Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 2.8 St Casimir’s Hymn 1-5

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. Second sign of honour : singing her praises

St Casimir’s Hymn

[Translator’s note: The following Hymn was translated from St Casimir’s Latin into French verse by Fr Poiré. What follows is my English verse translation which follows the metre, rhyming scheme and imagery of the French. There are seventeen verses which will be published over the next few days]

(1)

My heart...

Let naught by night and naught by day

Take up thy feelings and thy thought 

Save only her whose love they say

Wants ev’ry soul to Heaven brought.

May all thy tender love’s desire

And all to which thou dost aspire

Give highest honour, perfect praise,

To Mary who with sweetest grace

Doth Heaven’s Angels all amaze

When nestled in her love’s embrace.

(2)

Her face so radiant and so bright

Doth not allow nor cloud nor shade

To hide from our astonished sight

The noble beauty there displayed.

And ev’ryone doth realise 

That there is nothing in the skies,

Nor on the earth, nor on the sea,

To match her peerless beauty fair,

And never worldly eye did see see  

A comeliness so sweet and rare.

(3)

There may be some who will deride

My overweening plan’s assumption 

For rooted being in foolish pride

And falling foul of vain presumption

Unless I can at least succeed 

In satisfying people’s need

Through heartfelt efforts with my quill

To bring to life her gracious features;

Her splendours truly fire my will,

For she is purest of all creatures.

(4)

Consider how the finest minds

When musing on her holy name

Do struggle with the choice of lines 

Befitting her celestial fame;

Their doubts at last when rent asunder,

Replacéd are by words of wonder;

Just so, when I do hesitate

And hold my tongue in timid fear,

Let not my lack of trust dictate

The way I sing her praises here.

(5)

With thou in combat at man’s side,

Oh Lady, Star of th’azure main,

His foes find they are soon denied

And Vict’ry sings her sweet refrain;

Death’s plans he this way doth frustrate,

And blesséd is with wondrous fate:

Despite the anger and the rage 

Of demons venting furious spleen,

A virtuous life he’ll now engage

Protected by his Heavenly Queen.

 

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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. 

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 2.6-8

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. Second sign of honour : singing her praises

 6   Hemming was a Bishop from Sweden and a great friend of St Bridget. The Holy Virgin revealed[1] to this Spouse of her beloved Son that, in recognition of the devotion this Bishop showed her by beginning all his sermons with her praises, she would be his Mother forever, she would help him at the hour of his death and she herself would present his soul for judgement by God. 

St Vincent was never able to hear praises of the Virgin’s excellence without his heart melting and his eyes filling with tears of devotion. 

It was the laudable custom of the devout Dominican Fr Venturino of Bergamo to preach every Saturday on the greatness of the Holy Virgin. The crowds flocking to hear his sermons frequently numbered up to thirty or forty thousand. The Queen of Angels showed her gratitude for the devotion of this her servant in various ways, especially in appearing to him and revealing a number of secrets to him.

Footnotes

[1] Revel. extravag., c. 104.

 7   Blessed Stanislaus Kostka would only ever call her his dear Mother; And as for the joy he experienced when speaking of her, this was so great that those who knew him, in order to in order to please him but also for their own delight, would turn the discussion towards her as soon as they saw him coming. I say also for their own delight because it was just not possible for people to see him become animated by the theme and continue the discussion, his noble face lit up with devotion, without being touched, their souls bathed in happiness.

What could produce greater rejoicing than to hear St Gregory Thaumaturgus making a clarion call to all the world, inviting people to praise, glorify and proclaim the blessedness of the Queen of Heaven, and to honour her memory with celebrations and canticles of joy? What a consolation to see how the devout Richard of Saint-Laurent made every effort he could to offer the highest honours to her whom he loved more than his own life? What could be more pleasant than to follow this gentle soul who in the dozen books he wrote praising the my sacred Virgin[1], loses himself in his contemplation of her prerogatives, her privileges and her virtues; who explores the earth in all its fruitfulness, the depths of the oceans, the skies in their vastness and the immensity of the starry vault in an effort to satisfy his devotion; in short, Who leaves nothing unturned in the whole of nature in his quest to exalt the Queen of Heaven?  

Footnotes

[1] Ricardus de Sancto Laurentio, author of De laudibus beatae Mariae Virginis, died c. 1250.

 8   In speaking of people such as these whose devotion to singing the praises of the most sacred Virgin was so great, God forbid that I should fail to mention St Casimir[1]. This young Prince was infinitely more noble by virtue of his outstanding piety than his birth into a noble family and he dedicated himself from his infancy to serving the MOTHER OF GOD. Amongst all the other tokens of the love and gratitude he offered to the Holy Virgin, he never allowed a single day to pass without praising her with a Latin composition that he himself had written in the rhyming style of the time. When he knew that his death was approaching, he expressed his desire for a piece of this composition to be buried with him. When in the year 1609 they came to open the tomb where he had been buried, this Marial was found on his chest, as though serving as a guardian of his heart. Readers who are interested will be able to see it at the end of this work but I am now going to present a selection of the more tender ideas contained in his composition, transposed from Latin into French. 

Footnotes

[1] 1458 -1484: Prince and later Patron Saint of Poland and Lithuania.

 

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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. 

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 2.5

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. Second sign of honour : singing her praises

 5   Let us consider just a small selection from the above-mentioned Fathers. How pleasing it is, for example, to see the love which filled the heart and mind of the devout St Bonaventure and the different ways of praising her which this inspired in him. It is as though he is so moved by the desire to honour her that he scarcely kneows where to begin and how best to set forth his celebration. He has given us his beautiful Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a summary of her principal qualities; he has composed for her his Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary which consists of one hundred and fifty Psalms, based upon the model of David’s Psalter; he has written Litany titles for her similar to those in the Roman Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary; he has constructed a Crown for her which aims to rejoice in her splendours and sing her praises; he has written Lamentations similar to those used in the Office of Tenebrae but focusing on her principal sorrows; he has dedicated several Sequences to her which include those ancient types which pre-figured her, setting forth her most outstanding qualities; and he has applied to her the Canticles of Moses, of his sister Mary, of Deborah and others which the Church has inserted in the Divine Office. In short, it is not possible to look into his writings without seeing a heart ablaze with love for the MOTHER OF GOD and fired with a passion to make her honoured by all; but we also derive great pleasure from the particular way he covers her with honour and praise, since his choice of words and his style are so impressive that we are forced to love her whether we wanted to or not.

If he considers her in terms of grace and holiness, he says that she is the fountain of grace, the epitome of good habits, the heavenly lily, the light shining in the darkness, the rose without thorns, the purest of doves, the model of chastity, the measure of justice, the staff of perfect beauty, the Lady of virtue and truth, the example for all the universe. 

If he considers her sweetness and her goodness, then he calls her their honeycomb, the cup-bearer of grace and favours, the resting-place of piety, the jar of divine ointments, the fountain of clemency, the mother of love, the spiritual nurse, the cloud permeated with grace, the net bursting with heavenly benefits.

Does he speak of her providing reconciliation and refuge? Then it is to call her the beautiful rainbow in whom all graces are found, the sweet chamber of peace, the one who restrains the wrath of God, the salvation of the world, the ladder to Heaven, the path leading to life, the guide to salvation, the gate of Heaven, the reparatrix of the world, the mediatrix for sinners, the guardian for men, their singular refuge; the hope of the wretched, the anchor-point for our hopes, the ship, harbour and jetty all in one, the mother of orphans, the source of salvation, the rich vein of mercy, the beacon for those who are lost and the source of courage for those in combat.

Is it a question of her authority and her power? She is, in the words of this devout heart, the death of sin, the scourge of heresies, the ruination of demons, the pillar of Religion, the Queen of Kings, the Sovereign Lady of Empires, the All-powerful one whether in the favours that she mediates, the assistance she provides or the help she gives to undertakings. 

In short, when it comes to her glory and her excellence, she is nothing less than the abode, the privy chamber, the throne and the temple of the Divinity, the Palace of the Holy Trinity, the wonder of the works of God, the clay which moulded its potter, the stream which is the source of its spring,  the star which produces its Sun, the Virgin worthy of God, the wonder of greatness, the paragon of excellence, the honour of the earth, the glory of Paradise, heaven for the intellect, the splendour of divine light, sovereign intelligence, Queen of all the ages, the Daughter, the Mother and the Spouse of God. 

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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. 

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 2.2-4

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. Second sign of honour : singing her praises

 2   Far from it being the case that the sheer heights of her glory should prove daunting for us, they should on the contrary encourage us all the more and inspire us to do everything we possibly can, forasmuch as it is certain, according to the words of a great and Wise man, that we shall never exhaust the fountain of her praises.

Just because we cannot praise her as much as she deserves, says Saint John Damascene[1], do we think this means we can stay silent and that our silence would not be condemned? Far from it, and we should in fact marry affection with fear and respect with love,– just as though we were picking various beautiful flowers which we can use to weave a pleasing garland for her, representing the first fruits of our poor Garden.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 1 de Assumpt.

 3   We are called upon to do this through her exceptional merits and the effects they have within us. We may also draw inspiration from the moving words of Solomon who tells us[1]: Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her, not in secret or in some corner, but in public places and in all the finest gatherings. We are called upon to do this because God has made it easy for us to show her our gratitude through this means. I recall how St Mechtilde[2] once found herself in trouble because of something that had happened between her and the Holy Virgin and she was complaining that she had done nothing to deserve this. The Spouse of beautiful souls Himself then appeared to her and said:

“My dearest daughter, for all the favours that thou hast received from my beloved Mother : do thou praise the outstanding fidelity she hath shown in doing and fulfilling the will of my Father, not only in what concerneth me but also herself; do thou praise the outstanding fidelity she hath shown by serving me in every way conceivable and sharing within her soul all the torments that I suffered in my body ; do thou praise the outstanding fidelity she doth continue to show in winning souls for me and her diligence in bringing them back to me in the one true fold.”

Footnotes

[1] Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates. Prov. xxi. 31. 

[2] In ejus Vita.

 4   We are called upon to do this by the glory which comes from these praises to the Saviour of souls. 

If honour rendered to a maidservant passes to her Mistress, says Saint Ildephonsus[1], then all the more reason why that which is rendered to the Mother belongs to the Son, in the same way that she has a goodly share in that which her Son receives as King of glory.

We are called upon to do this by the desire we have for our praises to bury the horrible blasphemies that hell and its minions have spewed forth and which they continue to do every day against her. We are called upon to do this by the wondrous reward that has been prepared and promised to those who devote themselves to praising her and to making her known a reward which is nothing less than life everlasting, following the words of Ecclesiasticus[2] which the Church applies to her.

Finally, says St Ildephonsus[3], we are called upon by the example of her beloved Son and of the glorious Holy Spirit to sing melodious canticles before the throne of Glory.

We are called upon to do this by the example of so many Saints who have performed wonders to praise her who is the Wonder of Heaven. Consider what has not been done by great names such as St Epiphanius, St Athanasius, St Cyril, St Augustine, St Ildephonsus, St Andrew of Candia, St Ephrem, Blessed Peter Damian, St Bernard, Abbot Rupert, St Bonaventure, St Bernardine, St Albert and many others who have provided material for our discussions about the great privileges and dignities of the Holy Virgin. What zeal and ardour have they not displayed in doing battle for her title as MOTHER OF GOD, in defending her virginity, in exalting her humility, in wondering at her charity, in making known to all her virtues and qualities and in calling upon the whole world  to get to know and love her peerless goodness?

Footnotes

[1] Lib. de Virginitate Mariæ, c. 2.

[2] They that explain me shall have life everlasting: Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 31 (and throughout the chapter generally).

[3] Serm. de Assumpt.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 1.35 > §2.1

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

 35   I am finishing with a few examples which are no less remarkable for the favours they highlight than for the persons involved. 

Paolo Giovio, a Bishop from Como in the Duchy of Milan, recounts an incident in the life of Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan. After he had seized Castelnuovo, they brought an exceptionally beautiful maiden to him and when she saw she was trapped in the Duke's chamber she looked all around in desperation and noticed an image of Our Lady next to his bed. She then knelt down and, with her hands joined in prayer, she implored the Duke out of the respect he owed to the name and to the image of the MOTHER OF GOD to preserve her honour. These tearful prayers, accompanied by a powerful movement of heavenly grace, so affected the Duke that he willingly granted her request and took steps to ensure she was led safely back to her family.

During the papacy of Pope Clement VIII, Ferdinand Gonzaga[1] (later Duke of Milan) was trying to control a difficult horse when it suddenly reacted against its rider by charging into the iron railings of a nearby Church. The Prince commended himself to Our Lady of Loreto and a miracle occurred, for he survived and was able to rise to his feet safe and sound. In memory of his escape and by way of thanksgiving, he later offered Our Lady of Loreto a silver statue of a man mounted on horseback whilst he himself always wore thereafter a silver image of the Holy Virgin around his neck.

I heard the following story from an honourable man whose word is most worthy of credence. He was sent a few years ago to gather information about some of the most remarkable events associated with blessed César de Bus who had died with a great reputation for holiness in this city of Avignon. Depositions taken from witnesses reveal that what finally persuaded him to overcome his doubts and convert from his sinful life was an image of the most sacred Virgin painted on the door of the Chapel of Sainte-Claire. As soon as he caught sight of this image, he prostrated himself on the ground in the middle of the road, placing all his hope of salvation (after God) in the hands of the MOTHER OF GOD. After this, he changed his life and made incredible progress in virtue.

Readers will be able to decide which of the practices we have been describing seem most fitting to honour images of the MOTHER OF GOD. I am now going to proceed to other Religious exercises.

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 12, § 5 ; Part II, ch. 9, § 9.

§ 2. Second sign of honour : singing her praises

 1   When it comes to praise, all the Holy Fathers agree that there is no creature who can equal the great qualities of the MOTHER OF GOD. 

She surpasses all the good things we could possibly.say (these are the words of St John Damascene[1]) and even if all the tongues in the world were to become as one this still would not be sufficient to praise her worthily. Even if you were to add in the Angels[2], you still would not come near the excellence of her by means of whom we enter into possession of God’s glory.

We are all permitted, says St Basil of Seleucia[3], to praise the my sacred Virgin as highly as we can without fearing that we go too far; but as for being able to do her justice with our words, this is something entirely impossible.

Let us praise, let us honour, let us love this blessed lady to the utmost of our strength, says the devout Denis Richel[4] at the beginning of the four books he composed of praises to the MOTHER OF GOD; and after we have done everything we can, let us acknowledge that there is nothing that can come near the greatness of her merits and of the graces and favours she bestows upon us.

Alas! We are the merest of creatures (as the admirable St Augustine noted[5]) and what could we possibly produce that could be worthy of her even if all our bodily members were changed into tongues, since she is higher than the highest heavens and deeper than the greatest depths? It seems to me that the two Cherubim who spread their wings over the Ark of Moses were telling us that the true Ark of the Covenant – which is none other than the MOTHER OF GOD – would remain forever hidden, despite every effort of their understanding (represented by their wings).

No, no : let no one be in error about this, says St Anselm[6], for it is true that no one is excluded from offering her praises and there is, by the grace of God, more than enough to occupy the finest minds in the world ; but whoever undertakes such praises, let him resolve at the outset to place himself under her guidance.

A French Doctor[7] once expressed this idea in the following elegant lines:

Si fieri posset quod arenæ pulvis, et undæ, 

Undarum guttæ, rosa, gemmæ, lilia, flammæ, 

Æther, coelicolo, nix, grande, sexus uterque, 

Ventorum pennæ, volucrum, et pecudum genus omne, 

Sylvarum rami, frondes, avium quoque pennæ, 

Gramina, ros, stellæ, pisces, angues, et aristæ : 

Et lapides, montes, convalles, terra, dracones, 

Linguæ cuncta forent, numquam depromere possent 

Quæ vel quanta virgo Regina Maria : 

Quæ tua sit pietas, nec littera, nec dabit ætas.

Here is what he would have said if he had spoken in French:  

[The following English verse translation seeks to follow the vocabulary, metre and rhyming scheme of the French text which is itself a free rather than literal translation of the Latin.]

If all the grains of sand on river and sea shore, 

If all the flow’rs of Spring and Summer’s harvest too,

If Autumn’s fruit and nuts as they come bursting through,

If Winter’s icy snow that chilleth to the core;

If sighing of the wind, and birdsong in the trees,

If shoals of countless fish in silv’ry coats of mail,

If twinkling stars which do the vault of Heav’n regale,

If lightning, wind and rain upon the stormy seas;

If ages, days and hours, and twinklings of an eye,

If Angels, men alive as well as those who die:

If all of these perchance, in each and ev’ry part  

Could speak as with one voice, then all of them could never

Exalt and laud enough the virtues of her heart

Whose praise th’Angelic host doth glorify for ever.

Footnotes

[1] Orat. 2 de Assumpt. B. Virg.

[2] Orat. 1.

[3] Orat. de Annunt. Virg.

[4] Denis the Carthusian (1402–1471): See “On the Praises and Dignity of the Blessed Virgin Mary” (4 vols. ) & “On the Dignity and Commendation of Mary” (4 vols).

[5] Orat. 35 de Sanctis.

[6] Lib.de Excellentia Virg., c. 2.

[7] Petrus Comestor (d. 1178).

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 1.33-34

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

THE HONOUR SHOWN SINCE ANCIENT TIMES TO IMAGES OF THE HOLY VIRGINITY

 33   If we retrace history back from the time of these two great men, we find that this sort of devotion in the Church is in fact very ancient. Examples include the image of the Virgin which spoke to St Mercurius the Martyr and ordered him to execute Julian the Apostate (as we discussed elsewhere[1]); the image of her discovered by St Alexis in the city of Edessa in Syria; the one which led to the conversion of St Mary of Egypt in Jerusalem; the one which shed oil from the hand in Sozopolis and many other instances recorded in history. Then there is the holy custom preserved in the city of Constantinople where each year the image of Our Lady painted by St Luke was carried to the chapel of the Imperial Palace on the Thursday before Easter and kept there until the second feast of Easter, on which day it was solemnly returned to the Monastery of the Guide[2]. Another example is the Holy Custom which St Dominic instituted amongst his friars from the beginning of his Order, namely that they should all have her image in their Oratories. I must not omit to mention what is recorded by Saint Antoninus in his history[3], namely that: 

In former times the image of the Crucifix was found at the bottom of Churches, as may still be seen today in Santa Maria Maggiore and in Santa Maria in Trastevere. The image of the MOTHER OF GOD holding her son in her arms is found at the high altar so that, according to this devout Archbishop, the priest with this sight in front of him would have an idea of what it means to follow the example of this Lady in causing God to come down from Heaven simply through the utterance of words.

We should not leave aside what everyone can read in the Roman Pontifical[4] concerning the blessing of images. It provides that the Bishop who blesses other images without his mitre and with a single prayer followed by sprinkling of holy water, has to employ much more ceremony in the case of the Holy Virgin. He is to wear a mitre and make use of incense as well as several Antiphons, Psalms and Prayers. Even if we had no other argument for the esteem and reverence the Church has always shown in such cases, this one alone would be sufficient. 

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 12, § 5 ; Part II, ch. 9, § 9.

[2] The Monastery of Panagia Hodegetria (or Hodegon Hodegetria) was located east of Hagia Sophia, famous for its hagiasma (sacred spring) and the icon of the Virgin Hodegetria.

[3] IV p., tit. XV, c. 22, § 3.

[4] See “The Blessing of an Image of the Virgin Mary (1595 & 1961)” at the New Liturgical Movement (2013).

 34   I have always been impressed by the way in which persons distinguished not only for nobility but also for holiness contrived to render her every sort of honour. Using the examples they have left us, I am going to illustrate the practice of honouring images of the MOTHER OF GOD.

St Elizabeth, daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary, (whom we mentioned a little earlier) displayed right from the cradle an exceptional piety towards the MOTHER OF GOD which she showed in a thousand different ways, but especially in honouring her holy images out of love of her. She possessed several little statues of the Virgin which she bequeathed to her daughter Sophie  who treasured them as being amongst the best things in her inheritance. She gave one of them as a present to the Sisters of a convent in Vilvoorde which was later called Our Lady of Consolation, by reason of the great miracles performed there and the consolation both physical and spiritual received by everyone who visited this holy site. She gave three others to Mathilda, sister of Duke Henry her husband, all of which became famous for the wonders God worked through them. Later, Mathilda left one to ’s-Gravenzande, an ancient city in Holland not far from the Monastery of Loudun which she had built; one to the Carmelite Church in Harlem; and the third to Hainault, where countless miracles have been performed. A selection of these has been compiled by the learned Justus Lipsius[1], one of the foremost men of our age.

St Hedwig, Duchess of Poland who died in the year 1243, always kept with her a small statue of the Virgin[2]. This was impossible to take out of her hands after she had died and what happened twenty-five years after her death is no less remarkable. When her tomb was opened, they found the three fingers holding the statue intact and her brain, moreover, as fresh as if she had just passed away. Besides this, a certain oil seeped from her head and gave off a fragrant odour which made known just how pleasing her devotion had been to the MOTHER OF GOD[3].

Louis the Fair was a true heir of the piety of his father, the Great Charlemagne, and never travelled without an image of Our Lady which served him as a faithful companion and frequently provided him with the best support and conversation he could have wished for. Whenever he found himself lost in the countryside, he would kneel down before this image and spend some time in prayer and meditation. I have shown elsewhere[4] how through a miraculous encounter Our Lady wished to keep this image so that she might place it in one of her Churches.

When the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV[5] returned to Bavaria (where he was King) he kept an image of the Virgin close to his person. At the end of his journey, he gave it as an act of thanksgiving to the Abbey at Ettal which he had built in the middle of the woods and dedicated to the MOTHER OF GOD.

 

Godfrey of Bouillon was the victorious King of Palestine[6] who received the Cross from God by the hand of an Angel as a sign of his victories and a promise of his success in battle. He placed his entire army under the protection of the Virgin whom he would invoke in every battle and whose image he kept in his lodgings, honoured as Queen and Empress.

St Edward, Archbishop of Canterbury and a student of theology, always had in front of him a little statue of Our Lady at whose feet were engraved the mysteries of the life and passion of the Saviour.

Inácio de Azevedo set off with thirty-nine other Jesuits on the 15th of August in the year 1570. He was armed with an image of the Queen of Martyrs which the Calvinists who put him to death along with his companions were unable to remove from his hands. He was thrown into the sea along with this image which was said to be the cause of a great miracle which then occurred. Unlike the others, his body did not sink but, with his arms in the form of a cross, it was carried over the waves until it disappeared from view and these cruel wretches lost sight of him.

Blessed Balthazar Alvarez was never without an image of the Virgin.

Fr Bernard Colnago S.J. left behind in Italy a memory of the odour of his sanctity along with that of his extraordinary simplicity. He kept with him a little statue of Our Lady by means of which he obtained anything he wanted from Heaven. How many times did he caress this statue and speak with a wondrous openness, no more no less than if he were actually speaking to her whom it represented! One day he was given a flask of balm and in a transport of affection he poured it on the face of the statue which he would then call his black Madonna. 

We read of the celebrated Cardinal Baronius that he always had an image of Our Lady hanging over his heart, of which he appointed her guardian and protectress.

Footnotes

[1] Lipsius, Virg. Hal., c. 2, § 3.

[2] In ejus Vita apud Surium.

[3] Krantzius, lib. I. Metropolis, c. 10 ; Canisius, de B. Virg., lib. V, c. 22, etc.

[4] Part I, ch. 12.  § 5 [79].

[5] Krantzius et Canisius, loc. cit.

[6] Guillel. Tyrius, in Bello sacro.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 1.29-32

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

VARIOUS WAYS OF HONOURING THE BLESSED VIRGIN’S RELICS 

 29   The same love which impelled these Princes and Princesses to make such efforts in finding precious relics of the Holy Virgin[1], enclosing them in gold and silver chests and caskets, decorating them with their most precious gemstones, prompted others to undertake long journeys in order to venerate them, kneeling before these objects of holiness and rendering them every sort of honour. The same feelings of devotion prompted others to find ways of obtaining a small part of a relic which they could carry with them always like a heavenly brevet and a powerful defence against the wickedness and snares of the devil. There are some who felt they needed no other passport or letters of credit before setting off on long journeys or undertaking great things for the glory of God.  

Thus we read[2] that St Benedict sent his beloved disciple St Maur into France with a little ivory chest which contained several holy relics, including some of the glorious Virgin.

There are others who, possessing precious relics such as these, found they increased their confidence so much that they were able to cure illnesses and counteract the ravages of the elements.

St Gregory of Tours has written a personal account[3] of how one day on a journey he saw a man and a woman with their poor children weeping as they tried to save their little house which had caught fire. Moved with compassion and fortified with a strong faith, this holy Prelate took off a golden cross he wore around his neck and which contained relics of the Blessed Virgin Mary; raising it in front of the fire, he ordered the flames to halt and be gone, which they did at that very instant – to the great astonishment and relief of the peasant and his desperate family.

Footnotes

[1] Ferreolus Lucrius, Mariæ Augustæ, lib. V ; Spinellus, de B. Virg., c. 29, etc.

[2] In Vita S. Mauri, apud Surium, t. II.

[3] Lib. I de Gloria Martyrum, c. 10.

 30   It would be remiss of me not to mention amongst the people who in various ways honoured the relics of the Holy Virgin those learned writers who composed panegyrics for them. I have always greatly admired the eloquence and zeal of the great St Germanus[1], Patriarch of Constantinople, who on more than one occasion made solemn speeches celebrating the veneration due to the girdle of the MOTHER OF GOD about which I spoke earlier. In his writings he has left us evidence showing not only of his gentle nature but also his exceptional love for honouring the Queen of Heaven. He speaks of this Heavenly jewel no more nor less than as of a living creature. 

Most wondrous girdle, thou who wast wrapped around the body which bore God within and hast served by way of adornment and crown for the true Ark of the Covenant : how many times hast thou been sprinkled with sacred milk from the chaste breasts of the Virgin of Virgins! What sweet fragrance and what healing grace hast thou received through contact with this holy body, as though with divine balm? Thou girdle beyond compare, who dost strengthen some against weakness of the flesh and fortify others against vices in favour of the noblest virtues, who dost bind the hands of our enemies visible and invisible, who dost serve as a defensive wall for the City – meaning for the soul that knows how to invoke thee. Thou cincture most precious who didst enwrap the Word made flesh and wast present at His blessings; who didst receive the honour of touching the virginal body of the Saviour’s Mother and who hast put on a certain incorruption : do thou enclose our loins with power, justice and meekness; do thou preserve our bodies and our lives from the corruption of sin; and do thou serve as encircling wall and rampart against our enemies.

Here you see how this great man teaches us to esteem that which has the least connection to the MOTHER OF GOD and to honour her incomparable holiness in everything that she once used. I trust that the love which has caused many people to work wonders in offering homage to the Holy Virgin in such cases will easily make up for what I am unable to say on the subject.

Footnotes

[1] Orat. de Adoratione Zonæ Deip., apud Surium, 31 Augusti.

Venerating images of the Holy Virgin

 31   The devotion of the faithful has always been such as to venerate images of the MOTHER OF GOD : in Churches as signs and tokens of holiness, in Palaces and government buildings as sources of advice and guidance, in barracks as portents of victory, in places of education as providing keys to knowledge, at the entrances of cities as guardians, in streets and thoroughfares as blessed augurs, in public buildings, in private houses, in bedrooms and in studies as sources of help and refuge for all eventualities.

St Luke was the first[1] to oblige Christendom in this respect by producing not one but several portraits of this heavenly and adorable countenance. Apart from the city of Rome, there are other places which glory in possessing such a treasure such as Guadalupe in Spain and Częstochowa in Poland.

This great Saint consecrated his brush to portraying the Mother’s face just as he had dedicated his pen to recounting the life and actions of the Son. Following his example, all artists considered themselves blessed to represent her – painters with their colours, engravers with their burins, sculptors with their chisels – according to the ways in which each of them could conceive her perfect and majestic beauty.

Footnotes

[1] Metaphrast., in Vita S. Lucæ ; Nicephonis, lib. XIV, c. 2 ; lib. XV, c. 14.

 32   In a short while the world found itself populated by images of the MOTHER OF GOD and this may easily be verified through reading the histories written. I would, however, attribute a particular blessing to our own age when their use has become so common that you will not find even the meanest dwelling which does not have a mark of this devotion towards the Holy Virgin.

Posterity will be forever indebted to Blessed Francis Borgia, sometime Duke of Candia[1] and later third Superior General of our Society, for the great number of images of Our Lady that can be seen today all around the world. He was fired by an ardent wish to make copies of a true portrait of the most sacred Virgin and he applied for permission to have in his own lodgings St Luke’s portrait which is kept in Rome in the Church of St Mary Major. His request met with many difficulties because of the honour and reverence shown to this holy image but his devotion and perseverance overcame them all. He finally succeeded in having a number of copies made which he sent to various Princes and great Lords, as well as to various Jesuit houses. After this, the enjoyment of such portraits of Our Lady spread amongst the general public and became common.

St Charles[2], the very image of a great Prelate, spread devotion to the Virgin through her images in a wondrous manner. He issued a directive that at the entry of every parish Church there should be an image of Our Lady. He not only insisted this order should be followed to the letter but he also required all his diocesan clergy to carry an image of Our Lady with them at all times. He knew this would have great power against the wicked schemes of the enemy. 

Footnotes

[1] Onuphrius, lib. de Septem. Eccl.

[2] St. Charles Borromeo (1538–1584).

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

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.