The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 3 : § 4. 7-8

Chapter 3 : The Second Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of 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)

That from the beginning of the world she was announced by the Prophets and represented by ancient figures

In the previous chapter, I presented the Holy Virgin as a trial design by God when considered in relation to the Saviour, who was Himself the first actual masterpiece in the world. In comparison with the rest of creation, however, it cannot be denied that Mary was the second masterpiece by God who produced hundreds of preparatory sketches, as will be seen in the following discussions.

§ 4. On certain living and animated figures that have represented the MOTHER OF GOD, beginning with Eve, Sara and Rebecca.

Third Figure : Rebecca

REBECCA’S MARRIAGE. HOW REBECCA ENABLED JACOB TO RECEIVE THE BLESSING.

 7   Rebecca deserves to be added to the two previous figures, firstly because she is recognized by St Bernard as prefiguring the MOTHER OF GOD, (as we shall see after this discussion). In considering their resemblance, a good starting point is the name. Rebecca means she who is in good health and it points to the goodness of Mary’s interior disposition. I shall cover this more fully in the chapters to follow where I discuss her grace and her interior perfections. 

In the second place, it says in chapter xxiv of Genesis that she was an exceeding comely and gracious maid. St Jerome[1] observes the fine point that the original text makes us of the Hebrew word Halma[2] which in Sacred Scripture means not a virgin as such but a young woman who is wise, modest, lives at home and eschews improper conversation. He adds that the same word is used by the Prophet Isaiah in the celebrated prophecy that a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.[3]  All these beautiful qualities are found in the wise and chaste Rebecca as is plain from the chapter in Genesis that I just quoted. They are however found superabundantly in the MOTHER OF GOD, as I shall reveal in greater detail when I discuss her beautiful nature[4].   

Thirdly, Rebecca was given as a spouse to Isaac through a divine disposition. All the details are there in Scripture[5] and the account is most pleasing to read. It is written that Eliezer, Abraham’s steward, went into Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac, his young master. He sat down by a well and prayed to the Lord with total confidence, saying that the first maid who would come to draw water, who would graciously offer him a drink after he had asked for one, and would then give his camels water without being asked, she would most certainly be the maid he would choose for Isaac. This simple prayer was so pleasing to God that He straightaway presented to him the maid needed by Isaac, son of a great Saint and His close friend. The Holy Virgin herself was espoused but only by means of a divine decree, as I shall explain more fully in the last Treatise.[6]

 8   Fourthly, Rebecca (of whom I shall have more to say later)[7] was obedient to God’s commandment but also gave proof of her kind nature when she quite rightly dressed her beloved Jacob in the garments of his brother Esau, putting the little skins of goat kids on his hands and on the bare of his neck.[8] This was to help him receive the firstborn’s blessing. It was, however, the Holy Virgin who fulfilled the mystery hidden in this story. Here are the wise words of St Bernard:[9]

I recognise quite clearly under the skin of the kid, which signifies sin, the hand of Him who hath done no sin, and the neck never soiled by any guile passing from the heart to the mouth.[10] I know, my blessed Saviour, that Thou art meek and humble of heart,[11] anointed with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.[12] How, then, dost Thou now appear rough and hairy like wild Esau? Whose is this unpleasant face and this alien covering? These are, O Lord, the skins and signs of fallen Adam, whose likeness Thou hast chosen except in the effects of his fall. It is not Rebecca but Mary who placed this covering on Thee in order to obtain a blessing which was more excellent to the extent that she whose son Thou art is more holy than Rebecca. Thou didst take on our human garment in good time because Thy plan was to obtain the blessing for us.

Footnotes

[1] De Traditionibus Hebraicis in c. 24 Gen. et in c. 7 Isaiæ in illud, Ecce Virgo concipiet. 

[2] An exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not known to man:   Gen. xxiv. 16. See also verse 43.  The Septuagint uses παρθένος [virgin] in both these verses.

[3] Isai. vii. 14.

[4] Cap. 6.

[5] Cap. 24 Gen. cit.

[6] Cap. 11. 

[7] Tract. 2, c. 5.

[8] Gen. xxvii.

[9] Sermon xxviii of Sermons of the Canticle of Canticles.

[10] 1 Pet. ii. 22; 2 Cor. v. 21.

[11] Matt. xi. 29.

[12] Ps. xliv. 8.

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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