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) |
§ 4. The fourth sign of love: Having a deep affection for her sacred Heart
1 The Great Archbishop of Toledo[1] encourages us to go further, calling upon our hearts to love her as much as they can since our tongues and our minds are too weak for the praise which is her due. I can think of nothing more worthy of being added to what has been said so far than the beautiful and pleasing lesson that Our Lord Himself gave to St Mechtilde. He revealed to her the treasures of gentleness and grace hidden in two of the holiest hearts that have ever been and that can with good reason be called the two living sources of every grace and blessing. At the same time, He gave her advice on how to have recourse to them.
The first is the fervent heart of Jesus Christ our King, the peerless Prince of love, which she learned to love and acclaim in a number of ways granting her a share in His most gentle colloquies. She profited so greatly from this practice that she said one day (in that straightforward manner which is common amongst holy souls) that if the graces she had received were all written down there would be enough to fill a sizeable volume.
The second is the heart of the Mother of love, the key to which she was granted along with the power to enter any time she wanted. She had been seeking a way of pleasing the Holy Virgin during Advent when the Spouse of beautiful souls appeared to her and taught her the most excellent way of showing love that a heart could conceive. Here is what He said to her:
“Thou wilt hail the most sacred heart of my Mother with all its abundance of graces communicated to her from on high. Thou wilt hail her heart as the purest there hath ever been after mine own, for she was the first to raise the standard of virginity in the way she did. Thou wilt hail her heart as the most humble, for it was her humility that drew me down to earth from the bosom of my eternal Father. Thou wilt hail her heart as the most ardent, for never was there one like it in love for God and for neighbour. Thou wilt hail her heart for its unsurpassed devotion, since her sighs and tears have led to the salvation of men. Thou wilt hail her heart as the most comely in its wisdom, for she has taken to heart all she has learned from the actions of my childhood, my youth and my maturity. Thou wilt hail her heart as the most patient in suffering, for it was pierced with a thousand swords of sorrow during my most bitter passion. Thou wilt hail her heart as the most faithful, since she indeed was courageous enough to offer my life for the redemption of the world. Thou wilt hail her heart as the most caring, since the care she took of my newborn Church cannot be sufficiently valued or appreciated. Thou wilt hail her heart for soaring to the highest contemplation, since words cannot describe the favours she hath obtained for men through the power of her prayer.
Footnotes
[1] S. Ildefonsus, Serm. 1.
2 Who could have dreamt of finding this rich vein from which to mine true heavenly gold, so as to become rich in every sort of grace! The Royal Prophet spoke one day words of incredible sweetness. Whilst thinking about the countless favours that God had granted him, including those that He was making ready for the future, he was so touched in his heart that his overflowing affection suggested to him a completely new way of speaking : O Lord of hosts . . . thy servant hath found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee[1].
After encountering these loving, gentle words, this is how I thought to address my own soul: Shall we never find the heart to love a heart so lovable as that of the MOTHER OF GOD? Will ours always be lost among the choking thorns of worries about riches, among the debauching lures of sensual pleasure and the hollow delusions of vanity? Will it be forever tossed around on the ebbing and flowing of worldly preoccupations? Will it always be floundering in the cares and anxieties of this life? Will it continually be straying so far from itself and from true peace that it cannot be put back on course? How long will it let itself be distracted by these frivolities and these baubles for little children?
Holy Mother of love, deep affection for thy heart would be my most devout wish, but how to come near thy heart without first being drawn by it? Prithee break asunder the ties which hold me fast; free me from myself and from all that prevents me coming to thee; for I wish to belong to thee and devote myself to thee, after God – with a firm trust that thou wilt give me the means.
Footnotes
[1] Because thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. 2 Kings (2 Samuel): vii. 27
© 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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