The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 11 : § 2.4-5

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).

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 

The second remarkable feature of Mary’s triumph

 4   Now although I have not yet mentioned it, the time has now come to consider her glorious Assumption, which is the second but perhaps the most remarkable feature of Mary’s death.

You would have seen Mary with her dear Son in the midst of the heavenly host, looking for all the world like the Moon in the midst of the stars, but a Moon brighter than a thousand suns. In comparison with the unique Sun of Justice, there was nothing to compare with His brightness and glory. I say that she was with her Son because it would be contrary to reason for us to think He did not honour in person the triumph of His holy Mother. He once revealed to blessed Angela of Foligno[1] that He would be happy with just the Angels forming an escort for her but that He would come Himself to take her and lead her into Heaven as His dear Spouse. If it is the case, as is most credible, that He did not refuse this favour to several other beautiful souls, I leave you to conclude whether He refused it to His most venerable Mother, to His peerless Spouse and to her who was the honour of earth and Heaven, especially granted that Sophronius maintains this has always been the view of the Church.

It is the common belief, says this Doctor[2], that the Saviour appeared before her and His countenance and demeanour were suffused with happiness, that He led her to her own throne where he seated her close to His own. If this were not so, how could He have observed the law He had issued to man and its commandment to honour father and mother? 

He adds[3] that even were the Redeemer of the world not to have had the inclination which he had to a far higher degree than the children of men to fulfil this duty to such a Mother, He would have to do so out of consideration for Himself, since His honour was involved and any honour He rendered to the Virgin would redound to Himself, granted that the glory of the father and the mother is also that of the children.

St Bernard[4] goes further for he says that:

this incomparable Son was not content with being like an ornament, or the Sun lighting up the triumph of this wondrous day; He wanted to serve as Squire and personal attendant to His blessed Mother so that she might accept his offering of support with her blessed hand.

Footnotes

[1] Vitæ Ipsius, cap. ultimo.

[2] Serm. de Assumpt.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Serm. 4 de Assumpt..

 5   St Augustine says[1] that the Son held His Mother’s hand, giving this sense to the verse in Psalm LXXII : Thou hast held me by my right hand; and by thy will thou hast conducted me, and with thy glory thou hast received me. This tender gesture was hitherto unheard of and was reserved for her who was to be unique in all the special favours she received. The sight of her made such an impression on all the blessed Spirits that they began to call out[2]: Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? And again[3]: Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfumer? 

Who is she, asks St Bernard[4], and where for a mortal person can be found the source for such a great abundance of delightful adornments? What can it signify that we, who are inundated by the torrents of sweetness that pour forth from the presence of God, have nothing that compares with this? How can is it even possible that such rich adornments can be found anywhere under the Sun, where there is nothing except toil and afflictions of the spirit? What are these diamonds and sparkling gemstones are the gift of fruitfulness mounted in the golden setting of virginity, this rose of charity, this necklace of mercy, all the riches of grace and glory gathered so as to adorn a creature that cometh up from the desert? 

Who is she that goeth up ...as a pillar of smoke? Asks St Ildephonsus[5]. It is the rod out of the root of Jesse, who is like a fragrance composed of all the aromatical powders of the perfumer, and she is ablaze with the fire of charity. Behold her rising up just like smoke from burning incense and like a holocaust wholly divine, carrying up to Heaven the fragrance of her incomparable virtues.

This shows that the astonishment of the Holy Angels is not only based on the virginity of the MOTHER OF GOD, even though it is unparalleled, but also on the sheer immensity of her grace and all her virtues taken together, which make her like a fragrant pomander[6]. Now just as the Angels make public their wonderment, the Heavenly Heralds respond: She is the beautiful one among the daughters of Jerusalem. This is as if to say: Do not be unduly astonished for this is something without precedent and will never happen again. It is an honour which belongs only to her for whom God is willing to empty the coffers of His glory and to deploy Heaven’s magnificence in its entirety. 

O God, how cordially thou doth show Thyself to them who love Thee and how faithfully to them who serve Thee! How thou dost honour them who honour Thee! How cometh it to pass that our hearts are so hardened and cold, having so little feeling for a God who is so gracious and so great?

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 35 de Sanctis.

[2] Cant. viii. 5.

[3] Cant. iii. 6.

[4] Serm. 6 de Assumpt.

[5] Serm. 3 de Assumpt : Quæ est ista quæ ascendil per desertum, etc.

[6] The French text has une pomme de senteur (lit. an apple of fragrance), translated here as pomander : originally: a mixture of aromatic substances, usually made into a ball, and carried in a small box or bag [OED].

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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