The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 2 : § 2. 1

Chapter 2: The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

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

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. That our Lord Jesus Christ is, by His eternal predestination, the First-born of every creature

 1   The Apostle Paul says this explicitly in the first chapter of his epistle to the Colossians.[1] Several Doctors understand by these words the Eternal Word as God. Our interpretation of them as applying to God made man by temporal generation is, however, supported by all the Fathers of the Holy Council of Serdica[2], by St Athanasius[3], St Anselm[4] and by the writer[5] who under the name of St Jerome made a commentary on this passage of St Paul. The Saviour applies this title of honour to Himself in chapter viii of the Proverbs where, according to the Septuagint, generally followed by all the ancient Fathers, He is called the Beginning of the ways of God.[6] Pope St Clement[7], St Gregory of Nazianzus[8], St Athanasius[9], St Basil[10], St Augustine[11], St Cyril[12], St Jerome[13] and many other of the most highly qualified of the Doctors all acknowledge that this title belongs to Wisdom Incarnate.

Not that I want to say He should be called the Firstborn of every creature or (what is equivalent) the Beginning of the ways of God, forasmuch as He was the first in God’s plan when He formed the resolution to create the world. I am already committed to showing, at the start of the next Treatise, that God did not think of Him until after foreseeing the general ruin of our race resulting from sin. Much less do I want to say that this title applies to Him through having been created the the first among men according to the order of time. All the ancient writings would contradict me for He was promised only in the middle of history, that is to say after several centuries had elapsed. This information would prove me to be in error.

 

Footnotes

[1] Coloss. i. 15.

[2] Epist. ad omnes fideles.

[3] Serm.3 contra Arianos.

[4] In hunc locum.

[5] In hunc locum.

[6] The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works. Prov. Viii. 22..

[7] Lib.V Const. Apost., c. 19.

[8] Orat.4 de Theologia.

[9] Serm.2, 3, 4 contra Arianos.

[10] Lib. IV contra Eunomium.

[11] Lib. I de Trinit., c. 12.

[12] Lib. V Thesauri, c. 4, 7 et 8.

[13] In c.4 Micheæ, lib. II.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 2 : § 1. 1-2

Chapter 2: The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

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

That she is First or Eldest of mere creatures by virtue of her eternal predestination.

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

A little earlier, we considered the title MOTHER OF GOD as being like the trunk or crown of a great tree, from which emerge the branches representing the great Splendours of the glorious Virgin. Now we need to go further and discover the root from which the trunk and the branches spring. We find this is the eternal predestination of this same Virgin. For this reason, the Church, according to St Cyprian, calls her a vessel of election, that is, a creature uniquely chosen by God to be the chosen instrument for wonders He wills to work on earth and in heaven.

§ 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ has been the true model for the Blessed Virgin

 1   To clarify the birth-right of the MOTHER OF GOD, it needs to be said firstly that she does not subsist in God’s plan and the order of creatures other than by virtue of being Mother of the Saviour, (as I shall demonstrate with greater detail in the opening discussion of the second Treatise). In the same way, our Lord Jesus Christ’s predestination, which St Paul addresses at the start of his Epistle to the Romans, includes the Blessed Virgin to such an extent that without her it becomes impossible for Him. This means that Jesus and Mary are inseparably joined together by virtue of predestination. Just as Mary is none other than Virgin and MOTHER OF GOD in the immutable plan of eternity, so Jesus is not found otherwise than as the Son of man, that is to say the Son of the Virgin. Because the predestined status of the Saviour appears to us only through the sacred oracles of the Holy Spirit, we must say with St Augustine:

Whosoever denies that the Son of God is predestined denies at the same time that He is Son of man; consequently, whosoever says with St Paul that He is predestined must admit that He is the Son of man, i.e., that He is the Son of Mary and descended from Abraham and David, to whom the promise of the Messiah was made.[1]

The same assurances we have of the one we also have of the other, with the same witnesses, the same places, from the same Spirit of truth. The sober and ancient Doctor Tertullian wrote of it long ago in these terms:

Whichever way you look at it, you have to accept that He who was the seed of David took flesh from Mary and that He who took flesh from Mary is of the seed of David.[2]

This teaching is echoed by St Justin Martyr,[3] St Ambrose,[4] St Epiphanius,[5] St Jerome,[6] St Andrew of Jerusalem,[7] the venerable Bede,[8] Peter Damien[9] and the generality of holy Fathers, Greek as well as Latin. It is also echoed in the songs of all the Prophets and it is the culminating point for all the ancient figures, as I intend to show in the following chapter.

Footnotes

[1] Tract. CV in Joann.

[2] Lib. de Carne Christi, c. 22.

[3]Apolog. 2 pro Christianis.

[4] Lib. II de Spiritu Sancto, c. 5.

[5] Serm. de Laudibus Virg.

[6] In c. 11 Isaiæ.

[7] Serm. 2 de Dormit. B. Virg.

[8] Lib. IV, cap. 49 in Luc.

[9] Serm. 3 de Nativit. B. Virg.

 2   In the second place, we must presuppose that the Blessed Virgin’s predestination is included in that of her Son and that the latter is the model for the former. This is established on the authority of the Church and several learned Doctors who apply to the Mother the same words that the Holy Spirit used to represent the eternal election of the Son, as will be seen shortly. It is further based on reason that Mary must resemble Him, as far as is permitted to a mere creature. Her status demands this, for she is Daughter, Mother and Spouse of God, Companion and Collaborator of the Saviour in the work of our redemption, Governess, Mediatrix, general Advocate and Protector of the Church, Queen of the universe, Mother of all the elect. She enjoys other titles which I will cover later. 

God’s plan required Him to make two masterpieces of nature, grace and glory. Apart from this, what most convinces me of this truth is my firm opinion (which I will explain fully at the start of the second Treatise) that Mary would never have been if God were not to have become man. She is, therefore, a work made expressly for the Word incarnate and for no other reason subordinate to that. Once this understanding has been accepted, it follows that Mary’s case is different from other men and women whose production was determined, according to our way of thinking, before God foresaw the fall of Adam and the remedy He willed to supply. They are not in the least dependent on God made man for those things which are of nature, even though they are must acknowledge Him as the principle of grace and glory. The creation of Mary was resolved upon only after the decision was made to redeem the world and with the sole aim that she serve the Redeemer as Mother, Spouse and Companion. It must be said that not only does she owe everything to Him in terms of nature, grace and glory, but that she is drawn from Him as a copy from an original. She bears the greatest resemblance to Him that any mere creature could possibly have. This explains why so frequently in the Canticles He calls her His sister, His perfection and His beloved. This is the reason He reveals that He felt deepest sorrow in His heart for her alone, out of a world of others; she alone drew Him down here on earth. It is the reason why He filled her with so many perfections and great dignities that there was amazement in heaven and earth. We shall find this much easier to understand after we have made a comparison with her prototype, which is what I now propose to do.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 2. 3

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

 § 2.  That the title MOTHER OF GOD is the origin and the measure of all the Dignities of the Blessed Virgin

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 3   The same yardstick used to measure the great Dignities and Splendours of Jesus should also be used to measure those of Mary, His Mother. St Paul argues that He who gave us His only-begotten Son will never have the heart to refuse us anything. If this powerful teaching applies to each of one of us, consider how much more it applies in the case of Mary, to whom He gave His Son in a unique way not shared by any other human being. If the Father must show Himself to be generous with His daughter, the Son should be no less so towards His Mother. This is reflected in the rule of interpretation proposed more than fourteen centuries ago by St Hippolytus, Bishop (of the Port near Rome) and Martyr, when he wrote: 

He who commanded us to honour father and mother in order to keep the law He published did not Himself omit to do anything He reasonably could to shower honour on His own Mother.[1]

This is also the approach adopted by the devout Saint Bernard. Writing to the canons of the Cathedral of Saint John in Lyon, he argues that:

Denying to the MOTHER OF GOD any of prerogatives granted to the other Saints shows  a great weakness of intellect no less than a great temerity.[2]

It is the same understanding as that shown by the great Archbishop of Crete (writing between the dates of the previous authors). He places a striking emphasis which he goes on to repeat in his discussions highly favourable to the MOTHER OF GOD, as when he writes:

If God has done something in this Lady which we cannot understand, then we should not be surprised; rather we should plunge ourselves into the incomprehensible mystery accomplished in her, a mystery surpassing infinitely any sort of infinity.[3] 

This will be the rule I will follow from now on in my research into the Splendours and great Dignities of the MOTHER OF GOD. This will help me to grant her all that is fitting to the majesty of this title and will be fully in keeping with the faith and right reason we need to follow as our guide. Finally, I ask the devout reader to adopt this rule when he seeks to judge what is said on the prerogatives of the Queen of Heaven. He should not show himself reluctant to give his assent to pious belief when he sees it supported by Doctors who are named and worthy of faith. I recall what St Bernard once said:

The MOTHER OF GOD has no need to be honoured with titles and with praises that do not belong to her, seeing that she has more than enough to provide true material for panegyrics by those who wish to praise her.[4]

I understand well enough that a heart which is loving in its service will take joy from any fitting honour  received, as in the case of a well-born son who will delight in honour shown to his mother. With these preliminary thoughts in mind, I shall now begin the discussion of the Excellent Dignities of the MOTHER OF GOD, with the anticipation that the reader will never have explored them in this way before. It is my hope that he will come to love Her with all his heart for She has so many reasons to love Her, and if he already loves Her, then he will redouble the affection he has for her.

Footnotes

[1] Orat. de Sanctificat.

[2] Epist. 174.

[3] Orat. 1 de Dormit. B. Virg.

[4] Epist. 174 cit.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 2. 1-2

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

 § 2.  That the title MOTHER OF GOD is the origin and the measure of all the Dignities of the Blessed Virgin

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 1   The Evangelist Matthew uttered something very important when he said: Mary, of whom was born Jesus.[1] St Bernard,[2] says this is what astonishes men and angels alike,  which makes them all lower their eyes and which is the source and the measure of all the perfections found in the Virgin. The same Jesus, Son of Mary, taught one day this divine lesson to St Catherine of Genoa,[3] telling her that when she recited the Ave Maria she should take the word Jesus, which is found in the prayer, as the one which ought to give her sentiments of honour, respect and love needed to speak as she should to such a Lady. St Thomas[4] remarks opportunely that the holy Evangelists knew the qualities of the most Blessed Virgin better than anybody.  In their position as her Son’s record-keepers, they ordinarily gave her no other title than Mother of Jesus. 

We are not unaware, says St Bernardine of Siena,[5] that it is a great advantage for our heavenly Mother to be our Lady and Mistress of all that God created. We nevertheless call her more readily MOTHER OF GOD, insomuch as this dignity is the root and source of the others. That which this Saint places before Lady of the universe can be applied to all her other titles and qualities, insomuch as there is not one that does not have this as its origin. In this way, after we have considered her as an immense ocean of graces, as a masterpiece of glory, as the honour of heaven and earth, the epitome of God’s handiwork, the chosen dwelling of the most holy Trinity, the foundation of our happiness, the gate of heaven, the wonder of the world and other titles that I cannot say or even think of, we always need to return to this starting point and acknowledge that all these titles and qualities depend on her being the MOTHER OF GOD.

Footnotes

[1] Matt. i. 16.

[2] Serm. in Signum magnum.

[3] Vitæ ipsius, c. 6.

[4] III p., q. 28, art. 3.

[5] T. I, serm. 52

.

The excellence of Jesus Christ

 2   To help us understand something about the great Dignities of Mary, who could gain access for us to the Holy of Holies, namely the Sanctuary of the sacred heart of Jesus[6]? Who will reveal to us the wonders of this mystery hidden from all eternity in the most secret thoughts of the Ancient of days[7] and in the very bosom of the Eternal Father?  A mystery unravelled in the fulness of time so as to become the object of the law of peoples, an anchorage point for their hopes, the cause of their salvation and the accomplishment of God’s glory in the world? Who will represent for us the glory of the only-begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth,[8] shown to the beloved Disciple? Who will explain to us the words of the Son of thunder which the world hitherto has not understood? Who will teach us about this Word who was in the beginning with God and who was Himself God, by whom all things were made and without whom was made nothing that was made? 

Who will help us understand what is meant by a God who supports a man; a man who subsists in God; a man who is God and a God who is man; the singular work God has accomplished and which alone has a perfect proportion to the excellence of the workman? A work which is a triumph of love, the treasure of wisdom and the miracle of power; a work which is between the created being and the uncreated; where God enclosed Himself to become part of His work and to raise it above all the works of His hands; the mysterious ladder joining earth to heaven and heaven to earth?[9] Who will help us scale the rungs of incomprehensible perfection found in each of His natures? Who will speak to us worthily of the divine filiation of Jesus, of His supreme power and the eternity of His rule? Who will tell us how we are to understand in Him His divine essence, the distinction of His persons and the depth of His counsels? How He is adorable wisdom, the ineffable word, the image of the Eternal father, His divine Word through whom He speaks both to Himself and to His creatures, and the idea of all created things? How He proceeds from Him without dependence and without losing anything; how He has in Himself the fulness of uncreated being; how with Him and through Him He is the point from which a divine person proceeds; how He is light eternal of light eternal, light in His essence and in His person proceeding as the light and splendour of the Father? 

Who will tells us how to speak with very God Himself who, according to His humanity is the principle and exemplar of created Divinity, and who honours us by calling us Gods[10] and children of the Most High? How in this status He received a new essence in the womb of His Mother, by the temporal operation of the Holy Spirit; but how He is also the One to whom, in His status as God in the bosom of His Father, through an eternal operation He communicates the essence which is without beginning? How, alone out of all creatures, He enters the state of divine filiation, not by adoption but by nature; how He is Holy with the same holiness that renders God holy, and the Holy of Holies? How He is the centre, the circle and the circumference of all the emanations of God outside Himself, and the throne of glory and greatness where the divinity dwells uniquely and corporeally, as the great Apostle says?[11]

Who will open for us the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden within this Man-God? Who will bring us information on these sufferings of a God and these miracles of a man, of these actions divinely human and humanly divine which are found in Him alone? Who will make us sound the very depths of His grace, from which God’s elect will draw and will draw for ever? Who will enumerate all the effects this grace has produced in the heaven among the saints and on earth among the just and the sinners? Who will set out the wonders of this quality which in every way shows forth its sanctity? Who will enable us to see Him who is the most Beautiful of all, the Greatest of the great, the Spouse of chosen souls, the Sovereign Pontiff of the Church’s children, the King of glory and the Delight of the universe? 

To anyone who opens up these secrets to me, I promise for my part to communicate marvels never before heard of concerning the MOTHER OF GOD. Mary is, after all, none other than the worthy Mother of Jesus, as Jesus is the adorable Son of Mary. But since we know only what may be discovered with the limited viewpoint of the Faith, we should not be surprised if all that we propose concerning this incomparable title is less than we should really like to know. Whether we want to or not, we are obliged to acknowledge these great Dignities and to accept with humility that they are in a sense beyond our ken. To which of the Angels did God ever say (it is St Paul who speaks): Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.[12] And whoever cannot respond to the first request will find it difficult to satisfy the second.

Footnotes

[6] Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus goes back to at least the 11th century. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had multiple visions of the Sacred Heart between 1673 and 1675. However, it wasn’t until 90 years later in 1765, that the feast was officially celebrated in France. In 1856, Pope Pius IX made the feast of the Sacred Heart into a universal celebration.

[7] Daniel vii. 9-10.

[8] Damasc., lib. I Fidei, c. 8 ; Trismegist. in Pimandro, etc..

[9] Gen. xxviii. 12-16.

[10] Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law: I said you are gods? [John 10:34]

[11] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporeally; [Col. ii.9]

[12]  Hebr. v. 5

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 1. 9

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

 § 1.  On the excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 9   For the devout reader who wishes to read more[1] about these same great dignities and qualities, here are some examples from discussions which are proportionately similar to the way we speak of God Himself when we say that He is higher than any height, deeper than any depth, brighter than any light, more dazzling than any splendour, stronger than any strength, more courageous than any courage, more beautiful than any beauty, truer than any truth, greater than any greatness, more powerful than any power, richer than any richness, wiser than any wisdom, sweeter than any sweetness, better than any goodness, more just than any justice[2]; that He is beyond imagining, beyond words, beyond explanation, inaccessible, incomprehensible to any other than to Himself.[3]

What do you think the great God’s envoy meant, asks St Bernard,[4] when he said to the Virgin: The power of the most High shall overshadow thee?  Perhaps She who had the joy of experiencing and of being exposed to the rays of this divine Sun who, by an unprecedented miracle shaded her from His own divine brightness, perhaps She would be able to answer. Apart from her, who merited a share in the secret of the most blessed Trinity working this mystery in her, do not look for anyone else to give an explanation, for there is no-one.  

It seems to St Augustine too that it is going too far to say that the Princess who was herself asked for her assent and who with such good reason was told about everything happening to her, would be able to give an explanation.

I will not pretend to say (these are his words[5]) that She who was herself able to enclose the divine Word within her womb, would be unable to understand and fully explain this mystery.  

I shall let you decide whether this Saint, who was so jealous for the honour of the MOTHER OF GOD, claimed to derogate from her in any way. Far from doing that, I think that on the contrary by speaking in favour of the truth he thought to honour the MOTHER OF GOD, whose merit is so elevated as to be beyond her own comprehension. No more nor less than in the case where we think we are giving offence to an extremely rich man when we say that he has so many sources of wealth that he himself does not know what they are.  In this sense, the greatness of the MOTHER OF GOD will be beyond the understanding of any mind in creation. The glory will remain with the Father who has such a daughter, the Son who prepared such a Mother for Himself, and with the Holy Spirit who so enriched and adorned His Bride. This understanding is echoed by St Bernardine[6] who applies words from Ecclestiacus to the Blessed Virgin: only He who made her is able to understand the sublime heights of His work and to Him is reserved their full comprehension.

Having heard these great minds speaking in such a fashion, what man would not hesitate before seeking to understand the great dignities of the MOTHER OF GOD? For my part, as of present I would veer away from such a task were it not that my plan is to follow those Church Fathers who have spoken so worthily on the subject rather than to flatter my own abilities and be carried away by my own inventiveness. Under the guidance, however, of such wise pilots as the Fathers, I do not believe I should fear when launching myself to explore the vasty ocean of the great Queen’s dignities and splendours. The Holy Spirit, great pilot of the barque that is the Church, prepared these same dignities and splendours in her. I have confidence that He will guide my mind and my pen on this voyage of discovery and that the beautiful Star of the sea herself, to whom I offer my labour, will not abandon me in this project I have undertaken to please her.

Footnotes

[1] Tract. II, c. 3.

[2] Tertull. sive Novatianus Presbyt. Rom., lib. de Trinit.

[3] Damasc., lib. I Fidei, c. 8 ; Trismegist. in Pimandro, etc..

[4] Homil. 4 in Missus.

[5] T. IX operum supra Magnificat..

[6] T. II, serm. 51, art. 3, c. 1 : Tanta fuit perfectio ejus, ut soli Deo cognoscenda reservetur, juxta il-lud Eccl. 1.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 1. 7-8

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

 § 1.  On the excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 7   Other writers such as St Peter Chrysologus, Archbishop of Ravenna,[1] maintain that he who does not know how to contemplate with delight the sublimity of his Blessed Mother has little understanding of the greatness of God.

Great God! says this saint. How can this be? The heavens are afeared, the Angels tremble, all creatures lose their faculties, nature is confounded and yet in this emotion which is general one maiden alone feels no fear; not only does she provide a home for God in her womb but she confidently asks as payment for this lodging an agreement for universal peace, forgiveness for criminals on earth, life for those who have died, membership for men of the family of blessed Spirits and the incarnation wherein the Word is made flesh. What does this confidence seem like to you?

 8   Among this assembly of Saints, there are some who are more astonished than all the rest. They find themselves overcome and can only cry out in amazement: This is a wonder! A miracle! The great Patriarch of Antioch, St Ignatius,[2] calls it a celestial prodigy and a sacred sight; St John Chrysostom,[3] a great miracle; St Bernardine,[4] the miracle of miracles; St John Damascene,[5] the most profound of miracles.

 

O miracles! O prodigies! Cries St Augustine,[6]  the laws of nature are changed, God is born in man, the Virgin conceives from the word alone of God; she becomes a mother and yet remains a virgin! She is a mother, but remains undefiled; she is a virgin but has a son; she remains wholly virgin but is none the less fruitful; and the unique child who amongst all the children of men is born sinless, comes into the world not through concupiscence of the flesh but through obedience to the spirit.

Miracle! Says St John Damascene,[7] but this is the newest of all miracles; a woman is raised higher than the Seraphim just as God stoops beneath the Angels.

O most Blessed Virgin! Says St Epiphanius,[8] thou hast stopped in their tracks all the multitudes of the angelic army[9] and caused them amazement in their hearts! For in truth it is a quite extraordinary prodigy in heaven to see a woman cradling the Light of the world in her arms; to see a woman with her Son who is the Father of his Mother in the same way He has been through endless ages; to see the nuptial couch of the Virgin made ready to receive her heavenly Spouse who is both her Son and the true, only-begotten Son of God.

Let us open our ears, says St Anselm,[10] and make ready to hear how admirably the Eternal Father prepared for the Blessed Virgin, giving testimony thereby to His limitless love for her. In your opinion, could He have done any more? He had His only begotten Son, in all things and everywhere equal to Himself and of the same substance. Would you believe that His love could extend so far as to be willing to share His son with Mary, in such a way that she would have Him as a true Son by nature, as He was for His heavenly Father?

Footnotes

[1] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[2] Epist. ad Joann

[3] Serm. de B. Virg.

[4] T.-I, conc. 61, art. 1, c. 11.

[5] Orat. 1 de Nativit. B. Virg.

[6] Serm. 11 de Tempore.

[7] Orat. 1 de Nativit.

[8] Orat. de Sanct. Deipara.

[9] Au même instant, se joignit à l'ange une troupe de la milice céleste. Luc ii. 13.

[10] Lib. de Excellentia Virg., c. 3.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 1. 5-6

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 § 1.  On the excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD

 5   Following the two writers cited above, St Andrew of Jerusalem, Archbishop of Crete/Candia, apostrophizes the Blessed Virgin in these terms:

May God keep thee safe, Temple of the Saviour, throne of life incorruptible, chariot of the blazing Sun, the only earth suitable for growing the wheat whereby we are nourished, sacred leaven for all of Adam’s race to taste and making the dough rise which becometh the true bread for our souls; ark of honour where God dwelt and where glory itself was sanctified; vessel of gold[1] containing Him who maketh sweet manna and who draweth honey from rock[2] for an ungrateful people; spiritual mirror of holy contemplation,[3] whom the Prophets inspired from heaven have set as a figure in the descent of God on earth.

He says more in another text. Here are his words:

Holy Lady, thou art the incomprehensible secret of the divine economy, whom the angels desire unceasingly to contemplate; thou art the admirable dwelling-place God chose for His descent; thou art that desirable plot of earth which made Him to come down from heaven, and which opened for Him a way amongst us; thou art the treasure of that mystery hidden through all the ages; thou art the living book wherein the Word of the Eternal Father was written by finger of the Holy Ghost; the authentic instrument of the covenant made between God and men; the august chariot laden with a thousand million that you in triumph led on high and presented to God; mount Sion, where the Lord takes His ease; the pillar of fire[4] which guideth not the captive Israelites with a perishable light but which illumineth the true Israelite on his way to the promised land; the virgin soil from which the second Adam was formed. Thou art sweet and comely as Jerusalem,[5] the fragrance of thy robes surpasseth the delights of Mount Lebanon. Thou art the box of precious ointment which never loses its fragrance, the oil of holy anointing, the never-fading flower, the purple cloth woven on high, the royal vestment, the imperial diadem, the throne of God, the gate of heaven, the Queen of the universe, the cup overflowing with divine wisdom, the surgery for healing and restoring life, the ever-flowing fount of holy examples.  

Finally, he concludes:

Words fail me and my ideas are too weak for me to follow the ardent longings of my soul. 

Nevertheless, immediately after saying this he rediscovers his courage as follows:

 

What can I say to thee, most Holy Virgin MOTHER OF GOD? Thou alone art capable of Wisdom who subsisteth in Himself and who giveth life to all others. O Blessed Virgin, origin of our life and the life of the living! Thou art the link uniting us indissolubly to God! O kingdom firmly established on the glory and the power of Him who dwelleth within thee! O sacred bastion for the defence of Christians, and divine sanctuary for all those who withdraw from the world in search of thee!

 

Footnotes

[1] Exod. xvi. 33-34.

[2] Ps. LXXX. 17 And he fed them with the fat of wheat, and filled them with honey out of the rock.

[3] For she is the brightness of eternal light, and the unspotted mirror of God's majesty, and the image of his goodness. [Wisdom vii. 26]

[4] Exod. xiii.

[5] Cant. vi. iii.

 6   St Epiphanius[6]  is no less enraptured than this great Bishop of Candia whom we have just heard.

Hail, honour of the virtues, divine lantern containing a light that never goeth out and which is brighter than the Sun; mystical ark of glory, precious vessel of gold where thou keepest safe the manna come down from heaven; inexhaustible fount of sweetness, spiritual sea wherein was found what is truly the world’s pearl; resplendent sky, thou dost enclose Him whom the sky cannot contain; throne of God, more dazzling than that of the Cherubim; cloud shaped like a pillar, who holdest within thee the same God who guided the Israelites through the wilderness; root of glory, heaven, temple and seat of Divinity.

There is a work entitled Sermon on the Assumption of the Virgin, dedicated to St Paula and her daughter St Eustochium.  Along with several serious-minded authors, I attribute this sermon to Sophronius; but for nearly a thousand years it was associated with St Jerome, as appears in the writings of St Idelfonsus on the same subject. Ildefonsus, however, admits at the start of his eloquent piece that he was little versed in the Latin tongue. He cannot therefore claim with any authority that it was written by Jerome. Sophronius, who was a close friend of St Jerome, echoes the Spouse in Canticles[7] when he calls Mary: 

 

the enclosed orchard, the fragrant plot, the garden abundant in beautiful flowers spreading fragrance over all the earth; so strongly enclosed that no enemy would know how to gain entry; the fountain signed with the seal of the most holy Trinity, whence springs the fountain of life and light.

 

Footnotes

[6] Orat. de Sanct. Deipara.

[7] Vere hortus deliciarum, in quo consita sunt universa florum genera, et odoramenta virtutum, sicque conclusus ut nesciat violari, neque corrumpi ullius insidiarum fraudibus, fons signatus sigillo totius Trinitatis, ex quo fons vitæ manat, in cujus lumine omne videmus lumen.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 1. 2-4

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 § 1.  On the excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD

 2   I confess this has caused me something of a problem, especially because when studying more deeply the writings of the Saints, I have learned how little they trust themselves to speak of the excellence of this incomparable title. Some of them, such as St Anselm,[1] make plain that we can proceed no further than the thought that the Blessed Virgin is the MOTHER OF GOD. This in itself leads to the noblest understanding accessible to minds lower than God’s Majesty. Others, such as St Gregory of Neocaesarea,[2] whom we have quoted previously, are loud and clear that this one title surpasses all other praises that she could be given.

 3   There are some, says St Bernardine of Siena,[3] who make use of proportion as we do when we wish to speak of God. Because we cannot know His simple nature, we gather from all sides the perfections we perceive in His creatures and clothe them with Divinity; he adds that there is infinitely more to this than we can conceive. In the same way, they gather all the rare qualities that they find scattered here and there and say that she who possesses them to perfection and incomparably more is the MOTHER OF GOD. There are others, such as St John Damascene[4] and St Idelfonsus[5] who aim more highly. To show the origin of this singular honour of being MOTHER OF GOD by temporal generation, they adopt no less an idea than that of the eternal generation of the Word, saying that just as the Son of God takes His origin from the fruitful self-knowledge of the Eternal Father, with communication of His substance unaltered and integrally, in the same way He is born from the holy Mother in time, unaltered and integrally. Others, such as St Thomas,[6] go further still and hold discussions at an even higher level. Through the light inaccessible, they observe that the Virgin, having received the honour of being MOTHER OF GOD, is united to a term of infinite perfection and so she is thus in some ways elevated to the divine order. As a necessary consequence, she herself enters into possession of infinite perfection. But don’t wait for them to say more than that because now e have to stop there.

 4   I would be doing an injustice to several important figures with a great love for the Queen of Heaven if I were to pass over in silence a discovery they made in their tender devotion. As they found no direct opening in their attempts to unravel the Excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD, they took an indirect approach, expressing their thoughts through various enigmatic figures and symbols. Blessed Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople, gave an admirable address to the Council of Ephesus on the birthday of the Lord. He shared his own sentiments and those of all Nature, when he described the MOTHER OF GOD as follows::  

She is, he says, the purest treasure, the adornment and honour of virginity; the second Adam’s spiritual paradise, the office of the divine marriage celebrated between two natures; the great chamber of general reconciliation for the world; the nuptial couch of the eternal Word; the burning bush, unconsumed by the flames of celestial birth; the beautiful little cloud who held to her breast Him who is enthroned above the Cherubim; the fleece moist with the pleasant dew from heaven, from which was crafted the garment worn by our divine Shepherd when he put on the livery of His lost sheep; slave and Mother, Virgin and all heaven together; the bridge whereby God Himself came down on earth; the piece of cloth used to make the estimable robe of the hypostatic union, work of the Holy Ghost; the hand, the power of the Most High, the old body of Adam, the weft,[7] the immaculate flesh of the Blessed Virgin, the incense boat, God’s bounty beyond comprehension, who brought to us the ineffable person of the Word. Who has ever heard tell of such a one?

Blessed Methodius, who was firstly Bishop of Olympus in Lycia and afterwards of Phoenician Tyre, and who died a glorious martyr for Jesus Christ, greeted the Blessed Virgin as follows:[8] 

Most noble and most desired of our hearts, thou art a shining light for the faithful; thou dost shelter within thy womb Him who encloseth all and who cannot Himself be enclosed; thou art the root of the foremost and most beautiful flower in the world; the Mother of the Creator of all things, nourishing the great father and sustainer of the universe; the living carriage bearing Him who beareth all things; the gate through which God cameth down to earth; the Seraph’s tongs for a live coal;[9] the bosom for Him who encloseth all in His own bosom; the spotless robe around Him who is surrounded by light; the Holy Ghost’s pavilion; the furnace that Almighty God hath set o fire with the flames of his divine love.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. de Excellentia Virginis, c. 2.

[2] Serm. 2 in Annuntiat.

[3] T. III Concionum, serm. 1 de Nomine Virg.

[4] Orat. 1 de Nativit. beatæ Mariæ.

[5] Lib. de Virginitate, et parturitione Mariæ.

[6] I part., q. 28, art. 6, ad 4.

[7] trame, weft. Ensemble des fils tendus sur le métier à tisser et passant transversalement entre les fils de la chaîne, pour constituer un tissu.

[8] Orat. in Hipapante.

[9] Is. vi. 6.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 1. 1

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

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

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

That axiom of the Philosopher is true in which he says that, properly speaking, each thing is what is of the best and of the most perfect in itself. From this it follows that the King may also be a Duke, a Marquess, a Count or any other title but we call him simply the King. This is because his title of King is higher than the others and contains the others within its completeness. It outshines them in the same way that the sun outshines the stars. This is what appears at the outset in the case of the Mother of God. As soon we have made use of this name, it becomes the King (as it were) of her other titles which owe homage and which are dependent on it as light on the sun or a stream on its source. This consideration made me resolve before all else to address Mary’s most excellent title as MOTHER OF GOD, placing it before all her other great Dignities, of which it is the origin and measure.

 § 1.  On the excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD

 1   What is this, O tiny mind? Thinkest thou art able to penetrate the depths of Excellence enclosed within this illustrious title? Hast thou wings strong enough to raise thee so high? And eyes able to withstand the dazzling splendour of this divine Sun? Dost thou understand that these great Dignities thou seekest are higher than the heavens, deeper than the deepest abyss, vaster than the sky and as never-ending as eternity itself? Hast thou in no way foreseen the associated risks that might confound such a presumptuous plan?  In thus approaching Majesty so boldly, hast thou no fear of being overwhelmed by its glory? Hast thou no anxiety lest thou drown in this Ocean of wonders and art swallowed up in this gulf of such great Dignities? Doth it not enter thy consideration that even the Cherubim and the most ardent of Seraphim lower their wings in the presence of her about whom thou wishest to speak, and that they dare not raise their eyes to look upon her face? Canst thou be ignorant of the fear and trembling experienced by the first great spirits and the first men who wanted to make a trial of their powers in this matter? The great bishop of Neocaeserea, St Gregory Thaumaturgus (the wonder-worker),[1] despite all his eloquence and the teaching revealed to him from on high, struggled on many occasions to find suitable words. It seemed to him that his mind would lose its edge and his eloquence become mute when it came to speaking about these things. St Epiphanius,[2] that most learned prelate [from Constance, or] from Salamis in Cyprus, declared himself an unhappy wretch for having presumed he could withstand the flashes of brilliant splendour coming from the majestic face of the Queen of Heaven. He explains that such deep thoughts and lofty contemplation filled his soul with a terrible fear and he felt almost as though the blood would drain from his heart. He maintains that this undertaking is beyond human powers and that there is no mind, however sharp, that can bring the undertaking to a successful conclusion; and no tongue capable of speaking in the manner that is required. St Bernard[3] was nourished at the breast of the most Blessed Virgin, but even he protests that it it astonishingly difficult to teach about the Mother of God. This is because there is a general belief that her great Dignities are inexplicable and those listening to him become annoyed that he is only at the stage of preparing to give his explanations. Would it not be better to abandon such a presumptuous plan, prostrate oneself on the ground and with Moses admire from a distance the Bush that burns with the flames of Divinity without being reduced to ashes; to adore from the bottom of one’s heart and in a chaste silence this sanctuary of God replete with celestial wonders?

Footnotes

[1]   Serm. 2 in Annuntiat

[2]   Serm. de Sanct. Deipara.

[3]   Serm. 4 de Assumpt

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB 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