Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 10 : § 2.4-6

Chapter 10 : The Ninth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is her children’s Teacher

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)

§ 2. The perfection of the Holy Virgin in the first of her offices: teaching her children

Blessed Clemente Caponi

 4   Numbered amongst those taught by the Holy Mother was the Blessed Clemente Caponi, of the Order of St Dominic. Although he came from a famous family, he was content to follow the example of Martha and served God until the end of his life doing the most menial chores in the house. While he was working with his hands, his heart was normally focused upon God and he held gentle colloquies with the glorious Virgin in whom we had the most extraordinary trust.    

One day he found that he had been kept busier than usual and had not been able to find any time in the whole of the morning for his devotions. Even though the midday meal was approaching, he made his way to an image of the Virgin where the Friars were often to be found, so that he could say his prayers there; but his gentle Mother warned him through the lips of her image that he had not chosen a suitable time for his prayers. She told him that the faithful obedience that he had shown hitherto was very important and he would be able to say his prayers in the afternoon. She went on to explain that there was no more agreeable service he could perform for her Son and herself then to accommodate himself in all things and at all times to the common good of his house.

Stephen Justicius

 5   What happened to the pious Stephen Justicius, an oblate of the Order of Minims, is not very different from what I have just been describing. 

A dangerous fluxion had almost caused him to lose his sight and frequently made him prone to losing his temper. Becoming aware of this, he decided to overcome the weakness through devotion to the Virgin. He applied himself with great determination to this undertaking and gave himself over to mortification so extreme that it bordered on excessive.  One day he attended the common meal and forced himself to take only half of what his body really needed to be able to carry out his assigned tasks. When the Holy Virgin asked him why he alone out of his brethren was doing this, Stephen replied that his violent passions needed a strong rein to control them. She rebuked him and told him that henceforth it would be more pleasing to her if he simply followed the common rule in his Order rather than risking peculiar practises approved nowhere else than in his own mind. When he put her teaching into practice, she obtained for him the grace of infused knowledge, the gift of prophecy, the grace of working miracles and several other favours. Her loving affection for him went so far that occasionally she would give him the kiss of peace as he was leaving the Church.   

Blessed Angela of Foligno

 6   Included in this number was blessed Angela of Foligno as we can read in her biography[1], where it is said: 

One day she was at Mass and after consecration the Holy Virgin appeared to her , saying: 

“Dear daughter of mine and beloved of my Son : Thy Saviour came to visit thee and gave thee his blessing. There is good reason for thou to receive my blessing too.”

With that, she gave Angela her blessing and explained to her the inestimable obligation she had to give all her love to her dear Spouse who wanted so many good things for her. She then taught her about the precious treasures that her Son shares with each soul that He visits, raising Angela into such a rapture of joy it was as though her heart was on fire with heavenly love.  

Also in this number were St Hildegard, St Gertrude, St Mechtilde, Saints Catherine of Sienna, of Genoa and of Bologna, St Joan and countless others whom Heaven favoured so highly as to give them for their teacher her from whom the Blessed Spirits themselves considerate it a great privilege to learn something.

Footnotes

[1] Cap. 39.

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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 2025