Mary Immaculate, the Health of the Sick.

Father X——, of the Society of Jesus, laboured

for  several  years  in  Quito,  as  professor  of

chemistry.   Whilst  making  an experiment, he

had the misfortune to injure his face in such a

dreadful manner, that his  eyes  projected from

their sockets, and could only be set in again by

means of a skilful operation.  After undergoing

this, it was found that one of the eyes remained

completely  sightless, whilst  the  other  was so

extremely weak that, according to the doctor's

statement, the sight of this one would also be

lost before long, unless the blind eye were taken

out in time.  But Father X—— would not hear

of this, and hoping to obtain better advice from

European oculists, he started for Paris.  No fewer

than eighteen medical men and specialists were

consulted in France, and  they all agreed  that

the taking out of the blind eye was unavoidable.

But the Jesuit Father would not give in, so he

begged some of the members of the Society to

unite with him in making a Novena before the

Feast of the Immaculate Conception, saying that

Mary was the best doctor after all, and that with

her there is still hope, even when all physicians

have failed.  He would make one last attempt

by consulting the famous Doctor Mooren, and

for  this  purpose,  he  journeyed  to  Diisseldorf,

where  that  renowned  specialist  then  resided.

Doctor Mooren, after making a careful examina-

tion of Father X——'s eyes, declared that, in his

opinion, the taking out of the blind eye was not

absolutely necessary to secure the preservation of

the other, which was so much injured by the

accident.   The  Father then remained for some

time under his treatment, residing in the hospital

of the Sisters of the Cross.

On the eighth of December he said Mass

in their chapel, and as he came to the solemn

moment of the Consecration, the few persons

who were present, saw that he was

experiencing some violent emotion, and the

Sisters,  becoming  alarmed,  thought  of  calling

another priest to his assistance.  What had really

happened?  Whilst the Father was pronouncing

the words of  Consecration, he  felt  a strange

sensation in his eyes, and presently it seemed to

him as if scales had fallen from them, at the

same  moment, he could read plainly and dis-

tinctly, with both eyes, the words on  the Altar

card.   At the end of the Novena, on the Feast

of the Immaculate Conception, he was perfectly

cured !

It can easily be imagined, the sensation created

by this miraculous event.  May it strengthen our

own confidence in our Heavenly Advocate, and

may she obtain for us, the cure of spiritual blind-

ness, to which we are all more or less subject,

and which is a greater misfortune by far than

the one we have just related.

(Keller, Rev. Dom Joseph A.; MARIA SANCTISSIMA;  Washbourne; London, 1899)