Chapter 12 The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD
She is the Queen of all Creation
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) |
§ 2. The MOTHER OF GOD is truly our Lady and Queen of the Universe § 3. The reason the Holy Virgin is Queen of the Universe and the extent of her dominion
2 Having said this, I think I owe the conscientious reader an explanation of how this name altogether befits her, even in the opinion of those who are considered the most moderate and the wisest amongst the enemies of the Christian religion. On this, we have the authentic evidence of a great Doctor whom the Jews honour with the title of the Rabbi Haccados meaning the holy Rabbi. In response to enquiries from Antoninus, he makes it clear that the Mother of the Messiah is absolutely entitled to be called the Lady[1]. Would he not have had in mind Sara in the Old Testament[2], one of the most famous types prefiguring the MOTHER OF GOD, who was originally called Sarai, meaning my Lady[3], but was afterwards called Sara, which simply means the Lady; and this was at the same time that her husband, who was first called Abram (meaning High or Noble Father) was renamed Abraham meaning Father of many children? Concerning this mystery which is found in the change of names – would it not have passed from the types to those whom the types prefigured, so that the maiden whom the Saviour, before becoming Father of so many children, honoured by calling her His Lady, would later be called Lady simpliciter, and received as such by all her children? On this same point, take note of the words of Anatolius[4], tutor of the Emperor Theodosius:
She who from the beginning had been predestined to become the abode of God and the divine temple of the Eternal World has every right to be honoured and recognised by everyone as their Lady.If you see the Moon under her feet, says the pious Archbishop of Florence[5], then learn that here is symbolised Holy Church; but do not imagine this is only to show the Church’s need for her help and her light, but it signifies rather the power the Virgin has over the whole Church – indeed over the whole world.For in the end honour must be rendered where it is due, says the author of the Debate between the Church and the Synagogue[6]. It is true that in God’s house there are various levels and various orders: there are the Apostles, the Martyrs, the Confessors and the Virgins; for as many Orders there are as many particular kingdoms; but Mary’s kingdom is higher than all the others for she is the sovereign Lady over all these great Princes of Heaven.
Happy the Kingdom that hath such a Queen! Happy the Queen who hath subjects such as these! Happy a thousand times over those who will have the honour of being the loyal subjects of this Queen and of gazing forever upon her glorious Majesty!
Footnotes
[1] Lady: Here, a woman who rules over subjects, a queen; a woman to whom obedience or feudal homage is due. In Old English used spec. (instead of cwēn queen n.) as the title of the consort of the king. OED.
[2] For the name changes in this paragraph, see Gen. xvii. 5 & 15.
[3] The Fillion commentary follows a number of Hebrew sources in translating Sarai as my Princess. This is found too in the 1610 commentary on the Douay-Rheims translation: “and Sarai fignifying My Princes[s], changed into Sara, which absolutely signifieth Princesse.”
[4] In Cantico de Mariæ Nativit.
[5] S. Anton., IV p., tit. XV, c. 2, § 2.
[6] Cap. 16.
§ 3. The reason the Holy Virgin is Queen of the Universe and the extent of her dominion
She possesses this title by virtue of her humility and the way she helped in our redemption and restoration
1 Even from the little that I have been saying so far, I am confident that those able to see clearly will understand already why the Holy Virgin wears the crown as Sovereign Lady of the world. Because certain Holy Writers have made a special study of this matter, however, I think their diligent efforts deserve to be heard further. St Bernard, who is known for his great admiration of the Holy Virgin’s humility, considered this to be her foremost virtue[1]; after alluding to the words of her reply to the Angel, when she said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, he went on to say:
She makes herself more lowly than the lowest of all and in consequence she earns the merit of being placed above all others, especially when we can see that from being the foremost she made herself the least and the servant of all.
St Ildephonsus[2] finds here a reason for inviting us to take due note of this humility,
since by virtue of her humility, the Virgin was made Queen of all the world.
I remember discussing elsewhere[3] the words of St John Damascene and St Anselm when they said:
She acquired for herself the honour of this title through the Redemption and Restoration of the world in which she was the chosen instrument alongside her Son.
The same St Anselm touches upon another reason, when he says:
that she received this signal favour along with the title of Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
This is supported by the words of this Holy Archbishop which I discussed when dealing with this very title of Spouse – and in that section where you will find further material on this subject.
Footnotes
[1] Serm. in illa verba Apoc. : Signum magnum, etc.
[2] Serm. 1 de Assumpt.
[3] Part I, ch. 1.
She possesses this honour in virtue of being Mother of God
2 I would be happy to agree that by virtue of all these considerations she has a right to Queenship; nevertheless, if we wish to go along with the great majority of the Holy Fathers we shall find that it is properly from her status and role as MOTHER OF GOD that they derive this honour for her and that, as a result of having this glorious name, the Holy Virgin is called true and legitimate Sovereign Queen of heaven and earth. St Athanasius[1] states this in formal language:
Because He who was born of the Virgin is God, King and Lord at one and the same time, she who bore Him deserves in truth and propriety the titles of Sovereign Queen and MOTHER OF GOD.
St John Damascene[2] follows this idea fairly closely but it seems his words add a degree of precision.
Mary, he says, was constituted Sovereign Lady of all that is created when she received the honour of being made Mother of the Creator.
St Anselm[3] declares that:
Through maternal right she commands heaven and earth with her Son.
Nicetas was a Saracen who courageously converted to the Catholic religion and he speaks as follows in his profession of faith:
I believe and profess that the Holy Virgin who brought forth God Incarnate for us is truly and properly MOTHER OF GOD; as such, I honour and venerate her who, following on from this same favour and by virtue of a special grace, was made Queen of every creature.
It was something most worthy and in every way fitting, says Bishop Zacharias Chrysopolitanus[4], that she who brought forth the Creator of the universe should have all things beneath her feet; that she who is the Mother of the King of Angels should herself be Queen of Angels and that her purity should be raised up in heaven higher than that of the Angels since down on earth she received all the purity of Heaven.
Footnotes
[1] Serm. in Evang. de Sanctissima Deipara.
[2] Lib. IV de Fide orthod., c. 15.
[3] Lib. de Excellentia Virg., c. 9.
[4] Ad finem commentariorum in Evangelia.
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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 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
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