Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour in 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 she is peerless in her graces and merits
§ 1. On the excellence of the first sanctification of the MOTHER OF GOD
6 Proceeding further with this subject, David says that fifthly : the Highest himself hath founded her.[1] These words are like the motto displayed in letters of gold on the front of a building, and no-one should be surprised be surprised if this particular building is a wonder of the world, for it was built by the Architect of the Universe Himself who carved His coat of arms and name on the front. It should be noted that it says specifically that He founded her, so that no-one may doubt that the Virgin was supereminent in grace from the very beginning.
The Divine Word loved her when she was still in the womb of St Anne, says St Lawrence Justinian[2], and from that point He honoured her as His Mother, seeing her prevented[3] with a superabundant blessing and worthy to have the Holy Ghost for Master.[4]
From this, the Angelic Doctor infers[5]:
even though at the moment of her first sanctification she did had not yet received the title and the grace of MOTHER OF GOD, she nevertheless had received the nomination of Heaven and the approval of the most Holy Trinity; but she could not have received this honour save through the fulness of grace granted to her.
7 In the sixth place, the Prophet says[6]: The Lord shall tell in his writings of peoples and of princes, of them that have been in her, who will have the honour of seeing her in the day of her triumph. Consider how this Master Craftsman made her by design to be formally presented, He Himself being her panegyrist[7] before the Estates General[8] and all the worthies in the world assembled together. She was personally destined to show forth the brilliance of the Master craftsman’s greatness and excellence. This being the case, is it surprising that he made use, so to speak, of all His skill and wisdom? I would love to speak more on this subject but I prefer to rest my pen and my thoughts in order to take time at the end of this first Treatise to show that God derives more honour and glory from Our Lady alone than from all other creatures together, and that in her are found to a more perfect degree than in all others the remarkable features of His divine perfections.
8 Finally, the Prophet concludes with the words : Thou art the cause and the abode of all rejoicing, and all those who dwell in thee celebrate without ceasing in activities and hymns of happiness.[9] This verse is used by the Church, particularly in the Office of the Holy Virgin, so as to share with us the feeling that we must have the confidence that the Queen of Angels has before God. This confidence is such that no-one can ever request her help and return unaided. On the contrary, all those who have sought her aid have been obliged to make known her favours and to share with everyone the wonders of her kindness and generosity. St Jerome’s translation has the following : Nothing may be heard in this sacred Palace besides the harmonies of choirs and music proclaiming that in her are all the fountains of God. This means that she is like a heavenly conduit through which flow all the graces that are communicated to men. The Chaldee Paraphrase has the following : these divine cantors sing a motet which from this holy abode lifts up towards heaven all manner of praises. These are no less pleasing to God than the sacrifices that are offered up, even though they are in the first rank of the honours that His Majesty receives from down here on earth. Finally, there are certain writers who claim the Holy Ghost declares here that all his love is in her, that the fullness of His charity is for her, and that His every thought and desire have her as their object. These praises would seem excessive for anyone other than Mary, who is safeguarded in the treasures of eternal predestination so as to be a worthy MOTHER OF GOD. A grace was reserved for Mary that was so extraordinary and a favour so elevated that she had to be equipped to receive it by being given all the graces and favours of Heaven and by receiving all the loving tenderness of the Holy Ghost.
Footnotes
[1] Et ipse fundavit eam Altissimus. Ps. LXXXVI. 5.
[2] Serm. de Nativit. B. Virg.
[3] prevent: I.3. c1450–transitive. Theology. Of God, God's grace, etc.: to go before (a person) with spiritual guidance and help; (a) So as to anticipate a person's actions or needs; (b) so as to predispose (a person) to repentance, faith, and good works. Complete OED.
[4] 1. Lord, Spouse; 2. Master Craftsman; 3. teacher. Cf. maistre: Dictionnaire de l’Académie française, 1re édition (1694).
[5] III p., q. 27, art. 5.
[6] Ps. LXXXVI. 6.
[7] Etym. Hellenistic Greek πανηγυριστής person who celebrates a public festival, post-classical Latin panegyrista person who delivers a panegyric (5th cent.), and French panégyriste (1680 in sense ‘eulogist’). Complete OED.
[8] A general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate).
[9] Ps. LXXXVI. 7. Sicut laetantium omnium habitatio est in te (Vulgate). The dwelling in thee is as it were of all rejoicing. (Doauy-Rheims).
👑 👑 👑
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
No comments:
Post a Comment