Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 3 : § 1.10-13

Chapter 3 : Trust in the Mother of God – a second feature of the gratitude we owe

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. The first sign of trust : not undertaking anything except with the Holy Mother’s help and guidance

Those who devote themselves to works of piety

 10   Those who devote themselves to works of piety achieve success in proportion to how much they have commended them to their holy Mother. Here is an example of recent memory which is most edifying in the way it reveals the effects of grace.  

Friar Francis of the Child Jesus was a member of the Discalced Carmelites who departed this world in Madrid on the 26th of December 1604 with a great reputation for holiness. In his cell was an image of Our Lady which he honoured with a very special devotion. On days when he had to go out to deal with some matter of importance in the service of God, before setting off he would take the figure of the devil and hold his head beneath the feet of Our Lady whilst he uttered the following prayer to her  : 

“Most sacred Virgin and powerful MOTHER OF GOD, keep a watchful eye on this mangy dog (this was what he usually called him) for fear he escapes and causes trouble amongst the fallen young women who are trying to amend their lives.” 

Helping these women was one of his main works of piety and he had found that his prayer was extremely effective in ensuring the efforts of the old enemy came to nought. If it so happened that he forgot to take this preventive spiritual action, he could tell by the degree of success he achieved as well as by certain signs amongst the girls themselves whom he would find out of sorts and suffering from distress. When he noticed this, he would say to his companion: 

“We must have forgotten to ensure the mangy dog was tied up; that’s why he’s turned up here spewing his poison.”

After returning to the monastery and finding this was just as he had said, he avenged himself on his foe by thrusting him several times under the feet of the Blessed Virgin.   

The military

 11   Many great Captains and valiant conquerors have had recourse to her who is the Commander of Heaven’s armies. They have sought her help in their campaigns and they have all considered themselves fortunate to be able to fight under her colours. We have already spoken earlier about Emperors such as Constantine, Heraclius, Maurice and Justinian – along with the happy outcomes they experienced in battle when she was close by their side.

Henry, Infante of Portugal and son of John I, was a Prince blessed with piety no less than with courage and valour. He was guided by a divine inspiration to travel eastwards and discover new lands. He first set sail in the year 1410 and under the guidance of the Queen of Heaven he followed the coast of Africa. In the space of some fifty years, (he died in the year 1460) he made successful discoveries each day, reaching the Cape of the Unicorn[1]. He did not forget to show his gratitude towards her who was guiding his travels and he built a beautiful Church dedicated to her adjoining the port of Lisbon. Since his time, the royal standards of Portugal have been carried to India – with a noteworthy advancement of the Christian religion. The zeal shown by King Manuel has also worked wonders and all this happened under the same guidance provided by the MOTHER OF GOD. He made known the part she had played when he enlarged the Church built by the Infante Henry, making it one of the most magnificent in the entire kingdom of Portugal. He also encouraged Religious Orders to provide spiritual help and support for those disembarking at this port and for those embarking on voyages overseas.

Footnotes

[1] Possibly Ras Nouadhibou (Cabo Blanco or “white headland”): on the coast of Mauretania/Western Sahara.

 

Those faced with pressing problems 

 12   Those faced with various pressing problems have no safer place of resort than the altars of the glorious Virgin. I have already provided numerous instances elsewhere in this work and I shall therefore mention only one example here : that of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II.

He was struggling to deal with civil war caused by the treacherous rebellions of Alexios Branas. In 1187 he ordered a public procession through the streets of Constantinople with the image of the Holy Virgin which was usually kept in the Church of the Panaghia Hodegetria, (Our Lady the All-holy Guide or who shows the Way), built formerly outside the city walls by the Empress Pulcheria. His wish was to invoke Our Lady’s help and protection through this public prayer and she duly obliged. The traitor was defeated and put to death by Conrad Duke of Monserrat and the same weapon which brought death to him restored life to the Emperor Isaac, rescuing him from the fearful condition which had been troubling him.

 13   Consider those hearts filled with manly courage and ablaze with zeal for serving God who, scorning their own lives and all worldly things, went out to conquer new worlds not for the sake of their reputation or to make themselves appear great on earth, but to extend the frontiers of the Kingdom of God. Who will believe that they thought they could make much progress if their heavenly Mother did not show them the way and help them in all their undertakings? Leaving aside others whom I could mention by the hundred, I shall mention here only St Hyacinth, who was a most wondrous adornment of the order of St Dominic; St Francis Xavier, whom the Holy See confirmed in his glorious title of Apostle which the common consent of people had already conferred on him; and the Blessed Martyr Gonçalo da Silveira – the last two being members of the Society of Jesus.

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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