The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 8 : § 3. 5-7

Chapter 8 : The Seventh 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)

Mary’s soul was unique in being totally free of any sin

§ 3. That the Holy Fathers say that the MOTHER OF GOD was incapable of sin, and how this is to be understood

First principle of the moral impeccability of the Mother of God, namely the extinguishing of concupiscence. A declaration on the nature of concupiscence.

THE SECOND REASON, AS UNDERSTOOD IN THE WORD CONCUPISCENCE

 5   The words we considered above made me think of a second way to describe the general affliction we have been discussing.  At various places in the Scriptures[1] and in the Fathers, the word used to represent the insatiable desire for sensual pleasures is concupiscence, which pants for them like a Chameleon ever hungry for air[2]. I have only one thing to say about that: it is just not possible to imagine the Virgin in her perfect innocence surrounded by ravening wolves and bloodthirsty leeches crying out incessantly: Bring, bring[3]. This would be totally unseemly, you will say, and not in keeping with the dignity of the MOTHER OF GOD. This is true and is quite enough for me to believe that it never happened.

THE THIRD REASON, AS UNDERSTOOD IN THE WORDS : THE LAW IN MY MEMBERS

 6   Thirdly, another way of describing concupiscence is the law in my members and the law of sin[4]. But you must not imagine that the law spoken of here is like a civil law or an ordinance issued by a legitimate Prince; no, it is nothing like that but rather the savage domination of a Tyrant who seeks to oust the legitimate Lord. A tyrant whose only laws are those enabling him to pillage and loot without rhyme or reason, to enslave and to massacre : in short, to do anything whatsoever to bring about his own satisfaction, at whatever cost to the means, the honour and the lives of those over whom he has been given power. In truth, this bestial appetite can do no differently, having no rule or law other than its disordered desires. Are you really saying you could accept that this tyrant could take up his abode in the sacred heart of the MOTHER OF GOD? This demon, as he is called by St Basil, born with us so as to tempt us continually by every kind of evil?

Footnotes

[1] Rom. 6 et 7 ; Galat. 5 ; Coloss. 3 ; Jacob. 1 ; II Petr. 1 ; I Joann. 2, etc.

[2] Reflecting the belief found in Plin. Nat. Hist. 8:51. The only animal which receives nourishment neither by meat nor drink, nor anything else, but from the air alone.

[3] Cf. The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. Prov. xxx. 15. Haydock comments: "The horseleech": Concupiscence, which hath two daughters that are never satisfied, viz., lust and avarice.

[4] But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin, that is in my members. Rom. vii. 23.  member, from Latin membrum : organ, part of the body, limb, member, genital member.

THE FOURTH REASON, AS UNDERSTOOD IN THE WORDS ABOUT THE INFILTRATION OF THE INFERNAL SERPENT

 7   St Ambrose[1] has some eloquent words in a little piece he wrote for his own interest on the thirtieth of Solomon’s Proverbs. He portrays the disorder of concupiscence as being the result of the infiltration of the infernal Serpent who wormed his way into the souls of our first parents through their disobedience and then infiltrated all the faculties of their souls which he injected with his poison, as we ourselves have had occasion to experience. But it would be a mistake to dwell longer on this conjecture, seeing that all the holy Fathers tell us that the Evil One never came near Mary with his hissing, let alone taking her by surprise and injecting his poison.

Footnotes

[1] Cap. 3.

👑       👑       👑

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