Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 10 : § 1.1-5

Chapter 10 : Mortification – a ninth 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)

It is not enough for the chaste Spouse in the Canticles[1] to go only to the hill of frankincense, meaning Prayer and Devotion; in order to please her Beloved, she must also go to the mountain of Myrrh, which is nothing other than Mortification. The Royal Prophet, moreover, would not be impressed if we were to offer praises to God with only pipes and organs[2] – which, according to St Gregory, represent the happiness and excitement within a heart deriving pleasure in prayer – without accompanying their music with the sound of timbrels, which are the symbol of Mortification. Let us accordingly offer Mortification as a companion to the Devotion we discussed in the previous chapter so as to honour the MOTHER OF GOD in every way we think will be pleasing to her.  

 

Footnotes

[1] Till the day break, and the shadows retire, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. Cant. iv. 6.

[2] Ps. CL.

§ 1. How Mortification is a pleasing form of gratitude to the MOTHER OF GOD

 1   We would have very little reason to believe that the Mother of Love, whose very being is suffused with gentleness and compassion, took pleasure in seeing us suffer if there were not some great secret in suffering.

 2   We should note firstly that it is she who makes our sacrifice complete, for as the Angelic Doctor teaches[1]: 

In order for it to be perfect it is not enough for us to present to God our soul’s good by means of Prayer and Devotion or our material goods (which we call our fortune) by means of alms-giving, but in addition we have to offer Him our body’s good and honour Him with this other half of our whole – which is the proper office of Mortification. 

In this way we fulfil all justice and offer to His divine Majesty a gracious sacrifice from the depths of the heart and a Holocaust of which there remains no part, however small, which is not entirely consumed by the fire of charity, rising up to heaven with a most sweet fragrance.  

Footnotes

[1] II-II, q. 85, art. 3, ad 2.

 3   In the second place this dear Mother has a perfect understanding of the excellent fruits we obtain through the practice of Mortification. The Holy Fathers have clearly set these forth and I do not intend to go through them all. I will say only in passing that according to what they say[1] of Mortification 

it cleanses the cesspit of vice and bridles the unruly motions of the flesh, controlling their impulses and keeping them in their proper place; 

• it restores interior peace[2], maintaining the authority of reason and casting down the pride of that part of our soul which is rebellious;  
• it frees the spirit[3] of all the difficulties that weigh it down and provides it with the means of soaring heavenwards through contemplation of eternal things;
• it offers satisfaction[4] for past sins and merits additional graces for the future;
• it enriches[5] and makes more beautiful the crown of glory to be placed on our heads;
• it appeases the wrath of God[6] and makes Him look favourably upon our prayers;
• it casts back the rage[7] of those who are the enemies of our salvation and takes away from them the power to do us harm; 

– in short, it glorifies God and renders unto Him the tithe and tribute of our mortal life.  

Who would be so much his own worst enemy as to allow his spiritual Mother and the Guardian of his salvation to refuse him through misplaced compassion so many blessings and deprive him of such great benefits? We should not in fact expect this from her since she takes a longer view and is more focused on those things which will cause us to rejoice through eternity than on things we might find upsetting for a moment in time.

Footnotes

[1] Cyprianus.

[2] Basil.

[3] Chrysost.

[4] Bernard.

[5] Augustin.

[6] Hieronim.

[7] Athanas.

 4   Even if that were not the case, would it not be enough for us to know that she has been a true model of mortification and this should make us renounce all the pleasures of a comfortable life so as to embrace the rigour and harshness that would make us similar to her? St Bonaventure recounts what the Holy Virgin revealed[1] to St Elisabeth, daughter of Andrew, King of Hungary:

that she had not received any grace or favour from Heaven except through most fervent prayers, continual weeping and a life which was extremely hard and demanding.

She says in the Canticle of love[2] that it is not surprising that her beautiful skin has become so worn-looking since she has been continually suffered from adversity and a life full of travails, just as though the powerful rays of the Sun had been beating down upon her. She is angry at being called Beautiful, being altogether filled with anguish. Her Spouse is in agreement that she has a fragrance of myrrh and aloes; and she herself is glorified by this[3] as by the sweetest smell that can come from her garments. Whilst it is true that she received this severe treatment from on high like one of the most gentle caresses of Heaven, the big contribution she herself made through her own choice and volition must not be underestimated. I go back to what is written in the first chapter of the Canticles. Her Spouse speaks to her of jewels and enamelled gold bracelets, but she moves the conversation away from this and speaks of a bundle of myrrh which she will keep forever between her breasts, even unto death. If in fact we were to look closely we would find that her life has been nothing other than a tapestry of mortification woven with duty, toil and endless sorrows. Once this realisation has sunk in, will it really be possible to find a true servant of the Virgin who would be willing to rest while she was labouring unceasingly, and to lead a life without any trials and difficulties while she was enduring a perpetual martyrdom in body and soul? May that never turn out to be the case and in fact I prefer to think that there would be no one who would not say with the wise and valiant Urias[4]:

 

The Ark of God and the abode of the most holy Trinity, beloved of Heaven, is dwelling under a tent in the middle of the fields, beneath the Moon and at the mercy of bad weather; and the most valiant soldiers in the army who are guarding it day and night are encamped on the bare earth without any refreshment ; will I rest and take my ease, leaving the company of those who are under arms and have to bear the burdens of war? May God come unto my aid so that this thought will never come into my mind and my conscience will never suffer the reproach of such shameful cowardice.

Footnotes

[1] Medit. Vitæ Christi, c. 3.

[2] Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: Cant. i 5. 

[3] and the sweet smell of thy ointments above all aromatical spices . . .Thy lips, my spouse, are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments, as the smell of frankincense:   Cant. iv 10-11;  I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:   Eccles. xxiv. 20.

[4] 2 Kings (2 Samuel) xi.

 5   There we see the Holy Resolution of a beautiful soul and the noble conclusion of a heart worthy of the MOTHER OF GOD. All that I am going to add are the golden words of the blessed Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, a Carmelite nun who died in Florence in the year 1593 on the 14th of August.

This holy nun was engaged in contemplation of the sublime mystery of the triumphant Assumption of the glorious Virgin and was transported into an ecstasy which lasted from Vespers until seven o’clock in the evening, during which time she received wondrous illuminations and perfect insights into the great dignities of the Queen of Heaven and the service which is due to her. After she emerged from the ecstasy, she remained silent for a very long time and then suddenly she began to speak, her face shining brightly like that of an angel:

 

“Lightness of body, joyfulness of heart, an eagerness to understand, remembering blessings received, purity of intention, simplicity in deeds, truthfuless in words, and mortification of the senses – these are the qualities necessary for someone who wishes to ascend and come before Mary.” 

© 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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 9 : § 9.18-19 > § 10.1-4

Chapter 9 : Devotion – an eighth 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)

§ 9. Ninth sign of devotion : getting to know Holy Church’s various prayers in honour of the glorious Virgin

O Intemerata ; Obsecro te ; O Domina mea ; Sancta Maria ; O Maria Dei Genitrix Virgo

 18   Among the most well known and the best received prayers which the Church uses to honour the Holy Virgin are the following four: O Intemerata, which St Edmund used to recite every day (as we mentioned elsewhere[1]), and by means of which a certain man was delivered from the wickedness and snares of the enemy, as reported by the Bishop of Beauvais[2]; Obsecro te, and O Domina mea Sancta Maria; and the fourth, O Maria Dei Genitrix Virgo. Countless persons may be found offering these prayers each day to the Queen of Heaven, to the great benefit of their souls. 

The glorious Virgin taught the following two prayers to St Bridget which deserve to become more widely known. I should like to include them here because they are beautiful, concise and out of the ordinary. Here is the first one: 

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui pro nobis de castissima Virgine nasci dignatus es, fac nos quæsumus tibi casto corpore servire, et humili mente placere.

Almighty and everlasting God, who for us didst deign to be born of a most chaste Virgin, grant us, we beseech Thee, to serve Thee with a chaste heart and to please Thee with a humble mind.

The second one is conceived in the following terms :

Oramus te, piissima Virgo Maria, mundi Regina et Angelorum, ut eis quos Purgatorius examinat ignis, impetres refrigerium, peccatoribus indulgentiam, justis in bono perseverentiam ; nos quoque fragiles ab omnibus defende periculis. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

We pray to thee, most gracious Virgin Mary, Queen of the world and Queen of Angels, that thou wilt obtain refreshment for those who are being tested by the fires of Purgatory, pardon for sinners, perseverance in goodness for the just; and that thou wilt also protect us who are weak from all dangers. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Simon Garcia was a pious monk in the Order of Minims who almost always had the following devout prayer on his lips. It is written in letters of gold in the sacristy of Our Lady of Loreto, where it is also noted that there is a plenary indulgence granted each time it is recited. Here are the words :

Ave Filia Dei Patris, 

Ave Mater Dei Filii, 

Ave Sponsa Spiritus Sancti, 

Ave templum totius Trinitatis.

Hail, Daughter of God the Father;

Hail, Mother of God the Son;

Hail, Spouse of the Holy Spirit’

Hail, temple for all the Trinity.

Footnotes

[1] Part III, ch. 10, § 4.

[2] Speculi, lib. VII, c. 101.

The Litany of the Holy Virgin

 19   Any of the words in the Litany of the Holy Virgin would be sufficient in themselves to make up a Bouquet of praises. St Bonaventure has some wondrous examples in the second volume of his Opuscula. and others may be found by various authors. The praises sung in the Holy Chapel of Loreto on Saturdays and on feasts of the glorious Virgin form part of what we call the Litany of Loreto[1] and they are the most famous of all. This Litany includes the most beautiful words of praise for the Queen of Heaven, enriched by the most famous examples of prefiguration and symbolism from the Old Testament and from the compilations in the pious writings of the Holy Fathers. They represent in a summary fashion the Greatness of the qualities and dignities of Excellence, Power and Goodness of this incomparable Princess, along with the titles she enjoys as a result of her close interconnection with Word Incarnate, those which befit her by reason of the governance which God has granted her over the whole Church, and those which her peerless goodness acquired for her – as each may see when running through these titles of hers. 

Speaking of this, I should like to mention in passing something which happened to a Father in our Society called Jacques Rhem[2] who had a singular devotion to the MOTHER OF GOD and a particular skill in ruling the congregations of the same Virgin’.

One day when he was trying to satisfy his curiosity as to which description or title of honour was most pleasing to the Queen of Angels, he suddenly heard a voice saying clearly and distinctly that it was Mater admirabilis, Mother most admirable. These words seemed to be like shorthand for saying that she is so admirably Mother and at the same time Virgin that no human power of speech can express this in a sufficiently worthy manner. It subsequently came to pass that one day while the Litany of the Blessed Virgin was being sung in the Chapel of the Congregation, when they came to the words Mater admirabilis, this Mother and Virgin most admirable appeared to him, shining as brightly as the Sun. She filled his heart with a joy so extraordinary that, emerging suddenly from the little corner where he had been praying, he started to call out in a loud voice : Mater admirabilis, and he instructed all those who had been singing to repeat the words three times.

I am aware that the Blessed Virgin revealed to another person that she found the following two titles especially pleasing to her: Mater amabilis and Virgo fidelis (Mother most amiable and Virgin most faithful). There is, however, no contradiction involved here since this difference can be explained in terms of the various ways in which she is pleased to be honoured by different people according to the qualities they find most appealing in her, or the feelings that she judges would be most suited to them. 

I am inclined to believe that one gentle-hearted way of honouring the MOTHER OF GOD here on earth with these beautiful praises would be to imitate the Blessed Spirits and in particular the way all the Holy Orders kneel at her feet when chanting Queen of Angels and Queen of Patriarchs, and so on. As for the Association of those who recite the Litany of Our Lady for each other daily in order to obtain the grace of dying well, I shall have more to say in Chapter 12[3].

Footnotes

[1] The French litanie follows Latin in using the word litania / litany to refer to the individual supplications that make up the prayer. Hence they call the Litany of Loreto the Litanies of Loreto (Litaniae Lauretanae in Lat. and Les Litanies de Lorette in Fr.).

[2] "Mater Admirabilis ou Les Quinze Premières Années de Marie Immaculée" (p24 et seq.) par L'abbé Alfred Monnin (Paris 1865).

[3] Ch. 12, §2. [12].

§ 10. Tenth sign of devotion : commending ourselves earnestly to her in the morning and in the evening

 1   A child born into a good family would consider he is in breach of his duty if he forgets to say good morning and good evening to his mother and father. This would by no means be a trivial omission nor a minor incivility for the well-beloved children of the Mother of love if they were to forget this duty to her.  

Blessed Stanislaus Kostka, a novice in the Society of Jesus, was so devoted to this exercise that not for anything in the world would he have omitted to turn his gaze in the morning and evening towards the Church of Notre-Dame-la-Grande in order to greet his Mother and to ask for her blessing on his knees, placing himself at her service in his own small way. This was a devotion that all the other novices, his companions, found so worthy of imitation that there was not one amongst them who did not wish to take part.

For my part, I am confident that no one claiming to be a true servant and son of the MOTHER OF GOD could ever be found who would not do just as much. This makes me resolve to provide a brief guide for those wishing to commend themselves to her in the evening and in the morning, for the benefit of those who have nothing better.

 2   In the morning, therefore, after each person has recited the daily exercise of a Christian in his Oratory or place of private prayer, he will then be able to begin with the prayer O Domina mea[1]. He can then address the following prayer to the Blessed Virgin:

Most holy and most immaculate MOTHER OF GOD, my Lady most venerable, my most gentle Mother and my unique hope after God, I honour thee and bless thee for all thy great dignities and for all the favours thou hast received from the most August Trinity; I rejoice in these with my whole soul and I adore the same Trinity for each of them. I thank thee for all thy benefits, both general and particular to me, and especially [such and such] which I recognise as having received through thine aid. I dedicate and consecrate myself entirely to thy service, in company with all thy faithful servants, and I offer thee, in union with their most pleasing services, my own body and my soul with all their faculties and actions, so that there may be nothing in me which does not pay special homage to thy Greatness. I especially offer thee this day [such and such an action or plan], imploring thee that through thine own goodness thou wilt deign to accept them and bless them so that they may redound to thine honour and glory and that in all things I may truly accomplish the Holy Will of thy beloved son. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] See O Holy Mary, my Mistress at Preces-Latinae. 

 3   To this may be added the Responsory Sub tuum præsidium, the Versicle Ora pro nobis Sancta Dei Genitrix, along with the Prayer: 

Protege nos, Domine, famulos tuos subsidiis pacis, et Beatæ Mariæ semper Virginis patrociniis confidentes, a cunctis hostibus nos redde securos. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, etc.

Protect, O Lord, thy servants with thine armies of peace: and make those who trust in the patronage of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin secure against all enemies. Through Christ our Lord, etc.

 4   In the evening it is permitted to repeat the same exercise as in the morning, except that in place of O Domina mea, the prayer may be said which begins with these words O Maria Dei Genitrix Virgo[1]. In place of the act of thanksgiving and the petitions which belong to the day, there may be added those which are more fitting for the night. To sum up, instead of the Responsory Sub tuum præsidium, the following prayer could be used : Maria Mater gratiæ[2], but retaining the same Versicle and the same Prayer. 

Footnotes

[1] O Maria, Dei genitrix, Virgo gratiosa, omnium desolatorum ad te clamantium consolatrix vera / O Mary, Mother of God, gracious Virgin, true consoler of all the desolate who cry unto thee.

[2] See Mary Mother of Grace at Preces-Latinae.

[End of Chapter 9]

© 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 9 : § 9.12-17

Chapter 9 : Devotion – an eighth 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)

§ 9. Ninth sign of devotion : getting to know Holy Church’s various prayers in honour of the glorious Virgin

Alma Redemptoris

 12   The majority of those authorities I have already cited in connection with the Salve Regina agree there is no doubt that the author of the Antiphon Alma Redemptoris, which is sung in Church from Advent to the Purification, is also Hermann Contractus.

Ave Regina cœlorum

 13   There is also general agreement that the Ave Regina cœlorum, which is sung in Church in honour of the Holy Virgin from the Purification to Easter, is also extremely ancient – although I have been unable to establish who composed it.

Sancta Maria succurre miseris 

 14   Amongst the Responsories, I do not believe there may be found any more ancient than the one which begins Sancta Maria succurre miseris[1]. There are some who claim that it was composed by St Fulbert, Bishop of Chartres, citing his reference to it in a sermon he gave on the Assumption. They are, however, mistaken because St Augustine (to whom it belongs) made use of it some six hundred years before him – as may be seen in the eighteenth Sermon he gave on the Saints.

Footnotes

[1]  Holy Mary, be thou a help to the helpless.

Sub tuum præsidium

 15   The prayer we know as Sub tuum præsidium is for the most part taken from St Bernardine’s second sermon of Advent[1]. The Chronicle of the Friars Minor[2] contains an account which is not only verifiable but is a strong impetus to devotion. 

Three doctors from Paris had met up to make the journey together from France to Italy. Whilst they were on Mount Cenis, a terrible storm broke over them so that they could see nothing except when lightning flashed. Then, amidst the darkness and thunder they heard a terrifying voice: Kill, kill. At the same time the clouds parted and a bolt of lightning struck one of their number, killing him instantly. The other two immediately fled but the same voice could be heard and a bolt of lightning struck a second man who fell dead from his horse. If ever a man experienced fear, it was the third,who was called Augustine. Transfixed with terror, he repeated unceasingly the Antiphon Sub tuum præsidium, entrusting himself to the protection of the Virgin. When the dreadful voice cried out for the third time Kill, kill, the man heard a voice reply that the lightning could not put him to death because he had sought Mary’s protection. God alone knows with what fervour the Doctor, hearing those words, intensified his prayer and offered his heart to the Holy Virgin. His only desire was to be saved and to consecrate the rest of his days to God; in support of this, he made a thousand promises that if he survived this danger he would enter into the order of St Francis. He had scarcely finished making this vow than the tempest began to ease and the sky became bright and peaceful. Acknowledging the debt he owed to God and the Blessed Virgin, he lost no time in fulfilling the promise he had made to them.

  

Footnotes

[1]  For a 2011 article claiming to provide proof this prayer dates at least to the third century A.D., see The Sub Tuum Præsidium by Henri de Villiers at the New Liturgical Movement site.

[2]  T. III, lib. VIII, c. 32.

Gaude Maria Virgo

 16   In former times, to the Antiphon which begins with Gaude Maria Virgo[1] were added certain words in honour of the perpetual virginity of the MOTHER OF GOD which was then being attacked ferociously by the Jews. Later, in the time of Boniface IV, a cleric in the Roman church who had been blind from birth was singing these very words on the feast of the Purification and he suddenly found that he had regained his sight in the presence of all the people. This was the reason for its insertion into the Office of the Purification. Some learned writers have suggested it was this same blind man who composed the words but I am more inclined to believe that it was of more ancient use in the Church.

There is a story told of a young boy who was in the habit of singing these words at the close of day in the streets of his town. This so infuriated the Jews against him that they put him secretly to death and buried him in the ground, but the Holy Virgin had compassion on him and brought him back to life so that the following day when he was found there were no injuries on him.

Footnotes

[1] Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, (thou alone hast destroyed all heresies in the world).

Felix namque es sacra Virgo Maria

 17   The learned Bishop Thomas Cantipratanus writes[1] that Angels were heard several times near the city of Soissons singing together with wondrous harmony in honour of their Queen the motet Felix namque es sacra Virgo Maria[2], which the Church has long used but without making known the composer’s identity. 

Footnotes

[1] Speculum exempl., dist. 8, exemplo 58 ; Pelbartus Stellarii, lib. III, p. I, art. 2, c. 3 ; Cantiprat., lib. II in Apum.

[2] For thou art happy, O sacred Virgin Mary (/ and most worthy of all praise: / because from thee hath arisen the Sun of justice, / Christ our God).

© 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 9 : § 9.7-11

Chapter 9 : Devotion – an eighth 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)

§ 9. Ninth sign of devotion : getting to know Holy Church’s various prayers in honour of the glorious Virgin

Gaude Flore Virginali

 7   The Hymn Gaude Flore Virginali[1] was composed by St Thomas of Canterbury.

Footnotes

[1] Believed to comprise originally seven stanzas of rhyming verse representing seven joyful contemplations of Mary.

Magnificat

 8   I do not intend to cover here the sacred Canticle of the MOTHER OF GOD which we call the Magnificat since it is clearly evident that it must surpass other Hymns and Canticles just as much as she who uttered it surpasses all others inspired by God. 

 9   In view of the close connection that the Psalms have with Hymns, I will include here the beautiful devotion of Blessed Jordan, the Superior General of the Dominican Order, who in honour of the five letters in the name Maria, used to recite every five days the following five Psalms or Canticles: Magnificat, Ad te levavi oculos meos[1], Retribue servo tuo[2], In convertendo[3], Ad te levavi animam meam[4].

Footnotes

[1] To thee have I lifted up my eyes : Ps. CXXII.

[2] Give bountifully to thy servant : Ps. CXVIII. 17.

[3] When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion : Ps. CXXV.

[4] To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul : Ps. XXIV.

Regina Cœli

 10   Amongst the Antiphons, the Regina Cœli is particularly distinguished for its excellence, having been composed in Heaven, dictated to Angels and sent down to earth in such a remarkable set of circumstances, as I have already mentioned elsewhere[1]. 

Footnotes

[1]  Part II, ch. 7, § 3

Salve Regina

 11   Contrary to the opinion of some, the Salve Regina was composed by a great devotee of the Blessed Virgin known as Hermann Contractus, this being the view of the best authorities[1]. He wrote it around the year 1040 and it was so pleasing to her that she enabled the devotion to spread in only a short time through the whole of Germany and France. Later around the year 1227 Pope Gregory IX decreed that it was to be sung throughout the Church after certain Hours in the Divine Office and at certain times in the year, a practice which continues to this day. The learned Navarrese Doctor[2]  wrote that at one time people could hear Angels who came to sing it every Saturday in Roncevaux near a fountain which is called, for this reason, the fountain of the Angels. He adds that it is called the Mariners’ Antiphon because it is in their hearts and on their lips whenever they are threatened with shipwreck. The pious Bosius[3]  goes further and says that there is scarcely any good Christian who does not offer up this prayer every day in honour of the glorious Virgin. Any readers curious to read about the way numerous people benefited by miracles in connection with this holy Antiphon need only look to the authors cited elsewhere[4].

St Bernard had a particular devotion to this Antiphon and when the Canons of the noble Cathedral of Spires[5] discovered this, they invited him to come and see their Church. When the Saint arrived there accompanied by a crowd of people who seemed to follow him almost everywhere, he was greeted with a Salve Regina. The singing was superb and the Saint genuflected three times when they sang those beautiful and touching words: O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria[6]. In memory of this, you can still see today in Spires the place where he genuflected which is marked by three copper plates inscribed with these same words.

The Seraphic St Francis, according to St Bonaventure, attested even after his death to his affection for this devout prayer. He had received an appeal from a woman in Arezzo (in Tuscany) who had already been seven days in labour but without managing to deliver her baby. He appeared to her when she was asleep and asked her if she knew him and if she knew how to say the Salve Regina. When she said that she did, he told her to say the prayer, promising her that she would no sooner have completed it than she would have given birth without any pain. She began to recite the prayer and as soon as she came to these words Et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui[7], she gave birth to a beautiful little baby and was restored to her full health and vigour.  

Footnotes

[1] Trithemius, de Viris illustribus O. S. B., lib. II, c. 48.

[2] Manuali de Orat., c. 19, nº 148.

[3] Probably a reference to Blosius : François-Louis de Blois (1506–1566).

[4] S. Anton., p. III, tit. XXIII, c. 3 ; Speculum exemplorum, dist. 7, exempl. 42, 43, 44 ; Thomas Cantiprat., lib. X Apum, etc.

[5] Old name in English for Speyer in Germany.

[6] O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. 

[7] the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

© 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 9 : § 9.5-6

Chapter 9 : Devotion – an eighth 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)

§ 9. Ninth sign of devotion : getting to know Holy Church’s various prayers in honour of the glorious Virgin

Stabat Mater

 5   St Antoninus (along with several others) gives credit to St Gregory the Great for this solemn Sequence or sorrowful lament of the Virgin which begins with the words : Stabat Mater dolorosa.

Te Matrem Dei laudamus

 

 6   In imitation of the Hymn written by St Ambrose and St Augustine which we call the Te Deum, St Bonaventure composed a piece which deserves to be reproduced here in full not only because of the beautiful titles with which he honours the Holy Virgin but also because it is not so commonly found as other hymns.

Here is what he wrote : 

Te Matrem Dei laudamus, te Mariam Virginem profitemur,

Te æterni Patris sponsam, omnis terra veneratur.

Tibi omnes Angeli et Archangeli, tibi Throni et Principatus fideliter deserviunt.

Tibi omnes Potestates, et omnes Virtutes coeli coelorum, et universæ Dominationes obediunt.

Tibi omnes Chori, tibi Cherubim et Seraphim, exultantes assistunt.

Tibi omnis Angelica creatura incessabili voce proclamat :

Sancta, Sancta, Sancta Maria Dei Genitrix, mater et virgo.

Pleni sunt coeli et terra majestatis gloriæ fructus ventris tui.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus sui Creatoris Matrem collaudat.

Te beatorum Martyrum coetus candidatus Christi Genitricem glorificat.

Te gloriosus Confessorum exercitus Trinitatis templum appellat.

Te Sanctarum virginum chorus amabilis, virginitatis et humilitatis exemplum prædicat.

Te tota coelestis curia Reginam honorat.

Te per universum orbem Ecclesia invocando concelebrat,

Matrem divinæ majestatis,

Venerandam te veram Regis coelestis puerperam,

Sanctam quoque, dulcem et piam.

Tu Angelorum Domina, tu Paradisi janua.

Tu scala Regni coelestis et gloriæ, tu thalamus, tu arca pietatis et gratiæ.

Tu vena misericordioe, tu Sponsa et Mater Regis æterni.

Tu templum et sacrarium Spiritus Sancti ; totius beatissimæ Trinitatis nobile triclinium.

Tu mediatrix Dei et hominum amatrix.

Tu agonizatrix pugnantium, advocata pauperum, miseratrix et refugium peccatorum.

Tu erogatrix munerum, superatrix ac terror Dæmonum et superborum.

Tu mundi Domina, coeli Regina, post Deum sola spes nostra.

Tu salus te invocantium, portus naufragantium, miserorum solatium, pereuntium refugium.

Tu mater omnium beatorum, gaudium plenum post Deum, omnium supernorum civium solatium.

Tu promotrix justorum, congregatrix errantium, promissio Patriarcharum.

Tu veritas Prophetarum, præconium et doctrix Apostolorum, magistra Evangelistarum.

Tu fortitudo Martyrum, exemplar Confessorum, honor et festivitas Virginum.

Tu ad liberandum exulem hominem Filium Dei suscepisti in uterum.

Per te, expugnato hoste antiquo, sunt aperta fidelibus regna coelorum.

Tu cum Filio tuo sedes ad dexteram Patris : tu ipsum pro nobis roga, Virgo Maria, quem nos adjudicandum credimus esse venturum.

Te ergo poscimus nobis famulis tuis subveni, qui pretioso sanguine Filii tui redempti sumus.

Æterna fac, pia virgo, nos cum Sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

Salvum fac populum tuum, Domina, ut simus participes hoereditatis Filii tui.

Et rege nos, et custodi nos in æternum mente et voce.

Dignare, dulcis Maria, nunc et semper nos sine delicto conservare.

Miserere pia nobis, miserere nobis.

Fiat misericordia tua magna nobiscum, quia in te, Virgo Maria, confidimus.

In te, dulcis Maria, speramus, nos defendas in æternum.

Te decet laus, te decet imperium, tibi virtus et gloria in secula seculorum. Amen.

[Translator’s note: Here is my English translation which takes into account the text in “A Devout Exercise in Honour of the ever blessed Virgin Mother of God, Mary conceived without original sin. From the writings of Saint Bonaventure. In Latin and English.” R. Washbourne, London (1872). For those who are interested, here is a link to the 1872 work : A Devout Exercise.]

We praise thee, O Mother of God : we acknowledge thee O Mary, ever Virgin;
Spouse[1] of the eternal Father, all the earth doth venerate thee.
To thee all the Angels and Archangels, to thee the Thrones and Principalities faithfully offer their service;
To thee all the Powers, all the Virtues in the highest Heavens and all the Dominations are obedient.
Before thee all the Choirs stand in glad attendance, as do the Cherubim and Seraphim;
To thee all Angelic creatures unceasingly proclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Mary Mother of God : Mother and Virgin!
Heaven and earth are full of the glorious majesty of the fruit of thy womb.
The glorious chorus of Apostles praiseth the Mother of their Creator;
The white-robed company of blessed Martyrs glorifieth her that bare the Christ;
The glorious army of Confessors calleth thee the temple of the Trinity;
The amiable[2] choir of holy Virgins proclaimeth thee a model of virginity and humility;

The whole court of Heaven honoureth thee as Queen;
Holy Church throughout the world calleth upon thee, celebrating thy praise : 
Mother of divine majesty,
Mother most venerable, thou didst in truth bring forth the King of Heaven,
Mother most holy, sweet-natured and gracious;
Thou art the Mistress of the Angels, thou art the gate of Paradise;
Thou art the ladder to the Kingdom of Heaven and to glory, thou art Heaven’s nuptial chamber[3], thou art the ark of piety and grace;
Thou art the channel of mercy, thou art the Spouse and Mother of the eternal King;
Thou art the Temple and Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit; the noble triclinium[4] for the entire blessed Trinity;

Thou art the mediatrix between God and man, with a tender love for mankind;

Thou art a source of strength for them that contend; the advocate of the poor, having mercy upon sinners and serving as their refuge;

Thou bestoweth divine gifts; thou art the vanquisher and terror of the devils and the proud;

Thou art Mistress of this world and Queen of Heaven, and our only hope after God.

Thou art salvation for those who cry unto thee, a safe haven for the shipwrecked; consolation of the afflicted and refuge of them that perish.

Thou art the Mother of all the Blessed, the fulness of joy after God and the consolation of all the citizens of Heaven.

Thou promotest the just and gatherest them that are scattered; thou art the promise of the Patriarchs,

Thou art the truth of the Prophets, the teacher of the Apostles, giving strength to their preaching, and the guide of the Evangelists;

Thou art the strength of the Martyrs, the model for Confessors and the honour and joy of Virgins;

Thou didst take into thy womb the Son of God, unto the deliverance of man from his exile;

Through thee, the ancient foe being vanquished, the Kingdom of Heaven was opened to believers; 

Thou sittest with thy Son at the right hand of the Father; do thou pray on our behalf to Him who will come again to judge us, O Virgin Mary; 

We therefore pray that thou wilt come unto the aid of thy servants who have been redeemed by the precious blood of thy Son; 

Do thou, O gentle Virgin, make us to be numbered with thy Saints in everlasting glory;

Save thy people, dearest Lady, that we may be partakers in the inheritance of thy Son;

Do thou govern us and guard us for ever, in our thoughts and in our speech;

O gentle Mary, deign to keep us free from sin now and for ever;

Have mercy on us, sweet Mother, have mercy on us;

Let thy great mercy be upon us, O Virgin Mary, for we have placed our trust in thee.

In thee, sweetest Mary, do we hope, do thou protect us for ever.

To thee be praise, and power, and virtue and glory : for ever and ever.

Amen.

Footnotes

[1] Fr Poiré has sponsam but the 1872 text has filiam / daughter.

[2] amiable : used here in its historic sense : Worthy of being loved, lovable; lovely. A1375–1905. OED.

[3] thalamus : an inner room, bedchamber, a marriage-bed, bridal-bed. See LewisShort & DMLBS at Logeion. Cf. Cant. i. 15, iii. 1, 7, & vi. 1.

[4] triclinium: an arrangement of three couches, (transf.) room or hall containing (three) couches, (esp.) dining room (OED).

© 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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 9 : § 9.1-4

Chapter 9 : Devotion – an eighth 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)

§ 9. Ninth sign of devotion : getting to know Holy Church’s various prayers in honour of the glorious Virgin

 1   It is beautiful to see a branch of myrtle or orange carefully decorated with various flowers such as roses, wallflowers, amaranths, pansies and violets – in short, the pride of all the flower-beds in the garden arranged in a single bouquet to form a present worthy of a Princess. The mystical bouquet that I am going to present to the Queen of Heaven, however, is very different in that it is made up of several beautiful prayers which are like so many different flowers gathered from the borders and plots of the Church’s gardens. If you are curious enough to explore these, you will notice one bed containing most excellent Canticles and Hymns; further on, you will see another with truly beautiful Antiphons; crossing over to the other side, you will be dazzled by the Responsories on account of how pleasing and well chosen they are; further along, you will be captivated by the sight of several rare Collects; in the end, it will be your choice as to what to include in your own bouquet before leaving.

The Ave Maris Stella

 

 2   Amongst the hymns, it seems to me that the Ave Maris Stella has something particularly sweet and beautiful about it. In this connection we must remember that it was composed to honour the most wondrous of all the mysteries of the most sacred Virgin, namely her Annunciation. It is said by many learned authors[1], moreover, to have been written by one of her most devout servants, namely St Bernard. I think that one of the most convincing conjectures they have put forward is based on the following words that appear in the hymn : Monstra te esse Matrem (“Show thyself a Mother”). These words are said to be the ones St Bernard was uttering when the Virgin Mother deigned to sprinkle her own precious milk upon him. I have no reason to contradict this claim because I have found nothing that can in any way oppose it. In fact, I would say that these gentle words call to mind what we read in the history of Loreto concerning a certain young man who had signed a pact to give his body and soul to the devil but who repented and made a pilgrimage to Loreto. Whilst he was there, he was reciting the words of the hymn when the pact he had signed was miraculously returned to him, as being now null and void. 

To this miracle I shall add another which is considered to be among the foremost of those recorded in the history of Montserrat. 

The monks of the Monastery in this town noticed that the image of their Holy Virgin was becoming very faded and so they called upon the services of a famous painter called Andres to restore it. He had no sooner applied his brush to the painting than he was suddenly struck blind and he remained in this state for the space of three whole months until he was told that the illness had come from the same hand that would provide the remedy. Accordingly, he went to the monks who had been the occasion of his suffering through their request and asked them to intercede for him so that he might be released from his affliction. In response, they decided to recite the Ave Maris Stella in front of the Blessed Virgin’s image. The painter’s sight was restored just as they were singing the words Profer lumen cæcis, meaning “Grant sight to the blind.” 

Through these and other examples the Holy Virgin has given us proof of the pleasure she derives from this beautiful prayer. As a result, many have made it their custom to offer the hymn to her every day, something St Bridget never failed to do. In this she was imitated by St Catherine her daughter and by the pious Peter Olafsson, their Confessor. St Bridget actually received an instruction from the Queen of Heaven to assemble her whole family at a particular time in the day so they could all sing the hymn out loud, promising that in return for this she would for her part take most particular care of everyone in her household and would always protect them. 

  

Footnotes

[1] Arnoldus Wion, lib. V Ligni Vitæ.

Quem terra, pontus, æthera

 3   The Hymn Quem terra, pontus, æthera (“He whom earth, sea and sky”) which is sung during Matins in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin was composed by Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers who lived around 170[1].

Footnotes

[1] Evidently a misprint for 570 since the dates of Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus are given as c. 530 – c. 600/609 AD.

O gloriosa Domina

 4   The Hymn sung during Lauds, O Gloriosa Domina, comes from the pen of St Ambrose, as does the Memento salutis auctor sung during Prime, Terce, Sext, None and Compline. I have shown elsewhere[1] how St Anthony of Padua by means of the hymn O Gloriosa, put the devil to flight who was intending to strangle him and the help received by St Richard[2], Bishop of Chichester in England, by his frequent repetition at the hour of his death of the words Maria mater gratiae etc. These words also  brought about the salvation of a poor young man in the following circumstances: 

Having lost all he had in the world, the young man was led by a sorcerer into a forest and there he was put under great pressure by a demon to renounce the MOTHER OF GOD. He would probably have agreed to do this if she had not immediately come to his help and recalled to his mind this devout prayer which it was his custom to say every day. The demon was so enraged by seeing his prey had escaped his clutches that he vented his fury on the sorcerer, breaking his neck on the spot.

To these miracles I am going to add one more, no less remarkable than the previous, which is taken from the Annals of the Friars Minor. 

In the year of Our Lord 1222, the fifteenth after the foundation of the Order of the Seraphic St Francis, the Guardian of their convent at Alenquer in Portugal, wanted to know which was the holy Virgin’s favourite hymn. Accordingly, he ordered one of his novices (whose virtue was honoured and admired by all those in that house) to ask the Virgin herself in confidence, since he had a most special devotion to her. The Novice decided to comply with the order, judging that it was better simply to obey than to question his superior’s command. He therefore went and humbly prostrated himself before the image of the MOTHER OF GOD over the high altar in their Chapel. The Mother of love, more willing to be won over by the humble obedience of the Novice than to be offended by the Guardian’presumption, replied through the lips of the image, saying that it was the hymn we are considering : O Gloriosa Domina.

“Since it has pleased thee to grant me a favour which I would never have hoped for,” replied the Novice, “please allow me, O Mother of all goodness, to place at thy feet a fear which is troubling me : my Superior will say this reply comes from my imagination and is something I made up, meaning that he will place no faith whatsoever in what I tell him.”

“Very well,” replied the Virgin, “in order to help thee fulfil his request as well as for thine own satisfaction, I am happy to give him decisive proof. Go now to this stringent Guardian and tell him on my behalf that, if he wants to be assured of my word and of thine, he should present himself as soon as possible in this Chapel with all the Friars ; and then he will see My beloved Son, who up until present has always been on my left, is now seated on my right hand.”

No sooner had she uttered these words then she changed her Son’s position in full view of the Novice whose reaction was one of total astonishment at the wondrous gentleness and benignity of the Queen of Heaven. He went without delay to give her reply to his Guardian and assure him of the truth of all that had happened. 

Footnotes

[1] Part III, ch. 9, § 3.

[2] Part III, ch. 13, § 1.

© 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.