Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 4 : § 3.6-8

Chapter 4 : Love – a third feature of the gratitude we owe 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)

§ 3. The third sign of love: rejoicing in her perfections and feeling her sorrows

 6    A further fruit of this same sentiment is the pleasure that comes from meditating on her perfections and rejoicing at her great privileges and dignities. This is a second secret that the Blessed Saint Bridget learned from the Holy Virgin when she revealed to her how the practice had proved of value to her son Charles, who had recently died[1].  

When this young man was on his deathbed he was never abandoned by the MOTHER OF GOD who remained faithfully at his bedside, keeping his mind focussed and preventing human distractions from leading him astray from God’s good pleasure[2]. She also mitigated the sufferings afflicting him in his extremity, lest these bodily trials might cause his mind to wander and forget his duty. She supplied him with all the necessary assistance during this dangerous journey and as soon as the soul had left his body she took charge and accompanied him to the Judge so that she might present his case before the dread Tribunal. The old accuser of our brethren[3] made sure to follow her and he raised the grievances he had against the Holy Virgin in the following manner: 

“Most fair and equitable Judge, I know that with your Mother leading for the other side against me I am dealing with a formidable adversary, I nevertheless have such trust in your Justice that I am confident you would not deny it to your enemy, even if this were to mean going against your own Mother. The plaint I make before you is that she hath wronged me in two matters. Firstly, in that she utterly prevented me from having access to this soul during his final struggles, refusing me permission to tempt him in accordance with the general licence I have received from you to that effect. Secondly, despite my entitlement as a judicial officer of your Court to bring souls before you, she usurped my office in this case by bringing this soul in her own arms to present him to Your Majesty. For these two wrongs, most equitable judge, I seek satisfaction from you.”

The Saviour lookede towards His Mother and waited for her response. She immediately spoke in the following terms  

“Most reverend and righteous Son : even though Satan is the father of lies, I cannot dispute what he hath said ; but if I might speak to Thy clemency, I would aver that I was obliged to do what I did. This young man hath shown such a desire to honour me and to share my joy in the favours that I have received from Thee that he would prefer the joy he findeth in their contemplation to all the pleasures in the world; indeed he hath on several occasions offered to suffer everlasting punishment rather than contemplate the least reduction of my glory. Let Thou be the judge, my Son, as to whether I could do any less than offer him my help in this his our of need.” 

The Judge was satisfied with this response and drew the issue to a close in a few words: 

“All power is given to my Mother in this kingdom, and she doth not share the same status as others since she commandeth here as Queen. As Mother and Sovereign Lady she can for good reason, as in the case here, dispense with my laws. For he who hath rendered her so much honour deserves in justice to receive special help from her. Accordingly, the charges against her are dismissed.”

On hearing these words, the Mother made a low bow towards her Son and she then led Charles to Heaven. Satan was left raging in shame and confusion, thinking how to avenge himself for the loss of his prey which he had been on the point of carrying off on his horns.   

Footnotes

[1] Lib. VII Revelat., c. 13.

[2] Cf. That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure [beneplacitum], which he hath purposed in him. Ephesians i. 9.

[3] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night. Apoc. xii. 10.

 7   The story of Charles shows the benefits of a good education for there can be no doubt that this pious young man had learned this lesson from his dear mother who used to practise it herself with great care, as can be seen in Book II of her Revelations[1].

There we read how one day, lying prostrate before the glorious Virgin and transported in spiritual rapture, she addressed her as follows : 

“Eternal praise be to thee, O Mary, Mother of Jesus! And may this same Son of Mary be praised eternally for enabling me to share in the joy and happiness that thou didst feel at being His Mother most venerable. May I take for my witness Him who knoweth all the secrets of our hearts as I declare that I truly love Mary, daughter of Joachim incomparably more than the children of Ulpho and Bridget – namely my own children; and that I would prefer if Bridget, daughter of Birger, had never seen the light of day rather than for Mary, daughter of Joachim, never to have been what she became; in short, I declare that it would easier to be in the depths of hell itself rather than to learn that Mary, daughter of Joachim, was not the MOTHER OF GOD and the Queen of the universe.

The response of the Glorious Virgin to this loving declaration deserves to be given here. 

“My dearest daughter,” she said to her, “thou canst be quite certain that this Mary, daughter of Joachim, whom thou dost cherish so much, will be worth a thousand times more to Bridget daughter of Birger, than Bridget will be to herself; and that the same Mary will be a million times better as Mother to the children of Ulpho and Bridget than Bridget herself –even though she is a good mother.”

Footnotes

[1] Revel. Extravag., c. 43.

 8   Since we are on the subject of celebrating with the Holy Virgin the joys she experienced, I cannot omit to mention the unforgettable piety of the ancient people of Ephesus and the extraordinary devotion they showed towards the glorious Virgin. In 431 A.D., a general council was convoked in the city of Ephesus on the authority of Celestine I, then occupying the Chair of St Peter. St Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, presided over this noble assembly of some three hundred Bishops in his capacity as Papal Legate. The Council had been summoned mainly to consider the terrible case of Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople, and the execrable blasphemies that he had been spreading against the Saviour and His Mother, whom he went so far as to mock in her title of MOTHER OF GOD. Providentially, the battle was to be waged in the Church of the most sacred Virgin whose honour was to be impugned by a sacrilegious heretic and courageously defended by the Fathers of Christian Piety. It was in the course of this clash that the heartfelt zeal of the devout people of Ephesus was clearly demonstrated as they sprang to defend the rights and privileges of the Queen of Heaven.

As soon as it was heard that the Prelates had started to gather, an incredible number of people – of both sexes, of all ages and all ranks and conditions – assembled before the doors of the Church, as though serving as a guard of honour for those who were to be defenders of the Virgin and a source of dread to her enemies. All were eager to learn as soon as possible what the outcome of this honourable gathering would be. The questions being discussed were of such moment that they occupied the venerable Fathers from the morning all the way to the evening. But the people awaiting the outcome of this conference showed themselves no less constant by remaining in place, displaying their zealous defence of the Virgin’s privileges. Those who had hastened to the Church on hearing of the disputation stayed there from the break of day until night fell and the doors of the church started to open, when everyone tried to push forward and be the first to learn what had been decided. At that point, St Cyril appeared in his capacity as Legate, as though at the head of the army of the Living God, bringing great joy to these good people concerning what the Council had determined. He declared that the triumphant Queen of Heaven and earth had been safeguarded in her rights and privileges, and especially in her glorious title of MOTHER OF GOD. He went on to state that the man who had launched this attack upon her had himself been stripped of every ecclesiastical dignity and had been exiled to a desert. 

At this point I can feel my hand starting to tremble and my pen is unable to describe the feelings of the people or their stirring cries and public acclamations.

The people of Ephesus, whilst they were labouring in the darkness of paganism, had shown themselves exceedingly devoted to their goddess Diana; but now in the clear light of day brought by Christianity, they displayed such affection towards the Holy Mother of God, Empress of the world, that it is impossible for me to provide a fitting account. For several days together, all you could see and hear were:

    • acts of thanksgiving and praise offered to the Saviour of the world for having upheld the case of His holy Mother; 

    • rejoicing and congratulations offered to the Blessed Virgin for having been confirmed in possession of her titles, especially that of MOTHER OF GOD; and 

    • prayers and blessings for the holy Prelates who had been so courageous in their public defence of the Church.

 

Amongst these displays, however, nothing was more revealing of grace than the honour that people showed to these same Prelates who were escorted by great crowds of torch-bearers back to their homes, demonstrating the sheer joy produced by the successful outcome of the Council. For some time, all that could be seen throughout the city of Ephesus were signs of rejoicing, fireworks in the public squares, happy throngs of people in the streets, and lanterns shining from the windows of houses. All that could be heard everywhere were chants of : Long live the Great, the Wondrous, the All-powerful MOTHER OF GOD! 

The account that I have just given was written from Ephesus by the same St Cyril to his dear Church in Alexandria, as may still be seen to this day in the 34th Epistle of St Cyril and in the Acts of the Council of Ephesus. In this way the glorious Virgin, honoured with the palms and laurels of victory, was triumphant on earth as in Heaven; whereas the wretched Nestorius, her enemy, made ready to go and end his days in the putrid Oasis[1], where he would see flesh falling from his body and notably the rotting of his sacrilegious tongue which had been the instrument of the many blasphemies he had uttered against the Saviour and His most holy Mother.

Footnotes

[1] Believed to be the Great Oasis of Hibis in Thebaid, Egypt.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

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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.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.