The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 13 : § 1.3-6

Chapter 13 : The Eleventh 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

§ 1. How the Holy Virgin is the flower of creatures

THE ROSE & THE GLADIOLUS

 3   If I were to say that this flower is a rose, then the same Hugh of Saint Victor provides some thought-provoking considerations based on the qualities of this flower[1] and I learn, moreover, from the Angel who instructed the blessed Saint Bridget that:

     just as the Rose never ceases to grow and blossom, spreading its beautiful crimson and white satin petals despite the thorns that grow with it and around it; in the same way, the barbs of afflictions and tribulations have not been able to prevent the holy Virgin’s heart from growing through a spirit of generous resignation and most perfect conformity with all that God wills[2].

.

If I were to say that the flower is a Gladiolus[3], then I would be sharing the opinion of the blessed Virgin and martyr Saint Agnes who taught this secret to Saint Bridget[4], telling her that:

     just as this flower is taller than all the others, in the same way the glorious Virgin surpasses all creatures in merit, extending her leaves from Nazareth as far as Mount Lebanon, meaning that she embraces the two peoples who make up the Church, sheltering them under her gentle protection and  incomparable mercy. Just as the Gladiolus has two points, so the Virgin has had to endure trials both in the body and in the spirit. Finally, just as the tips of the Gladiolus are tender and most sensitive, in the same way the Virgin is wondrously sensitive and responsive to all the movements of God’s good pleasure.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 45, qui est de Nativit. B. Virg.

[2] Serm. Angel., c. 16.

[3] Sometimes called the sword-lily. Gladiolus is a Latin diminutive meaning a small sword.

[4] Lib. III Revel., c. 30.

THE LILY

A Lily. From Vintage Images.

 4   If I were to say that the flower is a Lily, this would not be without good reason. I would be able to count on the support of the blessed Saint Epiphanius[1], who calls Mary the Lily without blemish who brought forth the Rose that would never fade, namely Jesus Christ our Saviour and our Redeemer. I would also have the support of Saint Bonaventure[2] and hundreds of other learned writers who compare her to a Lily with regard to her virginity and who find all the points of comparison that you might wish for, such as with the root, the stem, the leaves, the fine filaments, the buds and all the other features of this noble flower, which is the pride of valleys, the glory of gardens and which the Saviour praised by saying that that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these[3].

Finally, I should like to tell you of what happened to Blessed Brother Giles[4], a companion of Saint Francis, when:

     having come across a certain Brother who doubted the virginity of the MOTHER OF GOD, he felt himself so overwhelmed with an extraordinary spiritual fervour that he struck the ground with his staff and declared:

     “Brother, the MOTHER OF GOD was a virgin before childbirth.”

At that moment, a beautiful Lily sprang up where his staff had touched the ground. He repeated the action a second time and added:

     “The MOTHER OF GOD was a Virgin during childbirth.”

Behold,  a second Lily sprang up as before. Finally, striking the ground yet again, he went on to say:

     “The MOTHER OF GOD was a Virgin after childbirth,” 

and immediately the Earth produced a third lily, honouring thereby with this perfect number the inimitable purity of the Queen of Angels. 

Footnotes

[1] Serm. de Deipara.

[2] Speculi B. Virg., c. 10.

[3] Matt. vi. 29.

[4] In Vita ipsus, 23 Aprilis.

A flower wondrous in mystery

 5   In the end, I have found no flower that can compare to the one seen by blessed Saint Bridget which is described in the first book of her Revelations[1], where the Saviour speaks to His most glorious Mother as follows:

     My dear Mother, thou art like unto a certain flower which grew in a valley located between five high mountains. The flower had three roots which produced one stem that grew straight and upright, without any offshoots. From this stem emerged five leaves which gave off incredible sweetness. The greatest wonder of this flower was that as it grew, the valley was at the same time raised, in such a way that in the end the valley was higher than the surrounding mountains and the leaves grew up higher than the sky.

After saying this, the Saviour went on to explain what was signified by this mysterious flower, saying:

     My dear, venerable Mother: thou art the valley of which I spoke, because of thy profound humility which is and will remain quite beyond compare. Thou hast been raised higher than the five mountains, meaning higher than the most eminent souls of the old Law. Moses was indeed a high mountain, because of the absolute power I gave to him over my people, such that it was as if he held them within the palm of his hand; but thou hast enclosed within thy womb the Lord of the Law and the Creator of all peoples  – it therefore follows that thou wast raised in an ineffable manner higher than Moses. Elias was another mountain by reason of his holiness, for which he received the blessing of being transported to a place separate from the common dwelling of men; but thou hast been raised over the choirs of Angels and up to the throne of God – so it must be said that thou hast surpassed Elias. Samson was a third mountain because of his strength, even though he was defeated by Satan who showed himself stronger; but thou hast beneath thy feet the one who overcame the valiant Samson – it thus follows of necessity that thou art in comparison higher than him. The last two mountains are David and Solomon. David was a mountain of perfection for having been a man after my own heart, even though afterwards he did fall into sin; Solomon was a mountain of wisdom who nevertheless saw himself brought down by foolish loves; but thou hast neither fallen nor turned away from my most holy will; thou hast remained ever firm – so that thou has been raised higher than the highest of the high.

     This valley of thy most profound humility has produced three roots which are three virtues thou hast kept and practised unceasingly: obedience, charity and devotion. From these three roots came forth a wondrously straight and upright stem having no off-shoots; this stem is the right intention which thou hast had throughout thy whole life of accepting my will and seeking to please me. The five leaves which have reached higher than the empyrean, in other words higher than all the Angelic hosts, represent:

    • thy peerless virtue which surpasseth that of the Angels, 

    • thy merciful heart which showeth its loving pity to men suffering from the effects of sin, 

    • thy gentleness that welcometh all who seek thy succour, 

    • thy beauty which is the distilled essence of all created beauty, and 

    • the delight thou dost find in me alone, having no interest in other pleasures.

Footnotes

[1] Cap. 51.

 6   How satisfying to be numbered among the mysterious bees spoken of by Saint Bridget (elsewhere in her Revelations) that hover unceasingly around this wondrous flower whose sweet perfection is such that there is always plenty to collect and to taste! What heavenly honey and other celestial confections are made by these beautiful souls using this nectar from Paradise which they busily collect and store here below! What transformations we cannot help but see in the hearts of those incessantly nourished by this divine ambrosia! For my part, I would willingly abandon all the other sweet things men foolishly seek amongst the perishable things of this world for just one drop of the nectar found in this incomparable flower who is, after God, the pride of earth and of Heaven, as well as being a a source of sublime sweetness.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. IV, c. 86.

👑       👑       👑

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