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).
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| Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020) |
§ 2. The duty we have to honour her
1 We have seen how great the reasons are for loving the MOTHER OF GOD and we shall find that those we have for honouring her are no less compelling. We owe her this in the first place forasmuch as she is worthy of all honour.
Even her name, says the Blessed Martyr Methodius[1], is nothing less than a fountain of Honour from which graces and blessings stream forth.
Consider how people throughout history have, with good reason, shown such respect for the room chosen by the Saviour for His last supper as to turn it into the first Church in the world. Does not the Holy Virgin, however, deserve much more than that, since St Ambrose calls her with good reason:
The living chapel[2], wherein the most ineffable mysteries of our salvation are celebrated.
St Fulgentius[3] calls upon us:
To show reverence unto her no more nor less than as to the chamber from which the Redeemer came forth to do battle with the world and with hell, wearing the rich cassock[4] of our humanity.
Consider next how God of old showed himself so jealous for the honour due to the Ark of the Covenant as to punish with death those who looked upon it with idle curiosity unaccompanied by any reverence[5]. What would his view be of the living Ark of the New Covenant,
Of her whose destiny, says Saint Ildephonsus[6], was to enclose the Majesty of God not in a figurative way but in truth?
If Mt Sinai was once revered so highly, forasmuch as an Angel appeared there with Moses, that people were forbidden to approach it under pain of death,
what comparison could there possibly be between Sinai and the Holy Mountain that God prepared for Himself as His Royal Palace, as St Andrew of Candia remarks, following the Prophet David[7]?
Just think of the way the pagans regarded the ship which carried the valiant captain of the Argonauts along with his victorious crew. They esteemed it so highly that they kept it as a precious relic, even though it was ramshackle and falling into pieces. In comparison, what honour would she not deserve whom the Holy Church calls[8] the heavenly merchant’s ship laden with divine provisions for the nourishment of souls? Consider how Esther, who turned aside the threat of death that had been pronounced against the Jews, was welcome with such rejoicing that it was as though Judea’s birthday was being celebrated[9]. In comparison, what manner of feast would be deserved by her who, following the praise at the same Church gives to her, transformed into a blessing God’s first curse which was not only on a handful of people, but on the whole human race? If Judith[10] received thousands of acclamations for having vanquished the proud enemy of the Hebrews, and in this way removing the threat of war facing them, what victory celebrations does our valiant Princess not deserve, she who trampled under her feet (and under ours at the same time) the most deadly enemy we ever had, casting him down with no hope that he could rise again?
Where could be found a tongue of sufficient eloquence, asked the blessed St Basil of Sileucia[11], to praise in a way they deserve the great qualities of the MOTHER OF GOD? Where could we find flowers to make a crown for her who bore and brought forth the flower of Jesse, filling all the world in its fragrance? Where could be found gifts worthy of her who surpasses in her blessings anything that can be found in the universe?
If St Paul made so bold as to say, speaking of the Saints[12], that the world was not worthy of them, what language can we use to praise the merits of her who surpasses all of them in greatness and in holiness, far more than the Sun surpasses all the stars in brightness?
Footnotes
[1] Orat. in Hypapante.
[2] Lib. de Instit. Virg., c. 7 : Aula cælestium Sacramentorum. Aula (room) has several meanings which might apply here: 1. hall, (large) room, esp. dining-room; 2. church building. b. Nave; 3. royal residence, palace, court. See DMLBS in Logeion.
[3] Serm. de S. Stephano : Trabea carnis indutus de aula uteri virginalis egressus est.
[4] Fr. casaque. Cassock: 1. A cloak or long coat worn by some soldiers in 16–17th centuries; as well as 2.A garment worn by members of the clergy. See OED.
[5] Let not others by any curiosity see the things that are in the sanctuary before they be wrapped up, otherwise they shall die. Num.iv. 20. See too: 1 Kings (1 Samuel) vi. 19.
[6] Serm. 1 de Assumpt.
[7] A mountain in which God is well pleased to dwell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end. Ps. LXVII. 17.
[8] She is like the merchant's ship, she bringeth her bread from afar. Prov. xxxi. 14.
[9] Esther ix.
[10] Judith xiii.
[11] Serm. in Annuntiat.
[12] Of whom the world was not worthy; Hebr. xi. 38.
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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 Virgin of Tenderness. >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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