The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 9.3-4; § 10.1

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 9. She is God's world

 3   The Angel who taught the blessed Saint Bridget[1] spoke in wonderful words on this subject, saying:

After God had made the external world with all the pieces of which it is composed, He realized there was another world He had to build which would be in fact smaller in size than the first but in all other respects incomparably greater in its perfection and more able to offer glory to God, joy to the Angels and great benefit to men. This was the most sacred Virgin in whom He distilled everything that He had included in our physical world. For there he had divided light from darkness, and in the same way in this little world He made a division between the night of sin which covered the generality of men and the new dawn of grace and holiness with which He illuminated her from the very beginning. There, He placed two great lights, one for the day and the other for the night; here, he placed two beautiful stars, one was obedience, giving joy unto God, the angels and the Saints: the other was the law, which would drive out of ignorant souls the darkness of error and lack of faith. There, He placed various stars like so many brilliants[2], which from the beginning always kept to their courses and retained their first brightness; here he infused various types of knowledge which never ceased in their continual progress, nor lost even a single degree of their extraordinary brightness. There, fowls filled the air and all the different types of bird-song created a melodious harmony bringing joy to the heart of the first man, who at that point was the only inhabitant of the earthly Paradise; here, the words of the holy Virgin so wondrously in concert with each other created a harmony that enraptured the world and brought down on earth all the majesty of Paradise. There, animals were fed  and sustained by the fruits which the earth produced without labour; here, men are sustained by the fruit of life brought forth by the holy Virgin who in this respect was the holy land whose blessed earth had not been cultivated. There all the creatures had their own particular qualities and virtues, each according to its own nature; here, one creature received more properties and eminent qualities than may be found amongst all the flowers, trees, fruits, precious stones, metals, elements, stars and all the rest of nature.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. Angelici, c. 5.

[2] brillant (Fr) and brilliant (Eng.): a diamond of the finest cut and brilliancy.

 4    From this it is easy to conclude in the first place that God attached far more importance to this little world that I have just been describing than to the large, physical world that we admire. This large world was destined to perish one day, at least most of the elements that compose it; the small one was to be eternal in all her parts. In the former, He willed nothing that was not material and natural; in the latter, almost nothing that was not spiritual and supernatural. Let us say, in a word, that He regarded the former as the world of animals and the world of man that was to fail one day; but He regarded the latter as his own, particular world. 

In the second place, we can conclude that out of all the simple creatures with which the second nature of God was, so to speak, pregnant since the beginning of the world, the one who moved Him more to bring forth His eternal designs was the Blessed Virgin. Having foreseen the disorder that sin would bring about, the havoc it would wreak amongst His works and the contempt that would be shown for His favours, He might have aborted this first plan at the very outset when it was simply one of His divine ideas, if His Word incarnate and the Blessed Virgin His Mother had not in a certain fashion constrained Him and encouraged Him to continue, bringing forth what he had conceived. 

From this, we can in the third place appreciate the infinite obligation that we have towards the Mother and her Son, in whom and through whom we subsist in the decrees and the decisions effectively willed by God. May the memory of this indebtedness never fade in our hearts, lest we lose completely the hope which we can with good reason base on this twin foundation of our salvation.

§ 10. She is God’s Throne

 1    The lights, thunder and lightning that St John describes in the Apocalypse as coming from the Throne of God[1] would cause me great fear if I did not consider this throne to be the Blessed Virgin and that these lights, thunder and lightning actually represent the light of her charity, the thunder of rejoicing and the lightning flashes of her goodness and kindness. It is indeed the common opinion of the ancient Fathers that the glorious Virgin is the Throne of God.

She is, says Saint Germanus (Patriarch of Constantinople)[2], the Cherubim’s throne, a Throne whose greatness is immense, a Throne of fire, a sublime Throne, a Throne which bears within her the Lord of all ages.

 

She is, says Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus[3], the Royal Throne, the Holy of Holies, alone glorious over the Earth, more holy than all others after God, the Throne on which the Lord Jesus took His repose.

Blessed Chrysippus[4], priest of Jerusalem, later said as much when he added:

She alone was found worthy and able to bear the Holy of Holies. 

She is a Throne which is in no way inferior that of the Cherubim, says Hesychius[5].

She surpasses their throne by far in splendour and majesty, says Saint Epiphanius

[6]; and this is why the Angels, the Archangels, the Principalities, the Powers, the Thrones, the Dominations, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, and all the Blessed Spirits as a whole[7] find themselves and enraptured and confused when they see how the King of earth and Heaven left the throne of the Cherubim in favour of another which He chose within the womb of the Blessed Virgin, His Mother.

Footnotes

[1] And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there were seven lamps burning before the throne. Apoc. iv. 5.

[2] Orat. de Nativit. B. Virg.

[3] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[4] Orat. de S. Maria Deipara.

[5] Orat. 2 de S. Deipara.

[6] Orat. de S. Deipara.

[7] The Choirs are traditionally nine in number but only eight are named here. The one missing is Virtues. See ST. I. Q108 A5.

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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 2025

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 9.1-2

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 9. She is God's world

 1   I feel very sorry for the ancient philosophers, especially for the Platonists, who developed such depths of understanding of the world and understood so much but without discovering what would have allowed them entry into a world of holy thoughts and would have enabled them to stay on the strait and narrow path of truth. They spoke of a world of archetypes or exemplars, serving as the ideas or templates from which all other things are drawn: the beauty of all things that are beautiful, a set of all possible perfections. They discussed a world of the intellect, recalling the angelic nature which they divided into various orders, giving to each one their proper and different offices. They spoke of the wonders of the elements of the world, taking in the heavens, the four elements and the mixed beings derived therefrom. In short, they envisioned a little world which, they argued, led to others where they found the perfections of these three categories, imitated through participation. What causes me to feel sad at heart, however, is that they had no knowledge whatsoever of that which we are to encounter in this discussion, the contemplation of which would have brought them such sweet consolation and delight – as well as profit. I mean by this world that glorious Virgin, to whom I give not only the name of world, but what is much more, the name of God’s world. In support of what I say, I shall quote the pious Saint Bernard[1], who declares that:

the Father, in company with the Son, took possession of her and dwelled within her as the Creator within His universe, the Emperor within His Empire, the Father within His family house, the High Priest within His Temple, the Spouse within His nuptial chamber; with that as a point of departure, the Most High created her expressly to be for Him a special world.

 

Saint Anastasius the Sinaite, Patriarch of Antioch[2], had said long before him that:

The Saviour’s normal place of abode[3] was with His  Blessed Mother, considering her to be for Him a whole world in herself and to be His special world.

 

Before both of these writers, Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus[4] had called her an abode equal to Heaven and earth – but the author of the incomplete work on Saint Matthew could not allow her to be called the equal only of our great world; her, I say, who had compassed in her womb the One whom the immensity of the heavens could not enclose.

Footnotes

[1] In her houses shall God be known, when he shall protect her.et seq. Ps. XLVII. 4-8.

[2] What follows is a paraphrase of various verses in Lamentations ii.

[3] Ps. XLV. 6.

[4] Ps. XLV. 6.

 2    The Holy Fathers had thought that it would be doing too little to say simply that the MOTHER OF GOD was like a world apart, and their position was strengthened by several solid reasons. Saint Bernard, whom I quoted a little earlier, highlights the connections as follows:

She was like a solid element, founded on justice and holiness; she was watered by divine wisdom, refreshed by the winds of holy desires, illumined and warmed by the fire of charity; God set within her soul, as in a firmament, the Sun of reason, the Moon of knowledge, and the stars of every sort of virtue; a Sun which produced in her the light of the knowledge of God; a Moon that with the stars lit up the night of action.

Saint Bonaventure[1] applies to her the following words from Ecclesiasticus[2]: Who hath measured the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss? He goes on to say that:

All this belongs to Mary, who is a Heaven through the purity of her life, through the light that shines from her good example, and through the heavenly influence of the help she gives, but especially because she is the seat and throne of God with a better title than Heaven itself; she is the most fertile earth who bore the fruit of life; in short, she is a bottomless abyss of goodness and mercy.

Saint Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople[3], had already found delight in the same idea, saying:

Just as the stars are like the tongues of Heaven, in the same way the good works and example of the Virgin are voices that announce her great qualities; and just as our bodies cannot survive without breathing, so too our souls could not live without Mary’s protection.

They all in their own way aim to say what Arnold of Chartres (Abbot of Bonneval) taught in explicit terms[4] when he said that:

Just as the busy bee gathers nectar from all the flowers in the garden, in the same way God in forming the most sacred Virgin has gathered for her all that was most excellent among His creatures.

Would you not agree that the Holy Spirit has pleased Himself to represent for us in the book of Proverbs the manner in which this wondrous gathering took place? The Holy Virgin Speaks under the figure of wisdom[5], saying: when Almighty God measured out the heavens and set limits to the extent of the depths, when He suspended the sky beneath heaven and established waters on the Earth, when He placed shores around the seas and confined the rivers within their banks, forbidding them to go beyond these boundaries, when he laid the foundations of the lowest and rudest elements, I was with him already, forming all things.

This great Craftsman from the beginning had intended to make a complete world in me and of me alone, and consequently He placed within me every perfection that could be suited to a simple creature; and as the other creatures passed through His mind, He picked out the most beautiful and the best elements for me. His will was for me to be a throne for him like the Heavens, incorruptible like them, ordered and compassed in my movements like them; His will was for my heart to be more capable of containing His grace than all the depths of the sea; my help should be no less necessary for mortals than the very air they breathe in order to live; and I should hold back the force of the storms and tempests that rage against them with no less power than the sands of the seashore which withstand and throw back the fury of the waves; and that I should be the very centre of all things, more so than the earth itself; in short, that everything should be found within me, but in a way more incomparably excellent and purified than in these pieces of elementary and corruptible matter.

Footnotes

[1] Speculi B. Virg., c. 1.

[2] Ecclus. i. 2.

[3] Orat. de Dormit. B, Virg.

[4] Tract, de Laudibus Virg.

[5] Prov. viii. The lines in italics here are a paraphrase by the author of selected Scriptural verses.

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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 2025

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 8.4-6

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 8. She is the City of God

The Third Attribute : God is to be glorified in her

 4   In the third place, it is said[1] that God will show the strength of His almighty arm in defence of this city. Those who come against it will be repulsed and forced to retrace their steps in retreat, so that any Princes or Kings who might think of attacking it will be forced to withdraw in shame and confusion; trembling will overtake them, with pains as of a woman in labour; with a vehement wind they will be broken like ships hurled upon a reef. 

I must admit that I find it difficult to believe that when the Prophet uttered these fine words he was thinking about Jerusalem in Palestine, for this city was often been threatened by the wrath of God and was in fact cast down, leading the Prophet Jeremiah to lament its ruin when he said[2]: Can it really be that God in His extreme wrath has covered the daughter of Zion with darkness, that from Heaven He has cast down the famous city of Israel, and that in the day of His anger he has not remembered His footstool? Can it really be the case that God has treated with such severity and scorn what was all the beauty of Jacob, that He has overturned the Tabernacle, that He has cast into abeyance the feast and solemnities of Israel and that He has exposed the Kings and the Priests, as well as others, to the fury of His indignation? Is it really possible to believe that He showed disdain for His altar, that He let fly upon his Sanctuary the lightning bolt of his curse, that He cast down the walls of the daughter of Sion, and that He set out methodically to bring about the total ruin of the city? 

Well, I must say again that I cannot believe David was addressing his magnificent promises to the ancient city of Jerusalem, because I am confident that when he was inspired to speak in this way he had in mind another Jerusalem which would be quite unperturbed by the feeble efforts of her enemies, as a consequence of the infallible confidence she had in God’s help. Without any doubt, David was referring to the most sacred Virgin when he sang: God is in the midst thereof, it shall not be moved.[3]  The inhabitants of this City live free from fear under the wings of her Heavenly protection. It was probably this holy City that Tobias the elder had in mind when he opened his mouth and said[4]: Happy shall I be if there shall remain of my seed, to see the glory of Jerusalem. 

Footnotes

[1] In her houses shall God be known, when he shall protect her.et seq. Ps. XLVII. 4-8.

[2] What follows is a paraphrase of various verses in Lamentations ii.

[3] Ps. XLV. 6.

[4] Tob. xiii. 20.

The Fourth Attribute : She is a sanctuary for her friends and a place of terror for her enemies

 5    Let us continue now with the Prophet who focuses his attention once more upon the Temple[1], recognizing it as both a place of clemency and mercy for the Israelites and a place of dread and terror for their enemies. In fact, the Prophet Isaiah calls Jerusalem Ariel, which means the lion of God,[2] for just as the lion valiantly defends her prey and keeps her precious family safe, filling others with fear and trembling; in the same way, the Jews believed there could be no doubt that for as long as the Temple endured, and God should be faithfully served therein, they would enjoy the greatest happiness and contentment, but strangers on the contrary would be filled with fear at the mere sound of the name Israel. 

Please be patient, dear reader, for I hope I will be able to show in the pages that follow[3] both of these aspects in the MOTHER OF GOD: namely, that she is the true Temple of clemency and the altar that God’s mercy has placed within His Church for the children of salvation, no more nor less than she is a scourge and a rod of chastisement for the children of perdition who are in opposition to the effects of her exceptional goodness and the infinite mercy of God. 

Footnotes

[1] We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple, etc. Ps. XLVII. 10. et seq.

[2] Isaiah xxix. 1.

[3] In Part III generally, but especially in Chapter 8; see also Part II, Ch. 9.

 6    Finally, David exhorts the whole world[1] to set their hearts on recognising the excellent attributes of this Royal city, and on describing and numbering her houses so that they may relate the knowledge to another generation. Who would have the mind and the skill in writing to describe the wonders and great qualities of this holy City! Who would be able to reveal the triple defensive walls protecting her thoughts and feelings, the guard she sets over her heart and the fear of God which she has within her;  the towers of her strength, the battlements and turrets of her vigilance, the bastions and parapets of her care and prudence, the gates of her modesty, the deep moats of her humility, the curtain wall of her virginity and the ramparts of her temperance! Who could possibly have the means of measuring the breadth, the length and the height of the holiness that might be discovered within her ways, the interior castle of her devotion, the keep of her charity, the palace of her justice, the storehouse of her patience, the hospital of her mercy, the public squares of her generosity, the academies of her wisdom, and the fountains of her sweet and pleasing words! Who would be able to give an understanding of the order and regulation within the city of the Lord of hosts, the vigilance that is maintained therein, and the exercises which are carried out! 

Who could speak worthily of the greatness and the excellence of the Prince to whom she belongs, of the magnificence of His court, of the affectionate regard that He has towards His subjects and the honour that they for their part render unto Him, of the goodness of the inhabitants and of their gentle way of life; in short, of all the holiness within this blessed place! As we are unable to do this, let it suffice for us to conclude with David[2] that this is the dwelling of God, our God unto eternity, and forever and ever; and to say with the Prophet Isaiah[3] that over all the gates and doors, and in the streets and byways, and on the palaces and private houses, will be found written: To the Lord, in whose honour and for whose glory this city was built!

Footnotes

[1] Set your hearts on her strength; and distribute her houses, that ye may relate it in another generation. Ps. XLVII. 14.

[2] For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for ever and ever: he shall rule us for evermore. Ps. XLVII. 15.

[3] another shall subscribe with his hand, To the Lord; Ps. XLIV. 5.

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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 2025

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 8.1-3

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 8. She is the City of God

 1   She is the City of God: I say this following the opinion of several great Fathers of the Church, notably St John Damascene (along with the Patriarch Saint Germanus). He gave a sermon in the Church of the Holy Virgin which the Empress Pulcheria had built in the Square of the Metalworkers in Constantinople. It was on the day of the principal solemnity venerating the belt of the Holy Virgin[1] and he declared that the noble city David called the city of the Lord of hosts[2], was none other than the MOTHER OF GOD. Here are the actual words he used:

In my estimation, he said, I believe there is no doubt that the Prophet must be understood as referring to her who was chosen from all others and who surpassed them all not in the splendour of her household or the beauty of her palaces, but by the sublimity of her outstanding and divine virtues[3]; the words refer to her who goes before all others in purity, where the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords made His abode – namely, to Mary.

For my part, I have no more doubts about this than the great Saint. Now, it cannot be denied that in this particular context the literal sense means David was speaking of the Royal City of Jerusalem. I am, however, minded to follow step-by-step what the Prophet said and to show that the four principal attributes which he praises in the Queen of Cities are most perfectly suited to Mary who is the City of Kings and the City of the King of Kings.

Footnotes

[1] For a useful summary of this devotion, see The Holy Belt of the Virgin via the New Liturgical Movement website.

[2] Ps. XLVII. 9. The French text has here: la Cité du Seigneur des Vertus : the City of the Lord of Virtues, which reflects the Vulgate’s words: in civitate Domini virtutum. virtus in Latin can be read in the plural as referring to powers, armies or hosts as well as to virtues. See virtus in DMLBS for examples.

[3] See footnote 2.

The First Attribute : She is the City of the Great God

 2    In his Psalm, David sings: Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the City of our God, in his holy mountain[1].  From this it would appear that the first honour that he attributes to Jerusalem is that she is to be considered the City of the great God. He is right since it follows from this that she is the Mother city of the universe, the Court of the chosen people, the abode of Princes, the focal point of the world, Heaven on earth, the Law of peace and war, the most beautiful of all that is beautiful, and as the Prophet Jeremiah says, the city of perfect beauty[2], the strongest of the strong and the honour of all Cities. As for me, I have nothing more to say here beyond what I proposed at the beginning of this Part, namely that the title City of God, which is the same figuratively as MOTHER OF GOD, is so high and sublime that it draws after it all the other great, privileges and qualities of the Virgin. There is no privilege nor quality whatsoever that is not due to her status of being Mother to such a Son, and the famous titles of Spouse, Mediatrix, Protectress, Governess, Queen and such like are not, truly understood, anything other than additions and necessary consequences of being the MOTHER OF GOD.  

Footnotes

[1] Ps. XLVII. 2.

[2] Lament. ii. 15.

The Second Attribute : When the City's foundations were laid, all the earth rejoiced and gave thanks

 3    In the second place, the Prophet says[1] that the day they started to lay the foundations of the City, at least of the fortress designed to defend it, became a day of public rejoicing, as evidenced by the thousands of signs of exultation by inhabitants all over the world. This may have been because Jerusalem was located in the geographical centre of all nations, as we learn from Ezechiel[2], as well as being called by the Prophet Jeremiah the mistress of the gentiles and the Princess of provinces[3]. Perhaps it was because the Jews, who all regarded the Royal city as the Capital of their state, were dispersed around most of the countries in the world. They had established lots of little colonies, as we learn from the second chapter of Acts and from the speech which, according to Philo[4], Agrippa made to the Emperor Caius, where he mentioned not only Egypt, Phoenicia and Syria (which were neighbouring countries of Judea) but also Pamphylia, Cilicia, and the greater part of the provinces in Asia; and in Europe, he mentioned Thessaly, Boeotia, Macedonia, Ætolia, Attica and the main parts of the Peloponnese, the islands of Cyprus and of Crete, and most of the more famous places in the known world. It seems that it was God’s will to give to all nations a secret feeling of the blessings that were to come to them from this City, namely the blessings of Faith and of belief in one God, ideas that were to be preached to them by inhabitants of Jerusalem. Although what we have here is a figure or symbol, we can have no reason to doubt that it was for the good of all the nations in the world that God laid within the Holy Virgin the foundations for so many great and excellent privileges and qualities when he predestined her to be His Mother. Accordingly, this blessed day would have been honoured on earth and in Heaven by thousands and thousands of acts of thanksgiving, rejoicing and happiness.

Footnotes

[1] With the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion founded: Ps. XLVII. 3.

[2] This is Jerusalem, I have set her in the midst of the nations, and the countries round about her: Ezech. v. 5.

[3] the mistress of the Gentiles...: the princes of provinces made tributary: Lam. i. 1. The princes of the provinces, through payment of tribute to Jerusalem, render the City their Princess.

[4] Lib. de Legatione ad Caium.

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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 2025

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 7.6-7

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 7. She is the Temple of God

The consecration of the High Priest

 6    What shall I say about the mysterious consecration of the High Priest, one of the holiest and most solemn rituals performed in the Temple? The ceremony is described in chapters XXIX and XXX of Exodus, where particular reference is made to the garments with which he was to be vested and the precious oil of unction which would serve to anoint him. But who would be rash enough to compare this ritual with the consecration of the sovereign High Priest, Jesus, when He was clothed with the robe of our humanity and, as was said by Saint Germanus of Constantinople[1],

He was made King of men and at the same time High Priest in the Temple which He had built, inside the Holy of Holies which no one had been permitted to enter other than Him?

The Prophet David would have had good reason to say that He was anointed with the oil of gladness[2] in this divine Sanctuary over all those who had prefigured Him in the office which He truly and really embodied in Himself. I myself would have good reason to honour our sacrosanct Temple by revealing how within her was performed the noblest and most sublime ritual in world history – if only time and space allowed me to do so.

Footnotes

[1] Orat. de Nativit. B. Virg.

[2] Ps. XLIV. 8.

The end for which the Temple was built

 7    I think it is better, however, for us to proceed to the end – by which I mean the end for which the ancient Temple was built. The Psalmist expressed this succinctly when he said[1] that all people setting foot in this Temple render honour and glory to His sovereign Majesty. This is true, whether you consider the High Priest approaching the Propitiatory; or if you look at the other Priests and Levites offering sacrifices and burning incense; or if you watch the people pressing forward to offer their victims and to pour out their hearts in the presence of God; or even if you pay attention to the Gentiles who flock here from various places, so as to adore the King of Heaven in this place which is the most noble and magnificent in the world. It is clear that everything has for its end the honour and glory of God, and just as that was God’s foremost and principal end when He gave Solomon the idea of building a Temple for Him, this must also be the aim and purpose of all those who have the honour of entering the Temple.

It would be pointless, it seems to me, to take the trouble of seeking the end for which our mystical Temple was made, granted there is nothing in the world more evident than that it was built for no other reason than the highest glory of God. With regards to this, I find no no words express the idea in a more fitting way than those in Ecclesiasticus[2]: full of the glory of the Lord is His work. There has never been anything in her which does not aim directly promoting the glory of God. Her thoughts, her words, her actions, the way she looks – in short, all the movements of her body and her spirit are focused on that as their central aim, without wavering or deviating in the slightest.

Now, you might wish to delve more deeply into the wonderful designs that God had for her, such as making her the principal instrument and cause in the incarnation of the divine Word, whereby she became the Mother of all the elect. If you were to do this, it would become clear that He was claiming through her a glory so extraordinary that it would be beyond the power of words to describe. In so far as I feel obliged to comment, however, it is enough for me to say that not only did this living Temple glorify her architect in a thousand ways but that, moreover, all those who see her and have the privilege of drawing near her, so as to appreciate her beauty and rare qualities, will bless forever the divine Craftsman who made her and they will sing of her great qualities for all time. 

Footnotes

[1] Ps. XXVIII. 9: and in his temple all shall speak his glory.

[2] Orat. 2 de Nativit. Virg.

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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 2025

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 7.4-5

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 7. She is the Temple of God

 4    After what we have seen so far, dear reader, are you beginning to have a sufficient sense of wonder at this work, the like of which was never seen before? Well, what will you say if I tell you this is only a rough sketch of the MOTHER OF GOD, and if I promise you that all this magnificence is nothing in comparison with the glory of her who is our mystical Temple? I will not say any more, however, until I have quoted the Commentary of Saint Bernardine of Siena on the words in Psalm VIII: Thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens[1]. He says:

The Holy Virgin must be given the singular title par excellence of God’s magnificence, forasmuch as He receives more glory from this Lady’s exaltation and deep humility than from all the rest of His creatures together. Through her acts of thanksgiving, through her blessings and through her continual adoration, she magnifies the Lord more than all Angels and men combined.

I will now quote the words of Saint Damascene in the first sermon he wrote on the Nativity of the Virgin:

Hold your tongue, Solomon, and stop saying that we see nothing new under the Sun, for here is a work of wonder that has never been seen in any past age: a Virgin Mother who has received the plenitude of God‘s grace; a Temple quite different from the one you built; it was, moreover, prepared for the true Prince of Peace, for Him who was really and truly that which you only prefigured. This Temple shines resplendently on every side, but with gold very different from yours: namely all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Instead of the precious stones ornamenting your Temple, she has the pearl of great price which was sent to her from Heaven. This is the true living gemstone of Isaiah the prophet that she presents to us so that He may purify our lips with His touch, making it possible for us to bless Him along with the blessed Seraphim, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God of hosts[2], One God in three Persons. Holy is the Father who brought to fulfilment in the Virgin the mystery promised and granted from the beginning of the world. Holy is the mighty Son of the Most High, who chose an only daughter to be the Mother of the only-begotten Son of God, the first-born of all creatures. Holy is the immortal and glorious Holy Spirit who by means of the dew of His Divinity[3] has saved you from the fiery conflagration that consumes everything.

Please tell me what are gold, silver and precious stones in comparison with the riches and precious gifts with which she has been adorned?

Footnotes

[1] Ps. VIII. 2.

[2] Isaiah vi. 3. 

[3] See Judges vi. 36-40 & Isaiah xlv. 8.

The dedication of the Temple

 5    The dedication of Solomon’s Temple is the third link to the Holy Virgin out of the five that I have included for discussion, and it has to be admitted that it was a source of great wonder[1]. The Angel representing God came down in person on a cloud while the Ark of the covenant was being carried to the place that had been prepared for it. As for Solomon, I can truly say that he was beside himself with the pleasure and contentment he felt in his heart, and that the whole people were overcome as though by a holy fear, not knowing what to say or to think. Others may wonder at this exceptional favour for as long as they like, but I actually ceased to wonder when I started to consider the dedication of the Virgin. This took place when the true Ark of the Covenant came down to her from Heaven and she was consecrated MOTHER OF GOD. In fact, this led to an altogether different level of rejoicing for, as Saint John Damascene wrote[2], the consecration involved:

the most adorable Trinity coming personally to sanctify the blessed Virgin and to consecrate her as its most holy Temple.

In my judgement, no-one provides a better explanation of this magnificent ceremony than the pious Saint Bernard[3], although the allusions he makes are to the ceremonies that we have for the dedication of Churches rather than the practices of the Jews in old Testament times. Here are his words:

The consecration of the holy Virgin was like that of a most magnificent Temple, he says. The Father supplied brightness, the Son humility and the Holy Spirit charity. The Father contributed the light of reason, the Son the ashes of obedience, and the Holy Spirit the oil of dilection[4]. The Father conveyed power, the Son wisdom, and the Holy Spirit the grace of all the virtues. The Father gave her strength to resist the temptations of sin, the Son humility to overcome the world, and the Holy Spirit charity enabling her to love God and neighbour. The Son gifted her with mortification of the flesh, the Holy Spirit with compunction and the Father with the spirit of contemplation. The Son instructed her in the practice of heavenly actions; the Holy Spirit in the love of God and how to make herself pleasing to Him; and the Father in how to contemplate heavenly things. The Son taught her; the Holy Spirit helped her to progress; and the Father perfected her. The Son bestowed beauty upon her; the Holy Spirit, peace; and the Father, glory. I do not by this mean to divide the works of the most holy Trinity, but as the Trinity is one in essence, so we accept that it is inseparable in its actions.

Those are the eloquent words of this devoted servant of the Mother of God.

Footnotes

[1] II Reg. viii ; II Paralip.vi.

[2] Orat. 2 de Nativit. Virg.

[3] Serm. de B. Virg., cujus initium est Ave.

[4] dilection: love, affection: almost always, spiritual or Christian love, or the love of God to man or of man to God. (1. OED). From dilectio: 2. love of God: a (as subj.); b (as obj.). c love as personified in Christ (see DMLB).

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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 2025

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 7.1-3

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth 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)

How she is the honour of earth and of Heaven

§ 7. She is the Temple of God

 1    Have you noticed how our thoughts have become more elevated as we discuss symbols that draw us more closely to the Divinity than when we began our discussion? The earthly Paradise was indeed a masterpiece of nature, but it was to witness profane actions as a result of man’s fall and the baseness of his mortal condition; but this is not the case with Temples, which are the Palaces of the great God and contain His royal Chambers where men are granted an audience, where the affairs of eternity are dealt with and where it would be out of the question to do certain things which elsewhere would be acceptable. 

Let this be said at the outset so that we may have an idea of how it was no small honour to the holy Virgin for her to have been called commonly by the holy Fathers the Temple of God. I use the word 'commonly' inasmuch as this was the title that the majority of them gave to her. Saint James in his Liturgy called her the sanctified Temple; Saint Epiphanius[1], the Temple of the Divinity; Saint John Chrysostom, the living, breathing Temple of God; Saint Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople[2], the Temple of the common Spouse of the holy Church; Saint Cyril of Alexandria[3], the indissoluble Temple; the blessed Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople[4], a living Temple; Saint Andrew of Crete[5], the magnificent Temple of God’s glory; Saint Peter Chrysologus[6], the great Temple of Divine Majesty; Saint John Damascene[7], the holy Temple, magnificent and worthy of God’s greatness; Saint Ambrose[8], the Temple of modesty; Hesychius[9], the Temple which is greater than the heavens. Saint Ildephonsus[10] may have called her the heavenly Temple not only because of the life she led which was altogether heavenly and divine, but also out of consideration for the King of Heaven whose Temple she is. I am fairly certain, however, that what he had in mind, along with the other Doctors mentioned above, was the Temple of Solomon which they all recognised as being one of the most illustrious figures or symbols of the Blessed Virgin. Saint John Damascene teaches this in explicit terms[11], and the blessed Saint Bridget draws many parallels in a prayer[12] she addressed to the Mother of God. 

For my part, I shall focus on five points of comparison: 

• the parts of this peerless Temple, 
• its magnificence, 
• its dedication, 
• the consecration of the High Priest and 
• the end for which it was built. 

I shall cover these five headings fairly briefly rather than delaying the reader unduly. 

Footnotes

[1] Orat. de S. Deipara.

[2] Orat. de Nativit. B. Virg.

[3] Homil. 6 contra Nestorium.

[4] Orat. de Nativit. Domini.

[5] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[6] Serm. 149.

[7] Lib. IV de Fide orthod., c. 15.

[8] Lib. de Institut. Virg., c. 15.

[9] Orat. 2 de S. Deipara.

[10] Serm. 9 de Assumpt.

[11] Orat. 1 de Nativit.

[12] Lib. III Revel., c. 29.

The three parts of Solomon's Temple and their links to the Holy Virgin

 2    Starting with the first of these, I remember what Socrates once said:

The mouth of the wise man is a temple; when it opens, you can see wonders of virtue and holiness.

These words are in fact highly suited to the MOTHER OF GOD, for when she opens her mouth we never fail to see precious signs of her modesty, her prudence, her pious faith, her charity, and the other outstanding virtues hidden within her soul. 

Let us now leave the entrance to the Temple and consider the three main parts into which the sacred writers tell us the Temple was divided. The first was called the Outer Court; the second was the House, the Temple or the Holy Place; and the third was the Sanctuary, the Oracle or the Holy of Holies. 

In the same way, you will see that the Queen of Angels has a Court which is known as the Court of the Gentiles, where she receives under her general protection all the nations of the earth, not excluding the infidels and barbarians. You will also see the Court of Israel where she welcomes the Christian people and where her faithful servants are always given pride of place. You will note too the Court of the Priests where the sacrifices were offered every evening and every morning. This may be understood as a reference to the exceptional way she practised continual mortification so as to keep her body and her sensitive appetite under control. As for the inner part of the Temple which they called the Holy Place, the blessed Archbishop of Florence[1] develops the link with the Holy Virgin, saying:

On one side could be seen the golden table with the twelve loaves of proposition, representing the strong faith that she had in the twelve articles of our Creed; on the other side was the altar of incense, representing her sacred heart which offered up to Heaven unceasing acts of adoration, both internal and external; the candlestick with seven branches represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the veil woven of four different colours represents the four cardinal virtues which she possessed to perfection.

The Holy of Holies was part of the Temple which the High Priest alone was permitted to enter, and this only once a year. We need not dwell here too long because it is clear this represents the chaste womb of the Blessed Virgin which no-one had ever entered except the High Priest Jesus alone, at the time of His Incarnation. 

Footnotes

[1] III part., tit. 31, c. 4, § 2.

The magnificence of the Temple

 3    As for the magnificence of Solomon’s Temple which was to be a figure for the Holy Virgin, we can form a judgement about it on the basis of what King David himself said, as written in the first book of Paralipomenon[1]: He offered of his own proper goods 100,000 gold talents and 1,000,000 silver talents, which would be the equivalent in our currency[2] of 2,123 million pieces of gold, without including what the people generally offered[3], which amounted to 71,000,000 pieces of gold and 880,000 écus[4], which adds up to 2,194 million gold pieces and 880,000 écus. This expenditure will seem to be beyond belief when we consider it was just to cover what had to be worked in gold and silver for use in the Temple, without taking into account either the construction of the Temple or the materials that were employed, nor all the other metals, precious gemstones, materials in purple, silk and fine linen, and a thousand other things which would be included in this wonder of the world. But there is no doubt that people’s astonishment will be even greater if I start to show details of how this massive sum of gold and silver was used and if I say, along with the historian Josephus[5], that there were up to 80,000 hanaps[6] for wine, 10,000 golden fioles[7] and 20,000 made of silver; 80,000 golden plates, and double this made in silver; 60,000 cups of pure gold, with a further 120.000 in silver; 20,000 assarons[8] or hins[9] of gold, which were particular measures used in the Temple, and twice this quantity in silver; 20,000 gold thuribles for incense and 50,000 other vessels used only for carrying fire from one altar to another; 200,000 silver trumpets and 40,000 other musical instruments, all fashioned in gold or silver. I am not including the accoutrements for the Priests and the Levites, such as albs and surplices of fine linen, numbering 10,000 with as many purple cinctures and countless numbers of similar objects and ornaments. 

I must not forget to mention what is recorded at various places in Sacred Scripture[10] which says that the whole Temple, from top to bottom and including the ground, was covered with gold panels, all held in place with golden nails which each weighed 25 ounces[11]. Some have written that the heads of the nails fixing the gold panels to the wall of the Temple, were studded with precious stones. They conclude from what has been written by Josephus[12] that the walls and the panels of the Temple shone on all sides with countless precious gemstones set here and there. From all this, you can be sure that there is nothing more true than what some have written:  that especially the first time someone entered Solomon’s Temple, he would be so overwhelmed by the beauty, the splendour and the majesty of the place that he would go into a sort of ecstasy and be unable to hold back the floods of tears streaming down his cheeks for the joy at seeing such a work of wonder. I have not even mentioned yet the tables of gold, the candlesticks, and especially the great candlestick with seven branches, the lamps, the snuffers, the tongs, the forks and a thousand other similar tools which were all made of pure gold, including even the hinges and metal work on the doors. 

We could in fact base our judgement about the whole building and its contents by considering just one piece of furniture which is described by an eyewitness called Aristeas in the book he wrote following an official visit. It is the beautiful and great table made for the loaves of proposition; it was crafted in solid gold a good four fingers deep, and its edge was studded with precious gemstones; around the outside was a crown which was crafted in the form of a garland with grapes, ears of wheat, roses, pomegranates, palms, apple branches, olive branches and all sorts of fruits consisting of finally crafted rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones, matching what was needed to represent the colours of the different fruits. I say that we can base our judgement about the rest of the building and its contents on this because the writer attests that the sacred vessels and the greater part of the tools and utensils in the Temple were all embellished like this with precious stones, so that nothing might be wanting in the decoration of this superb wonder.

Footnotes

[1] Ch. xxix.

[2] Villalpend., in Ezech., t. III. Appar. ; Tab. 1. Numismatis, et ponderibus, p. 426 et Tab. 2.

[3] I. Paralip. xxix.

[4] Coin of gold or silver stamped with a shield.

[5] Lib. VIII Antiq., c. 2.

[6] hanap: a drinking-vessel, a wine-cup or goblet., (OED).

[7] fiole: a bowl, cup, (OED).

[8] assaron: a Hebrew measure of five pints. (Websters Dictionary 1828)

[9] hin: A Hebrew measure of capacity for liquids, containing a little over a gallon. (OED).

[10] III Reg. vi ; II Paralip. iii, etc.

[11] II Paralip. iii.

[12] II Paralip. iii.

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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 2025