The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 3 : § 5.9-10

 

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

Second Figure : Axa

 9   According to St Bonaventure,[1] Axa was also a figure for the MOTHER OF GOD. She is mentioned in the first chapter of Judges where it says that Caleb, distributing the cities of Chanaan, proclaimed to the sound of trumpets that he would give his daughter Axa in marriage to whoever should take Cariath-Sepher, where the leaders and teachers of the Chanaanites were located. This promise put courage in the heart of Othoniel who, fired up by the hope of having this Maiden for his wife, attacked Cariath-Sepher with such energy that his assault succeeded in taking the city. Caleb kept his word and gave Othoniel his daughter along with a dowry of land which Othoniel found lacking, for it had no water. He suggested to his wife that she should take the time to explain to her father how he had made a poor decision on the land he had allocated to her. She did this so winningly that Caleb, having heard her sighs, agreed to everything she asked for.  He gave her a portion of land watered opportunely by rains from on high and by a gentle stream down below which could be diverted at will as need required.

If you consider the name of Axa, says St Bonaventure, it means beautiful, pleasing and richly apparelled.

This is most admirably fitting for the Virgin as will be seen by the discussions of her unique beauty[2] and the wondrous gifts of grace she received. Axa was given in marriage to Othoniel, a name meaning God of my heart; the Holy Virgin had for her Spouse the Holy Spirit, who was in truth the God of her heart, as I shall explain shortly.[3] 

What is most remarkable is that Mary’s dowry was a fertile portion of land, watered from above and below:

from above, says St Bonaventure, by her Son’s Divinity, from below by His humanity; from above because she conceived in spirit before conceiving Him in His body; from below, because she bore him in her womb; from above by reason of the charity of God, from below the love of neighbour; from above through contemplation, from below through action; from above in heaven where she is now, from below on earth where she dwelled for a long time and where at present she receives the honour due to her status as MOTHER OF GOD and our Lady of the universe; from below, by the grace which was hers in this world, from above through the glory she possesses in heaven.

Mary is like a holy valley watered in such a blessed manner; she has enabled multitudes to benefit from the blessings of God.

Third Figure : Jahel

 10   Jahel is the third figure and St Bonaventure[4] supplies the links between her and the Blessed Virgin. Let us start with her name: Jahel means she who goeth up. This is what the Holy Angels chiefly admire in the MOTHER OF GOD when they ask in astonishment: Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as [a pillar of] smoke of [aromatical spices, of myrrh, and] frankincense, [and of all the powders of the perfumer]?[5]  Take note of the fragrant aroma from Deborah and Barac as they sing[6] in their canticle that Jahel is blessed among women.[7] The Angel from heaven says the same words of the MOTHER OF GOD, but with a different meaning. Jahel delivers the people from the hands of Sisara, general of the army of Chanaan. She shows a rare spirit and courage by inviting him into her tent  and giving him milk to drink, after which he falls asleep. She then pierces his head with a nail in such a way that he passes from deep sleep to death. By her word which is like piercing nail, and with her redoubtable holiness, the MOTHER OF GOD crushes the head of our foe, depriving him of the power to do evil to us if we choose not to heed him.

Footnotes

[1] Speculi B. Virg., c. 13.

[2] Cap. 6 et 7.

[3] Cap. 5.

[4] Cap. 13 Speculi B. Virg.

[5] Cant. iii. vi.

[6] In that day Debbora and Barac son of Abinoem sung. Judges v. 1.

[7] Blessed among women be Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, and blessed be she in her tent. Judges v. 24.

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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