Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD
She is a true model of generosity towards her children
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) |
§ 5. The Gratitude of the Mother of God towards certain Kings, Queens and other Rulers
Margaret of Austria
52 Our discussion of Queens who have displayed outstanding devotion to the glorious Virgin comes to an end with her most serene Highness, Princess Margaret of Austria. She was the wife of Philip III (the aforementioned King of Spain), and the mother of Philip IV (currently reigning) and Anne of Austria (Queen of France). This Princess, whom I can with good reason call a true pearl among virtuous Princesses, died in 1611 after a life remarkable for its holiness.
Whilst she was still young, not a day passed when she did not recite the Rosary along with the Little Office and the Litany of Lady. After she she became a wife, she added to these exercises other signs of her devotion which were in keeping with the marital state. When, for example, the day of her confinement was approaching, she would request a Novena of Masses in honour of the nine principal mysteries in the life and death of the Holy Virgin, at which she herself would assist with a deep devotion. When her days were accomplished, her first and principal concern was to go and make an act of thanksgiving to the same Virgin, offering her children and commending them to her tender care. On the feast of the Annunciation, she would personally wait upon nine poor women in honour of these same mysteries. Whenever she heard that the Holy Virgin had chosen a particular place as a site where her special favours might be obtained, the Princess would show her devotion by immediately paying a personal visit in honour of the Holy Mother. She provided many examples of her devotion on the long journey that she made from Styria to Madrid, passing through the Duchy of Ferrara, where Pope Clement VIII blessed her marriage.
There are hundreds of places, not only in Italy but also in Spain, where you can see evidence of her royal munificence and her outstanding devotion towards the Queen of the Universe – so much so that there simply is not enough space or time to describe them here. Suffice it to say that as a result of this devotion the Holy Virgin showered her with so many favours that she may be rightfully included in the ranks of the most accomplished of all Queens[1].
Footnotes
[1] Hilar. de la Coste, in Elogiis illustrarum feminarum.
Gisela of Hungary
53 Blessed Gisela, sister of Saint Henry the Emperor and wife of Saint Stephen King of Hungary, has a right to be ranked amongst the most illustrious Princesses in the heavenly Court and those most devoted to serving the MOTHER OF GOD. Divine Providence was to make use of her in making her husband St Stephen what he came to be and inspiring him with love and devotion towards the Queen of Angels. It is simple enough to see that she was not disappointed in this respect. On the contrary, we can only conclude that it was through her influence that her husband the King came to do things worthy of being imitated by all the Kings and Princes in the world, especially in relation to the devotion he had towards the Holy Virgin.
Apart from other favours that the Virgin granted to this Princess, she rewarded her loving and pleasing service in the highest way imaginable. After the death of her husband, she followed the remarkable example given her by St Cunegunde her sister-in-law by withdrawing to an Abbey of Our Lady in Passau where she took the habit of the Augustinian Order. She became a humble servant of God and of the Holy Virgin, forsaking the grand ways and vanities of courtly life which had never really been to her taste. Over a period of time she set such an example of outstanding virtue that she was made Abbess and she improved the Monastery in many ways, not only by the generous gifts she made but much more by the wondrous example of piety and virtue she displayed, and by the wise ordinances she introduced.
She died on the 7th of May in the year 1095, highly esteemed for her holiness. The Blessed Virgin ensured that she is numbered amongst the great Saints in Heaven just as she had made her one of the noblest and most excellent Princesses on earth.
§ 6. On God’s Gratitude towards certain Prelates and other persons
1 I would accept that the majority of the favours of the MOTHER OF GOD that I have mentioned in previous Chapters (or which will be found later in this work) could be included, if correctly understood, as examples of gratitude under the heading that I am now about to consider. I do not disagree but I am now going to proceed in selecting just a few examples of the signal graces that the Holy Virgin has conferred upon her children in consideration of some particular service rendered to her.
St Cyril of Alexandria
2 It would be difficult to find any other group of people who had done more to honour and serve the Blessed Mother than Holy Prelates and members of Religious Orders. We should therefore not be astonished that the Blessed Virgin has demonstrated her goodwill towards them so many times and in so many different ways. The great Patriarch of Alexandria, St Cyril, was pre-eminent at the Council of Ephesus and worked tirelessly to defend the honour of the Queen of Heaven’s Crown which the heretic Nestorius wished to take away from her. There was no argument that Cyril did not bring to bear in order to support her title as MOTHER OF GOD. He fought against the heretic through his prayers, using his own authority and that of Emperors, as well as his orations and writings. In fact he did not hold back until he saw the enemy of the Virgin helpless at his feet, bereft of courage, speechless and unable to move further. The Queen of Goodness would show in good time her gratitude for what he had done.
There is nothing perfect in the world and Cyril was no exception for he had allowed himself to be won over by those taking a negative view of St John Chrysostom[1] (who had died some years previously). He was unwilling to hear him named in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as was the custom with other Prelates who had remained in communion with Holy Church until their death. This may have been to maintain the honour of Theophilus, his uncle and predecessor in the See of Alexandria, who was of the party opposed to St John Chrysostom; or it may have been because John Chrysostom had been exiled from his Church following the sworn testimony of certain Prelates (who were supporters of Eudoxia) to the effect that he should be excluded from the group of Bishops considered to be orthodox. Although we can assume that Cyril did this with good intentions, his actions were however unsupported by reason or equity and could therefore not be pleasing to God. The Holy Prelate of Constantinople soon made this known to Cyril for he appeared to him one night in a dream accompanied by a host of Angels and, at the point of a drawn sword, forced him out of his own Church. At that precise moment, however, the Holy Virgin came to his aid and prayed to her Son so earnestly on his behalf, listing all the services he had performed in her honour, that he was taken back into the Church and restored with honour to all his offices and ministries. This was enough to show St Cyril where his duty lay and he immediately convened a Provincial Synod, doing everything that could be asked for in favour of St John Chrysostom.
Footnotes
[1] Niceph., lib. XIV Hist., c. 28 ex Hist. Nicetæ Philosophi.
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| The Virgin of Tenderness. >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
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