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).
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| 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.
§ 6. On Judith, Esther and Bethsabee
First Figure : Judith
3 Apart from time taken up with practical necessities, Judith spent almost her entire life in prayer and contemplation of heavenly things.
And the Holy Virgin, says Blessed Ildephonsus[1], if she was not in her Oratory where she spent most of her time, then she was out visiting the holy places around Jerusalem marked by her beloved Son's His celestial associations, His bloody Passion, His glorious Resurrection and His triumphant Ascension.
She had no other consolation in this world than to visit these holy places and to bathe them in her tears, rapt in deepest contemplation of the mysteries that had taken place. Judith bade farewell to all the rich trappings of vanity and of all that was redolent even in a small way of secular and worldly pleasure, embracing a state of simplicity and modesty. Mary went beyond this[2] and lived a perfectly exemplary life of evangelic poverty as her Son had taught. The only income and provision she received came from the common and ordinary maintenance for widows in the infant Church, supplied by the generosity of Christians who could afford it. To prayer, Judith added continual fasting and mortification, wearing haircloth except on Festival days and at the new Moon [2a] (which her people honoured with a particular cult). The great St Ignatius, Patriarch of Antioch[3], calls the MOTHER OF GOD the Mistress of Penance, which she performed without ceasing, especially in fasting, taking only what was scarcely enough for her sustenance. Judith through her exercises had acquired such a reputation, especially for chastity, that no-one (however low he had fallen) could say a bad word of her[4].
And if you ask me what the Holy Virgin did after the Ascension of her Son, says Sophronius[5], I shall reply confidently that she remained Virgin in body and spirit, with the faithful assistance of the two Angels, one from heaven and one from earth, namely St Gabriel and St John. Her reputation was such that the same Saint also says she embodied the idea of Christian discipline, being the mirror of perfection, the first among the heirs of the King of glory, and the exemplar of angelic discourse. St Ignatius[6] calls her the honour of the primitive Church and the exemplar for the new Bride of Jesus Christ. St Ambrose[7] recognised her as the rule of holiness and St Ildephonsus makes clear[8] that for this reason she was honoured and respected universally by all.
Footnotes
[1] Serm. 5 de Assumpt.
[2] Canisius, lib. V de B. Virg., c. 1.
[2a] And she wore haircloth upon her loins, and fasted all the days of her life, except the sabbaths, and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.
Jud. viii. 6.
[3] Epist. ad Joannem Seniorem.
[4] Judith, 8.
[5] Epist. de Assumpt.
[6] Epist. ad Joannem Seniorem.
[7] Lib. II de Virginibns,
[8] Serm. 5 de Assumpt. B. Virg., c. 8, circa medium.
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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.
The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
© Peter Bloor 2024
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