Chapter 4 : Love – a third feature of the gratitude we owe the Mother of God
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) |
§ 6. The sixth sign of love: loving for love of Mary all those who belong to her, whether through family, marriage, or election ; wherein special mention is made of St Joachim, St Anne and St Joseph
His confirmation in grace
15 Secondly, I am going to mention his confirmation in grace, which is something taught by the Doctors whom I cited above. In fact, St Augustine long ago opened the way for this opinion[1] by declaring that St Joseph never lost the grace of God through any actual sin. The later writers, however, went further than this and declared that his freedom had been strengthened by a grace which was so powerful and extraordinary as to focus him unchangingly on the good. This did not mean that he would never commit any sin, even venial (for confirmation in this sort of grace was reserved to the MOTHER OF GOD and no one else), but rather that through no accident or disaster could he ever incur the loss of God’s grace. It would seem that this second favour is a necessary consequence of the first and that when God grants the sweet blessings of His prevenient grace so liberally to His friends, He is in consequence obliged by a certain sort of necessity arising from propriety to communicate the whole grace to them and to restore them to an immutable possession of such a great good.
Footnotes
[1] Lib. de Nat. et Gratia.
The extinction of concupiscence
16 The third favour is the extinction of concupiscence, which St Paul refers to the law[1], or calls the licentious liberty of our bodies’ members and disordered movements[2]. I would hesitate to make any comment on this subject without the help of those persons who can provide a sure hand such as the Doctors I have cited above along with several others[3] supporting their conclusions. All things being considered, however, reason appears to be on their side. God never fails to equip those whom He has appointed for a particular office with the graces they require in order to discharge that office in a worthy manner. In the case of St Joseph, we may note how he was chosen to accompany, to serve and to support a young woman who was the most beautiful and the most accomplished there has ever been; to spend time alone with her at home and also outdoors, to share the same table and chamber as well as the same work – and all this in the presence of the visible God incarnate. In view of this, it was altogether fitting that his heart should have been bathed with the sweetness of heavenly grace and that his body should have been restored (at least to a certain degree) to the state of original justice. The actual graces of God would have been more than sufficient to prevent any disordered movement of concupiscence and the mystical beauty of the Holy Virgin, moreover, would have been a guarantee of chastity rather than an enticement to incontinence. Despite the truth of this, however, it is more reasonable to say that the admirable restraint of St Joseph came from a solid interior principle and not only from an exterior principle or a passing grace. This is particularly the case in view of the close relationship between this privilege which we are discussing and the prevenient sanctification added thereto and serving as a foundation for all these other qualities.
Footnotes
[1] But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Gal. v. 18.
[2] See Gal. v. 13-21. generally.
[3] Joann. Ekius, Serm. de S. Joseph. ; Canis., lib. V de B. Virg., c. 13 ; Ribad., in Vita S. Joseph., etc.
His vow of virginity
17 On top of these free gifts, as though onto a foundation of excellent holiness, Blessed St Joseph added the living colours of all the virtues, especially his virginal purity which made him like the very Angels of Heaven. The pious Cardinal Peter Damian[1] put an end to any doubts about this teaching so that it became accepted as an unshakeable tradition within the Church. St Peter Chrysologus[2], Hugh of St Victor[3], St Thomas[4] and Alcuin[5]. A great many others[6] hold this to be a truth beyond doubt and some authors[7] add that he offered his virginity to God with an explicit vow. Albertus Magnus[8] and St Bernardine of Siena[9] go even further, saying that:
Just as the holy Virgin and St Joseph were the first who made a promise to God to live in perpetual virginity, so too this vow they had made had been revealed to each of them individually and before plighting their troth in marriage they renewed their vows with a shared consent.
There are very good reasons for believing this : firstly, the sacred Virgin understood that God had provided her with a helper who was like unto her; secondly she was obliged to preserve inviolate her virginal purity and therefore she could not in prudence or justice consent to give power over her body to someone whom she did not know to have formed the same resolution. From this it is easy to conclude that as a result of the knowledge she had of blessed St Joseph’s purity, she held him in high esteem, feeling as confident in her conversations and dealings with him as she would be with the Cherubim and Seraphim. St Gregory Thaumaturgus[10] confirms this in his commentary on the mysterious vision of Isaiah[11] concerning a book that was sealed and which was to be delivered to one that was learned but who confessed that he could not open it because it was sealed.
According to our best judgement, says Saint Gregory, what is this sealed book but the most pure and most immaculate Virgin Mary? Who is this man that is learned other than blessed St Joseph, who had a deep understanding of the mysteries of the union of the divine Word with our flesh and of the fruitful virginity of his Spouse must chaste? Who are they who placed this book in his hands other than the Priests and Ministers of the Temple, who entrusted the book to him at Heaven’s express command? But why does he say that he cannot read in this book unless it is because he knows very well that Mary is to conceive without prejudice to her Virginity?
Finally, the pious Abbot Rupert wrote a commentary on the Canticle of Canticles in which he says[12]:
If perchance we hear that the Beloved of beautiful souls frolics and rejoices with the lilies, we can immediately picture Jesus in the company of Mary and Joseph who are with very good reason compared to lilies because of their virginal nuptials and their most chaste and innocent life together.
Footnotes
[1] Epist. 11 ad Nicolaum Papam.
[2] Serm. 175.
[3] In Epist. ad Gal., q. 3.
[4] In Epist. ad Gal.
[5] In c. 2 Joann.
[6] Baron., in Apparatu; Bellarm., t. I, controv. V, lib. II de Monarch., c. 22 ; Isolanus, de S.Jo-seph., I part., c.13 et 14, etc.
[7] Abul., in c. 1 Matth., q. 30 ; Gerson, et alii quos refert Canis., lib. II de B. Virg., c. 13 ; Baron., t. I, lib. V, c. 7.
[8] Super Misus est, c. 38.
[9] Serm. de S. Joseph., c. 1.
[10] Serm. 3 de Annuntiat.
[11] Isai. xxix. 11-12.
[12] Lib. II : Vere ambo lilia, videlicet pro virginalibus nuptiis, et cohabitatione castissima.
© Peter Bloor 2025
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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.
He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.
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