The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 1 : § 1. 9

Chapter 1 : On the title of the Mother of God, true source of all the great Dignities of the glorious Virgin

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

 § 1.  On the excellence of the title MOTHER OF GOD

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 9   For the devout reader who wishes to read more[1] about these same great dignities and qualities, here are some examples from discussions which are proportionately similar to the way we speak of God Himself when we say that He is higher than any height, deeper than any depth, brighter than any light, more dazzling than any splendour, stronger than any strength, more courageous than any courage, more beautiful than any beauty, truer than any truth, greater than any greatness, more powerful than any power, richer than any richness, wiser than any wisdom, sweeter than any sweetness, better than any goodness, more just than any justice[2]; that He is beyond imagining, beyond words, beyond explanation, inaccessible, incomprehensible to any other than to Himself.[3]

What do you think the great God’s envoy meant, asks St Bernard,[4] when he said to the Virgin: The power of the most High shall overshadow thee?  Perhaps She who had the joy of experiencing and of being exposed to the rays of this divine Sun who, by an unprecedented miracle shaded her from His own divine brightness, perhaps She would be able to answer. Apart from her, who merited a share in the secret of the most blessed Trinity working this mystery in her, do not look for anyone else to give an explanation, for there is no-one.  

It seems to St Augustine too that it is going too far to say that the Princess who was herself asked for her assent and who with such good reason was told about everything happening to her, would be able to give an explanation.

I will not pretend to say (these are his words[5]) that She who was herself able to enclose the divine Word within her womb, would be unable to understand and fully explain this mystery.  

I shall let you decide whether this Saint, who was so jealous for the honour of the MOTHER OF GOD, claimed to derogate from her in any way. Far from doing that, I think that on the contrary by speaking in favour of the truth he thought to honour the MOTHER OF GOD, whose merit is so elevated as to be beyond her own comprehension. No more nor less than in the case where we think we are giving offence to an extremely rich man when we say that he has so many sources of wealth that he himself does not know what they are.  In this sense, the greatness of the MOTHER OF GOD will be beyond the understanding of any mind in creation. The glory will remain with the Father who has such a daughter, the Son who prepared such a Mother for Himself, and with the Holy Spirit who so enriched and adorned His Bride. This understanding is echoed by St Bernardine[6] who applies words from Ecclestiacus to the Blessed Virgin: only He who made her is able to understand the sublime heights of His work and to Him is reserved their full comprehension.

Having heard these great minds speaking in such a fashion, what man would not hesitate before seeking to understand the great dignities of the MOTHER OF GOD? For my part, as of present I would veer away from such a task were it not that my plan is to follow those Church Fathers who have spoken so worthily on the subject rather than to flatter my own abilities and be carried away by my own inventiveness. Under the guidance, however, of such wise pilots as the Fathers, I do not believe I should fear when launching myself to explore the vasty ocean of the great Queen’s dignities and splendours. The Holy Spirit, great pilot of the barque that is the Church, prepared these same dignities and splendours in her. I have confidence that He will guide my mind and my pen on this voyage of discovery and that the beautiful Star of the sea herself, to whom I offer my labour, will not abandon me in this project I have undertaken to please her.

Footnotes

[1] Tract. II, c. 3.

[2] Tertull. sive Novatianus Presbyt. Rom., lib. de Trinit.

[3] Damasc., lib. I Fidei, c. 8 ; Trismegist. in Pimandro, etc..

[4] Homil. 4 in Missus.

[5] T. IX operum supra Magnificat..

[6] T. II, serm. 51, art. 3, c. 1 : Tanta fuit perfectio ejus, ut soli Deo cognoscenda reservetur, juxta il-lud Eccl. 1.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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 2024