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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 2 : Her seven privileges
Thirdly, consider in Mary the grace of her privileges. Of this grace it is said[1]:
“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High.”
See how Gabriel, asserting that Mary had found grace, immediately specifies what that grace is, saying: “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb.” Oh, how great and how unheard-of in all the world that a virgin should conceive in her womb and bring forth the Son of the Most High! We can perceive in Mary seven privileges, privileges full of immense graces, granted to Mary alone by God.
The first privilege of Mary was that she was, above all men, free from sin and most pure. For she was so abundantly sanctified by grace in her mother’s womb that it is believed she was never in the least degree inclined to venial sin. Therefore St. Bernard saith[2]:
“It behoved the Queen of Virgins, by a singular privilege of sanctity, to lead a life free from every sin so that, while she brought forth the slayer of sin and death, she should obtain for all the gift of life and justice.”
The second privilege of Mary is that, above all men, she was most full of grace. St. Jerome saith[3]:
“On others grace was bestowed partially, but the plenitude of grace was poured into Mary.”
When this same Blessed Doctor compares the grace of Mary with that of the Angels he gives it preference, saying[4]:
“It is to be believed that the blessed and glorious Virgin Mary merited greater privileges of virtue, and received grace praised even by the angels.”
The third privilege of Mary is that she alone was a mother and at the same time an inviolate virgin. St. Bernard praises this privilege, saying[5]:
“‘Mary chose for herself the better part[6].’ Clearly the better part, because conjugal fecundity is good, virginal chastity is better, but the best of all is virginal fecundity, or fecund virginity. The privilege of Mary will not be given to another, because it shall not be taken away from her.”
Footnotes
[1] Luc. i. 30-32.
[2] Epist. 174. n. 5.
[3] Epist. 9. n. 5.
[4] Loc. cit. n. 15.
[5] Serm. 4. in Assumt. B. M. V. n. 5.
[6] Luc. x. 42.
The fourth privilege of Mary is that she alone is the most ineffable Mother of the Son of God, she alone is the Mother of that Son of whom God alone is the Father. It is a wonder most extraordinary that so great a privilege should be granted to a creature. Of this privilege St. Bernard saith[1]:
“This is the singular glory of our Virgin, and the excellent prerogative of Mary, that she meritedto have her Son in common with God the Father.”
The fifth privilege of Mary is that she above all creatures was in her body most close to God. She experienced what was never granted to any other creature, nor will ever be granted again in eternity, for she bore God for nine months in her womb, she nursed God from her breasts filled with the milk of heavenly goodness[2], for many years she lovingly brought up our Lord, she had God subject to her, she handled and cradled her God in pure embraces and kisses with tender familiarity, as St. Augustine says[3]:
“No wonder, Mary, that God reigning in Heaven deigneth to rejoice with thee, whom, when He was a little child born of thee, thou didst so often kiss on earth.”
The sixth privilege of Mary was that she above all creatures is most powerful with God. St. Augustine says[4]:
“Do thou obtain what we request and mitigate what we fear, because we shall never find one more powerful in merit than thee, who hast merited to be the Mother of the Redeemer and of the Judge.”
It is a great privilege that she is more powerful with God than all the Saints, as the same St. Augustine declares, saying[5]:
“There is no doubt that she who merited the role of bringing forth the ransom for our deliverance, can above can intercede for those who have been delivered more than all the Saints together.”
But what would it avail us for Mary to have such great power if she cared nothing for us ? Therefore, brethren, we must hold it for certain, and incessantly give thanks for this, that, as she has more power with God than all the Saints, so is she also more solicitous for us before God than all the Saints. It is the same Augustine who bears witness to this, saying:
“We know, O Mary, that thou above all the saints art solicitous for Holy Church – thou who obtainest for sinners time to repent so that they may renounce their errors.”
The seventh privilege of Mary is that she, above all the Saints, is most excellent in glory. St. Jerome says[6]:
“Everywhere the holy Church of God confidently sings what it is unlawful to believe of any other of the saints: that the merits (of Mary) transcend those of all Angels and Archangels. This privilege – not, as it were, of nature, but of grace – belongs to the Virgin Mary.”
Behold how glorious is the privilege of Mary’s glory that she, after God, is most exalted in glory. The glorious privilege of the glory of Mary is that whatever after God is most beautiful, whatever is sweetest, whatever is most resplendent in glory – that is Mary, that is in Mary and that is by Mary. It is entirely the glorious privilege of Mary, that, after God, our greatest glory and our greatest joy is because of her. St. Bernard says[7]:
“After God, it is our greatest glory to behold thee, O Mary; to adhere to thee, and to abide in the safety of thy protection.”
Footnotes
[1] Serm. 2. de Annunt. B. M. V. n. 2.
[2] Breviar., respons. ad lect. 8. in Circumc. Dom. "Nesciens mater virgo virum peperit sine dolore salvatorem sæculorum. Ipsum regem angelorum sola virgo lactabat, ubere de cælo pleno." / The Virgin mother, who knew no man, painlessly bore the Saviour of all ages. It was only the Virgin that nursed the King of angels at her breast filled with the milk of heavenly goodness. Text from an Antiphon for the Octave of Christmas.
[3] Serm. 208. append. (alias 35.) n. 11.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Loc. cit. n. 12.
[6] Epist. cit. n. 7.
[7] Potius Petr. Dam., serm. 44. (1. in Nat. B. M. V.) circa finem.
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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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