Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 11 : § 6.1-4

Chapter 11 : Imitation – tenth 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)

§ 6. On her wondrous devotion and how it should be imitated by everyone

 1   Devotion, which according to Saint Ambrose[1] is the foundation of the moral virtues and the path of the soul to God, was in the Holy Virgin most eminent, most pure and most recollected. 

Footnotes

[1] Lib. I de Abraham.

The devotion of the Holy Virgin was most eminent 

 2   Most eminent in that she was the mystic Eagle who, supported by the firm wings of her contemplation, soared high above all creatures and with her clear-sighted eyes could withstand the rays of the Sun of Justice. She was most eminent in that she was not lacking in help to guide her devotion to the greatest height, for she was endowed with a wondrously keen and pure intelligence, with a will focused on every sort of good and with a powerful memory. She had received the benefit of excellent, prevenient grace which she reinforced by her continual exercises of holiness. She had a most perfect knowledge of herself, of God and of all the mysteries of our redemption. She spent a good part of her days in the company of the Word incarnate and uncreated Wisdom. She was honoured in a most singular manner by having as teacher her Spouse, the glorious Holy Spirit. She received to a most high degree the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and counsel, the four mainstays which enable the soul to comprehend the most elevated truths and those which are most distant from our own senses. Her devotion was most eminent in that she did not suffer from those difficulties which cause such trouble to our own devotion. The weakening or loss of the use of reason, not unknown to our age and making us behave like animals, never had any place in her. The body, which can become corrupt and weigh down the soul, never caused her any difficulty whatsoever. The passions of the sensitive appetite which lead to disordered affections within us, troubling our spiritual calm and recollection in prayer, were in her more gentle and manageable than little lambs. Imagination, which blessed Teresa of Jesus called the craziness of the soul[1], never went beyond its due limits to cause her trouble since it was in all things and everywhere subject and obedient to reason. Ignorance had no place in her understanding, any more than frivolity or inconstancy in her will. In short, sin which is like a wall we build between God and ourselves, blocking off our sight of Him, was never able to come near her. This being the case, who would be surprised to learn that she surpassed the Cherubim in knowledge and the Seraphim in love?  

Footnotes

[1] Translating the French text which is is slightly different to the Spanish expression attributed to the Saint: la loca de la casa / the crazy woman of the house.

The devotion of the Holy Virgin was most pure

 3   Her devotion was most pure in that she had no other aim than to apply herself to the utmost of her powers in divine worship and service. It was most pure in that she never served God for some interest or satisfaction of her own, nor for any reason outside of Him but only to be as pleasing as possible to His sovereign Majesty. It was most pure in that never was it stained by any mixture of sorrow, weariness, heaviness or cowardice; on the contrary, it was always accompanied by courage, fervour, happiness and delight.

The devotion of the Holy Virgin was most recollected 

 4   Her devotion was most recollected as she lived continually in the presence of Heaven and for most of her life in the presence of the Word Incarnate. She was most recollected in all things, keeping watchful guard over her exterior senses, her words, her conversation and every aspect of her behaviour. She was most meticulous, taking care to do nothing which could be offensive in any way in the eyes of God, understanding very well that devotion is the pearl of great price spoken of in the Gospel[1], for the sake of which a man would sell all he had to obtain it; But it is the precious balm which evaporates as soon as it is exposed to the air; but it is the deep well  Treat is not possible to draw without effort the mysterious waters of Heavenly sweetness; that it is peace for the soul , which can be acquired only through victory over enemies; in short, it needs only one case of misplaced laughter, one superfluous word, one indiscreet glance, one over-inquisitive question, one vain word or act, one impatient or hasty reaction, one desultory word or act, To cause the partial or total disappearance of grace from devotion. She would withdraw herself whenever she could from the unnecessary company of men in order to enjoy that of Patriarchs, Prophets, Angels and of God Himself. Finally, even though she was aware of the prevenient graces she had received and the very special protection given to her by Heaven which turned away from her everything (however slight) that might trouble her spiritual calm, this notwithstanding, she set a wondrous example by living with as much restraint and circumspection as if the maintenance of her devotion had depended upon her alone and upon her care.

Footnotes

[1] Matt. xiii. 46.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 11 : § 5.1-6

Chapter 11 : Imitation – tenth 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)

§ 5. On her excellent charity and how it should be imitated by everyone

 1   What we wrote elsewhere about the grace of the blessed Virgin[1], and the three levels[2] of her love, will suffice to give us an idea of the levels her holy soul’s ardour attained. I will say no more for now other than that her chaste breast was a holy fortress and on its standard was a heart in flames with this beautiful motto: My beloved all to me and I all to him[3]; and truth to tell, why should she not have been all to him since he willed to be all to her? Whichever way you look at this, after the substantial love which unites the divine Persons of the Trinity and after the love that the divine Person has for the Holy Humanity to which He is united in one same substance, you will find nothing comparable to that which God bears for the blessed Virgin whom He loves most tenderly, nobly and ardently. Tenderly, in that He chose her for the object of His affections, for the subject of His caresses, for the sweetness of His colloquies, for the purest of his delights, for the foremost of His pleasures; and in that He communicated Himself in a more special way to her than to any other and filled her heart with unutterable delights. Nobly, in that He opened up all His treasures to her, that He enriched her with every sort of blessings and constituted her sovereign Lady and Mistress of all His possessions. Ardently, for in order to have her entirely for Himself, He gave her His own Son, notwithstanding all the considerations of propriety – at least according to our way of thinking. 

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 7.

[2] Part I, ch. 8, § 3. (natural, acquired and supernatural).

[3] Cf. Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi / My beloved to me, and I to him : Cant. ii. 16.

The charity of the Holy Virgin was most tender, most noble and most ardent 

 2   Should we be astonished that the Virgin’s love shared these same characteristics and that it was the most tender, the most noble and the most ardent ever encountered in any mere creature? Tender in her intimate conversations with God, in her enjoyment of the innocent caresses she received from her beloved Son; in her loving colloquies, in her embraces, in her ecstasies, in her trials and in her union with her holy Spouse. Noble, disdaining all created things, even unto a hatred of herself; noble in the voluntary surrender of her rights over the faculties of her soul and the affections of her heart; noble in that she complied with all the commands of God and acquiesced in the least signs of His will. Ardent in her desire for hard work, for trials and suffering; ardent in seeking out opportunities for pleasing her Beloved; ardent in desiring His company and in rejecting everything that could prevent her from transforming herself entirely so as to become like Him.  

 3   O love more tender than the first fruits, more noble than Royalty, more ardent than fire, more powerful than death, more enduring than diamond, more precious than all the world! O love ever burning but never consumed, winning victories for thee and bringing thy designs to fulfilment; cause of joy to them that seek thee, satisfaction to them that find thee and delight to them that possess thee; the model for good works, the form, the value, the source, the life and the being of all the virtues; thou art the death of vice, triumph over temptations and the ruin of disordered affections, when wilt thou transform our hearts into such as God desireth? When wilt thou detach us from all ephemeral things so that our appetite is for those of eternity? When wilt thou place all our sensual and profane love beneath thy feet and take peaceful possession of our hearts? We pray thou wilt so unite us to the Sovereign Good, following the example of the Mother of Love, that we may be permitted to say in truth along with the Apostle[1]: that we may no more live to ourselves or for ourselves, but that He alone may live in us and that we may be thoroughly transformed in Him.

Footnotes

[1] And Christ died for all; that they also who live, may not now live to themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again: II Cor. v. 15; Rom. xiv; Gal. ii.

 4   I say following the example of the Mother of Love because what other school would we choose for our dear children? Whom could they find to inspire them with this gentle love in a more gentle and effective manner than her whose heart has been a glowing source of tenderness and gentleness? From her they acquire a taste for the consideration of God’s great qualities and perfections which render Him infinitely lovable. From her they learn to savour the indescribable sources of satisfaction hidden in God’s love and which the Eternal Lover has made available for those souls who have turned aside from all vain and worldly pleasures. From her they learn to make their principal abode in the Saviour’s pierced side, drawing sustenance from the blood distilled from His sacred wounds ; they learn to keep Him company in the wilderness, in the towns and in people’s houses; to visit Him in the stable, to carry Him to Egypt; to follow Him from town to town, to be near Him on Calvary, to wonder at His miracles, to imitate His example, to learn from His teaching, to die unto themselves following His example, to rise again and ascend into Heaven with Him. From her they learn to weep gentle tears when they see the glory God receives from His creatures in all corners of the universe, from East to West, from North to South; and even more when they see that which is rendered to Him on high in Heaven; but infinitely more even than this – when they admire the glory which He has in Himself, of Himself and through Himself, world without end.   

 5   All this notwithstanding, they consider they will have done nothing if their love is not totally noble and royal like that of the Mother of love. They consider that they will always be children until, like the Saint Ignatius of our day (I mean the admirable Francis de Sales, the true model of Holy Prelates), they have forever sacrificed themselves to pure and holy love. With him they set their sights high and proclaim they desire to live only in God, to work only in God, and to rejoice only in God. With him, they no longer want to be anything to anyone, nor for anyone to be anything to them, except in God and for God alone. With him they are quite content for their hearts to be torn out or for there to be nothing in their hearts which is not for holy love. With him, they declare that if they knew of the slightest affection in them which was not for God or from God, or even some thing howsoever small not marked by the Crucifix, they would not pay the slightest attention to it. Everything which is not God or which does not lead them straight to God seems to them so low and vile that they would not even deign to look at it. Nothing in the world gives them such satisfaction as that which leads them to pure love and nothing whatsoever causes them so much pain as that which prevents them from attaining it.

 6   Do not, however, imagine that they stop there. For as long as they know that the Queen of charity has gone further, then no matter what difficulties are placed in their way, they will overcome all obstacles in order to follow and arrive at ardent love. They know very well that this love lives only amidst difficulties and does not thrive except in trials and tribulations. Its roses are thorns, its contentment is dissatisfaction, its joys are sorrows, its pleasures are vexations, its sweetness is bitterness, its consolation is distress, its wealth is poverty, its honour is scorn and its strength is slackness. However many difficulties they encounter, they still desire more; but because their object is infinite and they feel their own love is so far from being infinite, this makes their thirst for suffering so great that scarcely anything can satisfy it.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 11 : § 4.1-7

Chapter 11 : Imitation – tenth 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)

§ 4. Her exceptional confidence and how it should be imitated by everyone

 1   Following St Paul[1], St Augustine[2] places the beatitude or happiness of this life’s in hope or confidence, and in the most sacred Virgin this confidence was most high, most firm and most faithful.

Footnotes

[1] Rom. viii. 24.

[2] Lib. XIX Civit. Dei, c. 4.

The confidence of the Virgin was most high

 2   I say most high forasmuch as if ever there were a creature to whom might be applied the words David once uttered to a beautiful soul[1]: Thou hast made thy hope and thy refuge the most High, then this would be the MOTHER OF GOD. If the height of hope depends upon the firmness of faith, we have just seen that there never was a faith like unto hers. If confidence rises in proportion to the knowledge we have of God's faithfulness, in whom would this be more clearly discernible or be possessed to a more excellent degree than in her? If in proportion to the extent a heart becomes more detached from all earthly affections, it raises itself willingly and attaches itself directly to its sovereign good – then what heart was ever more free and more pure than hers? If when a soul is entirely distrustful of itself and plunges more deeply into a consideration of its own nothingness, it is better disposed to trust in God and to throw itself into the bosom of His loving Providence – then who ever had more knowledge of herself and distrusted her own abilities more than the Mother of humility? If St John[2] was right when he said that if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God and whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of Him, – then where shall we find a soul in which that applies more than in the case of the Blessed Virgin, whose heart was never moved to reproach her in the slightest way? In short, if the more hope is pure the more highly it rises, what confidence could ever equal in purity that of the Daughter, the Mother and the Spouse of God? 

Footnotes

[1] Epist. 77.

[2] Ildefons., Serm. 4 de Assumpt.

[3] Orat. 2 de Annuntiat.

The confidence of the Virgin was most firm

 3   Her confidence was, moreover, most firm, forasmuch as once she had attached herself to God, there was never anything that would be able to separate her from Him. Please take a moment to consider the following examples which demonstrate her firmness. Did Heaven order her to marry? Then she immediately agreed, notwithstanding the unbreakable vow she had taken to preserve her virginity, comfident as she was that fire would turn into ice before God would permit Joseph her spouse to be anything other than the guardian of her purity. Did Joseph form a resolution to put her away privately? This did not cause her any more trouble than if it were a matter which did not affect her ; once her firm belief was established, then rocks would speak before God would abandon his project. Did her Son seem to reproach her during the wedding at Cana and give the impression that her request would go no further? Notwithstanding this, she went on to tell the servants what they were to do and to prepare them for the miracle to come, about which she had no doubt whatsoever. Did others lose hope with the death of her Son? Well, her own lived on among the shadows of death, and already she sees in her mind the glorious Saviour and all His enemies at His feet.  

The confidence of the Virgin was most faithful

 4   Her confidence was most faithful insofar as she placed her reliance so completely on God that she never failed to do whatever she could for her part. When the Angel spoke of how she was to conceive in her womb, she raised certain difficulties with him in a totally respectful manner and she did not give her consent until she had received clarification. If she sees her Holy Spouse in distress, she cast herself into God’s embrace with complete peace of mind; but she takes great care to give no reason for mistrust or suspicion. If it becomes necessary to go to Bethlehem in the last month of her pregnancy, she goes without a murmur, but making sure that she has everything she will need to care for the baby she is carrying. In short, picture her behaving like this for the rest of her life and try to imagine someone who has so much trust in God’s Providence as to consider everything she herself does as quite insignificant but on the other hand ensuring she is most diligent in all her tasks, as though their successful outcome depends entirely upon the care she takes. 

 5   It is in this that the dear children of the Holy Virgin try to imitate their dear Mother and to soar high above all created things so as to attach their hope to the sovereign good. It is in this that, after long experience of the infinite faithfulness of God, they cry out with Saint Paul[1]: I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. It is in this that, after carefully considering the happiness of all those who have wanted no other source of support than God, they say along with David[2]: Let them trust in thee who know thy name: for thou hast not forsaken them that seek thee, O Lord. It is in this that they proclaim a thousand times over that they want to surrender themselves completely to God and to abandon themselves in the bosom of His loving providence. It is in this that their hearts will melt in gratitude, giving thanks to the Saviour of the world for opening to them the door leading to such heights of confidence and offering Him all the fruits they have gathered and continue to gather every day.

Footnotes

[1] 2 Tim. i. 12.

[2] Psal. IX. 11.

 6   From this, they go further and make the effort to increase their confidence to such an extent that it can overcome whatever terrible trials they may encounter. It is the shield they use to fend off difficulties and to make headway against their enemies. It anchors them to Heaven and holds them secure in the middle of storms and tempests. It is the heavenly dew which preserves them from weakening of the heart. It is the citadel where they can withdraw when they come under a sustained attack and from which they can mock the threats and scheming manoeuvres of the wicked spirits. What more can I say? Confidence makes triumphant progress in their souls, little by little chasing out all fear and all apprehension. It is just like Jesus being seated in the middle of men’s hearts, no more nor less than a heavenly Halcyon[1], calming the winds of vain fears, overcoming the emotions of disordered appetites, vanquishing temptations, disposing everyone spiritually to receive everything from the hand of God from which indescribable peace and wondrous tranquillity proceed.

Footnotes

[1] In classical mythology: a bird, usually identified as a kingfisher, which brooded around the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, charming the wind and waves into calm. See Pliny Nat. Hist. Bk. X, Ch. 47.

 7   What we have been describing should not be regarded as a form of appeasement or a shameful life of laziness; on the contrary, the very confidence in God which leads to this profound peace fills all the faculties of their souls and keeps all things in order. Peace and war make them equally watchful, and just as times of trouble and temptation make them turn to God and put their hands to good use, so too do calm and tranquillity make them anticipate surprises and compel them to consider nothing as certain as long as they are surrounded by their enemies. Accordingly, they never failed to render to God the homage of their care and attention, no more nor less than as if everything depended upon this. They are as diligent in small things as they are in important matters and they never omit anything which might help to bring the divine goodness to their help, even though they never overestimate what they themselves contribute but place their trust only in the faithfulness of the Saviour's loving heart and in the help they hope to receive from on high. 

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 11 : § 3.2-7

Chapter 11 : Imitation – tenth 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. On her lively faith and how it should be imitated by all

The Holy Virgin’s faith was most clear-sighted

 2   I use the words most clear sighted forasmuch as before the promulgation of the law of love, before all the sermons of preachers, before the millions of miracles, before the witness of the Martyrs and countless other signs which serve today as bulwarks for our faith, she believed more firmly and more clearly than any other person the mystery of the most Holy Trinity, that of the Incarnation, of the glorification of her Son and the other mysteries of the faith. As St Bernard teaches[1], 

She was the first of human creatures who had a clear and detailed understanding of the economy of our salvation.

This is what would have inspired the pious Archbishop of Toledo[2] to confer on her the title of she who is clear-sighted in the faith and St Gregory Thaumaturgus[3] to call her the repository of all the mysteries. Consider how Saint Gregory addresses her in the first Prayer he composed for the Annunciation:

 

Thou knowest, most Holy Virgin, things unknown to the Patriarchs: thou didst learn what hitherto had not been revealed even to the Angels; thou hast heard that which so many Prophets inspired of God never heard. Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel and many others reached certain heights in the way they spoke of the mysteries of our salvation, it is true, but they were far from penetrating as you did the way in which these were to be fulfilled. In short, that which was hidden to all previous ages was revealed to thee; but in addition, it hath been a prerogative proper and personal to thee alone that the execution of the majority of these miracles would depend upon thee. 

Footnotes

[1] Epist. 77.

[2] Ildefons., Serm. 4 de Assumpt.

[3] Orat. 2 de Annuntiat.

The Holy Virgin’s faith was most simple

 3   Her faith was most simple insofar as it went far beyond all those considerations that might have been capable of shaking it or troubling it.

There was nothing in the world that could come near her humility, said St Bernard[1] and the Bishop of Ávila[2], and she had a lower opinion of herself than any other creature.

It was moreover a thing unheard of that a Virgin might conceive and the concept of MOTHER OF GOD exceeded anything which might have occurred to the human or angelic mind. This notwithstanding, she believed that she would be MOTHER OF GOD and remain a Virgin at the first word of the Angel after she had carefully considered it, without any hesitation or resistance. The first time she heard the invitation, she accepted the honour the most Holy Trinity was offering her and the way she gave her assent was so open and honest that (and here I am following St Augustine[3]) it was through her merit that Heaven was opened, which up until then had been closed off. We can truthfully say with St Anselm[4] that Mary’s faith was the door through which Jesus, our Redeemer, came into the world. We can put this even better by saying that this was the door through which there entered, along with with Jesus, countless wonders which could only be fulfilled in the most sacred Virgin. This is what her cousin Elizabeth meant when she told her[5]: Blessed art thou for having had faith in the word of the Angel, forasmuch as all that was spoken to thee by the Lord shall be fully accomplished in thee.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. in Signum magnum.

[2] Paradox. I, c. 30.

[3] Serm. 17 de Natali Domini : Fides Mariæ coelum aperuit cum Angelo nuntianti consensit.

[4] In c. 10 Luc.

[5] Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord : Luke i. 45.

The Holy Virgin’s faith was most constant

 4   Finally, her faith was most constant in that it never wavered in the face of any difficulty. The Virgin was the first to see God reduced to a tiny infant having need of her help. She saw Strength in weakness, Wisdom in an infant and Majesty in a baby. She saw the King of glory leading the life of a carpenter; she saw Him defenceless and with no help from His own, stretched out on a cross; she saw all that and much more but without losing faith, without letting it trouble her and without reacting badly. On the contrary, she saw wonders of greatness through these tribulations and never doubted that what had been revealed to her would be fulfilled to the last letter. She believed this not only privately in her heart but she made public profession of it at the foot of the Cross when fear of persecution had scattered the bravest and the most zealous Disciples and Apostles of the Saviour; and she did everything within her power to bring them back to the fold like poor sheep who had strayed. 

 5   Following the example of the MOTHER OF GOD, her dear children will apply themselves firstly to acquiring a living faith as the Apostle says[1], having clear sighted eyes of Faith. They will take pleasure in meditating on the mysteries of the faith and on immersing themselves as deeply as they can in this divine science, recalling that the Saviour of the world teaches in St John[2] that this is eternal life, namely man’s happiness which begins in this world and which will be brought to perfection in the next. They will also recall how St Paul[3], in consideration of this divine light, had no longer any regard for anything which had an appearance of sweetness, beauty or greatness in this world. They will say along with the Holy Apostles[4] Lord increase our faith, 

especially when faith requires them to take a step forward which needs their understanding to be illuminated by a light which is beyond what is ordinary,

as St John Chrysostom elegantly puts it in his explanation of the title of Psalm 44, where David indicates that it is a Canticle which needs understanding.

Footnotes

[1] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what the hope is of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Eph. i. 17-18.

[2] Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John xvii. 3.

[3] I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord: Phil. iii. 8; For many walk . . . whose end is destruction; whose God is their belly; and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things. But our conversation is in heaven : Phil. Iii. 18-20.

[4] Luke xvii. 5.

 6   After this, they will strive with all possible simplicity in everything which concerns the faith but without wishing to understand that which goes beyond the reach of their minds, bowing rather in humility and allowing their own understanding to be brought into captivity[1] in order to honour the triumph of the faith. Let them be ever mindful of what the pious St Bernard[2] wrote :

There is nothing more unreasonable than wanting to attain by means of reason that which surpasses reason; and there is nothing more lacking in faith than the refusal to believe  That which reason cannot of itself attain. 

Let them reflect frequently upon the words of Saint Augustine[3]:

God would not be so exalted over us if He could do nothing that our minds could not conceive. 

Let them appreciate how the only way of understanding the things of faith is to believe them with a perfect submission of their understanding, and that those truly humble and simple of heart discover wonders every day where the great minds of the world see nothing at all. In short, let them realise that they could not offer to God a more pleasing sacrifice than to lead their presumptuously curious judgement to the altar of His sovereign Majesty bound hand and foot like a sacrificial ram as a sin offering for contumacy, in order to render homage through this means to His infallible truth.   

Footnotes

[1] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto . . . bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ: II Cor x. 4-5.

[2] Epist. 190.

[3] Lib. II Civit. Dei, c. 7.

 7   Finally, they will aim to base their faith so firmly on Jesus Christ as the unique foundation of right belief that nothing can shake it : not temptations, nor attacks, nor dreadful events, nor adversity, nor persecutions, nor all the efforts of enemies, whether visible or invisible. Let the winds of calumny blow where they will; let the torrents of inner bitterness surge unabated; let the storms of mistrust, darkness and fear threaten to destroy everything : they will for ever hold fast, forasmuch as their house is built upon the rock and upheld by the most certain truth and unquestionable word of Him who cannot err.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 11 : § 2.1-2 > § 3.1

Chapter 11 : Imitation – tenth 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)

§ 2. How everyone in general should try to imitate the excellent virtues of the glorious Virgin

 1   If I were to say that all the Saints on high are like so many stars in the firmament who shine upon us with their light, causing us to rejoice at their beauty and providing guidance for us amongst the shadows of this mortal life, then I would only be following St Paul[1] who has already spoken in this way about the virtuous and deserving people who could be found in his day amongst the Philippians. When I go on to add that amongst these resplendent stars Jesus and Mary are like the Sun and the Moon, the two great luminaries of the universe, then this would be nothing new but only what countless Saints have observed before me. If they have said this, then it is with good reason since in fact the Sun and the Moon do not outshine the stars in their brightness and range so much as Jesus and Mary surpass all the other Saints in their excellence, in their admirable virtues and in their far-reaching effects. In the first place, although the Saints give us important advice about always keeping in mind some great idea of perfection, so too is it fitting and beneficial for us, after the divine virtues of Jesus, to have our eyes continually fixed upon those of Mary, because of their eminence.

This is precisely the reason why, says the pious Abbot Rupert[2], the Beloved Virgin– indeed she who is the most beloved of all the Beloved – should be the rule and model for the others.

Concerning this point, however, I shall say no more since when we were discussing her virtues in general in Part I, I explained how she was Queen of the highest virtues and what will be said shortly concerning her particular virtues will demonstrate how they surpass those of everyone else.

Footnotes

[1] among whom you shine as lights in the world / inter quos lucetis sicut luminaria in mundo: Philipp. ii. 15.

[2] Lib. in Cant.

 2   In a general sense I can say firstly that all sorts of people find themselves powerfully attracted to taking the MOTHER OF GOD for their Patronness and the reason is that she is endowed with every sort of heroic virtue.

Do you want to know the difference between the glorious Virgin and the other saints? asks the Angelic Doctor[1], it consists principally in this, that the Saints are normally noteworthy for some particular virtue. One may excel in devotion, another in charity; this one may be famous for his mortification, that one for his meekness; some may be admired for their abstinence, some for their humility, some in this way and some in another; but the MOTHER OF GOD possesses all these virtues to a most high degree, both in terms of their range and the level of each virtue, so much so that it is as if she possesses only one virtue.

Next, I might say that many of the Saints resemble certain stars which may be seen from a particular beach or shine upon a certain province or a particular country. By this I mean that there are some Saints who are known only in Italy, others in France, others in Spain or in Germany, and so on with other countries. The gentle and wondrous influences of the Virgin, however, spread generally and equally over all empires and over all places on the earth; and, as the Church sings, her illustrious life shines its light on all the Churches of the world, without exception. The splendour of her incomparable virtues  penetrates both the hemispheres of our world and there is no spot under heaven where the rays of her holiness have not been felt.  

In the third place I might say that, just as the majority of stars are limited to certain particular effects, in the same way many saints seem to be suited for certain types of persons. In this way God, who has provided His Church most generously with everything she might require, has given us certain Saints to serve as a rule and model for hermits, others to instruct those who live in community; some Saints provide a good model for those who are married, others for virgins or for widows. There are Saints for Princes, for Prelates, for the various Orders in the Church, for members of Religious Orders, for the lay people in Orders, for those present at Court, or for those involved in commerce – in short,  there is no one, even of the lowliest position in our world, for whom some Saint has not shown the way of Virtue and demonstrated by example that saintliness is achievable by people of all ages and conditions.  

With regard to the MOTHER OF GOD, says St Ambrose[2], her life can serve as a mirror for every sort of person. The high and the lowly, novices and masters, men and women, young and old, will find in her something for their benefit; and whoever wants to draw close to her through imitation will find his mind enlightened and his heart set aglow.

This is what I aim to elucidate during the remainder of this Chapter.

Footnotes

[1] Opusc. 8.

[2] Lib. II de Virginibus : Talis fuit Maria, ut ejus vita omnium sit disciplina.

§ 3. On her lively faith and how it should be imitated by all

 1   St Paul calls faith the foundation of things to be hoped for[1] and St Paulinus calls it the nourishment and sustenance of all good deeds[2]. The Holy Virgin’s faith is so perfect that the great Bishop of Ávila went so far as to call her the head of all the faithful[3], notwithstanding that this title belongs principally and most properly to her beloved Son who is the head of all the elect par excellence and, in consequence, of all the faithful. The Holy Virgin, however, has a special right to this prerogative for, as faith had no place in the Saviour’s soul, it was she who took it to its highest point of perfection. Specifically, my understanding is that her faith had three eminent qualities : it was most clear-sighted, simple and constant.

Footnotes

[1] Hebr. xi. 1.

[2] Epist. 4.

[3] Paradox. I, c. 31.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 11 : § 1.1-4

Chapter 11 : Imitation – tenth 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)

If you see Imitation is being dealt with now after the other ways of showing gratitude, you should not for that reason think any the less of it. I have deliberately left it until now because it is not so much an individual virtue different from the others but rather a combination of all the virtues, adding only a general motive which is to perform actions so as to make ourselves more like the person being honoured. Apart from this, once you have taken a closer look at imitation, you will find that the Queen of Heaven herself esteemed it highly and practised it more than any other.

§ 1. How Imitation is one of the most pleasing forms of gratitude to the MOTHER OF GOD

 1   To ask why we should imitate the Queen of Angels is in my opinion like asking why we should love her – granted that love is not only love but is also the father of likeness and imitation.

Love, says the Philosopher[1], cannot exist without likeness, to the extent that if it is not founded upon it then it must beget it; and if it is not already found present then it cannot stop itself from producing it.

There is nothing in the world it will not bring down, no pleasure it will not forego, no gain it will not sacrifice in order to render itself like that which it loves; and there is nothing it will not give, nothing it will not do or undertake in order to render that which is loved similar to itself. This is, however, especially true of maternal love, more so than all the other types of love : inasmuch as it lives and feeds on likeness. The strongest love of mothers usually goes to the children who are closest to them. This is the thrust of the wise advice which St Bonaventure[2] gives us when he says : 

Do you want to be welcomed by your dear Mother and win a special place in her affections? Do you want to be treated tenderly by her and never be refused anything you might ask of her, even if this goes so far as to abide happily with her? Learn then that the shortest way of achieving this is to study how to imitate her as much as you can. 

You will be making a big mistake, says Saint Augustine[3], if you imagine you can achieve great things by having recourse to her but without trying to be like her : until you go to the trouble of imitating her humility and her other virtues, you should be aware that nothing has been achieved – forasmuch as the true touchstone of love and devotion is to imitate that which you honour[4]. 

Footnotes

[1] Arist., lib. III Ethic. (Aristotle’s discussion of friendship and likeness is in fact found in Book VIII).

[2] Stimulo divini amoris, c. 7.

[3] Serm. 35 de Sanctis.

[4] Summa devotio imitari quod colimus /The highest devotion is to imitate what we worship.  Vid. S. Bonav., Lib. viginti quinque memorabilium, nº 13.

 2   Even if she did not belong to you in any way, please tell me you would you not have good enough reason to imitate her because she was (as indeed she is) the most excellent model of all the virtues that you could ever choose under God? I do not intend to elaborate on this subject here forasmuch as I have already shown elsewhere[1] how she is the Queen of virtues; but knowing that you can consider her as your Mother, is it not a mark of great consolation that you do not have to look far for something to imitate, that you have exemplars of every virtue within your family, as well as a Mother who is the most accomplished idea of all perfection? This is the joy and privilege of the children of the valiant woman in Proverbs[2], who is a true prefiguration of the MOTHER OF GOD : that all in her household are clothed with double garments. This is not simply a reference to the clothing they had for winter and summer but, as is noted by Cardinal Hugh[3]: 

These are holy habits and qualities which protect them when times are bad, such as strength of will, patience, meekness and humility; and those which are more suited to better times, such as piety, devotion, wisdom and the like.  

Not only have they put on Jesus Christ, as the Apostle recommends[4], but they are also clothed in imitation of their Father and their Mother and are, as St Bonaventure says[5], dressed with Mary, the perfect rule of all purity. The Prophet Isaiah[6], moreover, not only wants us to fix our eyes upon Abraham the father of the faithful, but he is most keen for us always to have before us the image of his chaste wife Sarah, whom we have described elsewhere[7] as one of the figures foreshadowing the glorious Virgin, our Mother. I find it so hard to understand how, coming from such good stock and having the outstanding example of such a Father and Mother ever-present before us, we can nevertheless make such heavy weather of following their lead. With what possible pretext can we hope to cover up our cowardice and laziness, and how can we bear to be reproached by so many beautiful examples they have left for us to follow 

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 10.

[2] Prov. xxxi. 21.

[3] Hugh of St-Cher, a Dominican Cardinal, d. 1263.

[4] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ : Rom. xiii. 14.

[5] In Psal. 5.

[6] And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. Isai. xi. 1.

[7] Part I, ch. 3, § 4.

 3   Let us return to the Holy Virgin our dear Mother, since she is the focus of our attention. Are we not actually saying that her qualities are so out of the ordinary that they are altogether inimitable, and that it belongs only to her to be the MOTHER OF GOD, to be Virgin and Mother at one and the same time, and to bring together qualities which are so extremely different from one another?

Yes, we are ; but, asks St Bernard[1], is there nothing else in her that can be imitated? Consider for a moment those times when we find ourselves lacking gentleness in our conversation, humility in our hearts, greatness, courage, and tender-heartedness : can we excuse ourselves on the grounds that her perfections are inimitable by us?

You cannot come near to being like the MOTHER OF GOD, you say? What then will you reply to St Jerome[2], to St Ambrose[3], to Blessed Peter Damian[4] and to the pious Hugh of Saint Victor[5] who strongly maintain that we can?

You have the means of being the MOTHER OF GOD, says the first, but this is in the spirit.  

But do the will of the Father, says the second, and you will be the Mother of the son.

The Holy Virgin conceived the divine Word in her bodily womb, says the third; and we conceive Him in the womb of our soul; she nourished Him with the precious milk of her sacred breasts and we feed Him with the tasty morsels of our holy actions.

My dear brethren, says the fourth, let us make no mistake about this; since if we aim to enjoy the eternal happiness which has been prepared for us, it follows of necessity that we should firstly be Mothers of Jesus Christ; I mean that we should conceive Him, bear Him within us, give birth to Him and finally possess Him as our own. We shall conceive Him through faith, bear Him through our good will, give birth to Him through good works, and finally we shall rejoice in possessing Him in Heaven when He will be entirely ours and we entirely His.

If these qualities which seem so far removed from us are not actually beyond our power, then what will be the case with her exceptional modesty, her perfect humility, her voluntary poverty, her admirable confidence and trust, her perfect charity not only towards God but towards her neighbour, and with all her other virtues which are more humanly accessible, so to speak?  Let us not be in any haste about this, however, since time is needed to consider them in detail and to set our hearts on imitating them.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. in Signum magnum.

[2] Epist. 22 ad Eustoch.

[3] In c. 21 Luc.

[4] Serm. 2 de Nativit. B. Mariæ.

[5] Serm. 18.

 4   Let us say, however, by way of conclusion that we are still obliged to imitate her if only because of the wondrous fruits that will come to us through this imitation. Blessed are they that keep my ways, she says[1]. What more could you want since you will actually experience great happiness in this holy exercise? Take time to listen to her devoted son Bernard and he will reveal to you in what exactly this happiness consists. 

The Holy Virgin, he says[2], knows in a special way those who love her and she draws close to them who entreat her help, especially when they take pains to imitate her chastity and humility; she cherishes in a unique manner those who have placed all their trust in her, after God, and who serve her from the bottom of their hearts. Apart from this, remember that it is no small thing to have won her grace and favour, since : 

• she is all-powerful on earth and in heaven, 
• the life of our souls is in her hands, 
• the eyes of all Christians are fixed upon her and 
• she provides them with the nourishment of grace, as though she – like the sea with its bottomless depths – is the true source of all the virtues.

Who would not wish to run after her with so much to be gained, especially when we hear her calling out to us[3] that he who loves her will follow her, and that he will be filled with her fruits and showered with her blessings? Let us therefore take her at her word and, by means of her favour, let us learn once and for all the way to imitate her.

Footnotes

[1] Prov. viii. 32.

[2] S. Bernard., Super Salve.

[3] Ecclus. xxiv ; Prov. viii.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

👑   👑   👑

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.