Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 14 : § 1.5-7

Chapter 14 : How all these reasons oblige us to love, to honour and to serve 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)

§ 1. The reasons we have for loving her

 5   Some twelve hundred years ago, her faithful servant and defender St Cyril addressed her in the following manner before the noble assembly at the Council of Ephesus, where he fought so courageously on her behalf against the wretched Nestorius:

Hail Mary, Holy Virgin, through whom the most Holy Trinity is glorified and adored by the whole world, through whom happiness is spread through the heavens, and the Blessed spirits are filled with joy; Satan is cast down from the heights of Heaven, and all his minions put to flight; man is restored to that first state he enjoyed before his fall; idolatry is overthrown, and men are brought back to knowledge of their Creator; Holy Baptism is conferred upon the children of salvation, and Extreme Unction is administered to souls in need of strengthening; Churches are built everywhere, and all the nations of the earth receive the call to penitence.

Through thee, most blessed Lady, said the humble Idiota in his Contemplation[1], innocence is restored, Angelic life returns on earth, God is reconciled and united to man, the Devil is vanquished and trampled under thy feet.

Through thee, exclaims St Ephrem[2] in his fervour, we now live under the sweet law of love, since thou art the divine parchment whereon it hath been written with the finger of the Holy Ghost; through thee, all the orders of the Church have received a lustrous renewal and a redoubling of courage; through thee, our prayers are more easily heard by God, since thou art the thurible of solid gold whence they rise up to heaven.

Without thee, declares the Blessed Andrew of Crete[3], we could not hope to be received by God, but thou art the divine leaven raising our nature, mysteriously incorporating it in the divine Word so as to produce bread conjointly with Him.

Footnotes

[1] Contempl. de B. Virg., c. 4.

[2] Orat. de Laud. Sanct. Dei Matris.

[3] Orat. in Annuntiat.

 6   Where could we find the mind illuminated by God that could penetrate these considerations! Where could we find the spiritual appetite able to savour the interior sweetness of this mystery! Who could ever measure the blessings, the delights and the treasure that we have in Jesus and Mary! Who could be found to share the feelings of holy souls towards this Lady, through whose hands come all the graces and favours we receive from Heaven! 

The Seraphic Father St Francis, as reported in his Life, loved her with an indescribable love for this very reason – from her, in her and through her, God became our brother. Such was the devotion of St Bernard that he would begin to weep each and every time he reflected upon this mystery. The very thought indeed is so powerful that it moves our hearts to cherish, with a love that is no less effective than it is tender, her to whom (after God Himself) we owe everything. I say everything, recalling the deep gratitude expressed by the incomparable St Augustine when he said[1]:

Without her, what would have become of us?

 

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 58 de Verbis Dom. : Sine hoc quid esset homo ?

 7    To provide a clearer understanding of what we have just been discussing, it may help to imagine a State without Jesus and without Mary, without the mysteries of the life and Passion of the former and without the wonderful virtues and actions of the latter; without the hope and the trust we have in both of them, without the Sacraments, without Catholic feasts and celebrations, and without any of the other blessings that we enjoy thanks to the generosity of our Father Jesus and of the Holy Virgin His Mother. What would the face of this State look like other than the Judaism of old or the profane world of the Gentiles, whence we were led forth in order to discover the wondrous light of God? 

What a deep consolation it is for my soul on learning that there will be a whole eternity to consider these wonders, to mull over these truths, to enter into the sanctuary of these holy meditations, to swoon as our hearts melt with sweet feelings of acknowledgement and gratitude for the blessing of being able to see Jesus and Mary – Mary in Jesus, and Jesus in Mary; of being able to love them with our whole heart and, by loving them, to be transformed into them; and through this transformation being able to share in their happiness; and by this sharing to show them our gratitude as much as we are able for so many graces and favours received; and through this to be totally theirs! What sweet joy! What happiness! What an eternity – for it may truly be said that thou, Eternity, art absolutely necessary for the souls of the faithful, since mere time, howsoever long it might endure, would be too short for us to fulfil our duties in this respect! Whilst awaiting this happy outcome, we ask thee to accept, most holy Lady, on the part of all those who love thee, the gentle words of the great St Augustine, one of thy most devoted servants[1]:

Who could thank thee worthily and love thee according to what thou dost deserve, granted that by one act giving thy consent thou didst prevent the world from perishing? What praises could we possibly offer unto thee after being restored through thee to friendship with God? We pray that thou wilt accept our thanks, even though they are but meagre in comparison with the blessings thou hast brought unto us. In addition to the favours we have long received from thee, we pray that thou wilt say a little word in our favour to Him who is unable to refuse thy requests. Finally, we entreat thee to accept our prayers in thy heavenly office where the prayers of supplicants receive deliberation and, in testimony that they are not displeasing unto thee, do thou sign the grace[2] of reconciliation which in all humility we ask of thee.

 

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 18 de Sanctis.

[2] Meaning here: Mercy, clemency; pardon, forgiveness. Now archaic. OED.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >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