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).
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| 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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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 2025
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