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).
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| 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.
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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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