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The Annunciation, early 1460s; by Willem Vrelant.The Getty Museum, L.A. |
It is referred to in the French work by Fr François Poiré called The Triple Crown of the Holy Mother of God (1630) which I translated on this blog starting on the 1st of May 2024.
I offer this annotated edition of St Bonaventure’s work as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for all her graces and favours, requesting her continued help and protection for the author and his family.
The Latin text and references are based upon Speculum Beatae Mariae Virginis (1904). The English text is based upon that attributed to Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. (published by Herder in 1932). Amazon's various editions ackowledge that this text is in the Public Domain worldwide, attributing it to the text of a Dublin edition (author unknown) published in 1849.
Chapter 6 : The Fourfold Grace in Mary of Gifts, of Speech, of Privileges, and of Rewards
Part 1
Ave Maria, gratia plena. We have still some things to say of the grace of the most sweet Mary. We will now consider the fourfold grace of her gifts, her speech, her privileges, and her rewards.
First, consider in Mary the grace of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. To this grace Mary, giving thanks, could apply the words of Ecclesiasticus[1] : “In me is all grace of the way and the truth.” What wonder if she herself is the grace full of life and truth, who is the Mother of Him who was “full of grace and truth[2] ”? And what wonder if in that rod is so great an abundance of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, in whose flower the Holy Spirit rested with such a plenitude of His gifts? Mary is that rod, and the Son of Mary is that flower, of whom it is said in Isaias[3] :
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.”
In this flower was a superabundance of the Holy Spirit which has overflowed into the whole Church, so that St John the Evangelist says[4] : “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” Now seeing how such an abundance of grace has overflowed from this flower into the whole garden, how much more will it abound in the rod or stem of the flower, in Mary herself?
Footnotes
[1] Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 25.
[2] Ioan. i, 14.
[3] Isai. xi. 1-3.
[4] Ioan. i, 16.
Let Mary say most assuredly, therefore, “In me is all grace of the way and the truth.” Certainly the grace of the way and the truth consists in the aforesaid seven gifts of the Holy Ghost; it was by the aforesaid seven gifts that the grace of the way and the truth was in Mary. The grace of the truth ordained Mary with the truth above herself, below herself, within herself, and without herself. The grace, I say, of the truth ordained Mary in truth above herself by the gift of wisdom; below herself, by the gift of counsel; within herself, by the gift of understanding; without herself, by the gift of knowledge. The grace of the truth ordained the soul of Mary in truth above herself, in the most wise contemplation of things to be enjoyed; below herself, in avoiding foresight of things that were to be shunned; within herself, in her sure knowledge of what to believe; without herself, in a most reasonable discretion concerning all she had to do. The grace of her life ordained Mary with a good life with regard to the devil, with regard to her neighbour, and with regard to God. The grace, I say, of life ordained Mary with a good life: towards the devil, through the gift of fortitude; towards her neighbour, through the gift of piety; towards God, through the gift of fear. The grace of life ordained the life of Mary with a most strong resistance to the devil; with a most loving kindness to her neighbour; and with a most devout reverence towards God. This was signified by the Holy Ghost in a most fitting manner by the house which Wisdom built for Himself, having seven columns, which were the seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost[1]. Whoever, therefore, feels within himself the beginning of a desire for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost can find the form of these pillars in this house and the craftsman thereof, and he ought to desire these seven pillars with great ardour and much prayer. Likewise, he who desires the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit must look for the flower of the Holy Spirit in the rod. By the rod or stem we attain to the flower, and so to the Spirit that rests upon the flower. By Mary we approach Christ, and by the grace of Christ we find the Holy Spirit. Therefore St. Bernard well says, addressing Mary[2]:
“By thee we have access to thy Son, O blessed finder of grace, Mother of life, Mother of salvation, that by thee He may receive us who by thee was given to us.”
Footnotes
[1] Prov. ix. 1
[2] Serm. 2. de Advent. Dom. n. 5.
Secondly, consider in Mary the grace of the lips, or of speech, of which it is said in the Psalm[1]: “Grace is poured abroad on thy lips.” Such was the grace of the lips in Mary that she could excellently be prefigured by Judith, of whom it is said[2]:
“There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.”
Truly there is not, nor ever was, nor ever will be, such another woman upon earth as Mary was, in the look or aspect of her glorious life, in the beauty of a pure conscience, and in the sense of words of a most skilled tongue. We shall clearly see the grace of the lips in Mary if we diligently gather and meditate the words of her lips as recorded in the Gospel. We find in the Gospel seven sentences[3], sweeter than honey, dropping from the lips of Mary, and indicating excellently the honey-flowing grace of her lips, as it is said in the Canticle[4]: “Thy lips are as a dropping honeycomb.” Like the essence of honey are the seven most sweet words of Mary, spoken to the Angel, to man, and to God. Two utterances to the Angel, two to man and three to God.
Footnotes
[1] Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. Psal, xliv.11.
[2] Judith xi. 19.
[3] Cfr. Bernardin. Sen., serm. 9. de Visitat. (edit. Venet. an. 1745 tom. IV. pag. 105 col. II.). Quater Mariam locutam fuisse docet Bernard., serm. in Dom. inf. Oct. Assumt. B. M. V. n. 10.
[4] Cant. iv. 11.
To the Angel Mary spoke words of chastity and humility. Mary had on her lips the word of chastity when she said in answer to the Angel[1]: “How shall this be done, for I know not man?” This is a lesson to the unchaste who have on their lips not chaste but base and carnal words. Mary spoke to the Angel the words of humility when she said[2]: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.” This is a lesson to the proud and arrogant who neither think nor speak humbly of themselves but have words of boasting and bragging on their lips.
Again Mary spoke to men the word of charity and the word of truth: the word of charity in greeting, and the word of truth in instruction. Mary spoke the word of charity when she so affectionately saluted the mother of the Precursor that even the infant in that mother’s womb exulted. This is a lesson to the rancorous, who will not only fail to speak charitably to their neighbours but frequently disdain to speak to them at all. Mary spoke the word of truth when, the wine failing, she said to the servants at the marriage feast[3]: “Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye.” This is a lesson to those who will not fail to speak good words to their neighbours but urge them to evil thoughts and deeds.
Again, Mary spoke three times to the Lord. She spoke more to God than to Angels or to men, for she spoke twice to the angels and twice to men, but three times to God. This is, alas, contrary to the practice of many who speak so rarely with God but so frequently with men in futile and greatly harmful conversations. To God she spoke in words of praise, of loving complaint and of compassion. Of praise for the benefits bestowed on herself; of loving complaint for the loss of her Son; of compassion for the failing of the wine. Mary had the word of praise to God on her lips when in thanksgiving that God had looked upon her lowliness[4], she said: “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” This is a lesson to the ungrateful, who, alas, give such scant thanks to God for His multiple and considerable gifts, and at times grow puffed up against God by these very benefits. Mary had the word of loving complaint to God upon her lips when she said to her Son, after the three days’ loss[5]:
“Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.”
Here is a lesson for the undevout who do not seek Jesus sorrowing when by the withdrawal of devotion they have lost him for many days. Mary spoke the word of compassion to God when at the marriage feast she said to her Son[6]: “They have no wine.” Here is a lesson to the unmerciful who are not moved to compassion by the needs of others, and who neither help their neighbours nor draw them to God.
Behold now, O Mary, our advocate, we still need thee to speak to thy Son for us, since many of us have no wine; we lack the wine of the Holy Spirit, the wine of compunction, the wine of devotion and spiritual consolation. St. Bernard speaks of this as follows[7]:
“O my brethren, after your tearful complaints how often is it necessary for me to beseech the Mother of Mercy to say to her Son that you have no wine! And she, I say to you dear beloved, if she is piously besought by you will not ignore to your needs for she is merciful,being in truth the Mother of Mercy. For if she had compassion for the embarrassment of those whose guest she was, much more will she have compassion on you if you call upon her earnestly.”
Consider well, from what we have said, what power Mary hath with the King of Kings because of the grace of her lips, for it is written in the Book of Proverbs[8]:
“He that loveth cleanness of heart, for the grace of his lips shall have the king for his friend.”
Footnotes
[1] Luc. i. 34.
[2] Ib. v. 38.
[3] Ioan. ii. 3 & 5.
[4] Luc. i. 48 & 46.
[5] Luc. ii. 48.
[6] Ioan. ii. 3.
[7] Serm. 2. in Dom. 1. post Oct. Epiph. n. 4.
[8] Prov. xxii. 11.
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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.
The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.
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. 30-31.30-31.
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