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
St Bridget
7 Amongst all the examples that have come down to us, however, it would be difficult to find a person for whom the Holy Mother had served as Teacher in a more special way than she did in the case of St Bridget, as we learn from the book of her Revelations. From the beginnings of the spiritual life until the highest points of sublime perfection, there is nothing that she has not covered in her lessons to Bridget.
She instructed her about :
• the nature and characteristics of sin, and of the danger there is in retaining an affection, howsoever slight, for the least of these sins ;
• the means by which the soul is purified;
• the patience needed when suffering from the absence of feelings that accompany consolation and devotion; and
• the fruits of suffering and the various trials sent by God.
She revealed a thousand beautiful secrets to her about :
• right intention – which the soul must have in all things;
• the love she must have for being truly poor in spirit;
• the high esteem she must have for obedience and the merit which comes from decisions ruled or moderated thereby;
• accepting the ill humours and imperfections of other people;
• rejection of perishable things and temptations to bodily pleasures;
• distrust for the wisdom of this world, discernment of spirits, love of God, zeal for souls and every sort of virtue generally.
She taught her how to receive communion in a holy manner and with profit ; how to defend herself against the snares of the invisible enemy, to profit others by her sound judgments and her salutary advice.
She revealed to Bridget :
• the wonders of the mysteries of the Virgin’s own life, and of her beloved Son’s life – especially those of His most bitter passion;
• the love He has for the souls redeemed by His own blood;
• the wondrous operations of His divine Providence, especially for people of goodwill, and how everything turnsw to their advantage; and
• the workings of His mercy and of His justice.
To sum up, she enlightened her mind with countless beautiful revelations, of which even the least is worth more than all the knowledge naturally acquired in this life.
8 But who will be able to describe the joy found in all this heavenly teaching ? Who will be able to understand the blessings and benefits enjoyed by those who have the honour of being admitted into the school of the MOTHER OF GOD, and of receiving her instruction every day, every hour and every instant? With good reason we might envy blessed St Francesca Romana, who was so close to her guardian Angel that he served her as a visible teacher and master, telling her when to get up, when to pray, when to take her meals, when to begin or conclude a particular activity for the glory of God, and how she was to conduct herself in all her actions. Such a favour, in fact, cannot perhaps be valued too highly, but do we think that Heaven would have been any less solicitous in the case of those who have the Holy Virgin for their Teacher and Guide? I think that it would be greatly to their advantage, as I shall explain later, if she were to cut them off from these sensible consolations ; but are we to judge that she wishes them less well and labours with less love for their progress and salvation ? Let them simply reflect upon this for a moment, and I am confident that not a single day will pass by when their minds do not receive a thousand illuminations, and when their hearts are not inflamed with just as many desires to please God. Let them strive to be worthy of hearing the interior voice of her who is teaching them, and I swear that they will never have recourse to her in their necessities without receiving from her a sudden ray of light. Let them form the habit of going straight to her in all their needs and on my word I promise them that she will immediately come to their aid and they will see clearly the progress they can make in the study of virtue. Not that I wish to limit her teaching and guidance to virtue alone, as if there were no place for the acquisition of knowledge or for other activities – but it is altogether right and fitting for people who has the Queen of Heaven for their Mother to relate all their actions to virtue and to God, having for their one and only aim the greater glory of God. As for me, I am with Solomon and hold it for certain that there is neither sweetness nor wealth comparable to the joy of having for our Mother and for our Teacher her who is the Mother of Wisdom herself, to whom the Great St Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, offers the following words of praise:
Unless she opens the way for us it is impossible to become spiritual and to adore God in spirit, since man could never have really known what the spirit was until she had been made the abode of the Holy Spirit.
.👑 👑 👑
 |
| 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
No comments:
Post a Comment