Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 8 : § 3.24-25

Chapter 8 : Honour – a seventh 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. Third sign of honour : celebrating her feasts religiously 

Communion and Almsgiving

 24   To these religious practices should be added partaking of the holy mysteries. As the MOTHER OF GOD said one day to a beautiful soul, we should not hope to render her a more pleasing service than by offering her dear Son to her. We should also add charity towards the needy, since if we receive spiritual goods in abundance, then how reasonable it is to distribute the goods of this world.

A noteworthy form of preparation 

 25   It is important, however not to emit that which is most important : we should have a keen awareness that there is nothing that can compare with a diligent and continual preparation for the space of several days, with acts of contrition, mortification, desire, Religion, Faith, Hope, Charity and other excellent virtues such as these. We should always consider it as axiomatic that less preparation means less grace received, and God reserves his privileged favours for those most highly disposed to receive them. When noble souls see one of her great feasts drawing near, they make a conscious effort to prepare themselves in their hearts to advance spiritually. As a result, they redouble their devotions and bring to bear all the credit they have in Heaven. There are many who offer her a bouquet made up of an assortment of prayers, acts of penance and similar virtues – just like so many different flowers.

In the year 1621, one of the Jesuit priests who was living in China noticed that it is a common custom amongst the Chinese to send gifts to women who are about to give birth, which they call complimentary presents to a new mother. He decided to make use of this custom and this is what he proceeded to do. When the feast of Christmas started to draw near, he suggested in his sermons that people should apply this custom to her who was to become the Mother of the King of Heaven, offering her as a present a certain number of fasts, prayers and other good works. This proved so popular that ever since they have never failed to do this before the Nativity of the Saviour and that of His Holy Mother.

St Gertrude was once present at Holy Mass on the vigil of the Assumption and when the priest was reciting the words of the Collect: Deus qui virginalem aulam[1], as soon as he came to the words: Ut sua nos defensione munitos, jucundos faciat sua interesse festivitati, she saw the Holy Virgin wearing her great Imperial mantle. Arrayed beneath the mantle and protected by Angels, were numerous maidens of great comeliness, and she noticed how tenderly the Blessed Virgin was treating them. She learned that these were the souls of those who had spared no effort in preparing themselves carefully so as to celebrate this feast of hers more worthily. She learned at the same time that they had been granted by the Holy Virgin a higher degree of protection than previously; that she had given them a greater share than everyone else in her sweet graces and consolations; and finally she learned that they had been committed in a special way to the guardianship of the Blessed Spirits so as to be kept safe from their enemies.

When the same St Gertrude spoke to the MOTHER OF GOD on the feast of her Annunciation, asking her what would be most pleasing to her and what service she could offer her on this great day, the Virgin replied as follows: 

“If throughout the Octave thou recitest every day thirty five Ave Marias to honour and complete the number of days[2] that my beloved Son was in my womb, then know thou that I shall not cherish this any less in my heart than if thou hadst rendered me every sort of service from the day I conceived until that on which I gave birth to Him. Because if in return for this I would not be able to refuse thee anything at that point in my life, much less can I refuse thee anything now that I have more means to oblige those who make an effort to please me.”

What was said concerning the day of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin differs only in one respect, namely that anyone who, in honour of the days that she herself was in the womb of her dear mother, recites each day of the Octave the same number of Ave Marias as above, will be rewarded by his holy Mother sharing with him in a most special way all the joys that filled her heart here on earth and also all the happiness with which she is now infused by God. Is there anyone so insensitive as not to be moved in some way by the magnificence of these promises nor captivated by such boundless charity?

Footnotes

[1] O God, Who didst deign to choose the virginal chamber of blessed Mary wherein Thou wouldst dwell: grant, we beseech Thee that, strengthened by her defence, we may assist with joy at her feast: 

[2] 8 x 35 = 280. “The duration of pregnancy is considered to be 280 days on average” : Physiology, Pregnancy by Pascual & Langaker (NIH:National Library of Medicine, 2023).

© 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.