I. Is It Lawful To Honor Her? 165 of the Gospel, who, hearing the words of Jesus full of wisdom and sanctity, lifted up her voice and said to Him: "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the paps that gave Thee suck." It is in accordance with the economy of Divine Providence that, whenever God designs any person for some important work, He bestows on that person the graces and dispositions necessary for faithfully discharging it. When Moses was called by heaven to be the leader of the Hebrew people he hesitated to assume the formidable office on the plea of "impediment and slowness of tongue." But Jehovah reassured him by promising to qualify him for the sublime functions assigned to him: "I will be in thy mouth, and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak"212 The Prophet Jeremiah was sanctified from his very birth because he was destined to be the herald of God's law to the children of Israel: "Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother I knew thee, and before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee."213 "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost,"214 that she might be worthy to be the hostess of our Lord during the three months that Mary dwelt under her roof. John the Baptist was "filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb."215 "He was a burning and a shining light"216 because he was chosen to prepare the way of the Lord. The Apostles received the plenitude of grace; they were endowed with the gift of tongue and other privileges217 before [166] they commenced the work of the ministry. Hence St. Paul says: 212 Exod. iv. 12. 213 Jer. i. 5. 214 Luke i. 41. 215 Ibid. i. 15. 216 John v. 35. 217 Acts ii.