The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 3 : § 5.7-8

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.

§ 5. On Mary (sister of Moses), Axa and Jahel

First Figure : Mary, sister of Moses

 7   I might add to the above that, her incomparable virginity, she has  two advantages over Mary, sister of Moses. The value of these cannot be over-estimated, for she was humble and bore fruit, qualities lacking in the ancient virgin. St Anselm speaks of Our Lady's peerless virginity, linking it closely to her deep humility and comparing these to the ramparts and terrepleins[1] of a citadel. They protect one another, for the terreplein shores up the ramparts and the ramparts offer protection to the terreplein. In a similar way, humility[2] supports chastity which is itself guarded by a protective rampart. St Bernard[3] discusses this link between virginity and fecundity:

This is what makes any comparisons impossible because it is verifiably the case that these two qualities were never met together in a woman before or after Mary.  

Fr Rupert[4] says this is why the celestial Spouse calls her beautiful two times, saying: How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou![5] Thou art beautiful by reason of thy virginity; thou art beautiful because of the Son thou hast brought forth, for this twofold beauty has never been seen in any other, nor will it ever be seen again.  

Elsewhere[6], he comments on the words spoken by the same Spouse, Thy two breasts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.[7] Two breasts like unto thine have never have been seen before, nor will ever be seen again : which is to say, virginity alongside fruitfulness. Never shall we hear again of breasts filled with milk belonging to a woman who is a mother and a virgin at one and the same time. In sum, thou art truly unique as a Virgin, the like of whom was never seen in history and will never be seen in times to come.

 

 8   The third similarity they share is in the Canticles they both sang: in the case of the sister of Moses, it was after the deliverance of God's people which was achieved when the sea swallowed up the Egyptians and with them their hope of forcing the Israelites back into slavery. How wonderful to see her at the head of the Jewish women and girls, with a timbrel in her hand, singing that beautiful motet which we find in Chapter xv of Exodus![8] It was, however, altogether different in the case of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. After the work of the Incarnation had been wrought in her, and a beginning had been made to the restoration and redemption of men, Mary magnified the Lord by singing the Magnificat in the presence of her cousin Elizabeth;[9] whence she merits the title and the name of Prophetess, in a similar way to the sister of Moses, but at a sublimely higher level.

 

Footnotes

[1] terreplein: the talus or sloping bank of earth behind a wall or rampart; hence, the surface of a rampart behind the parapet. OED.

[2] humility. Etymology: from humus "earth," hence fittingly symbolised by the terreplein. Virginity being symbolized by the barrier of the wall or rampart.

[3] Serm. in Signum magnum.

[4] Lib. I in Cantica.

[5] Cant. iv. 1.

[6] Lib. III in Cantica.

[7] Cant. iv. 5

[8] So Mary the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand: and all the women went forth after her with timbrels and with dances:  And she began the song to them, saying: Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and his rider he hath thrown into the sea. Exodus xv. 20-21.

[9] Luke i. 46-55.

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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