Tuesday, 31 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 7.14

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 7. How she was recognised and honoured in the Regular Orders


The  Carmelite Order

 14   I have no intention of trying to settle the differences of opinion that writers have concerning the origin of the Carmelites. I know there are some who trace the beginnings back to the time of Pope Honorius III, around the year 1217[1]. Others give this honour to blessed Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and claim it was in the year 1171 that he gave them the rule which they kept until 1431, the year that Pope Eugene IV mitigated[2] the rule. Cardinal Baronius, the Annalist[3], places the origin in the time of Alexander III in the year 1181. Several serious-minded authors go as far back as the year 1141 and say that it was Aimery of Limoges, Patriarch of Antioch and Legate of the Holy See in the East, who brought them together and gave them a Rule of social life lived in common. Others[4] go back as far as John, forty-second Patriarch of Jerusalem, who lived around the year 400 under the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius, saying that he was the one who composed the book of monastic Institutes, taking their origin from the old law and continuing under the new, (all this being set forth in the ninth volume of the Library of the Fathers). There are some who locate the origins of the Order in the time of the Apostles, even going back to the age of Elias and making the members of the Order his children and successors. It cannot be denied that they can trace their origin in some manner to Elias and the other prophets who lived on Mount Carmel, for the Holy Fathers state this explicitly in their Bulls. In the same way, we cannot doubt that all those names I have just mentioned played some part at various times in the regulation of the Order and in the way of life of the hermits of Mount Carmel. It is perhaps for this reason that they have been considered as their founders, or as restorers of the ancient discipline from which they had become detached. Without prejudice, however, to the claims of an ancient origin, I have placed the Order here in my account following the position they occupy in the Papal Chapel and in public possessions, if only because they were the last of the mendicant orders to appear and take their habit here in the west. Be that is it may, to return to the theme of this work, it is certainly beyond question that for several hundred years they have been honoured with the glorious title of Friars of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. John, Patriarch of Jerusalem, recalls in the book that I quoted earlier the remote origin of this devotion and this title.

In his mysterious vision, the Servant of the Prophet Elias, having for a seventh time on the command of his master gone to see what sign would appear in Heaven or on earth, saw a small cloud in the shape of a human foot[5], a figure and symbol of the Holy Virgin coming like a precursor of our happiness in the seventh age of the world. The Prophet understood the secret significance of this vision and left to those who would follow and imitate the life he was leading a hereditary devotion towards the Queen of Heaven and an impatience for her arrival in the world.

The learned Armacanus, Primate of Hibernia,  preached a sermon[6] at Avignon in the year 1342 in which he stated that he had learned from reliable authors and from vulnerable tradition:

That when the Apostles had begun to spread the Gospel, the hermits and Mount Carmel were the very first to receive the Faith. In the place where they had their dwelling, they dedicated a Chapel to the Holy Virgin, from whom they took and retained the name of Friars of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

There are other reliable authors[7] who have written:

That the Holy Virgin would visit these fine Anchorites not only whilst her son was living but also after his death and that she would offer her unique consolation to them in their labours; and from this was born that tender devotion that their successors have always shown towards the MOTHER OF GOD.

The Holy Fathers Sixtus IV and Gregory XIII make it quite plain in the Bulls which they published regarding this Order that they acknowledge the Holy Virgin as Mother, Nurse, Promotress and Patroness of the Order. To sum up, here are some of the tokens which are as many authentic proofs of the extraordinary love that she has shown to the Carmelites:

    • the institution of the Scapular 
    • the graces and favours granted to a great number of Saints amongst the religious of this Order
    • the fruits that she has produced through them in the Church 
    • the various discoveries they have made of ways to serve her, and to show honour to her in their gratitude. 

I shall bring to a close this evidence of love and devotion by explaining what happened to Pope Honorius III[8], when he was resisting a decision to approve and confirm the rule which these Fathers had presented to him.

The Queen of Heaven appeared to him with a severe look on her face, making it clear to him that when she spoke on a matter there should be no question of temporising or holding back that which she wished to promote;  he should remember, moreover, that two of his own ministers had already been taken away, although their ends had been very different, for having shown themselves resistant to promoting something which was dear to her heart.

Footnotes
[1] Paleonidorus, lib. III Antiquit. Carmel. ; Bzovius, Supplement. Annal. Baronii, an. 1217.
[2] Waldens., de Sacramentalibus, tit. 9, c. 84.
[3] So known for having written the Annales Ecclesiastici ("Ecclesiastical Annals"), which appeared in 12 folio volumes (1588–1607).
[4] Pavinus, in Chronico, an. 1141 ; Polyd. Virg., lib. VII de Inventoribus rerum, c. 7 ; Sabellicus, lib. VI Enneadis 9 ; Genebr., lib. IV Chronolog. ad an. 1180 ; Guill. Tyrius, Belli sacri, lib. V, c. 3 ; Tritemius, lib. de Laudibus Carmelit. ; Cyrillus, Epist. ad Euseb., etc
[5] III Kings (I Kings). xviii. 43-45.
[6] Waldens., Doctrin. fidei, art. 3.
[7] Martinus Italus, in Chron., etc.
[8] Paleonidorus, Bzovius, et cæteri auctores cit.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
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 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024 

Monday, 30 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 7.12-13

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 7. How she was recognised and honoured in the Regular Orders


The Order of St Francis

 12   St Francis follows on closely after St Dominic, no less in his devotion to the MOTHER OF GOD than in the foundation of his Order. St Bonaventure writes that Francis, next to Our Lord, placed his main trust in her, choosing her as special Advocate for himself and for all his Friars, instituting for this reason a fast from the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul to the Assumption[1]. His love for the Holy Virgin prompted him to repair and restore the Portiuncula Church, known as Our Lady of the Angels, because it was falling into ruin. This was the dwelling place chosen by the humble servant of God and His Holy Mother, a place he loved above all others in the world, as I have explained earlier[2].

I should not omit to mention what St Bonaventure said about this[3]: a devout Religious of this Holy Order had a vision before his entry of a group of blind people kneeling in front of this Church, their faces and hands raised towards Heaven and with tears and sobs calling out for mercy; they received their sight when a celestial light bathed all those present in radiance. This was a sign foretelling the Order that St Francis was to institute in that same place and the grace of a religious vocation, the first rays of which would lead a number of people to open their eyes and consecrate themselves to His Divine Majesty. As the Order had been in a sense conceived in the womb of the MOTHER OF GOD, it always retained a great tenderness towards her and showed in hundreds of ways its zeal for her honour, especially for defending the privilege of her Immaculate Conception. There will be opportunities later in the pages of this work to present some of the signs of the Holy Virgin’s favour towards the children of this Order, as well as evidence of the extraordinary devotion they have shown in her service. For now, let me share a few words of the remarkable vision granted in the year 1230 to Blessed Leo, one of the first companions of St Francis.
He seemed to see a sizeable plain with two ladders stretching from earth up to Heaven: one was red in colour and the Saviour was leaning on it; the other one was white and at the top was the glorious Virgin. The plain was covered with Religious of his Order and Saint Francis was busy at the foot of the ladders, getting them to climb up to Heaven. He had already managed to get a goodly number onto the red ladder when disaster suddenly struck, causing him great affliction. They all started to fall backwards, some from the highest rungs, others from the middle, and some from the lowest rungs. The Saint did not know what to think about this catastrophic accident but while he was reflecting upon it, he cast his glance upwards and saw the Mother of Mercy who told him that they should have the courage to come to her and she would be sure to take care of his Friars. Saint Francis instructed them to do just that and they all hurried over to the white ladder. They started to climb up and were received most favourably by our bountiful Mother who presented them to Our Lord who, out of consideration for His Mother, gave them a very warm welcome. Saint Francis understood very well the meaning of this vision :  that he should encourage his Friars in greater devotion towards the Holy Virgin, their dear Advocate and Mediatrix.

I will speak in the last Part of this work about the Crown of the glorious Virgin (which is a discovery made by the children of Saint Francis) and the fruits produced in the Church of God. 

Footnotes
[1] Ab Innocentio III approbatur, an. 1216 ; Bzovius, in Supplemento Annal. Baron., eo anno Vitæ S. Francisci, c. 9.
[2] § 5.
[3] Vitæ S. Francisci, c. 2.

The Order of the Hermits of St Augustine

13   At about the same time, the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine[1] received approval, although there are some who say that that it is older. The Blessed founder of the order was a man known as John the Good[2], named after his father who was called John and his mother whose surname was Good. He restored the discipline of living as a hermit, or more accurately, he instituted the life in common which the Hermits of Saint Augustine have led since his day. Previously, the members had lived scattered here and there, living in solitude. We would be wrong to think that the Holy Virgin did not recognise in their calling the faithful services rendered to her by the great, Patriarch Saint Augustine, and that they for their part, in imitation of such a remarkable servant of the MOTHER OF GOD, were not wholly dedicated to honour her and to serve her. I have not, however discovered any memoirs or histories of the Order and so I am unable to give any particulars.

Footnotes
[1] Genebr., in Chronol. Philippus Bergomens. in Supplemento, lib. XII, ad an. 1199.
[2] Chronicum Ordinis Eremit. S. Aug. ; Beigomens, loc. cit. ; Jordanus de Saxonia, lib. I de Vita fratrum.


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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
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 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024 

Sunday, 29 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 7.10-11

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 7. How she was recognised and honoured in the Regular Orders


The Order of the Valley of Scholars

 10   The year 1201 saw the birth of a new Order in the Diocese of Langres[1]. It was called the Valley of Scholars[2] and such was its devotion from the outset to serving the Queen of Heaven that all its houses incorporated her name : Our Lady of Bonneval, Our Lady of Beauroy, Our Lady of the Forest, Our Lady of the Isle, and so on.

Footnotes
[1] Franciscus Barus, t. II Monumentorum, an. 1201.
[2] Founded by scholars from the University of Paris.


The Order of Friars Preachers

 11   In the year 1217[1], the celebrated Order of Friars Preachers came to the rescue of the Church of God. Its emergence was timely because:
    • in France, the Albigensians were violating all laws, human and divine;
    • in Italy, the Manichaeans and Sacramentarians were spreading their errors; 
    • the Moors were continuing to ravage much of Spain;
    • the Eastern Church had fallen away from Rome into a tragic schism;
    • Saladin, leader of the Saracens, had burst into Syria;
    • the Guelphs and the Ghibellines were disturbing the whole of Christendom; 

– in short, it seemed that Satan had been unchained and allowed the freedom to overturn everything.

St Antoninus, Archbishop of Florence and one of the wonderful luminaries of this Order, said in a few words (that he was to explain later) all that I would want to say about the Order and its close links to the Holy Virgin: 
      she procured its beginning and she guided it on its way, 
      she gave it the habit and 
      she protects it at all times.

 She procured the Order as is made clear in the vision St Dominic had whilst he was praying one night in Rome, in the Church of St Peter. With a handful of companions, he was contemplating the idea of embracing the Rule of St Augustine, with the approval and on the authority of Pope Honorius III.
He seemed to see the Saviour of the world offended in the highest degree by the sins of men and determined to eliminate them with three spears that he held in His hand. These represented most certainly, it seems to me, the three scourges that God is accustomed to use when punishing our misdeeds. In this vision, he also saw the Mother of Mercy on her knees before the Saviour, and he was given to understand that the pleas for reconciliation that she was making meant that she did not disavow the excessive extent and nature of the grave sins being committed every day here on earth. But the Lord in His infinite goodness was more inclined to forgiveness than to vengeance and He had always been desirous of finding someone who might hold back his anger. She was able to present to him two of her children overflowing with zeal and with courage who would procure in every way the advancement of His glory and the conversion of sinners: namely, Saint Dominic and Saint Francis. Who will believe that the Saviour in his heart could refuse anything to his mother? On the contrary, he accorded her everything that she was asking and commissioned her to require them to do everything within their power to reduce the number of sinners.

Almost the same vision was communicated to a Religious of the same order, and to one of those people who were brought back by Saint Dominic from death to life, according to what is written in his History[2]. There is, moreover, no place under the Sun which has not at some point been enlightened by their teaching and has not felt the benefits of their work. This in itself is proof irrefragable of the truth of this vision. To this I might add a most remarkable event, that Saint Dominic and Saint Francis of Assisi met one another shortly afterwards, and they recognised and greeted one another without ever having met before. Readers are also free to consider how, in the revelations of Saint Bridget[3], Saint Dominic at the hour of his death commended all his children, both those present and those to come, into the hands of the most glorious Virgin, and the tender care she promised to show them out of love of him.

 The glorious Virgin revealed the habit that was to be worn by the children of St Dominic to a famous Doctor called Renaud who was entering the Order.

 As for the protection she has shown to the Order on various occasions, there is not enough space here to report all the details. Those keen to learn more may consult St Antoninus in the work already cited above. The favours and blessings she conferred on the Blessed Domicans Albert, Gilles, Léodat, Herman, Hyacinthe, Dupuy, Juvenance, Accursus and other luminaries of the Order will be known to everyone. It was not without reason that from the beginning they took the name Friars of Our Lady. Later, their exceptional achievements in winning souls led to their being honoured with the title Friars Preachers, a name they have retained to this day. Those who know the scale of corruption in the world can only be astonished to learn that, in the early days of this Holy Order St Dominic heard in a short period of time more than one hundred general confessions of his Friars and these men, by a special favour of the MOTHER OF GOD, had lives life of truly Angelic purity. 

Those who value, as they should, the incomparable delight of those who enjoy the love of Queen of Angels, may well feel a holy envy of the children of this glorious Father when they recall[4] that he saw them one day under the great cloak of the Virgin. They were so numerous and occupied so much space that it seemed to him. there were enough of them to fill the heavenly Jerusalem.  Something which happened at the beginning of this Order to blessed Rudolph of Faenza deserves to be included as an example as one of the principal favours received from the most glorious Virgin.

One day, he was feeling particularly overwhelmed, along with several of those who had taken the habit. They withdrew, feeding incapable of dealing with the Order’s severity. Our Lord appeared in the company of the blessed Saint Nicholas, and cradling his head, said to him:

“Rudolph, my son, do not punish yourself any more; for as long as my Mother keeps the Order under her protection, there will never be a shortage of persons entering and remaining in it.”

At the same moment, he saw a ship laden with Dominicans on their way to Bologna, and then heard a voice which said to him:

“Rudolph, do not worry any more, for I promise that in short while the whole world will be filled with Religious of this Order.”

Events have proved the truth of this prediction and you only need to open your eyes to see it. I will say nothing of the reciprocal affection they have always born towards the blessed Virgin. Everyone knows that all their churches are dedicated to her, and no one is unaware of all the ways in which they have advanced her honour. The fruits deriving from the Rosary alone are such that it would need entire volumes to recount them. I seem to remember having read[5] that one day God revealed to a beautiful soul the sweetness of the love of the holy Virgin for this holy Order. All the religious who were there conceived such a perfect trust in her and such an extraordinary desire to love her, to honour her, to serve her, and to make her known to the whole world, that this shone in their eyes, in their speech and in their whole comportment. There was none among them who did not wish to have her image continually present, or whose pleasure and recreation was to be in her company night and day. In short you will never see bees swarming in greater number around their hives or amongst the flowers in a beautiful garden plot, then you will see souls flocking to the altar of the glorious Virgin, to contemplate her splendour and magnify her greatness.

Footnotes
[1] S. Anton., III parte, titulo 23, c. 3 ; Antonius Senensis, in Chronico Fratrum Prædicatorum, ad an. 1217 ; Bzovius, in Supplemento Annal. Baron., an. 1216 ; Alii scriptores supra laudati vitæ S. Dominici.
[2] Vitæ S. Dominici, lib. I, c. 12, apud Surium, t. IV.
[3] Lib. III, c. 18.
[4] Vitæ ipsius apud Surium, lib. II, c. 12.
[5] Vitæ S. Dominici cit., lib. VI, c. 6.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
S
UB
 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024 

Saturday, 28 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 7.5-9

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 7. How she was recognised and honoured in the Regular Orders


The Cistercian Order

 5   Two hundred years after the Order of Cluny had been restored to its former vigour, Robert, Abbot of Molesmes, withdrew with twenty of his Religious and, having a similar plan in mind, he built a monastery in the midst of the woods at Cîteaux[1], where he and his monks began to live a pure and simple life like that of Angels. The Church and the Abbey at Molesme were dedicated to the MOTHER OF GOD and when they set out from there it was with her inspiration and guidance. Accordingly, it was ordained that all future foundations built under the Cistercian[2] rule would have the Holy Virgin as their Patroness and all who were admitted as Religious would recognize her as their beloved Mother. It is worth noting how wonderful it is to witness the sweet affection towards the Holy Virgin, whom the Monks and Nuns of this Order take as their spouse when they receive their habit. Concerning this very point, I recall what a devout and virtuous writer of this Order recounted about a fellow brother, a most fervent and deeply spiritual man[3].

He says that one day he was raised up in the spirit to Heaven where he saw an almost infinite number of saints arranged in various ranks and wearing various, different habits; but he could not see his own habit anywhere and he was somewhat troubled by this. Having no surer refuge than the Queen of Angels, he spoke to her sorrowfully as follows:

“Holy Virgin, what can this mean when I see the Blessed here coming from all conditions and backgrounds, but without seeing a single one from thy Cistercian Order, even though they honour thee in such a special way and cherish thee so tenderly?”

To which our gentle Mother replied:

“My son, thou hast no need to be astonished any longer, for my dear children who come from thine Order are always under my wings and close to me.”

So saying, she opened her Royal cloak and then he saw a very great number of his brothers and sisters, held in Our Lady’s embrace.

If any readers desire to learn in greater detail just how the MOTHER OF GOD lavished her affection and blessings on several Saints of this great order, and how many times she has protected and preserved it, they will have to satisfy their holy curiosity by reading the book I quoted earlier[4].

Footnotes
[1] Cæsarius, lib. I, c. 1, statuit ad an. 1098. 
[2] Cistercian: from Cistercium, the Latin word for Cîteaux.
[3] Cæsarius, lib. VII, c. 11.
[4] Cæsarius, lib. VII.

The Carthusian Order

 6   I brought forward our discussion of the Cistercian Order because of its connection with Saint Benedict, even though the Carthusian Order predated it by around a dozen years[1]. From its very beginning, this Order promised great things. Before Saint Bruno (who founded the order) came to Grenoble, and before he had chosen for his foundation the vast wilderness of Chartreuse, Saint Hugh (Bishop of Grenoble) had already received a revelation concerning his arrival. He had seen God’s Majesty coming down into this wilderness where the Holy Virgin quickly made known to blessed Saint Bruno, patriarch and father of so many children, and to his companions, that it was she herself who had led them there. The enemy of all things good had very much wanted to turn them away from such a holy resolution, giving them hundreds of attractive excuses to do so, including that it was an undertaking beyond human power to achieve – shutting themselves away whilst alive in little cells just as though they were enclosing themselves in tombs. 

Their loving Mother promptly came to their rescue by sending the Apostle Saint Peter, whom she ordered to tell Saint Bruno on her behalf that they simply needed to take courage, that they should remember that she had received them into her protection and that for as long as they recited daily her Office, she would never abandon them. For their part, they observed this request and she in return fulfilled her promise so faithfully that this Order, through the special help of their Mother most bountiful, has enjoyed a privilege not accorded to any other: to have continued now for 560 years in its springtime vigour. They remain so committed, moreover, in their devotion to the Holy Virgin that you will never find a single one of their churches that has not been not dedicated to her. Anyone who wishes to take the time to study this devotion in detail will find enough material to write an entire treatise. It will be enough for now to recall the tender-hearted exercise that the devout Carthusian Lansperge ordained for each of his brethren – namely, that every time they entered or left their cells, they should remember to greet the Holy Virgin as their guardian Protectress and their unique hope after God himself[2]

Footnotes
[1] Cæsarius, lib. I, c. 1, statuit ad an. 1098. 
[2] Cistercian: from Cistercium, the Latin word for Cîteaux.

The Premonstratensian Order

 7   There were no more than twenty-two years between the beginnings of the Cistercian and Premonstratensian Orders, the latter being founded by St Norbert, Archbishop of Magdeburg[1]. There is little difference between the two concerning their devotion to the MOTHER OF GOD, to whom both owe their origins, their progress and their restoration. The very name Premonstratensian reveals how all the children of this Order belong to the glorious Virgin. Now I know the common view is that this name is said to come from the place where it was first established[2], as in the case of the Orders of Cluny,  Cîteaux, the Carthusians and nearly all the ancient Orders. This opinion may have considerable evidence to support it but I would argue in support of something mentioned at the beginning of the Constitutions of the Order, namely:

Before St Norbert had made a decision concerning the habit he would choose for his Religious, an Angel was sent to him by an express commission of the Holy Virgin and told him to take his white habit for all those seeking acceptance into the Order. Because the habit was premonstrated[3] in this way before its institution, the Order received the name of Premonstratensian.

The lives of St Norbert and of a goodly number of his spiritual children, notably Blessed Herman de Steinvald (whom I shall have occasion to mention elsewhere), bear witness to the remarkable favours and blessings they received from their Mediatrix. This was true not only for them as individuals but also for the Order as a whole. Space, however, does not permit me to elaborate further.

Footnotes
[1] Fundatus an. 1120 ; Aub. Miræus, in Chronico Præmonstratensi, alii an. 1110.
[2] Prémontré, in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
[3] premonstrate: to foreshow, portend; to point out or make known beforehand. [OED. 1562-]

The Order of Monte-Vergine

 8   In the same year or (according to some) four years later, an Order was founded by St William of Vercelli, also known as William of the Corselet[1] because of the metal breastplate he wore, with his head left uncovered. This Order was born, so to speak, from the arms of Our Lady and was called the Order of Monte-Vergine[2] – after a mountain of the same name[3] where the first chapel and hermitage were built and dedicated under this name to the blessed Virgin.
 
Footnotes
[1] This may be a reference to a report that he went on a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella, and, not content with the ordinary hardships of such a pilgrimage, he encircled his body with iron bands to increase his suffering. [Catholic Encyclop.]
[2] Martyrol. Rom., 25 Junii.
[3] In the province of Naples, Italy.

The Order of the Trinity, or of the Ransom of Captives

 9   Around the year 1197[1], the Order of the Trinity was founded. It is also known as the Order of the Ransom of Captives, but it is different from the one with the Knights of the same name which I described a little earlier. There are some who claimed that the founders of this order were two French anchorites, Jean de Matha, a gentleman from Provence, and Félix Valésien. Their praiseworthy plans, inspired by Heaven, received a sympathetic hearing from Pope Innocent III who approved them and the Order was established in the city of Rome, opening up the possibility for it to spread throughout Christendom. 

They have since the beginning being under the special protection of the MOTHER OF GOD. Solemn proof of this was given when, during the general Chapter which was held in the convent of Cerfroi[2], in the year 1429, they confirmed an ancient ordinance obliging members of the order to recite every Thursday the Office of the Holy Trinity and every Saturday the Office of Our Lady, both containing nine lessons, (these being the two patrons of their Order). I cannot omit to mention that there was a Decree from the Royal Tribunal of Portugal popularly known as the Table of Conscience[3] which stipulates that on the chests of alms gathered by the religious of this Order for the ransom of poor prisoners, an image was to be painted of the blessed Virgin holding her Son in her arms, and at her feet on one side some prisoners laden with chains and manacles, and on the other a Religious of the Order holding with one hand the robe of the Mother of Mercy, and with the other pointing a finger to the captives, with words shown spoken from his mouth and addressed to the holy Virgin: Most worthy mother of God, do thou vouchsafe to cast off the shackles of prisoners. I shall not give details of the many Confraternities they have in honour of the Queen of Angels, for example that of the Scapular of their Order, that of Our Lady of Healing and other similar Confraternities of which one convent alone in Lisbon had seven. The history of this holy Order will reveal to anyone curious that the grace and favours received from their Mother most bountiful have not been less than the devotion they have always had and always will have to honouring the Holy Virgin.

Footnotes
[1] Sabel., lib. V Hist. Encad. 9 ; Lætius Zecchius, de Repub. Eccl., Tract. de Relig., c. 11 ; Gononus, ex Antiquis monu-mentis.
[2] Cerfroi (Cerfredum), location of the Order’s mother house in the Diocese of Meaux, France.
[3] Mesa da Consciência e Ordens (Table of Conscience and Orders), a royal tribunal created by King D. João III, in 1532.


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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
S
UB
 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024 

Friday, 27 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 7.1-4

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 7. How she was recognised and honoured in the Regular Orders


 1   Here we see the arrival of more military formations which the Church can deploy, with their captains and men-at-arms who say along with St Paul : For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels, And every height that exhalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ[1]. These are the Religious Orders founded at different times in the House of God. Although each of the orders marches under its own colours and has its own uniform or habit, their hearts and their minds are all focussed on following the strait and narrow path of Evangelic perfection[2] and of attracting souls to a love of Him who redeemed them. All of them, moreover, enter into battle under the special protection of the MOTHER OF GOD, as will be shown in the following pages.

Footnotes
[1] II Cor. x. 4-5.
[2] Matt. vii. 13-14.

The first Religious

 2   The first champions who, starting from the time of the Apostles, raised the standard of Christian perfection encountered so many hardships at first and put so much effort into their calling that they had little enough time to leave memorials of what they had achieved. Such, for example, were those who first gathered together in the city of Alexandria under St Mark the Evangelist and were then forced out by a wave of persecutions. They were scattered here and there, finding followers and imitators of their way of life. Some withdrew into the desert whilst others remained in towns and cities, such as those who eventually settled 
    • in the East under the rule of St Basil
    • in Africa, under St Augustine 
    • in Italy, under St Simplicius 
    • in France, under St Martin and 
    • in various other locations 

until St Benedict arose in the West like a new Sun whose rays attracted followers from all parts of the world.

The Order of St Benedict

 3   Saint Benedict began to accumulate disciples around the year 510 and he laid the first foundations of his Order on devotion to the MOTHER OF GOD. We have proof positive[1] of this in the fact that he devoted to her one of the first six Monasteries and Churches that he built in Italy, which he called Saint Mary of Portiuncula. Later, another little church with the same name was built in imitation near Assisi, dependent on the Abbey at Monte Cassino. The Benedictines out of their charity conveyed this to the glorious Father Saint Francis at the time he was carrying out the first project of his own order, as we described earlier[2]. From this school of the great Patriarch Saint Benedict emerged people such as Saint Gregory, Saint Leo, Saint Ildephonsus, Saint Josse and other devoted servants of the glorious Virgin in their thousands, whom we will discuss at appropriate points in the pages to follow. 

For the time being, allow me to draw your attention to a beautiful example of this Order's devotion to the holy Virgin which is reported by Rupert[3], the Pius Abbott of Deutz in Germany, who was himself a religious in the Benedictine Order. When he was meditating on the words of King David the Prophet who said that holy Zion would be forever the first and the foremost amongst his joys, he pointed out how this is mystically observed in the order of the glorious Saint Benedict where there is a rule which applies generally to all the houses of the Order. This rule requires that in every cloister there should be an Oratory of the glorious Virgin and this is to be made the first station during a procession on each Sunday of the year. 

For my part, I have no doubt whatsoever that the MOTHER OF GOD has already shown her gratitude for this devotion in thousands of ways, a devotion which she herself inspired in her children for their benefit. I must confess, however, to being moved by a particular feeling of consolation when I read what the same Virgin revealed one day to her faithful servant, the blessed Saint Bridget[4]. She showed her the blessed Saint Benedict who appeared in the form of a blazing globe of light which had set the universe on fire, shedding its illumination everywhere. She then showed Saint Bridget how his successors had allowed the fire to die out and the light to be extinguished, adding that she still had three sparks left to set it alight once more so that her most beloved Son would be one day glorified just as He had been previously. This was good news indeed and my soul rejoiced all the more when I realised that the holy Virgin has begun to keep her promise in our own day, for we can see that thanks to God the first fires of the ancient fervour have been reignited in this Order. The signs are promising that what has begun so happily will not cease until the restoration has been completed everywhere.

Footnotes
[1] D. Benedicti Chronicon per Antonium d’Yepes, eo anno.
[2] § 5.
[3] Lib. VII de Divinis officiis, c. 25.
[4] Lib. III Revel., c. 21.

The Order of Cluny

 4   The springtime fervour of the Order of Saint Benedict in no way slowed down or altered as time went by. Then, some four hundred and six years after the first foundation, a holy man called Odo, having been chosen as Abbott of Cluny, set about with all his energy restoring religious discipline in his monastery. So that the orderly life that he had introduced would not be limited to Cluny, he introduced a rule that henceforth his Monastery would be regarded as the mother house of the Order and that those houses desirous of embracing the rule that he had introduced for his own Religious should recognise the Abbot of Cluny as having authority over them. In order that everyone might recognise that it was with the assistance of the MOTHER OF GOD that he was founding this new structure and that it could not survive without her, he issued an instruction that henceforth all Religious should pray the Office of the Holy Virgin every Saturday. They would not be prevented, moreover, from doing this between the Octave of the Purification until Lent, from Easter to the Rogation days, and from Pentecost until Advent. The Church Universal eventually copied this practice, as well as the commemoration of the dead the day after All Saints’ day, something which Saint Odilo, who was also an abbot of Cluny, had introduced. 

Now, if there could be found anyone who wanted to agree with the same Saint Odilo in what he wrote in his life of Saint Maiolus, that the blessed Berno (who died in the year 912 and who was the predecessor of Saint Odo), was the first Abbot to restore religious discipline in the house of Cluny, then I would not feel able to argue with him on that particular point or any conclusions resulting therefrom.

👑       👑       👑

The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
S
UB
 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024 

Thursday, 26 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 6.17-18

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 6. She has been recognized and honoured by all the Orders, firstly by the Military orders 


The Crusades and the Holy War

 17   The Crusades are closely linked to the Orders of Chivalry and are in a general sense the fruits of these fine trees. It is not unfitting to say a few words about them because one of the remarkable splendours of the Virgin Mary is that she inspired so many hearts to become involved in these noble and generous undertakings. History, insofar as it is a faithful repository of the truth, teaches that the French went on crusade on seven separate occasions, either alone or with other countries, to recapture the Holy Land. They spared no effort, not even their own lives, marching into battles with their heads bowed under the Banner of the Cross and under the guidance of the MOTHER OF GOD. 

The first Crusade was in the year 1095 and resulted from a general Council convoked by Pope Urban II. Three hundred and twenty Prelates assembled at Clermont in Auvergne, in the Church of the Holy Virgin. The Pope approved the Office which is recited in her honour and he so inspired the Bishops there, and through them the Christian Princes, that they sought to outdo each other in what they could offer. The last two Crusades were led by the indomitable St Louis, a Prince with a heart as generous as it was holy, who rated the undertaking so highly that he participated even unto the offering of his own life. Those who have studied the books written on this subject have noted how many times the MOTHER OF GOD made her presence felt to the participants who did not fail to show their gratitude, as they did for example in the fifth war when they captured Damietta. This city was of such importance to the Sultan that he had offered to give Jerusalem to the Christians, along with all he controlled in Palestine and Phoenicia, all the wood he had of the true Cross and all the Christian prisoners still alive in the Empires of Babylon and Damascus – if only they would lift the siege of Damietta. One of the first things they did was to consecrate the Saracens’ mosque in honour of the Virgin. This was a truly magnificent building, incorporating one hundred and forty-nine marble columns as well as sumptuous decoration. They did this so they might offer thanks to her in her own house for all the graces and blessings they had received from her.

The Crusade against the Albigensians

 18   The Crusade which was launched against the Albigensian heretics around the year 1208 was led by Simon de Montfort and is another sign of the power wielded by the mother of God over armies and of the way she always extends her help to her faithful servants. The battle that took place in Muret next to the river Garonne is an altogether extraordinary proof of both of this. The enemy numbered more than 100,000 soldiers but count Simon had only some 240 men-at-arms, 500 light cavalry and 700 poorly armed foot soldiers. These threw themselves into the battle against the Albanian army, however, with such boldness and courage that it fled in total disarray. Count Simon's men pursued them for as long as their strength remained, cutting to pieces the enemies of God and of the Holy Virgin. Chroniclers recount that there were some 20,000 slain on the field of battle. This was certainly a remarkable victory, having regard to the small numbers of the victors, but it quite miraculous that one hundred thousand of the enemy were able to kill only one man-at-arms, and eight foot soldiers from Simon's small force.

Now, I understand well enough there are writers who normally focus more on the progress and outcome of wars than on what relates to the question of what devotion moved men's hearts. Accordingly, they have not tried to make a careful compilation of the evidence which pertains to my argument. Those, however, who have written the history of Saint Dominic are in agreement that the successes attained by this crusade were due to the assistance given by the MOTHER OF GOD. She had been so outrageously attacked and insulted by these wretches who would only speak of her as though of a fallen woman, scornfully portraying her with only one eye. The victorious army numbered holy Prelates and courageous Religious from the Carthusian Order. The blessed Saint Dominic, who is entirely devoted to the mother of God, was the Herald and the trumpet, so to speak, and there is no question that their main power came from her assistance.

The history of this saint explains that, as the wretched Albigensians became more stubbornly opposed to the truth the more clearly they were shown the light of truth in the midst of so many misfortunes, he became like king David whose eyes failed because of the workers of iniquity. One day the Saint was kneeling before his beloved Mother, (some have concluded from the history of the Friars preachers that this was in the city of Puy), his eyes streaming with tears and his heart broken. He told her of his sorrow at how little progress he had made despite all his preaching, all the conferences and all the wonders that these heretics had witnessed. The Mother of Mercy consoled him and fortified his spirit, remonstrating with him and pointing out how much hard work, sweat and blood her beloved Son, had expended for the salvation of souls. Dominic needed only to persevere and then he would be successful in these great undertakings. In the end he would be able to harvest with pleasure what he was now watering with so many of his tears. Apart from this, she gave him a most excellent means to advance in a short period of time both her Son's glory and her own, to make easier the conversion of souls and to fight and vanquish the visible and the invisible foes. She was referring to her Rosary accompanied by meditation on the mysteries of her life and the life of her beloved Son, adding that this would be a token of her love through successive generations towards the Order which was soon to be founded in the Church. Her children would make known to the whole world in perpetuity the excellent benefits of using these spiritual weapons.

Readers who want to learn more about this, and especially how the truth of this vision was immediately evidenced by the miracles that Saint Dominic performed in all sorts of ways, can read the authors of his life whom I cited a little earlier. My task now is to proceed onto the Regular Orders.



👑       👑       👑


The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
S
UB
 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024 

Wednesday, 25 December 2024

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 6.13-16

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)
She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 6. She has been recognized and honoured by all the Orders, firstly by the Military orders 


The Order of the Vase of Our Lady

 13   Ferdinand, Infante[1] of Castile and Duke of Portugal, acquired the nickname Infante of Antequera on account of his conquering this Moorish stronghold in 1410 (or 1413, as some say), more than fifteen thousand enemies of the Christians being slain in the battle. To preserve the memory of this famous victory which he gained thanks to the Holy Virgin, he founded Our Lady’s Order of the Vase. The device of the Order incorporated a vase of lilies and a griffin[2]. The Order moved from Castile to Aragon and continued under Ferdinand’s descendants.
 
Footnotes
[1] Infante: A son of the king and queen of Spain or Portugal other than the heir to the throne (who is called principe).
[2] griffin: A mythical creature typically depicted with the head, wings, and talons of an eagle and the body and hindquarters of a lion. They were associated with the protection of treasured possessions. 

The Order of the Golden Fleece

 14   In the year 1429[1], Philippe, Duke of Burgundy married Isabella, daughter of King Juan of Portugal. The first day of his nuptials was the 10th of January, and on that day he created in Bruges (his native town) the first Knights of the Golden Fleece, doing this unto the glory of God, in reverence of His Mother and in honour of the blessed Apostle St Andrew. So say the letters instituting this Order[2]. Although the majority of commentators think this Fleece refers to ancient tale of Jason and the Argonauts, others think it is just as or even more likely that Ferdinand had in mind Gedeon’s fleece[3], a true figure symbolizing the MOTHER OF GOD as I have already shown in Chapter III above.

Footnotes
[1] Jacob Meyerus, lib. XVI, an. Flandriæ ad an. 1429.
[2] Datæ insulis, an. 1431, 27 Novemb.
[3] Judges vi. 36-40.

The Military order of the Virgin Mary of Mt Carmel

 15   In the year 1607, Henry the Great, of happy memory, founded the Military Order of the Virgin Mary of Mt Carmel which was approved by Pope Paul V in that same year. It was composed of one hundred French gentlemen noted for their noble extraction who were to serve as an elite company of bodyguards for His Majesty in the event of future wars. They were to wear on the left hand side of their capes a cross in velvet or brushed satin anchored to a silver orle. In the centre of the cross was an image of the Holy Virgin surrounded by golden rays, all done in embroidery. Around the neck was a ribbon of brushed satin, with a golden cross anchored[1], having on either side of the centre an enamelled image of the Holy Virgin. Their patroness and protectress was Our Lady of Mt Carmel whose feast they were to observe every year on the 16th day of July[2]. Every day they were required to say the Office of the Holy Virgin or the rosary. The rest of their rules may be found in the Bull of institution.

Footnotes
[1] “It is called a cross anchored because its extremities turn back like the flukes of an anchor.” 1828, OED.
[2] The French text has le sixième or the sixth, but this may be a copyist’s error for le seizième or sixteenth. The feast was assigned to 16 July because on that date in 1251, according to Carmelite traditions, the scapular was given by the Blessed Virgin to St. Simon Stock; it was first approved by Sixtus V in 1587.

The Orders of the Sacred Militia and the Christian Militia of the Immaculate Conception

 16   The year 1615 saw the foundation of the Order of the Sacred Militia against the infidels, placed under the special protection of the glorious Virgin and St Francis. It was instituted on the initiative of the three Petrignani brothers who were Italian gentlemen from Spello. The device of their Order was a cross in sky-blue satin, embroidered with silver threads; in the centre was a roundel which contained the letters S and M crowned, signifying Sancta Maria, meaning Holy Mary; around this were the words In hoc signo vincam, meaning In this sign I shall be victorious.  Outside the roundel and between the limbs of the cross were twelve rays in silver representing the twelve Apostles; on each limb were nine silver marks recalling the nine choirs of Angels and each limb terminated with fleurons[1] of lilies done in the Italian and German style, signifying that the Order was founded in honour of the Holy Virgin who is the true Lily of Paradise. Next to the four sets of fleurons were four stars surrounded with rays. In the year 1619[2], Giovanni Battista Petrignani travelled to France to invite members of the French nobility to join the Order. He also travelled to Germany where he met the most Serene Duke of Nevers who is today the Duke of Mantua, Charles de Gonzague. He, together with the Count of Atham, the second of the Petrignani brothers and several German lords, founded another Order on the model of the one I have just described. This took place on the 8th of March some four leagues from the city of Vienna in Austria, in the middle of the countryside. In this way the Petrignani Order was taken over by this second one and the man chiefly responsible for its foundation was the most Serene Duke of Mantua. He was confirmed and the Order’s rules and ordinances were approved by Pope Paul V and afterwards by Urban VIII, under the title of the Christian Militia of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. Her image was placed in the centre of the Order’s device, replacing the crowned letters S and M. 

Footnotes
[1] fleuron: a flower-shaped ornament or decoration.
[2] 1619The French text has six (six) instead of seize (16), presumably a copyist’s error.


👑       👑       👑


The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
S
UB
 tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 


Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 


© Peter Bloor 2024