The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 6 : § 4. 3-5

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)

§ 4. On her wonderful nature

 3   The Blessed St Mechtilde was a virgin of exceptional virtue. She was favoured by God with so many remarkable revelations that she came to be considered a chosen instrument of the Holy Ghost. She claimed[1] that she learned from the mouth of the MOTHER OF GOD herself what she subsequently wrote, namely that:

...from her childhood, Mary was devoted to virtue, especially to humility. In this she made such progress that she never put herself before a living soul. She was also dedicated to perfect obedience and to charity.  With regard to her parents, the respect she showed towards them was truly remarkable. It was so great that she always honoured them and saw God Himself in their persons; and she never gave them cause to be upset, either in her words or actions. She was so inclined to doing good and to virtue that it was easy to see her as the mirror of both. What was even more remarkable for someone of her age, even the least of her actions were marked by a prudence so extraordinary and such a level of discretion that it was quite impossible to see anything childish in her behaviour.

 4   St John Chrysostom declares[2] that there was such a strong equilibrium in her mind that she enjoyed an ever-present calmness; it was never possible to see in her any of those irrational outbursts, howsoever small, that show a lack of self-control.

 5   Epiphanius was a Priest in Jerusalem, not to be confused with the great St Epiphanius who was Bishop of Constantia or Salamis in Cyprus. He claimed[3] he had carried out a painstaking study of all the old Greek authorities who had written on the life of the Holy Virgin. His aim was not to discover what might be believed on the balance of probabilities, but what was established firmly enough to be worthy of belief. He learned from their venerable writings that...

 

there was nothing more pleasing to behold in this young girl than the beautiful harmony between her sweetness and her serious-mindedness. Her sweetness made everyone love her and her serious-mindedness filled those who saw her with feelings of respect and reverence. The one quality was altogether lovable, the other was full of majesty. She was always ready to listen to what was good, but she herself normally remained silent except when it was a question of giving praise to God. Even though she was affable with everyone and her conversation was unfailingly pleasant, it was nevertheless easy to discern in her countenance the interior disposition of her soul: total probity deeply infused with modesty. She had nothing about her of vain ostentation or of manipulative ways, being as distant from them as Heaven is from earth. This was apparent in her unaffected demeanour and comportment; for she was clad simply but cleanly and with nothing artificial added to the wool which she wore. You would have said that her robe was that of modesty itself for it matched so perfectly the propriety with which she was adorned within.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. I Gratiæ spiritualis.

[2] Homil. 4 in Matth.

[3] De Institutione, vita, et moribus Mariæ.

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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