The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 5 : § 2. 3-4

Chapter 5 : The Fourth 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)

§ 2. How the Holy Ghost prepared the Glorious Virgin to be His worthy Spouse

 3   If there should be anyone who, despite the authority of so many great men, still resists the idea [of Mary being received into the Temple], then he needs to consider what is said in Scripture. There it is written that no-one other than the High Priest was allowed to enter the Sanctuary. This may be taken and interpreted to refer to that time when, once a year, the High Priest officiated there solemnly. It should be remembered, however, that writers such as Hegesippus[1], Eusebius of Caesarea[2], Epiphanius[3] and St Jerome[4] report that St James the Less (known as the brother of the Lord[5]) had the privilege of making his devotions from time to time in the Holy of Holies. Again, let any who doubts this story consider well the state to which the Jewish people were reduced after so many wars and upheavals; let him ponder the destruction of the Temple on two separate occasions, the removal of the Ark of the Covenant and the changes to the ancient ceremonies. In the light of all this, it would not be surprising if there had been a certain relaxation of the Temple rules. Let any doubters recall, furthermore, that God who made the laws was Himself above His laws and that He could dispense with any in favour of the Mother of His Son. This is the understanding of the Fathers from whom we have learned about Mary’s childhood. Finally, let any sceptics pay due attention to the Conception and Birth of the Holy Virgin, for these were more than sufficiently remarkable to make the Priests realize that there was something great and truly out of the ordinary about this girl. This was apparent even from her face and her demeanour. In short, I hope the doubters will realize that the majority of the Authors I have cited above[6] go even further. They assert[7], for example, that Mary was wont to take no other food than that brought to her by the Angels. But why should we find this at all strange? We know, after all, that favours which are comparable or even more extraordinary have been granted to several Saints who are themselves only servants of Him who has the glorious Virgin for His Mother.

 4   Allowing the truth of this account, I should like to greet the future Spouse of the Holy Ghost by making use of the sweet words that St Germanus[8] placed in the mouth of Zachary, father of John the Baptist and cousin of the Blessed Virgin, on the occasion of her entry into the Temple:

Enter, for now is the propitious time; enter, the accomplishment of my Prophecy; enter, the fruit of Heaven’s promises; enter, the seal of the Lord’s Covenant; enter, the aim and fulfilment of His plans; enter, the key to hidden mysteries; enter, the focal point of all the Prophets; enter, peace for those fallen from favour, restoring harmony to disunity, support for those falling into ruin, renewal for the inveterate, enlightenment for those struggling in darkness; enter, gift most rare and altogether divine; enter, Lady of all that is created; enter into thine own inheritance and await with joy and pleasure the coming down of the Holy Spirit, thy Spouse, into the Temple of thy body; in the name of all the children of adoption, await the communication of the divine messenger, the overshadowing of the power of the Most High and the conception of the only-begotten Son of God.

[1] Lib. V.

[2] Lib. II Hist. Eccles., c. 23.

[3] Hæresi 78.

[4] Lib. de Scriptor. Eccles.

[5] See e.g., Gal. i. 19.

[6] Andreas Cretens.

[7] Germanus Constantinop., Georgius Nicomediens, locis citatis.

[8] Loco citato.

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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