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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 9 : “The Lord is with thee”
Part 2
Thirdly, note that our own special Lord who is with Mary is Lord most sure in fidelity and most faithful in dependability, as the Prophet testifies, saying[1]:
“The Lord is faithful in all His words.”
Think, therefore, upon those words of His, in which He has promised a crown to the just and hell to the wicked, and know that the faithful Lord will keep His words faithfully. He will faithfully do what He has spoken, as Ezechiel testifies[2]:
“I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do.”
The most faithful Lord will most faithfully keep His words, as He Himself says in the Gospel[3]:
“Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.”
Behold, O Mary, what kind of a Lord He is, what a Lord most faithful He is, the Lord who is with thee! And because the Lord most faithful is faithfully with thee, therefore art thou most faithful together with Him. Thou art that most faithful dove of Noe[4], who hast most faithfully stood forth as mediatrix between the Most High God and the world submerged in a spiritual deluge. The raven was unfaithful but the dove most faithful. So also was Eve unfaithful, but Mary was found truly faithful. Eve was the unfaithful mediatrix of perdition; Mary was the faithful mediatrix of salvation. St. Bernard saith[5]:
“Mary was the faithful mediatrix, who prepared the antidote of salvation for both men and women.”
The Lord is with thee, therefore, O Mary most faithful.
Footnotes
[1] Psalm. cxliv. 13.
[2] Ezech. xxx. 12.
[3] Matt. xxiv. 25.
[4] Gen. viii 11. & 7.
[5] Serm. in Dom. inf. Oct. Assumt. B. M. V. n. 2.
Fourthly, note that our special Lord who is with Mary is the Lord who is most renowned for fame. His name is great, as Jeremias testifies, saying[1]:
“There is none like to thee, O Lord: thou art great and great is thy name in might.”
The name of the Lord is indeed of great fame and of great praise among all peoples, as the Royal Prophet testifies[2]:
“Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth: Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord!”
The praise and fame of the name of God has extended not only to every people, but also to all time, as is manifest from the same Prophet who says[3]:
“Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.”
Likewise, the fame and praise of the name of the Lord has not only extended to every people and to all time, but also to every place, as the same Prophet says[4]:
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.”
Behold, O Mary, how great a Lord and what a renowned Lord is He who is with thee! And because this is a Lord most renowned and famous who is with thee in so renowned a manner, therefore art thou most renowned together with Him. How well art thou prefigured by Ruth, of whom it is written[5]:
“that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may have a famous name in Bethlehem.”
O Mary of the most celebrated name, how can thy name not be celebrated, when it cannot even be devoutly uttered by anyone without some good coming to him? St. Bernard testifies to this, saying[6]:
“O great, O loving, O most praiseworthy Mary, thou canst not be named without enkindling love; thou canst not even be thought of without renewing and increasing the affection of those who love thee; thou canst never enter the portals of a loving memory without bringing with thee the sweetness which is divinely inseparable from thee.”
Mary, therefore, is well prefigured by that woman of greatest renown, Judith, of whom it is written[7]:
“And she was greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much; neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her.”
Mary is indeed renowned because of her virtues and her praiseworthy example; but she is even more renowned because of her mercies and her indescribable benefits; and she is more renowned still because of her graces and wonderful privileges; for what can be more wonderful than to be a Virgin Mother, and the Mother of God ? What wonder if Mary is renowned in the world from the multitudinous benefits of her mercy, when she is uniquely renowned for that one benefit which she bestowed on man? St. Bernard says[8]:
“The renowned testimony of thy highest favour is that bestowed on the God-loving soul reinstated by thee.”
The Lord is with thee, therefore, O Mary most renowned .
Rejoice, then, O Mary most renowned; rejoice O Mary and rejoice! Behold the Lord most loving is with thee in such a way as thou, most loving, art also with Him; the Lord most faithful is with thee just as thou, most faithful, art with Him; the Lord most just is with thee in such a manner that thou, most just, art with Him; and the Lord most renowned is with thee in such a manner that thou, most renowned, art with Him.
O Mary most loving, save us impious souls by thy most merciful kindness! O Mary most just, save us unjust souls by thy most just equity! O Mary most faithful, save us faithless souls by thy most constant fidelity! O Mary most renowned, save us by thy most sweet and fragrant renown!
Footnotes
[1] Jerem. x. 6.
[2] Psalm. cxlviii. 11-12.
[3] Psalm. cxii. 2.
[4] Psalm. cxii. 3.
[5] Ruth iv. 11.
[6] Potius Egbert., Serm. paneg. ad B. M. V. n. 6.
[7] Judith viii. 8.
[8] Potius Egbert, loc. cit. n. 2.
[End of Chapter 9]
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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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