The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 6 : § 2.2-3

Chapter 6 : The Fifth 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. Concerning her Gracefulness and physical Beauty

Mary’s beauty is foreshadowed in the Old Testament

 2   It may be claimed that the authorities cited above were carried away by excessive affection in what they thought and wrote so as to make them praise her in every sort of perfection. This claim, however, should be considered in the light not only of the Historians[1] who describe her in all her traits such as she truly was, but also in the light of reason which supports all that these Fathers say. In consequence, it would be ill-advised for a man of sound judgement to deny them the credit they deserve. 

It is not necessary to set too great a store on the figures in the Old Testament from whom this Princess has been drawn, not so much to imitate but to surpass her ancestors’ qualities and to add many more of her own to the ones they possessed. Neither is it necessary to say that the main intention of the Holy Ghost, when He left to posterity an understanding of the elevated qualities of these noble Ladies from the past, was to reinforce the beauty of her whom they were honoured to prefigure. Examples in Scripture include Rebecca,[2] an exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin; Rachel[3], well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance; Esther[4], who was exceeding fair, and her incredible beauty made her appear agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all; and Judith[5], who was exceedingly beautiful and appeared to all men's eyes incomparably lovely.

Let us therefore simply cast our eyes on the glorious Holy Ghost who formed her in the womb of her barren mother. This will make it easy for us to understand how a craftsman so worthy could not but produce a work of supreme beauty with His plan to make of Mary His most worthy Spouse.

Footnotes

[1] S. Anton., IV p., t. XV, c. 10 ; Albertus, super Missus ; Dionys. Carthus., t. I de Laudib. Virg. ; Niceph., lib. de Eccles. hist., c. 23. 

[2] Gen. xxiv. 16.

[3] Gen. xxix. 17.

[4] Esther ii. 

[5] Judith, viii. 7. et x. 4.

 3   Over two hundred years ago in the church of Saint-Germain, the pious Chancellor of Paris gave a speech on Mary’s Conception which is striking for its wealth of insights. It is a pleasure to read :

how Nature presented herself, as it were, to the glorious Holy Ghost so that from the beautiful attributes that had been scattered among all creatures He might gather a selection for this Bride of His; thus Mary would partake of several others’ beautiful traits which Nature had kept safe as precious items in her treasure-chest. It is no less pleasurable to see how all the virtues presented themselves to Him so that He might create a master-piece out of this Maiden, Heaven’s beloved : purity which winnows bodily matter like a fan[1], providence which organises it, grace to vivify it, charity to inform the heart, prudence to order the mind, pudor to be like a veil for the countenance, sweetness to bedew the lips, honesty dwelling in the cheek, modesty and virginity to infuse propriety through the entire body.

This bears out the point made long ago by the Christian Philosopher when he said[2] that it is the preserve of the virtues to form the body of one who is to be consecrated to God. Notwithstanding this, I attach more weight to the noble thought of St Andrew of Jerusalem[3] who called Mary a statue carved by the hand of God Himself. Indeed, I cannot imagine this was the work of any hand other than that of the Author of Nature and the first model for every virtue who personally made up for anything wanting in nature and in this respect fulfilled the role of the virtues. At this point, I would love to meet anyone who could describe for me the feelings of the Holy Ghost, or better still, the feelings of the most holy Trinity whilst making this little body in the womb of the glorious St Anne. Praise be to God! What joy to form the heart which was to be the true altar for the perfumes which would unceasingly ascend heavenwards in the most pleasing fragrance of Holiness. What delight to prepare the Sanctuary where she was to dwell as in her chosen habitation! What pleasure to distinguish the individual components of the brain which would serve as starting point for the noblest thoughts ever to be produced by a created being! What a sweet thing to make ready the place wherein the Saviour of the world was to be received, to prepare the bodily parts that would produce the blood that would fill His sacred veins, to fill out the breasts that would suckle Him, to bring growth to the arms that would hold Him tenderly, to form the knees that would be a support for Him, to give sight to the eyes that were to look upon Him, to give colour to the lips that would kiss Him and to sanctify the whole body which was made specially for Him.

Footnotes

[1] Matt. iii. 12.

[2] Boetius, lib. IV de Consol.

[3] Orat. 2 de Assumpt.

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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