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TO OUR LADY OF VICTORIES.
QUEEN OF VIRGINS, OF APOSTLE’S, AND OF MARTYRS.
O Mother! thou my heart’s desire Hast granted now; so hear my cry Of gratitude and love like fire Thy child uplifts to thee on high. |
By love for God and all mankind, By bonds of prayer and earnest will, Thou deignest now my soul to bind To those who Christ’s last wish fulfil. |
‘Tis theirs through pagan lands to go, And raise the cross of Christ on high; ‘Tis mine, within the cloister low, His slightest will to satisfy. |
I long for suffering; and the cross With strong desire my heart doth crave. A thousand deaths were gain, not loss, If but one soul I help to save! |
For this to Carmel’s hill I’ve come, — Myself to immolate for men. Christ brought a fire from Heaven’s high dome I fain would light in hearts again. |
Where Afric suns the desert bake, Where Asian Su-tchen11Countries evangelized by her “brothers,” the missionaries. fronts the east, My Mother, I can help to make Thy virginal name revered and blest. |
My prayers shall travel every day, As fast as mighty river rolls; My brothers, missioned far away, Helped here by me, shall conquer souls; |
And so the pure baptismal stream Shall make of many a Pagan child A temple, where God’s grace shall beam, And God with man be reconciled. |
Ah! might I see dear children fill The heavenly courts where seraphs sing! Them, by my prayers and God’s sweet will, My brothers shall to Jesus bring. |
The palm my spirit longs to gain, My brother’s hand in mine shall place. A martyr’s sister! Any pain Would seem delight to win that grace. |
The fruit of our apostolate Our longing eyes at last shall see, When, pressing on through heaven’s gate, Our souls shall meet the saved and Thee. |
Be theirs the honor of the fight, My priestly brothers far away! Be mine, reflection of their light, At last, in heaven’s eternal day! |
1897.
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