Chapter 11 : The Tenth 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).
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| Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020) |
Mary is the Miracle of Glory
§ 2. The wondrous singularities in her Assumption and the glory of her triumph
1 St John Damascene was not quite sure what name to give to the death of the blessed Virgin. He calls it variously a sweet repose, a journey to the Kingdom of peace, and a drawing nigh unto God. Having selected the sweetest words he could find, he addresses the same Virgin with the following words:
Holy Lady, the Angels have honoured thy Coronation, escorting thee with indescribable magnificence. The Princes of darkness could not bear thy arrival and fled to their dungeons, like the true creatures of the night that they are. The very air was blessed and sanctified by thy presence and Heaven rejoiced with all the Angels who came to meet thee with Canticles of joy, saying[1]: Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun?
These words of the Holy Doctor may serve as an introduction to what I now have to say on the greatness of the Virgin’s triumph. This was unique and quite extraordinary but I have chosen to discuss only three of its remarkable features.
Footnotes
[1] Orat. 2 de Dormitione B. Virg.
[2] Sophron., Serm. de Assumpt. ; Gregor. Turon., lib. II de Gloria mart., c. 4; Ildefons., Serm. 3 de Assumpt. ; Metaphrast., Orat. de Vita et Dormit. B. Virg. ; Nicephor., lib. II Hist., c. 21.
[3] Damasc., Orat. 2 de Dormit. Virg.; Metaphrast., Orat. de Vita et Dormit. Virg.; Nicephor., lib. II Hist., c. 21.
The first remarkable feature of Mary's triumph
2 The first is that all the inhabitants of Heaven came forth and began preparing an entrance for Mary which was befitting the Majesty of their Queen. St Bernard[1] and St Andrew of Crete[2] are quite clear on this point, saying that all the legions of God’s heavenly host were arrayed in formation to lead and to accompany her. Following St Gregory of Tours[3], we can picture how the overall command of this magnificent parade was vested in the glorious St Michael, being the first Prince of the Heavenly Court. In order to make Mary’s triumph an unforgettable event, he divided Heaven into two formations, one of Angels and the other of men. Each of these was subdivided into orders, according to the liveries they were to wear and the qualities of the Lady which they were to represent.
The Angels came first marching under the banner of innocence, each of them carrying a device symbolizing the total purity of the MOTHER OF GOD : some showed this in pure gold; others with the unicorn[4] or the ermine[5], which detested anything unclean; others with one of those figures mentioned by the Holy Fathers when we were discussing her freedom from every kind of sin. Next came the Archangels who, as rulers over provinces in this world, carried the signs of those committed to their care and by this means let it be understood that they acknowledged they were all tributaries of the Holy Virgin. The Principalities did the same in respect of the Kingdoms that were subject to them. They presented to Mary ahead of time the Princes and Monarchs who would one day with a happy heart offer their Crowns and their Nations to her, acknowledging that all came from her and was held in fief from her goodness (as will be discussed more fully later[6]).
The Virtues displayed in various ways the prodigies she had performed and was yet to perform in the world to advance the glory of God. The Dominations showed the victories she had already gained and those she was yet to gain. By this means they identified her as the unique scourge of vices and the terror of God’s enemies. With their crowns, sceptres and other insignia of Sovereignty, the Powers made it quite plain that they were honouring her as Queen of earth and of Heaven. Between these and the Thrones, Mary was accompanied by an entourage which cannot be explained here, but we will consider it fully below after we have gone through the remainder of the procession.
The Thrones showed in various ways the principle and origin of her blessedness, communicating without words that she was the Father’s Throne, the Son’s royal Palace and the Holy Spirit’s Sanctuary. It was easy to see that the Cherubim and the Seraphim, with a brightness surpassing the other orders, aimed to highlight her eminent knowledge and her fervent charity. By means of their emblems and banners they made a public acknowledgement that theirs was nothing in comparison with Mary’s.
Footnotes
[1] Serm. 4 de Assumpt.
[2] Orat. 1 de Dormit.
[3] Lib. I de Gloria Martyrum, c. 4.
[4] The unicorn, according to the venerable Bede, drives away from its home every sort of poison purely by the sweetness of its natural odour. In Psal. LXXVII.
[5] Moral purity, agility, intelligence and innocence are associated with this little animal with white fur... According to one of the most famous legends, Anne of Brittany (1477-1514) is said to have spared this animal which preferred to be killed by her hunting dogs rather than cross an expanse of mud. This is said to be the origin of the Brittany motto : Death before dishonour.
6] Tract. III, c. 6, et Tract. IV, c. 8.
3 After these winged Spirits, we see the arrival of the other procession : the first fruits of the nascent Church marching in beautiful order. These are the souls already ascended into Heaven who had begun to fill the seats emptied by the fallen Angels in the ancient rebellion. At their head came the Virgins because of their closeness to the Virgin par excellence, every one carrying white lilies as their insignia. The Martyrs all wore laurel wreaths as their crowns and carried palms in their hands. The Confessors could be identified by their haloes and other symbols of their confession and perseverance. The Patriarchs and the Prophets were distinguished by their olive branches as well as by faithful proofs of their long-suffering. All in the procession lowered their ensigns and banners as though laying them at the feet of their Queen and through their submission acknowledging her as the mirror of Virgins, the crown of Martyrs, the glory of Confessors and the honour of Patriarchs and Prophets. Apart from all these companies, there were also choirs and musicians with every kind of instrument, producing melodies and polyphonies so sweet that people thought they were hearing harmonies from Heaven to salute and welcome the entrance therein of the MOTHER OF GOD.
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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.
The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
© Peter Bloor 2024
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