Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 4 : § 3.1-3

Chapter 4 : The Third Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a source of Favour for her children

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)

§ 3. The influence enjoyed by the Favourites of the Holy Virgin : the second effect of her Favour

 1   It was not without reason that Pompey the Great compared Favour to the rising sun, venerated by many people. This is because everyone seeks it by reason of the influence and power enjoyed by Favourites, who are in a certain sense made omnipotent by it. Josue felt strongly the favour of Heaven upon him and was enabled to make the sun obey him[1].The great servants of God were able to command the animate and inanimate in creation, as though nothing were impossible for them. Joseph wielded such absolute power in the Pharaoh’s court that one day this Prince spoke to him as follows[2]: I am Pharao; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Hephæstion, a favourite of Alexander, was able to award crowns according to his good pleasure, in proportion as the great Conqueror subjugated Kingdoms. Suleiman the Magnificent developed such a fondness for Ibrahim Pasha that this Favourite actually thought the favour shown towards him was excessive and he frequently asked for it to be moderated. Suleiman, however, had such strong feelings in this regard that he could not control them. If we had as much understanding of heavenly as we do of earthly Favour, we would say that David had very good reason for saying[3]: But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality[4] is exceedingly strengthened.

Footnotes

[1] Jos. x. 12-13.

[2] Gen. xli. 44.

[3] Ps. CXXXVIII. 17.

[4] principality: the Douay-Rheims translation of the Vulgate’s principatus: meaning the first place, pre-eminence or preference (see Lewis & Short’s entry) - with which they have been favoured and from which they derive power and influence.

St Dominic – St Philp Neri

 2   What I have just been saying also applies to the Mother of Love’s Favour – but in a proportionate manner, having no other foundations than the immutability of God. The influence enjoyed by others is such that they do not themselves understand it. I am speaking of the influence they have with the Mother of Favour and of the influence which she gives them with God and with all the Saints – in short, the influence enabling them to obtain all that their heart might desire. There are numerous examples of this but I am happy to relate just one of them which concerns St Dominic. With a true feeling of humility and understanding, he declared that he had never asked his beloved Mother for a single thing that he had not obtained from her. The following pages will give many examples of the influence which she allows them to have with God since she is the one who holds the key to Favour’s chamber, so to speak. 

I recall in passing what happened one day to Blessed St Philip Neri, founder of the Oratory in Rome[1].       

This man of God, learning about the serious illness of the famous Church historian Cæsar Baronius (who was himself an Oratorian and later gained his Cardinal’s hat for his outstanding merits), knelt down before a Crucifix and said: “Lord, it is important for Cæsar to be healed – if it is thy will.” As he did not receive a favourable answer, he made use of his beloved Mother’s influence and he uttered the same words to her and they were followed immediately by that which he had requested. What is even more remarkable in this story is that the Blessed Virgin allowed Caesar to see everything concerning him as it was actually happening in Blessed Philip’s Oratory. This was confirmed by the evidence of two irreproachable witnesses, putting it beyond all reasonable doubt.

 

Footnotes

[1] In the Life written by Antonio Gallonio. It took place in the year 1572.

St Henry, Emperor

 3   Neither should there be any doubt regarding what happened to the great and valiant Emperor St Henry, the first of this name (although some call him the second). He was a Prince of such outstanding wisdom and exceptional virtue that only a person of ill will could doubt it and what we have learned has come to us from his own sworn testimony. He was truly accomplished in every perfection but was especially esteemed for the honour he showed to the Holy See, for the justice he dispensed to his subjects, for the perpetual chastity he observed in his marriage to the Empress Cunegonde his wife and for the exceptional devotion that he had towards the MOTHER OF GOD. 

Every time he came to Rome, it was his custom to pass the first night in prayer in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. On one of these occasions, (and there are reasons to believe that it was the night of the Purification by reason of the Mass, about which I will speak later), he was praying more ardently than usual when he saw entering the church the Saviour of the world, wearing priestly vestments, and at his side St Laurence and St Vincent were performing the office of Deacon and subdeacon. Immediately after them came the Queen of Heaven with a retinue of holy Virgins; next came St John the Baptist, at the head of a group of ancient Patriarchs and Prophets; then came St Peter and St Paul, walking at the head of the Apostles; after them came St Stephen who led the Martyrs and St Martin the Confessors. All this took place to the great astonishment of St Henry, who alone amongst all the mortals was a spectator to this solemnity.

 

The Angels chanted the Introit of the holy Mass: Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam in medio templi tui[1], which is that of Candlemas. When they came to the words: Justitia plena est dextera tua[2], meaning Thy right hand is full of justice, this is what happened: first of all, the Saviour, then His holy Mother, followed by all the others, turned one after another towards St Henry and pointed towards him, attesting through this gesture to Heaven’s satisfaction with the justice that he dispensed to all his subjects. After the reading of the Gospel, an Angel presented the book to the Saviour for Him to kiss, then to the Holy Virgin and to the others present. The Mother of sweetness and gentleness did not want the Emperor to be deprived of this consolation and she ordered the Angel to take him the book, saying: 

“Do thou offer on my behalf the kiss of peace to my faithful servant Henry, whose chastity is singularly pleasing to me.”

The sweetness of this action so affected Henry’s heart that he was transported into ecstasy and he ceased to be fully aware of what was going on. For this reason, the Angel administered a firm blow to a sinew in his thigh, saying: 

“This will serve thee for a witness of the love that God hath for thee, by reason of thy chastity and the justice thou dost dispense.”

The effect of the Angel’s blow was to make the sinew shrink, causing one of his legs to be shorter than the other. For this reason he was ever after called Henry the Lame.

Footnotes

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

[2] Ps. XLVII 11.

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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