Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 5 : § 3.5-9

Chapter 5 : The Fourth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

The Wondrous Care she takes of 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. How the MOTHER OF GOD cares for her children in even the smallest things

Walter of Bibrach

 5   Where would you find an example of tender care comparable to that shown to the valiant Walter of Bibrach, one of her most devoted servants[1], about whom I shall have more to say later.

This valiant soldier was making his way to a famous tournament to which he had been invited, along with several others. There was an opportunity to assist at Mass whilst they were on their journey, and he asked his companions to join him. They were worried, however, about arriving too late for the tournament and, making their excuses, they continued. Walter’s Mass was in honour of the Holy Virgin and, having made his offering, he set off to follow his companions. As he drew new to the place where the tournament was to be held, he asked some people whether it had already begun. Without recognising him, they told him it had and that everyone was talking about a certain Walter of Bibrach, who had been performing wonders. In fact, the Mother of sweetness had not wanted her knight to suffer in any worldly way as a result of the service he had offered her, even in such a trivial matter as a joust. Accordingly, she had sent an Angel to act in his stead, whilst he was attending to the Mass in her honour. 

 

Footnotes

[1] Cesarius, lib. III, c. 39.

Guétrechin

 6   Continuing with this theme, the following story is mentioned in the Revelations of St Bridget[1] and describes what happened to a good and holy monk in Sweden.

Whilst he was at prayers, the monk was summoned by the Abbot of Alvastra Monastery to go and help in the bakery. As soon as he received this command he immediately went and knelt down before an image of the Virgin addressing the following words to her: 

“My dear and gentle Mother, I have just received a command to help out the bakery. Thou knowest I have no knowledge or skills in such things and if I go I will just spoil everything.”

The Holy Virgin replied by telling him he should just continue with his prayer and she would fill in for him. In fact, she did this so well that no one noticed the brother had failed to obey the order he had received. 

Footnotes

[1] Revelat. Extravag., c. 55.

Blessed Zita

 7   Blessed Zita[1] was born in Lucca in Tuscany Where she died in 1278.

She had gone one day to visit some holy sites outside the city and as she was about to begin the journey home, she felt very tired and sat down next to a fountain, just as the sun was going down. She had been there for quite some time when a Lady of kindly demeanour approached her and asked her if she was not wanting to go to Lucca. Zita said that was indeed her plan and they both set off together on the journey, talking to each other as they walked. As they approached the city,  she saw that the gates had been closed for the night but when they drew nearer, the gates miraculously opened, allowing them to enter the city. Once they had arrived at her home, she did everything she could to persuade the lovely lady to stay with her so that she could enjoy her sweet conversation but at that point the Lady seemed to disappear from sight. A most tender affection towards the Holy Virgin flooded Zita’s heart, convincing her that it was indeed her who had brought her safely home and whose wonderful company she had been enjoying.

Footnotes

[1] Cesar. Franc.

Beatrix

 8   I fear some might think I am making little of the favours of the MOTHER OF GOD if I include amongst those which she grants in little things the incident I am about to recount. I am including it at this point as an example of the extraordinary care and heartfelt affection that the Holy Virgin shows towards her children. The pious Cæsarius[1] writes that in his own day : 

There was a religious sister called Beatrix who was very devoted to the MOTHER OF GOD and she had been appointed to the duties of sacristan in her monastery. Because of her beauty and her graceful demeanour, she attracted the attention of a certain cleric who used to visit the monastery. He solicited her favours with such persistence that she found it impossible to resist his importunate pressure. She then went straight to the image of the Virgin and, throwing her keys on the altar, spoke to her as follows:

“Dearest lady, I have been trying my very best to serve thee but now it is beyond my power to resist the temptations by which I am assailed. Accordingly, here are thy keys which I am returning to thee, commending thy Church unto thy care.”

That said, she quickly left the monastery in the company of the man who had seduced her. This wretch continued to take advantage of her for a period of time but then abandoned her just as shamelessly as he had brought about her downfall. She found herself reduced to extreme despair and continued further down the road of perdition. After she had spent some fifteen years leading a dissolute life, the Mother of gentleness cast a ray of light into her soul and caused her to remember the monastery in which she had been nourished in her faith. At that same moment, Beatrix determined to go back there and to see if she might be accepted, in any capacity that might be offered. When she arrived at the gate of the monastery, she asked the porter, who was a venerable and elderly man, if he knew Sister Beatrix who was the Sacristan of the monastery. He replied:

“I would have to say that I didn’t know anyone if I didn’t know her, for she was raised here from a young age and is one of the most virtuous daughters of this house.”

 

Beatrix heard what he said clearly enough but did not understand his meaning and was fearful of staying any longer. Just as she turned away from the monastery, however, the Holy Virgin, who had not been in her thoughts except to the extent that her heart was pierced with a terrible regret about having left her, appeared at her side and, taking her by the hand, said to her: 

“Beatrix, my dear daughter, dost thou not recall that time when thy sweetest thought was only about how to offer me service?  Do thou learn now that for the space of fifteen whole years I have been taking thy place here and fulfilling thine office in such a way that no one ever noticed thy departure or took note of thy fault. Accordingly, do thou continue to abide here with courage, continue in my service and remember thy need to do penance for the sins thou hast committed. I shall always be a good Mother for thee and shall never abandon thee – ever.”

With these words, she disappeared and God alone knows how astonished Beatrix was to have learned about this miracle.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. VII, c. 35.

 9    I cannot repeat the following point frequently enough : that heaven is full of tenderness for us, especially the heart of our loving Mother. There can be no one who has not experienced this and who has not noted some particular way in which she has shown her favour to him. Our big problem, however, is that we are so blind that we do not see something until it is staring us in the face. If she who confers so many favours upon us were to open our eyes only once so that we might see her tender, motherly affection, and the care which she shows in even the smallest things, there would be not a single day in our lives when we would not see a thousand signs of this, and we would be beside ourselves in astonishment at such extraordinary kindness. For my part, I am in no doubt that there is some secret way heaven has of hiding from us the continual effects of this wondrous providence, for if we could actually see all these favours and benefits it would be impossible for us to focus our minds on anything else, other than offering continual blessings and thanks to a Mother who is so kind-hearted. What would happen if she were to encounter subjects capable of recognising and corresponding to such tender and affectionate care? If her motherly love stoops even to the smallest ways in which she can benefit men, then what must her ardent love be like when it comes to the foremost of those seeking salvation?  If, moreover, she shows such sweetness towards them whilst they are still here in this vale of tears and suffering, then what can we expect that she will be keeping for them in heaven? Modern man will never understand it : but blessed is he who makes the attempt.

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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