b) Mortification and self-denial. Her husband left her great riches, many servants, and flocks and herds. But although she had such great possessions, and might have led a luxurious and brilliant life, she lived quite retired from the world, in a state of voluntary poverty and chastity, and practised severe penances, wearing hair-cloth, and fasting every day. "Blessed are the poor in spirit!" It was this life of mortification that made Judith a heroine.

c) Heroism, which enabled her to save her people. The more we deny ourselves and resist our natural desires, the more holy and strong will be our wills, and the less shall we shrink from any burden or danger which could advance God's glory and the good of our neighbour. The High Priest was right when he said to Judith: "Thou hast done manfully, because thou hast loved chastity" (Judith 15, 11).

d) Love of her country. Judith knew that the Temple and her country were in extreme danger, and it was to save them that she went unprotected into the enemy's camp, and placed herself in what was, apparently, imminent danger of death. She was willing to sacrifice herself for them, out of love for God and His holy Law.

"Let us

e) Her humility is especially worthy of admiration. She was proud neither of beauty nor riches, and was truly humble of heart. be penitent, and humble our souls before God", said she to the elders. After her heroic action she gave all the glory to God. "Praise ye the Lord our God", said she, "who hath killed the enemies of His people by my hand."

Type of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Even as the chaste Judith cut off the head of Holofernes, thereby saving her people from captivity and slavery, so did Mary, the Immaculate Mother, through her Divine Son, trample on the head of the infernal Holofernes, and free all mankind from his power. Even as Judith was lauded as "blessed above all women on earth", so did St. Elizabeth and the angel Gabriel both say to our Lady: "Blessed art thou among women." Judith gave all the glory to God, as did Mary in the Magnificat (New Test. IV). Judith was devout: Mary is the vessel of singular devotion. Judith was a holy woman: Mary is the Virgin Most Holy, and the Mirror of justice in which all virtues are reflected. Judith was heroic: Mary was the most heroic of women, and the Queen of martyrs. Judith was the glory of Jerusalem: Mary is the Queen of all Saints, the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem, the joy of the elect, and the honour of the whole Church.

The invocation of the Saints. The people of Bethulia recommended themselves to the intercession of Judith, because she was a holy woman, and because on that account her prayers would have great power with God. It is for the same reason that we recommend ourselves to the intercession of the Saints.

Belief in guardian angels. "God's angel hath been my keeper", said Judith; and her words show us that she believed that she had a guardian angel. The Catholic doctrine about guardian angels is thoroughly founded on Holy Scripture.

APPLICATION. Do you always give glory to God, or do you cherish vain thoughts, and boast of your own attainments? Are you fond of talking about yourself? Do you try to depreciate others in order to exalt yourself? Renounce pride! Be ashamed of your silly vanity and boasting! Each day direct all your intentions to the greater glory of God, for this is an excellent way to put down pride and to obtain merit in the sight of God.

V. EPOCH:

THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.

(606-536 B. C.)

CHAPTER LXXV.

FALL OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDA.—THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (588 B. C.).

A

[4 Kings 24-25. Jerem. Baruch. Ezech. Daniel.]

T last the people of Juda became so hardened in sin that the divine chastisements had no longer any effect upon their hearts. They gave themselves wholly up to the vile practices of idolatry, and persecuted the prophets of God, several of whom they put to death. In vain did the great prophet, Jeremias 1, who lived at that time, endeavour to recall them to repentance. Finally, the patience of the merciful God was exhausted, and the ruin so often foretold by the prophet Isaias fell heavily on the people.

1 Jeremias tried to convert the people and avert the threatened punishment by his own penances. He put on himself an iron yoke (i. e. the strong bar which fastens two oxen together), and thus preached penance to the people. He did this in order to bring home to them into how degrading a servitude they had fallen. But they scourged him and threw him into a dungeon, from which he was delivered by Nabuchodonozor when he conquered Jerusalem.

KNECHT, Commentary. 3. ed.

21

In the year 606 B. C., Nabuchodonozor (Fig. 54), king of Babylon, placed himself at the head of an immense army, marched against Jerusalem 2, and, having taken it, carried away the king and the principal inhabitants as captives 3. Sixteen years later, those who were left in Jerusalem revolted once more against Nabuchodonozor, and the latter returned with a still greater army, and after a siege of eighteen months, he took Jerusalem by storm (588 B. C.).

Fig. 54.

Cameo with inscription of
Nabuchodonozor.

Berlin Museum.
(From Jeremias, Das Alte
Testament, 2. ed.)

Then the whole city was given up to fire and pillage. The Temple itself was consumed by fire, and the sacred vessels were carried off. All the people that escaped the sword were led into captivity splendid city of Jerusalem was reduced to

Jeremias remained in Jerusalem (Fig. 55), and, sitting on the ruins of the desolate city, he lamented in the most pathetic manner the miseries of his people, and the destruction of Jerusalem. "How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people; how is the mistress of nations become as a widow7; the princess of provinces

1 Nabuchodonozor. About 610 B. C., he and his father had destroyed Ninive and the Assyrian empire (to which Babylon belonged), and set up a new Babylonian empire, and subjected half Asia.

2 Against Jerusalem. It appears that between 606-588 Nabuchodonozor had to march several times against Jerusalem to quell revolts, before it was finally destroyed. 3 Captives. 10,000 men.

Pillage. The famine during this siege was so terrible that mothers cooked and ate their children who had perished from starvation. A pestilence, moreover, broke out and swept off many of the inhabitants. When, at last, the city was stormed, thousands were killed, and the streets literally ran with blood. The city was sacked, the beautiful Temple destroyed, the houses burnt, and the walls overthrown.

All the people. Only the very poor were left behind to cultivate the fields and vineyards. The king Sedecias was carried off, his eyes were put out, and he was kept in prison till he died.

6 5 Jeremias was given the choice of either remaining in Juda, or of filling an honourable post in Babylon. He chose to remain among the ruins of the Temple to comfort the Jews who were left behind.

As a widow. Jerusalem, formerly the mistress of many nations, now robbed of her king and her inhabitants.

made tributary1. The ways 2 of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the solemn feast. O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow 3. To what shall I compare thee, or to what shall I liken thee? Great as the sea is thy destruction. Who shall heal thee? Convert us, O Lord, to Thee, and we shall be converted, renew 5 our days, as from the beginning."

Jeremias, however, was not without consolation. He knew 6 that Israel would be restored, and that God would make a new

covenant with His people. "The days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel7 and

1 Tributary. Subject to Babylon, and forced to pay tribute to her.

2 The ways.

3 My sorrow.

4 Convert us.

The road to Sion, formerly thronged with pilgrims.

This is supposed to be spoken by Jerusalem.

We have sinned, therefore we are punished. We cannot be converted of ourselves: convert us, and then our conversion will be sincere. 5 Renew. Bring back the former happy days.

He knew. And foretold that the Jews would return after a captivity of seventy years (chapter LXXX).

With the house of Israel. i. e. with the spiritual Israel of the New Testament, and with the house of Juda, i. e. with the disciples of Christ.

with the house of Juda. Not according to the covenants which I made with their fathers, which they made void. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days. I will give my law and will write it on their hearts1, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more."

The captive Jews 2 were treated with kindness by the king of Babylon, but they longed for the land of their fathers and for the city of Jerusalem. This longing of their hearts is beautifully expressed in one of the Psalms: "Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, when we remembered Sion. On the willows 3 in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments, for there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? If I' forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee, if I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joys."

During the captivity God did not abandon His people, but sent the prophet Ezechiel, who admonished and instructed them. He also consoled them by telling them of a divine vision which foreshadowed the deliverance of the people from their captivity. The spirit of the Lord brought Ezechiel to a plain filled with bones of dead men. Being told by God, he commanded the bones to come together, which was done, and they were covered with flesh and skin, but there was no spirit in them. And the Lord told Ezechiel to say to the spirit: "Come, spirit, and let them live again." The spirit entered into them, and they lived; they stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then the Lord said: "These bones are the house of Israel; they say that our

1 On their hearts. This new covenant will be an inward covenant of grace. The captive Jews. As also the scattered Israelites, who from this time were usually termed Jews.

3 Willows. The species known as weeping willow.

Hung up. As a sign of grief, for it was impossible for them to make music, or sing joyful songs.

Songs. i. e. sacred songs of joy which were sung to the accompaniment of music, which was not the case with songs of mourning.

* A strange land. They regarded it as an act of desecration to sing divine canticles in a heathen land, for the entertainment of their captors.

If I. These words express a kind of oath. They mean, I would rather

be maimed or dead than cease to be a Jew, a lover of Sion.