Chapter 6.

And Mary was held in admiration by all the people of Israel; and when she was three years old, she walked with a step so mature, she spoke so perfectly, and spent her time so assiduously in the praises of God, that all were astonished at her, and wondered; and she was not reckoned a young infant, but as it were a grown-up person of thirty years old.  She was so constant in prayer, and her appearance was so beautiful and glorious, that scarcely any one could look into her face.  And she occupied herself constantly with her wool-work, so that she in her tender years could do all that old women were not able to do.  And this was the order that she had set for herself: 1629   From the morning to the third hour she remained in prayer; from the third to the ninth she was occupied with her weaving; and from the ninth she again applied herself to prayer.  She did not retire from praying until there appeared to her the angel of the Lord, from whose hand she used to receive food; and thus she became more and more perfect in the work of God.  Then, when the older virgins rested from the praises of God, she did not rest at all; so that in the praises and vigils of God none were found before her, no one more learned in the wisdom of the law of God, more lowly in humility, more elegant in singing, more perfect in all virtue.  She was indeed stedfast, immoveable, unchangeable, and daily advancing to perfection.  No one saw her angry, nor heard her speaking evil.  All her speech was so full of grace, that her God was acknowledged to be in her tongue.  She was always engaged in prayer and in searching the law, and she was anxious lest by any word of hers she should sin with regard to her companions.  Then she was afraid lest in her laughter, or the sound of her beautiful voice, she should commit any fault, or lest, being elated, she should display any wrong-doing or haughtiness to one of her equals. 1630   She blessed God without intermission; and lest perchance, even in her salutation, she might cease from praising God; if any one saluted her, she used to answer by way of salutation:  Thanks be to God.  And from her the custom first began of men saying, Thanks be to God, when they saluted each other.  She refreshed herself only with the food which she daily received from the hand of the angel; but the food which she obtained from the priests she divided among the poor.  The angels of God were often seen speaking with her, and they most diligently obeyed her.  If any one who was unwell touched her, the same hour he went home cured.

Footnotes

For the hours of prayer, see Apost. Const., ch. xl.; Jerome’s letters to Læta, Demetrias, etc.

One of themss. has:  She was anxious about her companions, lest any of them should sin even in one word, lest any of them should raise her voice in laughing, lest any of them should be in the wrong, or proud to her father or her mother.