Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 6 : § 3.4-6

Chapter 6 : The Fifth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards 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 generosity of the MOTHER OF GOD towards her children when it comes to the good of the soul and especially with regard to the mind and knowledge

Rupert, Abbot of Deutz

 4   The same thing happened to Rupert[1], Abbot of Deutz[2] in Germany. 

This pious and holy man cherished a great desire to understand the Sacred Scriptures as he had little knowledge of them and found them difficult to take in. He took courage, however, from his love for the Queen of Heaven and the graces she had bestowed upon him. Accordingly, in the hope of obtaining something through her intercession, he prayed so earnestly to her that in the end she granted his wishes and one day, while he was was praying to her in earnest, she said to him : 

“I have granted thy prayers and authorised thy requests. The secrets of Sacred Scripture have been opened up for thee in a way which is today most rare. Thou must nevertheless take great care this free gift does not inflate thee with pride and work diligently to acquire this knowledge and understanding, otherwise thou wilt render thyself unworthy of the favour I am granting thee.”

She added certain other things but the humility of this holy Abbot held him back from sharing the details with others. Suffice it to say that from that he applied himself with such passion to the study of heavenly knowledge that he remained greatly attached to it right up until his death. In order to have the time and freedom to do this, he detached himself from the temporal cares and concerns of the Abbey. As far as the progress that he made is concerned, his published work provides sufficient evidence without any need for me to provide examples here.

Footnotes

[1] Trithemius, lib. II de Viris illustribus Ordinis S. Benedicti, c. 109.

[2] Rupertus Tuitiensis.

Blessed Philip Benizi

 5   To these great servants of the Virgin I should like to mention two more whose lives and dealings with others were altogether celestial and whose devotion towards the Queen of Heaven was quite extraordinary. The first is Blessed Philip Benizi[1], founder of the Order of Servites and known as the Apostle of the most sacred Virgin.   

This remarkable man (whose vocation to the Religious life I have already mentioned[2]) became a lay brother, joining the first Fathers of the Order whom the Holy Virgin had gathered on Monte Senario, near Florence. But she who had chosen him to broadcast her praises far and wide, and who had given him the grace of infused knowledge, was quick to take him out of the shadows and obscurity so that she could place him on a lamp stand, so to speak, where he could be a bright source of light for the whole Church. This came to pass as follows. One day whilst on a journey that he had a happy encounter with two Dominican Fathers who proceeded to ask him certain questions which he handled very skilfully. Little by little they led the conversation into some of the deepest and most difficult questions of theology. But he answered their points with such facility and clarity that they concluded by calling him a true fountain of divine learning. He for his part threw himself at their feet and asked them to swear they would never speak of this to anyone. They felt they could never consent to this but, on the contrary, as soon as they arrived in Siena they went straight to see the Servites of the Virgin who were trying to establish a community in that city, and they made known to them that they had a hidden treasure in their midst. At that point, he was ordained a Priest by the express command of the Pope and afterwards installed as Apostle of the Virgin and General of his Order which he proceeded to govern and expand so successfully that in the judgement of all he deserved to be the father and the founder.

Footnotes

[1] Ex Chronico Servorum B. Virg. a Michaëli Servita.

[2] Ch. 5, § 4.

St Sylvester of Monte Fano

 6   The second is blessed St Sylvester who was also the founder of the Order[1] which bears his name[2]. Sylvester had received a number of different favours from the Blessed Virgin and he strove to show his gratitude in every way he could think of that would be gratifying to her. For her part, the MOTHER OF GOD continued to add grace upon grace and took pleasure in multiplying the benefits she bestowed upon him. One night as he was conversing in prayer with his gentle Mother, he was suddenly led in the spirit to the little stable where the great King of the universe had been born long ago. Shortly afterwards, he was taken to a truly beautiful Church and set before the high altar where the Blessed Virgin herself appeared to him in dazzling light and asked him if he was ready to receive the body of her beloved Son. He replied that his heart was prepared to do anything she might ask of him and that she would find acceptable. His holy Mother then administered the most Holy Sacrament to him with her own blessed hands and, as she gave him the precious Host containing all the treasures of the knowledge and wisdom of God, she communicated to him at the same time a heavenly enlightenment so powerful that he acquired a knowledge and comprehension of the Sacred Scriptures so complete that he understood even the most obscure and difficult texts therein. 

Footnotes

[1] The Sylvestrines, who were were founded by St. Sylvester Gozzolini on Monte Fano near Fabriano in 1231.

[2] Ex ejus vita ab Andrea Jacobi Fabrinensi ejus Ordinis Abbate Generali [this is a reference to the Venerable Andrea di Giacomo of Fabriano (d.1326), fourth General of the Sylvestrines].

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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