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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 acknowledge that this text is in the Public Domain worldwide, attributing it to the text of a Dublin edition (author unknown) published in 1849.
Chapter 16 : Blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Who and what was the fruit of the womb of blessed Mary
Part 2
Secondly, let us consider how the Fruit of the virginal womb is most delightful. It is delightful in its fragrance, even more delightful in appearance, but truly most delightful in savour. We perceive its beauty by faith, its fragrance by hope, its savour by charity. I am saying that the Fruit of Mary is delightful by its sweet fragrance. Therefore, the Mother of this Fruit can well say with Ecclesiasticus[1]:
“As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour.”
The fruit of the vine is the Child of the Virgin. But what is truly wonderful, and wonderfully true, is declared by St. Augustine who speaks of this fruit as follows[2]:
“The Creator of all things is born of a creature, a great fountain flows from a little rivulet, the root of all things springs from its stem, and the true vine bears fruit of its own branch.”
The fruit of the vine is wine and the fragrance of this wine is delightful. So without doubt when we consider the fragrance of the examples of Christ, the fragrance of the consolations of Christ and the fragrance of the promises of Christ, we shall find these most delightful to the soul that thirsts for Christ. And, therefore, just as the fragrance of wine draws one who thirsts, so does the fragrance of Christ draw one who runs after Him saying[3]:
“Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments.”
That we miserable ones do not run but only creep with difficulty is a sign that we barely perceive the fragrance of this Fruit. Oh, if only we had Isaac’s sense of smell who perceived the fragrance of this divine fruit so long beforehand, as St. Bernard witnesses when he says[4]:
“He perceived the fragrance of this sweet-smelling fruit who said[5]: Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed.”
Footnotes
[1] Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 23.
[2] Serm. 119. append. (alias 9. de Temp.) n. 2.
[3] Cant. i. 3.
[4] Homil. 3. super Missiis est n. 6.
[5] Gen. xxvii. 27.
Again, this Fruit is not only delightful in its fragrance, but it is even more delightful in its appearance and beauty. Note on this point what is said in Leviticus[1]:
“And you shall take to you on the first day the fruits of the fairest tree.”
The first day illumining the soul is faith and, if we should eat the fruits of the fairest tree, that fairest tree is assuredly Mary. She is fair indeed in the leaves of her mouth; fairer in the flowers of her heart; and fairest of all in the most beautiful Fruit of her womb. St. Bernard says fittingly of this[2]:
“If that fruit of death was not only sweet to the palate, but also, according to Scripture[3], delightful to behold; how much more should we seek the vivifying beauty of this life-giving Fruit, on whom the Angels long to look[4]? Christ indeed is a beautiful Fruit, beautiful above the sons of men[5].”
But if we wish to appreciate more fully the beauty of this Fruit, let us have recourse to that most beautiful tree, let us seek that most beautiful Mother herself, and let us speak to her those words of the Canticle[6]:
“What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women?”
And behold she will at once answer[7]:
“My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.”
He, the brightness of eternal light[8], is indeed white in His divinity, but ruddy in His humanity, white in His life, ruddy in His Passion. Behold how beautiful is this Fruit! Well, therefore, doth St. Augustine say of Him[9]:
“Beautiful in Heaven, and beautiful on earth; beautiful as the Word in the Father, beautiful in His Mother as the Word and as Flesh.”
This most beautiful tree, Mary, has not only the most beautiful Fruit of the womb, but also the most beautiful fruits of the mind. When writing to the Galatians, the Apost says of these fruits[10]:
“The fruit of the spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continence, and chastity.”