The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary : Chapter 3 : The meanings of the name Mary (Pt 2)

The following posts contain the text of a work by St Bonaventure (1221-1274) known as Speculum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis : The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin.

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 Annunciation, early 1460s; by Willem Vrelant (Flemish, died 1481, active 1454 - 1481). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

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 3 

Part 2 : Star of the Sea

The Virgin & Child. Willem Vrelant (early 1460s).
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Now we must consider how Mary may be interpreted as stella maris or “Star of the sea.” This name is most suited to Mary for she fulfils the office that a star does for mariners at sea. We read (and it is true) that when sailors propose to sail to some distant land, it is their custom to choose a star by whose guiding light they may, without going astray, make their way to the land of their desire. Such indeed is the office of Mary, our Star, who directs those who sail through the sea of the world in the ship of innocence or penance, to the shore of the heavenly homeland. Well, therefore, doth Innocent say: 

“By what aids can ships pass among so many dangers to the shore of the homeland? Certainly,” he replies, “chiefly by two. By the wood and by the star; that is, by faith in the Cross, and by virtue of the light which Mary, the Star of the sea, hath brought forth for us.” 

Very properly is Mary compared to a star of the sea because of her purity, her radiance, and her utility. For Mary is a most pure star, a most radiant star, and a most useful star. She is a most pure star by living most purely; a most radiant star by bringing forth eternal radiance; a most useful star by directing us to the shores of our true home country.

First consider that Mary is a most pure star by living purely and without sin. Therefore doth Wisdom say of her[1]: 

“She is more beautiful than light, than the sun, and above all the arrangement of the stars, and being compared to light, she is found more pure.” 

Some[2] read here, “before it” instead of “more pure” but either phrase is fitted to our Star. For Mary is indeed prior for she is most capable and most worthy; Mary is purer than the sun, the stars and the light, for both in dignity and purity she surpasses the sun, the stars, and the light, yea, even every spiritual and angelic creature, of whom it is said[3]: “God . . . divided light from darkness,” that is, the angels who stood firm from those who fell. Mary is prior to and purer than this angelic light. Hence Saint Anselm exclaims[4]:

“O Blessed among women, surpassing the angels in purity, and the saints in piety!” 

Behold how Mary is a most pure Star by the purity of her life.

Secondly, consider that Mary is a most radiant star emitting eternal radiance and bringing forth the Son of God. For she is that star of whom it is said in Numbers[5]: 

“A star shall rise out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel.” 

This sceptre is the Son of God, who is the ray of Mary, our star,  that ray of whom it is sung[6]: “As the ray of a star etc”. St. Bernard says[7]: 

“A ray from a star does not diminish its brightness, neither does the Son of the Virgin lessen the virginity of His Mother.” 

O most truly blessed, O most truly radiant Star, Mary, whose ray has penetrated not only the world, but also Heaven, and not only Heaven but even hell, as St. Bernard says[8]:  

    

“She is that glorious and beautiful Star arisen out of Jacob, whose ray illumines the whole world, whose splendour shines forth in the highest, and penetrates even into hell.”  

We thus see that Mary was a most pure star, by living most purely, and also a most radiant one, by bringing forth the Son of God.

Thirdly, consider that Mary is a most useful star, by guiding us to our heavenly home, by leading us through the sea of this world to the grace of her Son, as to the gates of Paradise. She is as that radiant star which led the Magi most surely to Christ[9]. Mary is that star which in the turbulent waves of the present life is most necessary to us. St. Bernard says[10]: 

“Turn not away thine eyes from the splendour of this star if thou wilt not be overwhelmed by storms. If the winds of temptation arise, if thou strikest on the rocks of tribulation, look to this star, and call on Mary.” 

Therefore, lest thou shouldst be submerged in the sea of this world, follow the star, imitate Mary. It is the safest of paths to follow her, as St. Bernard says[11]: 

“Following her thou strayest not, praying to her thou shalt never despair; thinking of her thou shalt never err; if she upholdeth thee, thou shalt not fall; under her protection thou shalt not fear; if she is thy guide, thou shalt not grow weary; with her favour thou shalt attain thy end; and so in thyself thou shalt experience how truly it is said: And the name of the virgin was Mary.”[12]  

Thus we see how Mary is the star most pure and free of all sin, the star most radiant in her Son and the star most useful in the whole world.

Footnotes

[1] Wisd. vii. 29.

[2] Ex. gr. Bibl. Goth.

[3] Gen. i. 4.

[4] Orat. 50. (alias 49.) circa medium.

[5] Num. xxiv. 17.

[6] Prose or sequence for the Feast of the Nativity (in works of St Bernard). Apparently an allusion to Bernard., homil. 2. super Missus est n. 17: «Sicut sine sui corruptione sidus suum emittit radium, sic absque sui laesione Virgo parturit Filium» / “Just as a star sends forth its ray without corruption to itself, so the Virgin brings forth her Son without injury to herself.”

[7] Homil. 2. super Missus est n. 17.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Cfr. Matth. ii, 1. seq.

10] Loc. cit.

[11] Loc. cit.

[12] Luc. i, 27.

+       +        +

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. 30-31.30-31.