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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 15 : How Mary is blessed with the seven virtues against the seven capital vices
Part 2
Secondly, let us hear how Mary is blessed with charity against envy. The envious are accursed, as it is said of the envious Cain[1]:
“Cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and received the blood of thy brother at thy hand.”
Against the curse of envy, Mary has received the blessing of charity. She may well, therefore, be foreshadowed by Sara, of whom the Lord said[2]:
“I will bless her, and out of her I will give thee a son, whom I will bless.”
Sara may be interpreted as meaning “coal.”[3] This is well suited to Mary who was like a coal on fire with the ardour of charity. Therefore, the burning bush is a fitting figure for Mary, by whom the blessing of grace is ministered to every faithful soul. Whence it is said in Deuteronomy[4]:
“The blessing of him, who appeared in the bush, may it come upon the head of Joseph.”
Joseph may be interpreted as “increase”[5] and signifies every faithful soul enriched by an increase in divine grace. Blessed is the bush, and blessed is He who by His Incarnation appeared in the bush, by whom so great a blessing came upon the heads of the faithful. O truly blessed coal, producing so blessed a flame : Blessed Mary bringing forth so blessed a Child.
“Of her,” saith the Lord, “I will give thee a son, whom I will bless.”[6]
Think, therefore, what great charity Mary had towards God, when God is her Son according to the flesh. Think also what charity she had towards her neighbour, when the good neighbour is her Son spiritually; and if we are her sons, we are the brethren of her Son. Well, therefore, doth St. Anselm say of this blessed Mother[7]:
“O thou who art blessed and exalted, not for thyself alone but also for us: what is it, how great is it, how lovable is it, that which I see happening by thee for us, which seeing, I rejoice, which, rejoicing, I dare not utter ? For if thou, O Lady, art the Mother of God, are not thy other sons the brethren of God?”
Footnotes
[1] Gen. iv. 11.
[2] Gen. xvii. 16.
[3] Hieron., de Nom. Hebr. (Iosue).
[4] Deut. xxxiii. 16.
[5] Hieron., loc. cit. (Gen.).
[6] Gen. xvii. 16.
[7] Orat. 52. (alias 51.) circa medium.
Thirdly, let us hear how Mary is blessed for her meekness and gentleness against anger. For the angry are accursed, as it is written in Genesis[1]:
“Cursed be their fury, for it was stubborn: and their wrath, because it was cruel.”
Against this curse of wrath, Mary obtained the blessing of meekness. For truly her meekness was such that not only had she no anger of her own, but she even turned the anger of the Lord to meekness. Therefore, she is fittingly prefigured by Abigail, to whom David said[2]:
“Blessed be thy speech, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me to-day from coming to blood and revenging me with my own hand.”
It is the property of meekness to soothe with gentle words the anger of those who are offended, as is written in Proverbs[3]:
“A mild answer breaketh wrath: but a harsh word stirreth up fury.”
The meek Abigail prefigures the meek Mary. Do you wish to know how meek Mary was? Listen to St. Bernard[4]:
“Turn over diligently in your mind,” he says, “the whole of the Gospel story, and if you could find in Mary anything reproachful, anything hard-hearted, or even the slightest sign of indignation, you might perhaps suspect her thereafter in other things, and fear to approach her; but finding her full of all the piety and grace, full of the meekness and mercy which pertain to her, then give thanks to Him who, in His most gracious compassion, has provided you with such a Mediatrix, in whom nothing can be suspected.”
David prefigures Christ, who by Mary’s meekness is soothed and placated, lest He should take vengeance on the sinner with eternal death. Let every soul in danger of eternal death never cease to sigh to Mary in her great meekness, for which she is rightly so blessed. Let therefore every soul about to die say with St. Anselm[5]:
“O thou who art blessed above women, who dost surpass the Angels by thy purity and the Saints by thy loving kindness; my dying soul doth sigh at the sight of such great kindness but doth blush at such resplendent whiteness.”
Footnotes
[1] Gen. xlix. 7.
[2] 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 25:32-33.
[3] Prov. xv. 1.
[4] Serm. in Dom. infr. Oct. Assumt. B. M. V. n. 2
[5] Orat. 50. (alias 49.)
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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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