Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 2 : § 5.5-6

Chapter 2 : The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

She alone had the power of drawing down to earth the divine Word

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 5. The fourth quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word: Her obedience and assent to the divine will

 5   We have just seen how eloquently St Bernard addresses Heaven’s beloved daughter who, finally convinced by so many reasons, moved by our wretched condition and confident in the divine will, was no longer able to refuseher consent – on which depended her own happiness, our unique good, and the highest glory of God. 

Pay heed, O Blessed spirits, and let all creatures hold their peace; let there be silence in Heaven, on earth and in hell: for it is the MOTHER OF GOD who now speaks. Behold, she says, the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word[1].

This means, according to Saint Andrew of Crete[2]: I have no more objections to the implementation of His Majesty’s wondrous designs; I am now ready to receive my Lord and my God within my womb, my heart is willing to cooperate in the fulfilment of all that He might wish and my will is prepared to obey Him in all things.

I am merely a blank canvas, says Theophylactus[3]; let the divine artist apply whatever strokes and colours He chooses; I am His work, which He may use in accordance with His good pleasure; it is enough for me if He can draw His glory from me.

What more do you want? asks St Eucher : She heard, she gave her assent and she conceived.

What blessed obedience, cries the incomparable Saint Augustine[4], what matchless grace, what humility in speech, fashioning a body for the Creator who fashioned all things! For with her assent God accomplished at one stroke in her what He had for long promised through His Prophet[5], saying that obedience was more pleasing to Him than sacrifice, and that the knowledge of God was more pleasing than holocausts. Indeed, obedience carried off the prize, before all the victims in the world, and submission before all the sacrifices that had ever been offered to God. This consent was the highpoint of her happiness and the foundation for the glory that she herself had prophesied when she said that from henceforth all generations would call her blessed[6]. 

The pious Lawrence Justinian cannot find the words to describe the peace and joy she feels in her heart and the benefits that her reply brought to the world.

It is indeed remarkable, he says[7], that a single word could fill all Heaven with joy, overwhelm the Angels with happiness, cause the rebirth of hope in a captive world, terrify the Demons, give satisfaction to the heavenly messenger and singular consolation to the Holy Fathers detained in Limbo[8]. It is impossible to describe how earnestly they awaited a favourable reply: on the one hand, they could not abandon hope in their deliverance – but on the other hand the modesty and restraint of the Virgin made them apprehensive. When they finally learned the good news about her assent, as with one voice they offered up endless prayers of thanks to God, saying: Blessed to be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrote the redemption of his people[9].

Footnotes

[1] Luke i. 38.

[2] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[3] In Expositione Missus est.

[4] Serm. 18 de Sanctis

[5] Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices: and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams.1 Kings (1 Samuel) 22.

[6] Luke i. 48.

[7] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[8] Limbo: the "limbus patrum" - the temporary place or state of the souls of the just who, although purified from sin, were excluded from the beatific vision until Christ's triumphant ascension into Heaven.

[9] Luke i. 68.

 6   We now come to a point at which I might have a serious fear of overstepping the mark and if Saint Bernadine of Sienna were not such a great theologian and saint, I would be hesitant about presenting readers with the conclusion that he proposes. He maintains that:

By the act of faith, obedience and submission that the glorious Virgin practised in her assent, she merited for herself more than everything ever merited by all creatures taken together, meaning all Angels and men in their actions, in their thoughts, in their words and all the sufferings of their lifetime.

I believe we can get used to his idea: 

if we take into account (and here is the argument of this great servant of the Virgin) that her action was so heroic and so noble that by it she merited for herself dominion over the universe, the plenitude of all God’s graces, of all the virtues, of all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, of the beatitudes, of freely bestowed graces, of virginity and fruitfulness conjoined, and what is still more, the title and the honour of being MOTHER OF GOD[1]. Accordingly, as the prize for what she did is higher and more sublime than the reward given for all the merits of the Saints together, we can truly say by her assent alone the Virgin won more than all the greatest things they ever did.

Most adorable Princess, I honour thee with all my heart and revere thine own as the sanctuary of God and the most noble place in all the world. Blessed be a thousand times this true altar of incense, blazing continually with thy holy desires and fervent prayers which drew our God down from Heaven. Blessed art thou in thy sacred body and thy virginal soul – uniquely beloved of Him who feedeth among the lilies[2]. May all the souls of the elect cause to resound within thine ears the shouts of acclamation and joy with which the chaste Judith was once honoured, so that everyone may know that God hath strengthened thy heart, and thou hast done manfully, because thou hast loved chastity; and therefore thou shalt be blessed forever[3]. Blessed art thou too in thy humility, by which thou hast been most pleasing to the Prince of Heaven. Finally, blessed are thy sacred lips, and the sweet words of consent they spoke for the benefit of all the children of Adam. I offer thee thanks for all the favours that we have obtained through thee, praying that they may truly be prized and cherished – and if not as much as they truly deserve, then at least as much as we are able, and for as long as we gather the fruits therefrom.

Footnotes

[1] Tom. II Concionum, Serm. 51, c. 1.

[2] Cant. ii. 16.

[3] Judith xv. 11.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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. 

© Peter Bloor 2025

Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 2 : § 5.3-4

Chapter 2 : The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

She alone had the power of drawing down to earth the divine Word

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 5. The fourth quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word: Her obedience and assent to the divine will

The desire of the earth

 3   Now if Heaven was waiting for the response of the glorious Virgin with a holy impatience, I leave you to imagine how the earth, whose people stood to benefit from this union, had reason to desire it with an ardent longing. We recall how the prophet Isaiah[1], expressing the wishes of humanity and enlightened as he was by the super-celestial spirit, did not only ask the heavens to drop down the dew from above which had been so long awaited, but he also asked that the earth be opened so as to receive and then germinate the fruit desired. 

It is good to hear the Saints when they imagine they are present at this sacred encounter in Nazareth where this matter so important to the world is as yet still being considered. They urge the holy Virgin to speak swiftly her response so that Heaven and earth may languish in their uncertainty no longer. Here, for example, is what St Augustine says[2]:

I pray, O Holy Lady, that with thy response thou wilt give thy consent. The Angel is waiting for it and thou art now the sole cause for delaying our happiness and causing impatience in Heaven. Thou hast heard the message, thou hast learned that the Holy Spirit is to take charge of this matter, that the power of the Most High will overshadow thee with His own brightness, and thou wilt become a Mother without ceasing to be a Virgin. We have been told that the gates of Heaven, closed long ago by the first man, have opened a little and the holy Archangel hath passed through; we have learned that God is waiting and that he findeth it strange His message should be taking so long. Most illustrious Princess, the captives of all ages are at thy feet in the hope and expectation of hearing a favourable response from thy sacred lips; thou art the hostage for our peace, and thou art presented to God with the consent of the whole world, since apart from thee there is no hope of salvation. The people of the world pray to thee most humbly so that through thee they may receive forgiveness for the sins of their fathers and that Heaven will be opened up to them. The consent that thou givest will be no less to thy honour than it will be profitable to the whole human race, inasmuch as God Himself will take thee for His spouse; and as for us, we hope that in virtue of this divine union we will make our peace with Him.

And thou, holy Archangel, Heaven's Nuncio and Legate of God's Majesty on earth, great Counsellor of State, to whom the most holy Trinity hath confided the secret of all the ages and given letters of credit : please remember our interest in this matter and leave no stone unturned in order to ensure that there is a favourable result to this thine undertaking. If thou canst bring it to a successful conclusion all thy companions, who do us the honour of wishing us well, will share our gratitude to thee and will henceforth be eternally indebted to thee. Consider, if thou wilt, that it was one of thy fellow Angels who was the first to take up arms in rebellion, causing the division which hath separated us from thy sweet company, and consequently it is reasonable that some good Angel should be the one whose powerful assistance should restore our peace to us. The wretched condition of men cannot be unknown to thee, and thou canst not be ignorant of the extreme misfortune to which they have been reduced. All these considerations must oblige thee to use thy best endeavours on our behalf and to ensure that we may see as soon as possible the fruits of thy good work in this matter.

 

Finally, we return our attention to thee, O Holy Virgin, and we ask thee in thy charity to have pity on us. Do thou only say the word and receive a Son, for by giving thy word, that wilt conceive the Eternal Word of God. Let thy womb become the abode of Him in whom all things have their abode. With one single word, yes or no, though canst open up Heaven for us – or close it forever. 

These are the words of the incomparable St Augustine.

Footnotes

[1] Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour: and let justice spring up together: I the Lord have created him. Isai. xlv. 8. 

[2] Serm. 17 in Natali Domini.

 4   The pious Saint Bernard lends his support to this, using sweet words and eloquence to soften and move the heart of this most chaste Spouse.

O Holy Lady, he says to her[1], thou hast heard the message and hast heard in what manner it is going to be accomplished; both of these are a source of wonder but also full of sweetness. Thou hast never had any doubts about the event, so why wouldst thou question the manner of its fulfilment, since the Holy Spirit is the one who is to make it come to pass in the most extraordinary manner? The Angelic messenger, however, is keen to go back with a reply, and at the moment there is nothing holding back his return except the reply which Heaven awaits. For our part, this waiting causes us anxiety – particularly as it hath great importance for our salvation. The price to be paid for our deliverance is in thy hands and we have need only of a single word from thy mouth to be freed forever. We have been made through an eternal Word, but it is by means of a temporal word coming from thy lips that we will be redeemed and restored. This is the humble request made to thee by poor Adam who was banished from Paradise, by the faithful Abraham, by the kind-hearted David and by all thine ancestors held prisoner amidst the dark shades of death. This is the expectation of all nature, bowing in thy presence, granted that upon a single word spoken by thee depends the consolation of the wretched, the deliverance of captives, the sparing of those condemned and the salvation of the whole race of men. We pray that thou wilt utter, O holy Lady, please utter that word so desired by Heaven, hoped for on earth, awaited by those here below, wished for by God Himself, whom thou wilt please more by thy response than by thy silence hitherto. What can in justice delay thee since thou thyself hast contemplated so ardently this question, the answer to which at present depends only on thee and which hath caused Heaven and earth to pause as they await thy reply? Thy humility must in no way prejudice the common good, and thy modest restraint would be culpable if it were to prevent our salvation and deliverance. Now is the time for courage to take the place of modesty, and for confidence to prevail over the feeling that thou hast of thine own unworthiness. Open up thy heart to the faith, thy mouth to give thine assent, thy womb to welcome the Creator and Redeemer of all things.

Footnotes

[1] Homil. 4 in Missus.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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. 

© Peter Bloor 2025

Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 2 : § 4.3 & § 5.1-2

Chapter 2 : The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

She alone had the power of drawing down to earth the divine Word

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 4. The third quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word: Humility

 3   It seems that now I can begin to understand why the prophet Isaiah said that this flower would rise up out of the root of Jesse[1], contrary to the nature of others which all come forth from their stem or their stalk. Pliny states that the only flower that grows in this way is called the Marguerite. For our purposes, this Marguerite was Heaven’s beautiful flower which budded firstly in the bosom of the Eternal Father and then opened up in the womb of the most sacred Virgin. The Marguerite was attached to the root in a way that prompted Saint Bernard to say[2]:

The holy Virgin was indeed pleasing to God through her purity, but it was through her humility that she conceived.

What humility! exclaimed the holy Abbot Guerric[3]: most rigorous and demanding of herself, but most generous and open to the divinity; poor and wretched in her own eyes, but fully sufficient for Him who encompasses all things; destitute and impoverished in her own estimation, but richly endowed in the judgement of Him who nourishes the Angels, and who never feasted more splendidly than when a guest of her dear humility. I have sought repose in various places, says the King of Heaven, but finally I have found it here, in the house of the humble handmaid. No one has ever been found who is comparable to her in the grace of her humility. This is why the plenitude of my divinity has made its abode in the abundance of her humility.

Her humility is thrice Blessed, declares Saint Augustine[4], for she brought God to men, restoring life to the dead, bringing renewal to the heavens, purifying the world, opening up the gates of Paradise and delivering men from hell.

What more can be said about this humility of the truly glorious Virgin? She is the ladder by which the Lord of the universe descended from Heaven to earth, as is shown in what she herself declared: He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid[5], wherein he found singular pleasure.

Footnotes

[1] Isai. xi. 1.

[2] Serm. 1 in Missus : Virginitate placuit, sed humilitate concepit.

[3] Serm. 3 de Assumpt.

[4] Serm. 35 de Sanctis.

[5] Luke i. 48.

§ 5. The fourth quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word: Her obedience and assent to the divine will

The desire of the heavenly Spouse

 1   The qualities which we have been considering so far have been only those which disposed and prepared the holy Virgin for the last one, which put the seal on all the others and which was so powerful, that as soon as it had been perceived, it caused the descent from Heaven of Him who was to be our unique joy. For as Saint Peter Chrysologus remarked most appositely[1]:

It was most fitting and with good reason that before she conceived the eternal Word of God, He subjected Himself to her temporal word.

Another Doctor remarked most wisely that:

Because the Lord of all things was coming down on earth not to command but to obey, reason required that His conception should begin through the obedience of His Mother.

This obedience showed itself through the consent she gave to the words of the Angel: a consent which God required because otherwise nothing would have been done; For as much as, as he noted by William the Little[2] in what he wrote on the Canticles,

God did not want to take our nature from the glorious Virgin in the way he had once formed the first woman from Adam’s rib; but he wanted that this should come about with her free will and consent.

The angelic Doctor explains the reason, saying[3]:

Since the Incarnation was nothing other than a solemn marriage between the divine Word and our nature, the consent of the two was absolutely required, and to this end the embassy[4] was sent to the holy Virgin who replied for the entire human nature.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 2 de Annuntiat. : Merito concepit Verbum, quæ credidit verbo.

[2] William of Saint-Thierry:  Cant. 4. of Exposition of Canticle of Canticles.

[3] II p., q. 30. Resp. 4º in order to show that there is a certain spiritual wedlock between the Son of God and human nature. Wherefore in the Annunciation the Virgin’s consent was besought in lieu of that of the entire human nature.

[4] embassy:A message sent or delivered by an ambassador. archaic and rare after 17th cent. (OED)

 2   With regard to this, her great ancestor the prophet David urged her to pay great heed to this invitation from Heaven and to the response that she would give. Hearken, O daughter, he said to her[1], and incline thy ear to this paranymph[2] from God, consider how the king shall greatly desire thy beauty. Chrysippus, priest of Jerusalem, reveals the meaning of these words in the following paraphrase[3]: 

The Eternal Father wisheth to have thee for His Spouse, the Holy Spirit seeketh the governance of this union, and the Son desireth to have thee for His Mother: For thou shalt  not conceive a child who is man only, but thou wilt be Mother of Him whom thou adorest as thy Lord and thy God.

We cannot even begin to understand the ardent desire with which the three divine Persons want to see this marriage concluded, especially the uncreated Word, whose chaste desires surpass in an inexpressible manner the most passionate ardours of all the children on earth. It is beyond the power of the human heart to conceive in what manner He caused the heart of this angelic Princess to burst into flames, addressing her with the words of the Canticle of love[4]: O my beloved, thou that dwellest in the gardens of holy contemplation, it is too much to wait and find out what thou hast resolved; make me hear thy voice, for our friends hearken and await thy decision. This is an incomprehensible privilege pointing to and arising from the beauty and the greatness of the holy Virgin: that He in whose presence the pure spirits are as if lacking in grace and beauty, that He who is adored by the stars of the morning and who is the unique beauty of all the world – that He should have desired the beauty of a mortal creature, and that He should have made her so comely and so exceptional that He could not prevent Himself from being captivated by her sweet charms.

Footnotes

[1] Ps. XLIV. 11-12.

[2] paranymph: in ancient Greece and in the Middle Ages, a name given to the lord or young man charged with escorting the bride to the dwelling of her spouse. (OED and Dictionnaire de l’Académie française, 9e édition - actuelle)

[3] Homil. de Sancta Maria Deipara.

[4] Cant. viii. 13-14.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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. 

© Peter Bloor 2025

Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 2 : § 4.1-2

Chapter 2 : The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

She alone had the power of drawing down to earth the divine Word

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 4. The third quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word: Humility

 1   The blessed Patriarch of Venice, Saint Lawrence Justinian, maintains with very good reason that among the qualities of the Holy Virgin which had a great impact on the divine Word, humility was by no means the least.

Through the merit of her humility, he says[1], and through her ardent charity, the most sacred Virgin was beloved of the Father, chosen of the Son, filled with the Holy Spirit, ennobled by a divine conception, prefigured from ancient times, proclaimed by the Prophets, and esteemed above all others by the Archangels and by all the Blessed spirits as a whole.

We should not be surprised at this, granted that God, according to the words of the Psalmist[2], distances himself from haughty and presumptuous hearts, looking upon them with scorn and disdain. His Majesty is happy, however, to stoop in His greatness before little ones who are humble in heart. We do not really need to look for other proof and testimonies since the humble handmaid herself confesses in her simplicity that the Prince of Heaven hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; and she says in the Canticles that while the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof[3]. Saint Bernard[4] and the Abbot Rupert[5] have written wonderful words on the truth of this confession by the humblest of creatures. The latter writes as follows:

What do you think she might mean by the words at his repose[6], other than in the heart or the bosom of the Eternal Father? Accordingly, it is just as if she were saying: When in the beginning the Word was close to God, with God and within God Himself, as in the bosom of His Father, the fragrant odour of my humility rose up to Him, and He was so enraptured that He sent His only-begotten Son into my womb. In this way, He who had previously been greatly offended by the smell of the first woman’s pride, as by the stench of a purulent sore, and who for this reason had been estranged from men, found Himself once more drawn to earth by the pleasing fragrance of my humility. It is for this reason that I compare it to spikenard or to lavender, for just as this small aromatic plant with its little spike, with its sweet smelling florets and with its scented root, can be put to various uses; in the same way my humility, small in appearance and smaller still in the estimation I have of myself, was found in the equitable judgement of the King of Heaven to be more precious than all the works of the law, of which several are held in the highest esteem, and preferred before the smoke rising from all the sacrifices in the world. I can go further and tell you that there is nothing that so pleased Him than to see humility in our female sex – which was first to have been ruined and infected with pride. Now, for a long time humility had already been found amongst men: as witnessed by Abraham who esteemed himself no more than we would dust and ashes; as witnessed by David, who had no compunction in calling himself a flea and a dead dog[7]. In the end, however, humility was no less remarkable among women: and I can say in all truth that God, after a long period of searching, found someone who would carry off the prize for this virtue as well as for all the others.

This is an extract from the speech of this pious Abbot.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. de Casto connubio, c. 9.

[2] See, e.g. : For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud: Ps. XVII.28. See also  Ps. XI. 4, Ps. C. 5, & Ps. CXVIII. 21. 

[3] Cant. i. 11.

[4] Serm. 4 de Assumpt., et Serm. 42 in Cant.

[5] Lib. I in Cant.

[6] The French text has lit de repos, meaning literally the bed or couch of repose; the Vulgate (Cant. i. 11) has (in) accubitu suo, which the Douay-Rheims translates as at his repose. The commentary in the Fillion Bible (1895) states: in accubitu suo - The Hebrew word for this refers to the lectus tricliniaris on which guests reclined during meals. The Spouse is saying that she is applying fragrant perfume to the royal Spouse while He is reclined for a meal. Mary Magdalen was later to do the same thing in a similar situation: see John xii. 3.

[7] 1 Kings (1 Samuel); xxiv. 15.

 2   The gentle and pious nature of Saint Bonaventure shows itself in all his works, but especially when it comes to the MOTHER OF GOD. Here are two remarkable examples in support of what we have been saying about her humility. In the Mirror[1], he writes about the virtues of the Virgin and skilfully applies to her what is written in the second book of Paralipomenon[2], where it tells us how the pious King Josaphat, having won a signal victory over the Moabites and the Ammonites, and having grown rich from the spoils of their defeat, named the place of their defeat the Valley of Blessing.

This valley, says the seraphic Doctor[3], where the King of Heaven struck down Josaphat’s enemies, is nothing other than the heart of the Blessed Virgin. If every humble soul is, as it were, a valley of God according to that word of Isaiah, Every valley shall be filled[4], how much more was Mary a valley, who is so deep in her humility! What wonder if she were the Valley of Valleys, who was the most humble of the humble? How how truly she is the Valley of Blessing, inasmuch as she has drawn down upon the earth all the blessings of Heaven.

It seems to me, however, that he expresses this more strikingly still in another place[5], where he applies to her the words of the Prophet Isaiah when speaking to King Ezechias so as to console him regarding his fear of the terrible threats coming from the wicked king Rabsaces. Ezechias, he says to him, fear not, and this shall be a sign: sow and reap as normal, forasmuch as I say to thee whatsoever shall be left of the house of Juda shall take root downward and bear fruit upward[6].

Who represents what is left of the house of Juda, says Saint Bonaventure, if not the glorious Virgin who takes root downward: meaning that she takes no heed of herself and humbles herself as much as she can within herself; and yet the more she hides herself from the world, the more she becomes known in Heaven, and the more suited she becomes to bring forth the beautiful flower which will give joy to the universe[7].

Footnotes

[1] The Mirror Of The Blessed Virgin Mary.

[2] 2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles) Ch. xx.

[3] The Mirror: Ch. 15.

[4] Every valley shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: Luke iii. 5, citing Isai. xl. 4.

[5] The Mirror: Ch. 17.

[6] 4 Kings (2 Kings) xix. 29-30.

[7] Isai. xi. 1.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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. 

© Peter Bloor 2025

Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 2 : § 2.4 & § 3.1-3

Chapter 2 : The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

She alone had the power of drawing down to earth the divine Word

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. The first quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word : an ardent desire for the Incarnation.

 4   For my part, I can find nothing to compare with the Holy Lover and her insatiable desire as set out in the Canticle of Canticles. We need to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who is speaking here, and who is using human words to describe the divine motions of the most sacred Virgin who, with the tenderest feelings in her heart, is calling to her heavenly Spouse and the Spouse of all beautiful souls. Who would not be moved to hear her speak of her Beloved, and to consider the praises that she lavishes on Him? Sometimes she describes Him from head to foot, at other times she tells Him how all the righteous love Him[1], but she more than all the rest; here, she insists that He draw her after Him, and she assures Him that she will immediately be followed by a host of holy souls who will make themselves available to serve Him; there, she asks him to tell her where He takes his repose at noon[2], so that she may find Him at whatever cost. After a certain time, you will see that she recollects herself and accuses herself of showing insufficient respect; but in the end, love wins the day. She says that she does not know what to do and that she can no longer consider her heart to be her own since He has stolen it and brought her into to the cellar of wine[3]. She calls upon all the blessed spirits to be so good as to teach her about her Beloved, without whom she can no longer live; and with that, she utters a thousand protestations that once she holds Him she will never let Him go[4], but He will be like a bundle of myrrh[5] and she will always have Him before her eyes. Sometimes her longings reduce her to a state of such great languor that if there were not immediate recourse to remedies, she would swoon and collapse into the arms of her attendants. In short, there is no type of vow that she does not make, nothing that she does not consider doing to find Him for whom she sighs, and to receive from His sacred mouth the divine kiss[6] of the Incarnation and the sure guarantee of their future marriage.

Oh love most wonderful, cries Saint Bernard[7], Oh love altogether on fire! How mysterious are thy ways! Oh love that so filleth her soul that she hath no thoughts other than thee! Oh love which hath no interest for anything other than thee, which is satisfied with thee alone, which throweth off the traces, which cannot live without thee, which wanteth nothing to do with moderation, discretion, restraint, or what is proper. Thou dost triumph in thyself and thou dost rejoice in thy servitude. Just take a moment to think upon this lover and see she how she hath thoughts only for her love; how her tongue, her heart and her mind have been given over completely to Him, as though she liveth and breatheth only for Him.

These are the words of the holy Doctor, but they represent the ardent feelings of the peerless Virgin who is swooning or even dying, as it were, from the desire she has in her heart: for she cannot wait to see the hour when Heaven’s promises are fulfilled and that we have a God among us; for she alone is to contribute more to this realisation than all created spirits taken together.

Footnotes

[1] Cant. i. 3.

[2] Cant. i. 6.

[3] Cant. ii. 4.

[4] Cant. iii. 4.

[5] Cant. i. 12.

[6] Cant. i. 1.

[7] Serm. 79 in Cant.

§ 3. The second quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine word: Virginity 

 1   I have already shown in Part One[1] what power the virginity of the most sacred Virgin exerted, enabling her to win the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now, the chaste Spouse addresses her words to the Spouse of the lilies, as appears in the Canticle: My beloved to me, and I to him[2]; to which I will add the following words: My Beloved, who feedeth among the lilies, waiting till the daybreak, and the shadows retire[3]. According to the interpretation of the pious Emperor Matthew Kantakouzenos, this means:

waiting for Him to show Himself unto men, by clothing Himself with their flesh: this, properly speaking, is the day that is desired.

Whilst the world was awaiting this blessed day, the Heavenly Spouse searched the countryside for lilies with which to bedeck Himself: but in vain, for this ancient land had scarcely any. Only on Mount Zion, in the holiest place in the world (which was called for this reason the Holy of Holies), could be found a lily of unparalleled beauty, capable of being multiplied in the thousands and of filling a whole garden, which is in fact what came to pass. For the King of Heaven, having noticed this Lily, could not hold back from going for a closer look, to contemplate it and to savour its fragrance. As soon as He saw it, He picked it and transplanted it in a better location, with such a happy outcome that it immediately began to multiply so abundantly that there were enough to fill the Church. Thenceforth, they could be seen all over the hills and valleys; thenceforth, the Blessed Spirits experienced feelings of happiness towards men; thenceforth, they dealt with them as with their companions and their brothers; thenceforth, they fell in love with holy virginity, after they had seen it consecrated in the person of the Word incarnate and His most venerable Mother.

Footnotes

[1] Chap. 5.

[2] Cant. ii. 16.

[3] Cant. ii. 16-17.

 2   I would not go so far as to number virginity among the most excellent virtues of the Virgin which caused the son of God to come down on earth unless on the one hand, this wondrous quality did not deserve this and on the other, I did not feel I had the support of the Holy Fathers who honour her virginity so highly as to place it among the foremost of her qualities. Saint Andrew of Jerusalem, following the idea that we were considering a little earlier, says that[1]: 

this altogether celestial flower gave off a fragrance so pleasing that the divine Word instantly dispatched the Angel Gabriel to preserve it for him.

In your judgement, would it not have been more striking if he had said what we were saying, that God descended in person to pick this flower? Saint Gregory of Nyssa approaches the question from another angle, saying that:

the Eternal Word came down not in a chariot of fire like Elias, nor on a flying ship, but borne on the wings of virginal purity and integrity.

But why am I praying in aid these external authorities, since this truth is made known to us by the irreproachable testimony of the divine Spouse Himself, who is able to answer for Himself better than any other? The blessed Saint Bridget, calling God as witness to her fidelity, claims to have heard one day the Saviour  speaking to His glorious Mother as follows[2]: 

My most beloved Mother, thou art the beautiful Dawn who with thy pleasing light hast brought forward and drawn the true Sun of the world, none other than my divinity; a Sun who found nothing comparable to thee on earth, causing him to desire thee, to set thee on fire with His love, and to illuminate thee with His light above all creatures. Thus through thee, all the darkness of the world was dissipated, and the heavens received a new brightness. I am telling thee in unambiguous terms that thy purity pleased me incomparably more than that of the purest spirits, and that it was like a magnet attracting my divinity, so as to set thy heart on fire with divine love, and so that God might be conceived in thy womb, that men might be drawn out of the darkness which enveloped them, and that the Angels might receive the joy that they had been awaiting. As a consequence of this, I tell thee and promise thee that none of thy requests will ever be ignored, and that whoever makes use of thy name and thy credit in order to obtain pardon from me, will be successful provided only that he repent sincerely of his sin.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[2] Lib. I Revelat., c. 50.

 3   I understand well enough that the word of the King of Heaven is worth on its own more than any other testimony I might propose; nevertheless, the pious Abbot Guerric[1] has written such a beautiful meditation on the mystical throne of Solomon that I cannot pass over it in silence. I have already shown elsewhere[2] that this throne was one of the most remarkable prefigurements of the holy Virgin, and I have nothing further to add about this except what pertains to the question of her virginity, which the Doctor maintains is symbolised by the ivory of which this throne was constructed.

If you give serious thought to the way this Royal throne was planned and constructed, he says, you will find that everything about it is most wonderful and supports the opinion you will have already conceived of the wisdom of this great Monarch, who was himself responsible for the design. For my part, however, what I admire more than anything else is the precious ivory, or better perhaps to say the ivory beyond price of the virginal chastity which was so pleasing to the King of Heaven, seated on the Cherubim, that He chose it for His throne and the place of His repose. How this ivory must be truly beautiful and dazzling, since this great Prince, for whom it is just as easy to find solid gold and precious stones, preferred this to the most sought-after metals. How it must remain cool, never giving way to any disordered emotion! How solid it must have been, since it was not in anyway damaged or affected by childbirth! How white it is must be, since it received the whiteness of the eternal light! In short, just as Solomon out of all his treasures and amongst the rarest materials that he had collected from all corners of the world, did not find anything which seemed to him preferable to ivory; in the same way God, amongst all His rational creatures found none more pleasing to serve for Him as a throne than the Virgin, a throne altogether wondrous, since according to the testimony of Scripture itself, there was no such work made in any kingdom[3]. It is a throne beyond compare since the Angels cannot cease contemplating the holy humanity of the Saviour formed and fashioned from a piece of this divine ivory. Consequently, blessed is the womb of ivory, from which this humanity most pure was created, a humanity which will be for the redemption of souls, the astonishment of Angels, the seat of sovereign Majesty, the throne of power, the bread of immortality, the medicine to heal sin, the restoration of health, which all those who draw near received immediately because of the power which goes out of it[4]. Once again, blessed is the womb which bore thee, O sweet Jesus; and blessed is the chastity of the virginal breast which provided nourishment for such a remarkable work; blessed is the ivory which pleased the King of all purity in such a powerful way that thenceforth He always wanted to keep His most precious oils in vessels of ivory – meaning that He wanted to place His most exquisite favours in those souls whose lives recommended themselves to Him through their love of chastity.

Those are words taken from the meditation of the pious and eloquent Abbot.

Footnotes

[1] Serm. de Annuntiat.

[2] Part I, ch. 5.

[3] 3 Kings (1 Kings). x. 20.

[4] And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.  Luke vi. 19.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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. 

© Peter Bloor 2025

Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 2 : § 2.3

Chapter 2 : The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

She alone had the power of drawing down to earth the divine Word

§ 2. The first quality of the Holy Virgin which drew down the divine Word : an ardent desire for the Incarnation.

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

 3   Who could begin to conceive the heavenly feelings emerging from this holy breast and approaching the presence of the most holy Trinity? With what sweet balm would this heart have felt itself anointed? For there can be no doubt whatsoever that she was awaiting the salvation of God[1] with a yearning more ardent than that of the Patriarch Jacob, and was longing for the day of our reconciliation with a fervour which was stronger than that of all the ancient Prophets. Imagine her feelings as she asked, along with Isaiah[2], for peace to come flowing like a pleasant river; and with David[3], for God to pour down His sweet rain, and for our earth to produce the desired fruit. How many times will she ask God to drop down his heavenly dew, and to let his clouds rain upon the just, opening the Earth so that a Saviour bud forth for the world[4]? How many times does she send up her sighs to Heaven, asking for the day to come quickly when she may see mercy and truth meet each other, and a holy embrace between justice and peace[5]?

It is true, says Saint Gregory of Neocæsarea[6], that several ancient Patriarchs and Prophets desired to see the one for whom the holy Virgin sighs; and several among them caught a glimpse through the figures of the law; others heard His voice from the depth of the cloud which received Him out of their sight; some may be found who have been granted the favour of conversing with Angels; but just as the Virgin was unique in the desires of her heart, so too was she in the enjoyment of the great happiness which she awaited.

I have some difficulty in deciding which of the following to prefer when it comes to the insight they provide into this question: Saint Bernardine of Siena or the Angel who spoke to Saint Bridget. It seems that the first of these is truly inspired when he compares[7]

the blessed Virgin’s heart on fire to the centre of a mirror in which the rays of the Sun are reflected in all directions. It is no wonder that the mirror seems to catch fire and enflames whatever is placed in front. But this image, says the same Saint, is a mere reflection of the reality to be seen in the blessed heart of the Virgin, which catches fire and bursts into flames when it finds itself the focal point of all the longings and prayers of the Patriarchs and the Prophets.

The insight provided to St Bridget is equally valuable when it portrays[8]

the desires and longings of this same heart as prefigured by the strong passion burning in the heart of the Queen of Saba who, having heard thousands of good things spoken of Solomon, found herself no longer free for she could think of no other thing day and night than her desire to open her heart to him and to give herself the pleasure of seeing him, hearing him, observing his actions and of learning about everything that took place in his house.

Footnotes

[1] I will look for thy salvation, O Lord. Gen. xlix. 18.

[2] Behold I will bring upon her as it were a river of peace, and as an overflowing torrent the glory of the Gentiles. Isai. lxvi. 12.

[3] Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works: Ps. CIII. 13.

[4] Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour: and let justice spring up together: I the Lord have created him. Isai.xlv. 8.

[5] Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed. Psalms LXXXIV. 11

[6] Serm. 1 de Annuntiat.

[7] Tom. II, Serm. 51, art. 1, c. 3.

[8] Sermonis Angelici, c. 19.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >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. 

© Peter Bloor 2025