O QUEEN of Heaven rejoice!

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

The image reproduced here is an engraving produced in 1664 entitled The Resurrection and is by Grégoire Huret (French, Lyon 1606–1670 Paris).

The figure of the risen Christ dominates this seismic scene and we note how His majestic yet beneficent gaze is directed straight at the viewer. 

On either side we see Angels, some with trumpets and some bearing the instruments of His Passion, the wounds of which are visible in His hands and side. 

In the middle register an Angel has opened up the sepulchre and three women can be seen in the background, looking on in astonishment. Beneath the feet of the Lord are the guards, struck with terror and becoming as dead men.

The text at the bottom is taken from the opening verses of the last chapter of St Matthew's Gospel:

[1 Vespere autem sabbati, quae lucescit in prima sabbati, venit Maria Magdalene, et altera Maria, videre sepulchrum.

And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.]

 2 Et ecce terraemotus factus est magnus. Angelus enim Domini descendit de caelo : et accedens revolvit lapidem, et sedebat super eum : 

And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it

 3 erat autem aspectus ejus sicut fulgur : et vestimentum ejus sicut nix 

And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow.

 4  Prae timore autem ejus exterriti sunt custodes, et facti sunt velut mortui.

And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men.

+       +        +

Hac die quam fecit Dóminus, Solémnitas solemnitátum et Pascha nostrum: 

Resurréctio Salvatóris nostri Iesu Christi secúndum carnem.

On this day, which the Lord hath made, is the Solemnity of Solemnities, and our Pasch; 

the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

REGINA caeli, laetare, alleluia:

Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,

Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia.

Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

O QUEEN of Heaven rejoice! alleluia:

For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,

Hath arisen as he said, alleluia.

Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia,

R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

+       +        +

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.

Christ in Limbo

Here is a fresco by Fra Angelico (1395–1455) entitled Christ in Limbo. It was completed in 1441-2 and is on the wall of Cell 31 in the Convento di San Marco in Florence.

It depicts the event alluded to in the Apostles' Creed when, after His crucifixion and death, Christ descended into hell (descendit ad inferos).

The radiant figure of Christ recalls the Transfiguration  when his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow [Matt. xvii. 2]. The red cross on the banner He is bearing represents the triumph of His sacrificial death on the Cross. He has just smashed down one of the gates of hell and one devil lies crushed beneath His feet whilst others are fleeing in terror. His radiance illumines the sepulchral shadows of Limbo and He stretches out His right arm to welcome a man commonly identified as Abraham, for this is the Limbo of the just, Abraham's bosom [Luke xvi. 22-23]. The figures represented here by Fra Angelico have been variously identified but it is interesting to consider Dante's account of the incident as reported to him by Virgil in Canto IV of the Inferno:

“Let us go on, for the long way impels us.”

    Thus he went in, and thus he made me enter

    The foremost circle that surrounds the abyss.

There, as it seemed to me from listening,

    Were lamentations none, but only sighs,

    That tremble made the everlasting air.

And this arose from sorrow without torment,

    Which the crowds had, that many were and great,

    Of infants and of women and of men.

To me the Master good: “Thou dost not ask

    What spirits these, which thou beholdest, are?

    Now will I have thee know, ere thou go farther,

That they sinned not; and if they merit had,

    ’Tis not enough, because they had not baptism

    Which is the portal of the Faith thou holdest;

And if they were before Christianity,

    In the right manner they adored not God;

    And among such as these am I myself.

For such defects, and not for other guilt,

    Lost are we and are only so far punished,

    That without hope we live on in desire.”

Great grief seized on my heart when this I heard,

    Because some people of much worthiness

    I knew, who in that Limbo were suspended.

“Tell me, my Master, tell me, thou my Lord,”

    Began I, with desire of being certain

    Of that Faith which o’ercometh every error,

“Came any one by his own merit hence,

    Or by another’s, who was blessed thereafter?”

    And he, who understood my covert speech,

Replied: “I was a novice in this state,

    When I saw hither come a Mighty One,

    With sign of victory incoronate.

Hence he drew forth the shade of the First Parent,

    And that of his son Abel, and of Noah,

    Of Moses the lawgiver, and the obedient

Abraham, patriarch, and David, king,

    Israel with his father and his children,

    And Rachel, for whose sake he did so much,

And others many, and he made them blessed;

    And thou must know, that earlier than these

    Never were any human spirits saved.”

+       +        +

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.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Here is an image of the Crucifixion with an unusual perspective, focussing on the Blessed Mother and the Beloved Disciple who are gazing up at the Saviour whilst St Mary Magdalen kneels and embraces the Cross.

It is by James Tissot (1836–1902) who following a revival of his Catholic faith in 1885 made several trips to the Middle East. The studies he made on his journeys formed the basis of his uillustrated Life of Christ.

The rest of today's post contains the text of the Stabat Mater in Latin with an English translation by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878).

This hymn originated in the 13th century and has been attributed to Pope Innocent III (d. 1216), to St. Bonaventure (1221 – 1274) or to Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306) who is considered by most to be the real author.

Stabat Mater

STABAT Mater dolorosa

iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,

dum pendebat Filius.

AT the Cross her station keeping,

stood the mournful Mother weeping,

close to Jesus to the last.

Cuius animam gementem,

contristatam et dolentem

pertransivit gladius.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,

all His bitter anguish bearing,

now at length the sword has passed.

O quam tristis et afflicta

fuit illa benedicta,

mater Unigeniti!

O how sad and sore distressed

was that Mother, highly blest,

of the sole-begotten One.

Quae maerebat et dolebat,

pia Mater, dum videbat

nati poenas inclyti.

Christ above in torment hangs,

she beneath beholds the pangs

of her dying glorious Son.

Quis est homo qui non fleret,

matrem Christi si videret

in tanto supplicio?

Is there one who would not weep,

whelmed in miseries so deep,

Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari

dolentem cum Filio?

Can the human heart refrain

from partaking in her pain,

in that Mother's pain untold?

Pro peccatis suae gentis

vidit Iesum in tormentis,

et flagellis subditum.

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,

she beheld her tender Child

All with bloody scourges rent:

Vidit suum dulcem Natum

moriendo desolatum,

dum emisit spiritum.

For the sins of His own nation,

saw Him hang in desolation,

Till His spirit forth He sent.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris

me sentire vim doloris

fac, ut tecum lugeam.

O thou Mother! fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above,

make my heart with thine accord:

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum

in amando Christum Deum

ut sibi complaceam.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

make my soul to glow and melt

with the love of Christ my Lord.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,

crucifixi fige plagas

cordi meo valide.

Holy Mother! pierce me through,

in my heart each wound renew

of my Savior crucified:

Tui Nati vulnerati,

tam dignati pro me pati,

poenas mecum divide.

Let me share with thee His pain,

who for all my sins was slain,

who for me in torments died.

Fac me tecum pie flere,

crucifixo condolere,

donec ego vixero.

Let me mingle tears with thee,

mourning Him who mourned for me,

all the days that I may live:

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,

et me tibi sociare

in planctu desidero.

By the Cross with thee to stay,

there with thee to weep and pray,

is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgo virginum praeclara,

mihi iam non sis amara,

fac me tecum plangere.

Virgin of all virgins blest!,

Listen to my fond request:

let me share thy grief divine;

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,

passionis fac consortem,

et plagas recolere.

Let me, to my latest breath,

in my body bear the death

of that dying Son of thine.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,

fac me Cruce inebriari,

et cruore Filii.

Wounded with His every wound,

steep my soul till it hath swooned,

in His very Blood away;

Flammis ne urar succensus,

per te, Virgo, sim defensus

in die iudicii.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

lest in flames I burn and die,

in His awful Judgment Day.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,

da per Matrem me venire

ad palmam victoriae.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

by Thy Mother my defense,

by Thy Cross my victory;

Quando corpus morietur,

fac, ut animae donetur

paradisi gloria. Amen.

While my body here decays,

may my soul Thy goodness praise,

safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

+       +        +

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.

Fac me tecum pie flere / Let me mingle tears with thee

Here is an image entitled The Crucifixion by Willem Vrelant, dated to the 1460's and held in the Getty Museum.

In the centre is Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has finally given up the ghost. The position of His head draws our gaze down to the group on His right where His Blessed Mother, supported by St John and St Mary Magdalene, is looking directly at us, as if inviting our hearts and minds to respond to this scene. The female figure with her head covered is Mary of Cleophas (see John xix. 25). 

To Our Saviour's left is a group of four men, two of whom are soldiers. One of these is the centurion and his words are shown in the scroll :

Vere Filius Dei erat iste.

Indeed this was the Son of God

[Matthew xxvii.54]

We can also make out what seem to be the sponge with vinegar and the spear which opened the side of Our Lord.

The text beneath the image reads as follows:

Ad nonam de passione domini nostri Jesu Christi

Hora nona dominus ihesus expiravit,

hely clamans animam patri commendavit.

Latus eius lancea miles perforavit,

terra tunc contremuit et sol obscuravit.

At nones (the ninth hour of the day 3:00 pm) of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Lord at the ninth hour His spirit forth did send:

Crying Eli and His soul to Father did commend:

With a lance a soldier did pierce through His tender side:

The earth then trembled and the sun His shining light did hide.

The text comes from the Hours of the Holy Cross (see Preces Latinae for more).

+       +        +

At Matins bound, at Prime reviled

Condemned to death at Terce,

Nailed to the Cross at Sext.

At None His blessed Side they pierced,

They take Him down at Vesper-Tide,

In the grave at Compline lay,

Who henceforth bids His Church observe

These sevenfold hours alway.

+       +        +

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 14 : Conclusion

Chapter 14 : Conclusion of this Work

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

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

To the MOTHER OF GOD 

 1   O peerless Virgin and Mother, honour of earth and Heaven, in seeking how to address thee at the conclusion of this work, I cannot find more pleasing words than those spoken by thy faithful servants. Permit me, therefore, thou who art the joy of our faith and our souls, the object of our love and our praises, to make my own the words of St Ildephonsus[1] who said:

All my wishes would come true if I could praise thee as thou deservest to be praised, love thee as much as it is possible to love thee and serve thee as completely as thou couldst desire in a creature such as I am.

But where am I going with this? What is it I am trying to say and where is the language of my love leading me? I need to correct myself here, however, since the blessed Virgin allows such language to the great Saints and it is more fitting for such words of love and praise to come from their mouths rather than from my own. I prefer therefore to say what thy great ancestor David once said after he had sung the praises of thy beloved Son and His eternal Kingdom[2]: The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended[3]. Whether by these words he wanted to say that he was ready to die after having brought his work to completion, or he was openly admitting that he had run out of words and ideas[4] so that he despaired of being able to do justice to the Majesty of his subject, it seems it is as though he saw this same feeling in the depths of my own heart. 

Even though I admit that speaking of thy Great Splendours has proved to be very challenging for me and I must often have sounded like someone stammering, I take great pride in having made the attempt; and there is nothing so consoling for me as to see the heights of thy glory are such that not only little pygmies like me but also the greatest giants and loftiest intellects in the universe cannot even approach the footstool of thy greatness. When I say that now I have finished this little work there is nothing keeping me alive other than thy commandment, which is for me the same as God’s, then thou must know I am saying only what I feel in my heart; for after completing this work, I can see the great difference between actually contemplating thee in Heavenly magnificence and my work here below which may have distorted things so they are scarcely recognisable. Since, however, thou art not unaware of why I began this undertaking, I feel able to speak to thee now in the words of thy beloved servant St Andrew of Candia[5]: 

I confess before Heaven and earth that what I have said of thy greatness is as nothing in comparison with the sublime reality; and that my little offering hath for its source thine own goodness, for this is what inspired me with the will and desire to render this small service to thee, supplying my mind with thoughts and ideas, and guiding my hand and my pen in the way I wrote what I did.

For my part, I declare that I am indebted to thee now in a completely new way which I wish to make known to all : that if perchance in what I have written there is something which pleaseth thee and which may serve to make thee loved and honoured, then to thee alone (after God) be the glory; and as for those whose hearts are moved thereby to cherish thee more and more, let theirs be the joy of singing thy praises in Heaven for ever and ever.

 

Footnotes

[1] De Virginitate Mariæ, c. 1.

[2] Ps. LXXI. 20.

[3] are ended is the Douay-Rheims translation of the Vulgate’s defecerunt and this is also the sense preferred in Fillion’s translation and commentary. Fr Poiré, uses a French verb suggesting the sense of to run out, be wanting.

[4] Ita Apollinaris in Paraphrasi.

[5] Homil. 2 de Dormitione S. Deiparæ.

 2   Finally, dear Prince of Heaven, most worthy Son of such a Mother and the glory of the Holy City : please grant this my last request since I have borrowed it from someone whose heart thou didst love so greatly, and do thou grant that I may speak now to thee with the words of thy great servant St Augustine[1]:

If what I have written of Thy Mother represents the truth, then it is to Thee above all others that I owe thanks since without Thee it would not have been possible to write in a way befitting the subject; and I humbly beseech Thee to accept the good intentions of my work and make it acceptable to those professing to love Thee. If, on the contrary, I have failed in my duties, then I crave Thy pardon as Thou art my Lord and my God, to whom be all honour and glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD

AND HIS MOST IMMACULATE MOTHER

Footnotes

[1] Serm. de Assumpt.

THE END

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 13 : § 2.6-10

Chapter 13 : Advancing in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and magnifying her glory – twelfth feature of the gratitude we owe 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. Various ways of magnifying the honour and service due to the MOTHER OF GOD 

 6   The Trumpeters and Buglers of this great host are the mighty Preachers who throughout history have inspired those hearing their call to offer their service to her cause. They fill the soldiers of the Virgin with courage and it is through their actions that they are able to enter the fray. I have already spoken earlier about St Bonaventure[1] and how he was not satisfied with always doing this personally each time he spoke in public but, as soon as he was appointed General of his Order, he expressly enjoined all the Friars Preachers to make frequent reference to the Holy Mother in their sermons and to remember that this was one of the principal ways of attracting people to her devotion. 

The learned, devout and admirable writings of St Bernardine of Siena provide ample proof of how he loved to speak about the great qualities and splendours of the Queen of Angels, enkindling in the hearts of his listeners tender love and devotion. Alfonso Salmerón was one of the first ten Fathers of the Society of Jesus and he came to be well known for his writings. He never failed to follow this holy custom and when he was preaching during Lent, for example, he would speak of the Holy Virgin’s praiseworthy qualities and encourage his listeners to devote Saturdays to her. This is apart from his other sermons which he used to honour her and encourage his listeners to take her into their hearts. 

I feel that I need to acknowledge in particular the gentle memory of Fr Gonçalo da Silveira who had the honour of offering his life in defence of the Christian faith in the Kingdom of Monomotapa. His devotion towards the MOTHER OF GOD burned so fiercely in his heart that no sooner had he boarded the ship that was to take him on his mission then he asked the Captain for his authority to assemble the crew daily at a suitable time so that he might speak to them about the prerogatives of the Virgin, the true Star of the Sea, and of ways in which to honour her. With the approval of the Captain, he introduced the practice of singing the Litany of the Virgin – firstly each Saturday evening and then later every day – after assembling all those on board for this purpose.

Footnotes

[1] 1 Cap. 3, § 1.

 7   The Masters and Commanders of artillery are the Exegetes and Commentators on Scripture and other learned Writers who bring to bear the weaponry of Holy Scripture and who employ the authority of the Holy Fathers to cast down the enemies of God with all their pomp and works.

 8   The Engineers are all those who have been inspired by their devotion to the Empress of Heaven to introduce new ways of honouring her – to the great benefit of souls and for the exaltation of the the Holy Virgin’s name.

 9   For quite some time, however, I have been watching a Squadron of light cavalry commanded by blessed Philip Benizi, General Superior of the Order of Servites or Servants of the MOTHER OF GOD, who has joined forces with the main army. This is the same man whose vocation[1] and glorious death[2] I described in Part III.  Some time after the confirmation of his Order, he received from Heaven through a most special favour of the MOTHER OF GOD the Chaplet of the new Order, and one of the most glorious titles ever conferred upon any man : namely, Apostle of the Virgin, in a remote location called Montamieta, near Siena in Tuscany. He had gone there to prevent his election to the Pontificate (which had already been agreed by the Conclave of Cardinals). He had received assurances of this when he first went to visit the small group of servants of the Virgin who were gathered near the city of Florence. Upon receiving these communications from Heaven, he set off and visited Italy, France, Germany, Saxony, Poland and many other countries, bearing the news of his mission and inflaming the hearts of all his listeners with his message of love and devotion to the most sacred Virgin. It would be remiss of me not recall what happened to him on his return to Italy. 

At one point, he found himself with his companions in a remote and lonely place far from any human help. Those who were with him, feeling hungry and exhausted, threw themselves upon the mercy of God’s Providence. Philip, however, having gone off on his own to pray, suddenly noticed some shepherds coming towards them carrying white bread and other refreshments which they offered to the group, saying:  

“Take this, servants of the Virgin; this is to help you on your way.” 

With that, they disappeared and were never seen again. 

Footnotes

[1] Chap. 5, § 5.

[2] Chap. 13, § 3.

 10   Let everyone choose his rank and role in this great army of soldiers who are fighting to promote the glory of the MOTHER OF GOD. I have to say frankly that I would not have a very high opinion of anyone not wishing to sign up and I pray that the good servants of this Lady will do everything they can to produce an endless succession of people dedicated to her service. I pray too they will not be satisfied with just bringing one or two people into this devotion but will encourage newcomers to win over others, and then those too still more, so that in this way they can carry forward the devotion they have into the centuries to come. This will accomplish the wishes of the Holy King and Prophet David[1], who wanted these great things to be known to posterity, so that they should make the same known to their children: that another generation might know them; and so on from generation unto generation until the number of the elect might be accomplished through the intercession of the Mother of love. 

I pray that they will remember that, just as in the case of sins the greatest are those which do not die with those who committed them but continue to have an existence after them, being passed on from father to son, family to family, city to city, and kingdom to kingdom; in the same way, when it comes to good works, there are none more pleasing to God than those which carry on multiplying themselves as though they were being continually reborn from themselves through a holy germ of immortality contained within them and through the extraordinary blessings of Heaven. 

How blessed that age which will see these desires accomplished! How blessed those to whom God and His Holy Mother will grant such a voice of virtue which will make itself heard even unto the last of the children of men! How holy are those the associations of men and women who will use all their strength and energy to proclaim to all the ages to come: 

LONG LIVE JESUS AND MARY! LONG LIVE JESUS AND MARY! 

Footnotes

[1] That they should make the same known to their children: that another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children; Ps. LXXVII. 5-6.

[End of Chapter 13]

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 13 : § 2.1-5

Chapter 13 : Advancing in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and magnifying her glory – twelfth feature of the gratitude we owe 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).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. Various ways of magnifying the honour and service due to the MOTHER OF GOD 

 1   In Sacred Scripture[1] the Blessed Virgin is compared to an army in battle array; one glimpse of the brightness of her arms and her courage is enough to make the enemy flee in terror. On this basis, I would say that those who enrol to do battle in order to increase her service form an army which causes fear and dread in hell. Readers may perhaps be interested in picturing this force.

Footnotes

[1] Cant. vi. 3.

 2   On the Standard of this army is the figure of a Virgin argent clothed with the Sun on a field azure, with the following motto incorporating the words once spoken by a grateful people in favour of the valiant woman Judith[1]: That thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men. The General of the army is none other than Jesus, King of Glory and there has never been anyone comparable to Him when it comes to advancing the honour and service of His most holy Mother. On His command and for love of Him, all the others immediately took up arms. Under His command the Colonels of the regiments and commanders in various fields have in obedience to His orders organised recruits, formed Associations and raised companies of people determined to spare no effort in promoting the glory of the Princess of Heaven. Apart from the Founders of the Military and Regular Orders specially dedicated to honour her (which we covered at some length elsewhere[2]), included in their number are : Blessed St Anno, Archbishop of Cologne and founder of a devout Congregation which he instituted in the Virgin’s name; St Dominic who founded the Confraternity of the Rosary; blessed Simon Stock, founder of the Confraternity of the Scapular; and all the others whom I shall not mention here because we have already referred to them in the previous Chapter. I would, however, like to make particular mention of Jacques Rhem, a fellow Jesuit, who around thirty years ago founded a congregation in Germany known as the Sodality of the Annunciation whose members’ principal objective was make the Blessed Virgin the centre of their conversations and interactions. This is something which he himself practised better than anyone else, demonstrating such devotion and affection that it was plain to see that the words he spoke came from the love in his heart.

Footnotes

[1] Judith xiii. 25. Cf. the Knox translation of this verse: Such high renown he has given thee this day, that the praise of thee shall never die on men’s lips

[2] Part I, ch. 12.

 3   The vanguard of this army is composed of the Holy Doctors of the Church who, by reason of their remarkable powers together with their wonderful zeal, earned their selection by God to break through the ranks of ignorance and infidelity in order to give the world an understanding of the Queen of Heaven’s greatness. Amongst these may be mentioned St Gregory Thaumaturgus, St Andrew of Crete, St Methodius, St Germanus of Constantinople, St Ildephonsus, St Anselm, St Bernard, St Albert, St Bonaventure, Abbot Rupert, St Bernardine and many more whose names have been immortalised by the signal services they have rendered to this Lady.

 4   The Cavalry is composed of a great number of invincible warriors who, in defence of her privileges and her titles of honour, have crushed the efforts of the heretics and vanquished their forces. The most distinguished of their number is blessed St Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria and Papal Legate, marching at the head of two hundred prelates who worked wonders at the great Council of Ephesus in order to defend and preserve for the Holy Virgin her glorious title of MOTHER OF GOD. After these we see in ranks without number all those chosen and valiant warriors who at different times have generously offered their services in combat against Satan and his minions whom we saw earlier[1] filled with malice and fury scurrying forwards to wipe out, if they possibly could, the name and renown of Mary. Perhaps we should mention here those valiant champions of the Virgin Mother who, in Spain and elsewhere, formed holy Associations with the aim of defending the honour of the Immaculate Conception of the MOTHER OF GOD, especially those who were the invincible leaders of this undertaking and who underwent a thousand hardships to bring the undertaking to a conclusion. Amongst them may be found those who sealed with their own blood the promises they had made to God that they would defend this truth to the utmost of their power, forasmuch as the Church has issued no degree to the contrary. We might cite the example of a young Jesuit called John Berchmans, as may be confirmed by something he himself wrote which was found amongst his papers after his death.

Footnotes

[1] Part II, ch. 12.

 5   The foot soldiers of the Infantry are almost as numerous as the droplets of water in the Ocean and include all those who are enrolled in companies specially dedicated to the service of the Virgin or who, outside of such Associations, have tried and are trying by their holy speech and by other means to make her known and honoured to others. 

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.