Chapter 11 The Tenth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD
She is an Advocate for men and Mediatrix between them and her Son
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) |
§ 1. Sovereign Judge : sixth attribute of the King of glory incarnate
His Wisdom : the second quality
3 His wisdom, which is the second quality of a good judge, was highlighted by the Prophet Jeremiah[1] when he proclaimed that this Prince would be most wise and that he would deliver justice to the inhabitants of the earth. Do you think that St Paul the Apostle would be content with saying that He was most wise in His administration of justice? He went further than this[2] and said that He possessed treasures of wisdom. And that is not all, for he stated that He has at his disposition all the treasures of the wisdom of God. This caused St Gregory of Nyssa[3] to write that:
God had granted to Solomon a wisdom which far surpassed the normal capacity of a man and this was because he had been chosen as a figure foreshadowing the One who was to be wise par excellence and the very wonder of wisdom.
It was not without good reason that St Ambrose[4] used eloquent words in speaking of the sentence pronounced by Solomon in the case of the two harlots[5], saying that Solomon’s perception was so sharp that his wisdom pierced the heart of the true mother, bringing out her maternal feelings. If this was the case with Solomon, what must we expect from Him who, according to St Paul[6], is able to pierce the soul to its very depths, who fully understands the anatomy of the human mind and who can read a person’s innermost thoughts and the hidden secrets of human hearts? There was no one amongst the whole people of Israel who was not in awe of Solomon’s powers in this regard, for his fame had spread everywhere on account of the incomparable wisdom that God had given him and the skill with which he was able to see through even the most studied attempts to conceal evil. This being so in the case of Solomon, have we not reason to fear the eye of Him who can see through the thickest veils of darkness and can penetrate the deepest thoughts in human hearts?
Footnotes
[1] Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. Jer. xxiii. 5.
[2] Col. ii. 3.
[3] Homil. 7 in Cantic.
[4] Lib. II Offic., cap. 8.
[5] III Kings (I Kings). iii. 16-28.
[6] For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two edged sword; and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature invisible in his sight: but all things are naked and open to his eyes. Hebr. iv. 12-13.
His Uprightness, the third quality
4 The third quality is uprightness and is referred to by His ancestor David[1] when he speaks of the sceptre of uprightness[2] or, as others have called it, the rod of iron which could neither be bent nor broken, showing that there is no power or consideration whatsoever that can deflect Him from what Equity strictly requires. The Prophet Habacuc[3] goes even further, for he says His eyes are so pure that they cannot even bear that which is even slightly twisted or which is suggestive in some way of injustice. The relationship of this divine spirit to uprightness is like a stone that is dropped which falls straight to the ground, or a fire moving straight towards that which is flammable.
Footnotes
[1] Ps. XLIV. 7.
[2] sceptre of uprightness: This is the Douay-Rheims translation of the Vulgate’s virga directionis, which the French text renders as sceptre d'équité - sceptre of equity.
[3] Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Habacuc (Habakkuk) i.13.
His Power, the fourth quality
5 The final quality is power or strength – said by a great and Wise man[1] to be essential for anyone wishing to dispense justice, to be able to put down insolence and iniquity when required. But where can be found a power comparable to that of God who, in the words of the holy man Job[2], holdeth in His hand the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man; who if He pull down, there is no man that can build up: if He shut up a man, there is none that can open; who knoweth both the deceiver, and him that is deceived; who bringeth down the spirit of those who are wise in the ways of the world whenever He pleases and filleth their hearts with astonishment[3]; who looseth the belt of kings, and girdeth their loins with a cord; who leadeth away priests without glory; who poureth contempt upon princes, and relieveth them that were oppressed; who discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth up to light the shadow of death; who multiplieth nations, and destroyeth them?
What power is there like under the power of Him who, according to Solomon[4], hath an arm strong enough to scatter the wicked and to place them under the yoke or, as some read this text, to bury them beneath their triumphal arches and their proudest buildings; or finally, according to the Septuagint, utterly to crush the ungodly, and bring a wheel upon them?
What power is there that can be compared to the power of Him who by a simple indication of His will summons legions of Angels to receive His orders; who is able to arm all creatures when He wishes to exact a vengeance upon the sinner? Think about the Last Day when the Holy Angels sound the trumpets as a signal for a general assault against the enemies of God; when the whole of inanimate nature, the sun, the moon, the stars, the waters, fire and all the elements, fall upon them so as to bring about their end. Listen to the words of the Prophet Malachi[5] who asked can you even think about the terror that this day would bring! Who will be bold enough to look at this Judge in His wrath! Great God! Who could hear without a feeling of dread the menacing claps of thunder coming from His royal throne[6], if the heavenly ark, the true symbol of peace, namely the Holy Virgin, was not there to offer her consolation and protection? Who would not faint from fear at the mere sound of the roaring lion of Judah[7] if his Mother was not close to him, so as to calm his anger? Who could withstand the brilliance of the Sun if the mystical cloud did not provide a sheltering screen? What way could be found to bear the scorching heat from the rays of His vengeance without the pleasant morning dew and the refreshing waters which come to us from the fountain of life? How could we find any confidence to approach the Father of justice without the Mother of mercy? How could we face appearing before the Judge without the presence of our Advocate? Our thanks are due thousands of times over to Him who gave her to us, and who made her so powerful – as we shall be seeing.
Footnotes
[1] Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: Ecclus. vii. 6.
[2] Job xii.10-25
[3] Wisdom: Ch. v.
[4] Prov. xx. 26.
[5] Mal. iii. 2.
[6] Apoc. iv..
[7] Apoc. v. 5.
👑 👑 👑
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 Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
© Peter Bloor 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment