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EXAMPLE.
During his lifetime this holy youth, who was wholly dedicated to the love of Mary, happened, on the first of August, to hear a
sermon preached by Father Peter Canisius, in which, exhorting the novices of the society, he urged them all, with the greatest
fervour, to live each day as if it was the last of their lives, and the one on which they were to be presented before God's
tribunal. After the sermon Saint Stanislaus told his companions that that advice had been for him, in an especial manner, the
voice of God; for that he was to die in the course of that very month. It is evident, from what followed, that he said this either
because (loaf had expressly revealed it to him, or at least because He gave him a certain internal presentiment of it. Four days
afterwards the blessed youth went with Father Emanuel to Saint Mary Major's. The conversation fell on the approaching feast
of the Assumption, and the Saint said, ' Father, I believe that on that day a now Paradise is seen in Paradise, as the glory of the
Mother of God, crowned Queen of heaven, and seated so near to our Lord, above all the choirs of angels, is seen. And if as I
firmly believe it to be this festival is renewed every year, I hope to see the next.' The glorious martyr St. Lawrence had fallen
by lot to Saint Stanislaus as his patron for that month, it being customary in the society thus to draw them. It is said that he
wrote a letter to his Mother Mary, in which he begged her to obtain him the favour to be present at her next festival in heaven.
On the feast of Saint Lawrence he received the holy Communion, and afterwards entreated the Saint to present his letter to the
Divine Mother, and to support his petition with his intercession, that the most Blessed Virgin might graciously accept and grant
it. Towards the close of that very day he was seized with fever; and though the attack was slight, he considered that certainly
he had obtained the favour asked for. This indeed he joyfully expressed, and with a smiling countenance, on going to bed, said,
'From this bed I shall never rise again.' And speaking to Father Claudius Aquaviva, he added, 'Father, I believe that Saint
Lawrence has already obtained me the favour from Mary to be in heaven on the feast of her Assumption.' No one, however,
took much notice of his words. On the vigil of the feast his illness still seemed of little consequence, but the Saint assured a
brother that he should die that night. 'O brother,' the other answered, 'it would be a greater miracle to die of so slight an illness
than to be cured.' Nevertheless in the afternoon he fell into a deathlike swoon; a cold sweat came over him, and he lost all his
strength The Superior hastened to him, and Stanislaus entreated him to have him laid on the bare floor, that he might die as a
penitent. To satisfy him, this was granted: he was laid on a thin mattress on the ground. He then made his confession, and in
the midst of the tears of all present received the Viaticum: I say, of the tears of all present, for when the Divine Sacrament was
brought into the room his eyes brightened up with celestial joy, and his whole countenance was inflamed with holy love, so
that he seemed like a seraph He also received extreme unction, and in the mean while did nothing but constantly raise his eyes
to heaven and lovingly press to his heart an image of Mary. A father asked him to what purpose he kept a rosary in his hand,
since he could not use it. He replied, 'It is a consolation to me, for it is something belonging to my Mother.' 'O, how much
greater will your consolation be,' added the father, 'when you shortly see her and kiss her hands in heaven!' On hearing this, the
Saint, with his countenance all on fire, raised his hands to express his desire soon to be in her presence. His dear Mother then
appeared to him, as he himself told those who surrounded him; and shortly afterwards, at the dawn of day on the fifteenth of
August, with his eyes fixed on heaven, he expired like a saint, without the slightest struggle; so much so, that it was only on
presenting him the image of the Blessed Virgin, and seeing that made no movement towards it, that it was perceived that he
was already gone to kiss the feet of his beloved Queen in Paradise.
PRAY
O most sweet Lady and our Mother, thou hast already left the earth and reached thy kingdom, where, as Queen, thou art
enthroned above all the choirs of angels, as tho Church sings: "She is exalted above the choirs of angels in the celestial
kingdom' We well know that we sinners are not worthy to possess thee in this valley of darkness; but we also know that thou,
in thy greatness, hast never forgotten us miserable creatures, and that by being exalted to such great glory thou hast never lost
compassion for us poor children of Adam; nay, even that it is increased in thee. From the high throne, then, to which thou art
exalted, turn, O Mary, thy compassionate eyes upon us, and pity us. Remember, also, that in leaving this world thou didst
promise not to forget us. Look at us and succour us. See in the midst of what tempests and dangers we constantly are, and shall
be until the end of our lives. By the merits of thy happy death obtain us holy perseverance in the Divine friendship, that we
may finally quit this life in God's grace; and thus we also shall one day come to kiss thy feet in Paradise, and unite with the
blessed spirits in praising thee and singing thy glories as thou deserves". Amen.