (Ps. liv. 7.) Who will give me wings like a dove, that I may fly to my God, and there find my repose? As the hart panteth after the fountains of water: so my soul panteth after Thee, my God. (Ps. xli. I.) As the wounded stag pants for the fountain, so does my soul, wounded by Thy love, O my God, desire and sigh after Thee.

Yes, indeed, the sighs of this holy turtle-dove could not but deeply penetrate the heart of her God, Who indeed so tenderly loved her. The voice of the turtle is heard in our land. (Cant. ii. 12.) Wherefore being unwilling to defer any longer the so greatly desired consolation of His beloved, behold, He graciously hears her desire, and calls her to His Kingdom.

Cedrenus (Comp. Histor. n. 86), Nicephorus (HiSt. 1. 2, c. 21.), and Metaphrastes (Or. de Vita et Dorm. M.) relate that some days before her death, our Lord sent her the Archangel Gabriel, the same that announced to her that she was that blessed woman chosen to be the Mother of God: “My Lady and Queen,” said the angel, “God has already graciously heard thy holy desires, and has sent me to tell thee to prepare thyself to leave the earth; for He wills thee in Heaven. Come, then, to take possession of thy kingdom; for I and all its holy inhabitants await and desire thee.” On this happy annunciation, what else could our most humble and most holy Virgin do, but, with the most profound humility, answer in the same words in which she had answered St. Gabriel when he announced to her that she was to become the Mother of God: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. (St. Luke, i. 38.) Behold, she answered again, the slave of the Lord. He in His pure goodness chose me and made me His Mother; He now calls me to Paradise. I did not deserve that honor, nor do I deserve this. But since He is pleased to show in my person His infinite liberality, behold, I am ready to go where He pleases. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May the will of my God and Lord be ever accomplished in me!

After receiving this welcome intelligence she imparted it to St. John. We may well imagine with what grief and tender feelings he heard the news; he who for so many years had attended upon her as a son, and had enjoyed the heavenly conversation of this most holy Mother. She then once more visited the holy places of Jerusalem, tenderly taking leave of them, and especially of Mount Calvary, where her beloved Son had died. She then retired into her poor cottage, there to prepare for death.

During this time the angels did not cease their visits to their beloved Queen, consoling themselves with the thought that they would soon see her crowned in Heaven. Many authors, such as Andrew of Crete (In Dorm. S. M. or. I.), St. John Damascene (De Dorm b. M. or. I et 2.), Euthymius (HiSt. 1. 3, c. 40.), assert that, before her death, the apostles, and also many disciples who were scattered in different parts of the world, were miraculously assembled in Mary’s room, and that when she saw all these her dear children in her presence, she thus addressed them: “My beloved children, through love for you and to help you my Son left me on this earth. The holy faith is now spread throughout the world, already the fruit of the divine seed is grown up; hence my Lord, seeing that my assistance on earth is no longer necessary, and compassionating my grief in being separated from Him, has graciously listened to my desire to quit this life and to go and see Him in Heaven. Do you remain, then, to labor for His glory. If I leave you, my heart remains with you; the great love I bear you I shall carry with me and always preserve. I go to Paradise to pray for you.”

Who can form an idea of the tears and lamentations of the holy disciples at this sad announcement, and at the thought that soon they were to be separated from their Mother? All then, weeping, exclaimed, “Then, O Mary, thou art already about to leave us. It is true that this world is not a place worthy of or fit for thee; and as for us, we are unworthy to enjoy the society of a Mother of God; but, remember, thou art our Mother; hitherto thou hast enlightened us in our doubts; thou hast consoled us in our afflictions; thou hast been our strength in persecutions; and now, how canst thou abandon us, leaving us alone in the midst of so many enemies and so many conflicts, deprived of thy consolation? We have already lost on earth Jesus, our Master and Father, Who has ascended into Heaven; until now we have found consolation in thee, our Mother; and now, how canst thou also leave us orphans without father or mother? Our own sweet Lady, either remain with us, or take us with thee.” Thus St. John Damascene writes: “No, my children” (thus sweetly the loving Queen began to speak), “this is not according to the Will of God; be satisfied to do that which He has decreed for me and for you. To you it yet remains to labor on earth for the glory of your Redeemer, and to make up your eternal crown. I do not leave you to abandon you, but to help you still more in Heaven by my intercession with God. Be satisfied. I commend the holy Church to you; I commend redeemed souls to you; let this be my last farewell, and the only remembrance I leave you’ execute it if you love me, labor for the good of souls and for the glory of my Son; for one day we shall meet again in Paradise, never more for all eternity to be separated.”

She then begged them to give burial to her body after death; blessed them, and desired St. John, as St. John Damascene relates, to give after her death two of her gowns to two virgins who had served her for some time. She then decently composed herself on her poor little bed, where she laid herself to await death, and with it the meeting with the divine Spouse, Who shortly was to come and take her with Him to the kingdom of the blessed. Behold, she already feels in her heart a great joy, the forerunner of the coming of the Bridegroom, which inundates her with an unaccustomed and novel sweetness. The holy apostles, seeing that Mary was already on the point of leaving this world, renewing their tears, all threw themselves on their knees around her bed; some kissed her holy feet, some sought a special blessing from her, some recommended a particular want, and all wept bitterly; for their hearts were pierced with grief at being obliged to separate themselves for the rest of their lives from their beloved Lady. And she, the most loving Mother, compassionated all, and consoled each one; to some promising her patronage, blessing others with particular affection, and encouraging others to the work of the conversion of the world; especially, she called St. Peter to her, and as head of the Church and Vicar of her Son, recommended to him in a particular manner the propagation of the Faith, promising him at the same time her special protection in Heaven. But more particularly did she call St. John to her, who more than any other was grieved at this moment when he had to part with his holy Mother; and the most gracious Lady, remembering the affection and attention with which this holy disciple had served her during all the years she had remained on earth since the death of her Son, said: “My own John” (speaking with the greatest tenderness) — “my own John, I thank thee for all the assistance that thou hast afforded me; my son, be assured of it, I shall not be ungrateful. If I now leave thee, I go to pray for thee. Remain in peace in this life until we meet again in Heaven, where I await thee. Never forget me. In all thy wants call me to thy aid; for I will never forget thee, my beloved son. Son, I bless thee. I leave thee my blessing. Remain in peace. Farewell!”

But already the death of Mary is at hand; divine love, with its vehement and blessed flames, had already almost entirely consumed the vital spirits; the heavenly phoenix is already losing her life in the midst of this fire. Then the host of angels come in choirs to meet her, as if to be ready for the great triumph with which they were to accompany her to Paradise. Mary was indeed consoled at the sight of these holy spirits, but was not fully consoled; for she did not yet see her beloved Jesus, Who was the whole love of her heart. Hence she often repeated to the angels who descended to salute her: I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved, that you tell Him that I languish with love. (Cant. v. 8.) Holy angels, O fair citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem, you come in choirs kindly to console me; and you all console me with your sweet presence. I thank you; but you do not fully satisfy me, for as yet I do not see my Son coming to console me; go, if you love me, return to Paradise, and on my part tell my Beloved that I languish with love. Tell Him to come, and to come quickly, for I am dying with the vehemence of my desire to see Him.

But, behold, Jesus is now come to take His Mother to the kingdom of the blessed. It was revealed to St. Elizabeth that her Son appeared to Mary before she expired with His Cross in His hands, to show the special glory He had obtained by the redemption; having, by His death, made acquisition of that great creature, who for all eternity was to honor Him more than all men and angels. St. John Damascene relates that our Lord Himself gave her the Viaticum, saying with tender love, “Receive, O My Mother, from My hands that same body that thou gavest to Me.” And the Mother, having received with the greatest love that last Communion, with her last breath said, “My Son, into Thy hands do I commend my spirit. I commend to Thee this soul, which from the beginning Thou didst create rich in so many graces, and by a singular privilege didst preserve from the stain of original sin. I commend to Thee my body, from which thou didst deign to take Thy flesh and blood. I also commend to Thee these my beloved children (speaking of the holy disciples, who surrounded her); they are grieved at my departure. Do Thou, Who lovest them more than I do, console them; bless them, and give them strength to do great things for Thy glory.”

The life of Mary being now at its close, the most delicious music, as St. Jerome relates, was heard in the apartment where she lay; and, according to a revelation of St. Bridget, the room was also filled with a brilliant light. The sweet music, and the unaccustomed splendor, warned the holy apostles that Mary was then departing. This caused them again to burst forth in tears and prayers; and raising their hands, with one voice they exclaimed, “O, Mother, thou already goest to Heaven; thou leavest us; give us thy last blessing, and never forget us miserable creatures.” Mary, turning her eyes around upon all, as if to bid them a last farewell, said, “Adieu, my children; I bless you; fear not, I will never forget you.” And now death came; not indeed clothed in mourning and grief, as it does to others, but adorned with light and gladness. But what do we say? Why speak of death? Let us rather say that divine love came, and cut the thread of that noble life. And as a light, before going out, gives a last and brighter flash than ever, so did this beautiful creature, on hearing her Son’s invitation to follow Him, wrapped in the flames of love, and in the midst of her amorous sighs, give a last sigh of still more ardent love, and breathing forth her soul, expired. Thus was that great soul, that beautiful dove of the Lord, loosened from the bands of this life; thus did she enter into the glory of the blessed, where she is now seated, and will be seated, Queen of Paradise, for all eternity.

Mary, then, has left this world; she is now in Heaven. Thence does this compassionate Mother look down upon us who are still in this valley of tears. She pities us, and, if we wish it, promises to help us. Let us always beseech her by the merits of her blessed death, to obtain us a happy death (and let’s not forget St. Joseph, her spouse, who has been the comfort of dying also); and should such be the good pleasure of God, let us beg her to obtain us the grace to die on a Saturday, which is a day dedicated in her honor, or on a day of a novena, or within the octave of one of her feasts; for this she has obtained for so many of her clients, and especially for St. Stanislaus Kostka, for whom she obtained that he should die on the feast of her Assumption, as Father Bartoil relates in his life of the saint.

An Example follows in the book, and then the Second Discourse on the Assumption by St. Alphonsus de Liguori. I will type those when I can, and italicize the text that is italicized in the book. Thank you for your patience.