Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 4 : § 4.5-10

Chapter 4 : The Third Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a source of Favour for her children

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)

§ 4. The tenderness with which the MOTHER OF GOD caresses her Favoured children : the third effect of her Favour

St Philip Neri

 5   Where would we find words sufficient to describe the sweet feelings which flooded the heart of blessed Philip Neri, whom I mentioned in the previous paragraph ?  

He was suffering from what seemed to be a terminal illness when, in the year 1594, he received a visit from the Queen of Angels. This filled him with such great joy that he felt such a strong desire to approach our Lady in body and soul that it caused his body to be levitated for a period of time more than a cubit over his bed.

He wept profusely and this brought tears to the eyes of those present who could were able to hear the words which, with his heart on fire, he addressed to the Virgin, saying to her : 

“Dearest Mother most amiable!  How is it thou hast come here to restore health to me and how can I be worthy of such a great favour from thee?

Footnotes

[1] Gen. xviii.

[2] Zabud, the priest, son of Nathan, was the king's friend. 3 Kings (1 Kings) iv. 5.

St Marie of Oignies

 6   Let us try to imagine next what blessed Marie of Oignies[1] felt in her heart 

when every year her devotion to the Holy Mother caused her to visit the Church of Our Lady of Oignies, which is about one league from Nivelles in Brabant (where this virgin was born). She would normally choose a cold winter’s day and would set off barefoot, accompanied only by a maid. She would fast on that day and the next, choosing a route where it was hard to stay on the right path and which she herself did not know very well. A heavenly light, however, went before her and two Angels supported her, one on either side. It often came to pass that, despite any heavy rainfall during her journey, she would come home completely dry. 

As I said, try to imagine what feelings she had in her heart and the sweetness with which it was suffused by the Angels acting as her holy guardians. 

Footnotes

[1] Jacobus de Vitriaco Cardinalis, in ejus Vita, lib. XIII Junii, apud Surium, t. III.

Blessed Jeanne de la Croix

 7   What worldly Favour could possibly compare with the ecstasies of love which enraptured the soul of blessed Jeanne de la Croix[1], a Religious of the third order of St Francis?  

Early in her religious life, she was serving as portress in the monastery of La Croix when the Holy Infant Jesus appeared to her. She held out her hands to receive Him but the most sacred Virgin came on the scene and, taking Him in her arms, carried Him up to heaven escorted by a host of Blessed Spirits, to the accompaniment of beautiful music and singing. The Saint was altogether saddened that the Queen of Angels deemed her unworthy of the consolation that she was hoping for. The Mother of gentleness, however, was unable to allow this sadness in her heart to continue for long and, having told her to go to the fig trees in the garden, she promised that she and her Son would meet her there in a little while. St Jeanne, having discharged her duties as portress, went in haste to the place she had been told and there she found a sight which filled her heart with heavenly joy. Prostrating herself on the ground, she adored her Lord Jesus and offered veneration to His Holy Mother. She remained there for some time, rejoicing at the sovereign and wondrous vision that so enraptured her heart that, although there were calls for the portress at the gate, she was quite oblivious to them until she was instructed by the Holy Virgin to return to her duties. She promptly complied and went back later with haste to the place where she had left her heart and her affections. She was followed by several nuns who had seen her face lit up with an extraordinary glow and wondered what the reason might be. God expressly permitted this so that they could be witnesses to the tender signs of affection that the blessed Sister had received from her most gentle Spouse and His most blessed Mother.

Footnotes

[1] Vita ejus, c. 6.

 8   I would be happy if anyone could distil the quintessence of what is best in worldly Favours to see if they could produce even a single drop of the heavenly sweetness which, for example, filled the heart of blessed St Martin when the Blessed Virgin was consoling him and encouraging him through her frequent visits, according to his own testimony as reported by his follower Sulpitius Severus who writes of this in his Life. The same could be said of St Nicholas, St Ildephonsus, Saint Lawrence Justinian, Saint Charles and many others to whom she showed herself on frequent occasions. Let the world’s Favourites tell me whether all the privileges and confidences they have received can be compared with even the slightest conversations between the Blessed Virgin and, for example, St Gertrude, St Matilda and many others to whom she revealed secrets of Heaven and explanations of the most unfathomable mysteries of our religion. 

Blessed Herman Joseph of Steinfeld

 9   I suspect that those who seem determined to reject the idea of God’s extraordinary favours will never accept what has been written concerning the blessed Herman of Steinfeld or evidence of the indescribable love shown by the most sacred Virgin towards him. 

Born into an honourable family of Cologne, from an early age he felt drawn to love and honour the Holy Virgin. When he was only seven years old, whilst other children were playing he would withdraw into the Church of the Holy Virgin and spend hours in front of her image, playing like an innocent little dove, firstly with the Mother and then with the Holy Infant whom she was carrying, offering first to one and then to the other whatever he had in his hands. From around that time, the Mother of sweetness gave him a foretaste of the favours that she would grant him later. On one occasion, for example, the Holy Mother reached out her hand to take an apple that he was offering her. On another occasion, whilst he was alone in the Church, he saw the Blessed Virgin near the lectern along with her Son and St John the Evangelist. The infant Jesus was in between them, playing first with one and then with another. Then, he heard his beloved Mother calling on him to join them.  

“But how can I?” replied Herman. “The choir of the Church is closed and I don’t have a ladder to get to you.” 

Because his parents had become very poor, he was obliged to go barefoot for want of shoes. This caused the Mother of mercy to take pity on him and one day, whilst he was praying in Church in his usual fashion, she told him to lift up a certain stone where he would find some money. She told him he was to use this to buy a pair of shoes for himself. She went on to say that any time that he needed something important he should go to the same stone in the Church – and this actually happened several times.  

Whilst he was still young, he entered the Premonstratensian Order. From the outset he gave proof of a sanctity which was out of the ordinary. In the beginning, he was given the exercises of Martha to which he applied himself diligently but not without a certain feeling that he was being deprived of Mary’s better part. His beloved Mother, however, offered him consolation by telling him there was nothing that he could do more pleasing to her than devoting himself entirely to the service of his brothers with a true spirit of charity and humility. After certain time, however, his superiors allowed him to enjoy the holy contemplation he sought and in which he made wonderful progress, notably in the closeness he came to enjoy with the Queen of Heaven. There never was a mother who gave more caresses to her child than she did to Herman; there never was a child who would approach his mother with more trust than Herman when he went to the MOTHER OF GOD. At every turn she would call him, whether he was in his cell or passing through the monastic buildings and he would respond immediately. She would ask him for hundreds of little things and he for his part did not hesitate to ask her for whatever came into his mind. She went so far as to recommend him to certain nuns whom he was to visit through obedience, making them understand that her chaplain was going to see them and that they should accept him as such .   

One day she appeared to him holding a crystal bowl which had a little bit of oil in it. She asked him whether for love or her he would drink the oil. The pious Herman replied that there was nothing in the world that would give him greater pleasure. She told him that this bowl represented the Canticle of Canticles and she explained that, although many had explored the depths of its mysteries, producing a great many different interpretations, she was nevertheless keen for him to savour the little oil that remained and provide his own interpretation in her honour. Herman undertook this task most willingly and withdrew for these purposes to a solitary place so that his mind would be a greater liberty to enter into an understanding of the profound mysteries contained in this book.

 10   We now come, however, to an event which seems to surpass any favours we could possibly imagine.

Through I know not what imponderable inspiration, the Brothers had begun to call him by the name of Joseph, although I believe it may have been because of the more than virginal modesty that appeared in his every action. Herman was unhappy and complained several times about this to the Abbot. The following night, however, whilst Hermann was at prayer near the Abbot’s throne in the Monastery Church, he saw a Lady of extraordinary majesty who was accompanied by two Angels, one on either side, whose beauty shone like the dawn. One of the Angels said to the other:

“To whom will this peerless Virgin be betrothed?” 

“To whom wouldst thou wish,” replied the other, “other than to him whom thou seest here before thee?”

Poor Herman was so taken aback by these words that he wanted the earth to swallow him up, so overcome was he with confusion; but one of the Angels who was there led him to the altar and, taking his hand which was trembling like a tree leaf, he joined it to that of the Blessed Virgin, saying: 

“Acting in the name of Him whom I serve, I give to thee for thy Wife the Virgin of Virgins; and I give to thee the title of her Spouse, confirming thy name as Joseph.”

After the granting of such a favour, which was later confirmed by so many miracles and holy signs, who could be surprised to learn how the Mother of Love came to visit him frequently, placing the Holy Infant into his arms so that he could carry Him like St Joseph ; how she warned him to look after his arm after a venesection; how she restored two of his teeth which had been knocked out as the result of a fall; how she wanted to be called his Rose; in short, how she favoured him in a thousand different ways, which would take far too long to recount here[1]? 

Footnotes

[1] De eodem iterum, c. 10.

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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.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 4 : § 4.1-4

Chapter 4 : The Third Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a source of Favour for her children

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)

§ 4. The tenderness with which the MOTHER OF GOD caresses her Favoured children : the third effect of her Favour

 1  Whoever strips away Favour’s privacy removes its most beautiful and most precious quality, for ultimately the King’s heart is worth more than all his gifts, and when he opens his heart to his friends this alone is worth more than any mere presents. It is in fact very difficult for ardent love to grow without this communication between hearts because love has a power of enchantment which penetrates a person’s heart and draws out his most intimate thoughts. Even God could not stop Himself from loving in this way, as we read in Genesis[1], and His love was so powerful that it forced Him to reveal to Abraham one of the greatest plans that He had at that time. Consider too how Moses interacted with Him in a familiar way, like a friend with his friend. Accordingly, it is no wonder that men give way to the gentle but powerful stirrings in their hearts when they are possessed with love, since even God Himself has difficulty in resisting them. 

The Emperor Tiberius was as sly and calculating a Prince in government as there has ever been; this notwithstanding, he could not contain himself when it came to his favourite Sejanus, and whenever he saw him, his feelings vitiated his judgement completely.

Alexander did not know how best to show his regard for Hephæstion, his favourite; he rejoiced when people mistook his General for the King, saying that it was another Alexander. Besides this, no matter how secret any letters might be that Alexander was reading, he would never stop Hephæstion from drawing near and reading them over his Prince’s shoulder, seeing no harm in this. 

The Emperor Augustus dearly cherished his favourite Mæcenas and made him so great and powerful as to share his graces and favours with Agrippa. What proved more than anything else the affection he felt for him was the freedom that he allowed him to open his letters, even those addressed to the Senate. 

 Caesar was very close to his friend Oppius and was unable to hide anything from him. On one occasion, Caesar was taken ill whilst on a journey and was forced to halt beneath a tree; it was not possible to separate Caesar from his side throughout the night, despite the terrible weather and all attempts to remonstrate with him to the contrary.

Amongst all kings, indeed amongst all men, Solomon was foremost in wisdom ; and yet he too was not without a confidential friend. This was Zabud, son of Nathan, whom Sacred Scripture[2]

describes as a Priest who was the King’s friend. The learned Cajetan was correct in noting that he could not have been called Priest in the sense of one called to serve before the altar, granted that he was not of the sacerdotal lineage. He therefore concluded that this title of Priest was given to honour him inasmuch as the King respected him as being equal to a High Priest who had the power, whenever he saw fit, to go into the most secret thoughts of the King, no more nor less than into a living sanctuary.

 

Footnotes

[1] Gen. xviii.

[2] Zabud, the priest, son of Nathan, was the king's friend. 3 Kings (1 Kings) iv. 5.

St Bernard – St Fulbert 

 2   We have seen above the sorts of things on which the courtiers of this world set their sights. In the end, however, all these little promptings of the human heart are as follies and child’s play when we come to compare them to the heavenly caresses and tenderness shown by the holy Virgin towards her closest friends.  

With regard to this, I ask you what earthly feelings can approach the holy and innocent delights that the pious St Bernard experienced when the Holy Mother fed him with milk from her chaste breast, as is shown on several murals of the House of Châtillon[1]; and when she came in person[2], accompanied by a blessed St Lawrence and St Benedict, to heal him by a single touch from a serious haemorrhage with which he was afflicted? It seems that the Holy Virgin may have been playing with him because, at the same time that she healed him, she showed him in a dream a boat on a wide river which, after drawing up against the shore, was suddenly pushed back into deep water. The Holy Virgin was giving him to understand that he would soon approach a safe haven with thoughts of dying uppermost in his mind, but that he would recover his health and resume his pious exercises with even greater fervour than before.

Before St Bernard’s time, this same favour had already been granted to St Fulbert, Bishop of Chartres, when he was greatly troubled by an inflammation of his tongue which caused him severe pain. The Holy Virgin asked him to open his mouth, and he received milk from her virginal breast in such abundance that this divine dew completely extinguished the burning pain in his mouth[3].  In order to prove that such a rare favour was not just a fable, the holy Bishop’s cheek was covered in drops of milk after the healing and the handkerchief he used to wipe his cheek has been kept ever since in memory of the miracle in the Treasury of the Church of Notre-Dame in Chartres.

An echo of this is found in what the Blessed Cardinal Peter Damian[4] wrote about a certain cleric who had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin, never failing to say the hours of her Office every day. He had fallen so ill that it seemed to be only a matter of time before he would pass on from this life to the next. Even in these straits, however, he never ceased praying for the help of his beloved Mother. Whilst he was praying, she suddenly appeared to him and he received in his mouth some of the milk from her virginal breast. In the matter of a moment, he regained perfect health, immediately rose from his bed and went into Church to join the others who were chanting the Psalms. All those who saw him were greatly astonished, especially when they noticed on his lips a few drops of the virginal milk that the loving Mother had left serve to serve as a seal, so to speak, of her Favour. 

 

Footnotes

[1] See, for example : The Miracle of Châtillon-sur-Seine (Les Musées de Liège).

[2] Willelmus Abbas S. Theodorici, in ejus vita, lib. I, c. 12.

[3] Willelmus Malmesburiensis, in Fasciculo temporum.

[4] Lib. VI, ep. 29.

St Catherine of Siena 

 3   Amongst the experiences of all the great ones of this world, what can be compared to the graces received from Heaven as a matter of course by St Catherine of Sienna?  

While she was still a little girl only five years old, she had been inspired by God to devote herself entirely to the service of her Holy Mother. From that moment onwards[1], whenever she used the stairs at home she would kneel down on each step and say one Ave Maria ; but it often happened that she was carried up the stairs by Angels without touching the steps. While she was still very young, she experienced an interior inspiration to spend the duration of Carnival[2] with an extraordinary preparation focusing on purity of heart, so as to take advantage of the graces which others would lose through debauchery in this season. She would not, however, be lacking payment in kind received from Heaven. One day, she received a visit from the Saviour who was accompanied by his Holy Mother, St Peter, St John the Evangelist, St Dominic and the Prophet David, who was singing to the accompaniment of his harp. The MOTHER OF GOD approached her, took her by the hand and, extending her fingers, asked her Son in a most affectionate manner to take Catherine for His Spouse. This He agreed to do forthwith, saying to here: 

“Sweet maid, I – thy Creator and Saviour – do wed thee and plight thee my troth; thou shalt henceforth serve me with a heart full of courage.”

In order that she have confidence in the truth of this vision, He placed on her finger a ring with a cluster of gemstones in the midst of which was set the most spectacular diamond (although she alone had the privilege of being able to see it). 

Many the time was she honoured with consoling visits from her Spouse and the Holy Virgin His Mother! Many the time they recited the divine Office along with her! Many the time they kept her company, even in her daily chores, as when Her most bountiful Mother helped her in making bread for the poor – which turned out to to have a heavenly taste, even though the flour used had been off! 

Footnotes

[1] See, for example : The Miracle of Châtillon-sur-Seine (Les Musées de Liège).

[2] The length of Carnival varied, at different times and in different places ranging from the day or days immediately preceding the beginning of Lent to a much longer season beginning not long after Christmas. It traditionally formed a period of general indulgence coming before the austerity and abstinence of Lent.

St Catherine of Alexandria – Blessed Maria Razzi – Blessed Osanna 

 4   As we have been speaking of nuptials and marriage, the question might be asked as to how many other women have received this same grace?  

Was it not granted long ago to St Catherine of Alexandria, and much later, did not the glorious Virgin place a precious crown upon the head of the Blessed Maria Razzi, who was a sister in the Order of St Dominic[1]? Did she not give her the title of Queen in the presence of a group of virgins who were accompanying her? Did she not give her as spouse to her beloved Son and, in token of their marriage, did she not place a precious ring on her finger?  

Did she not do as much for the Blessed Osanna[2] of Mantua, another Dominican sister? Did she not agree in the presence of King David that her Son could become her Spouse? Did she not teach her to read and write along with her Son while she was a little girl? Did she not reveal to her later, at Christmas and on the feast of the Purification, everything that took place on those two days, just as though she had been present? Did she not call upon her to take the infant Jesus in her arms, to cradle and caress Him, notwithstanding the objections that she raised, claiming that she was unworthy of such an extraordinary favour?

Footnotes

[1] Chronicon Ordinis.

[2] Ibid.

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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.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 4 : § 3.4-5

Chapter 4 : The Third Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a source of Favour for her children

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)

§ 3. The influence enjoyed by the Favourites of the Holy Virgin : the second effect of her Favour

 4  My main aim in what I have written above is to show how all the Saints respond to the impulse they receive from their Queen and how they are devoted to those upon whom she casts a favourable eye. When earthly courtiers act to honour the Queen’s Favour, they normally do so out of courtesy and for reasons of earthly respect or their own self interest; heavenly courtiers, however, do so because they are moved by the principles of heartfelt and celestial charity to offer service and support to those whom they see are especially pleasing to their Princess and their Queen. I would go so far as to say that, unless I am mistaken, after the Favourites of Jesus Himself there will be none who have more partisans in heaven, (if we can call them this) than the Favourites of the Virgin. I say this because all the members of the heavenly Court respond to the Queen’s feelings and their only focus, after giving glory to God, is to honour His holy Mother and to serve her in the persons of those whom she cherishes.  When we read accounts of the apparitions of the Virgin, she is nearly always found accompanied by a retinue of Blessed Spirits and a certain number of Saints whom she has chosen according to her good will. I feel quite safe in saying that on such occasions there is a sort of holy rivalry in heaven about who will have the honour of forming her escort and of demonstrating goodwill towards those whom she had chosen to favour. We would be much less astonished about this if we could have any conception of the ardent desire felt by the Saints to serve, to honour and to love the MOTHER OF GOD and if we were able to appreciate the lesson given us by the great St Denis in the fourth chapter of his work on the Divine Names, when he says: 

When it comes to favour, the situation is different in heaven to that on earth; for here on earth men’s hearts are so small that love is limited to one person. A person will be continually troubled by a fear that others will go after the one he loves and successfully outbid him, so to speak. In heaven, however, it is God alone who possesses and fills hearts, giving them a capacity proportionate to the love which he has preveniently[1] granted them. The more love there is in a heart, the more it grows and expands in charity; the more ardently it focuses on an object, the more it yearns to see that object loved by others, and the more it uses its power to achieve this end.

 

Footnotes

[1] prevene: Of God, or the grace of God: to go before (a person) with spiritual guidance and help.  OED 1.c.

 5   The influence of the Virgin’s favourites is also apparent in the way that, out of consideration for them, she grants countless favours to other persons. St Lutgardis, who was about to change monastery, was told by the MOTHER OF GOD that for her sake she would always take especial care of her first religious house.

In the next example, it is consoling to read how the Virgin grants graces to several people on account of her love for St Bridget. 

For love of her, she arms and equips her son Charles like a true Christian knight[1]; she takes him under her protection and defends him[2] against all. For the love of her, she helped her brother Israel against the infidels[3]; she provides him with help on hundreds of occasions and especially when it comes to the most important of all, the hour of his death. For love of her, she reveals a thousand beautiful secrets to Matthias her confessor[4], and she fills his mind with heavenly illumination not only in terms of knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures but also spiritual insight concerning the interior life. For the love of her, she delivers Ulpho[5] (her husband) from terrible attacks by invisible enemies at the time of his passing from this life to the next. For the love of her, she puts to flight the demons from hell[6] who were tormenting one of her ladies at the time of her death. In short, for the love of her, she performs hundreds of favours for her servants[7] and for others whom she knew were recommended by Bridget.  

From this I conclude that there is no happiness in the world comparable to that which comes as a result of being Favoured by the MOTHER OF GOD. This is not only because, once she has cast her benevolent eyes upon someone, she can draw down the favour of the whole of heaven; but also because she alone has more power than the whole assembly of the Blessed, and this means that those whom her heart has favoured cannot fail to become great through her graces and blessings. The valiant Themistocles said one day that his god-like[8] son was the most powerful lord on earth. His reasoning was that through their nobility the Greeks ruled the world; that amongst the Greeks, the Athenians issued laws to the whole of Greece; that he, Themistocles, commanded the Athenians, and that he himself was governed by his wife – from which he concluded that his son had the power to do whatever he wanted. If the Favourites of the MOTHER OF GOD wanted to apply this reasoning to themselves, they would in the end find themselves all powerful : for since all conceivable happiness is in the hands of the Eternal Father, and since this great Father of the universe has given all power over this happiness to His Son ; and since the Son, as I have shown elsewhere, has granted His Mother absolute power, and this Mother is incapable of refusing anything to those whom she loves so tenderly – what other the conclusion is there except that everything God possesses is at their disposal, and that their influence reaches as far as that of the Queen of Heaven herself? 

A thousand times happy are they whose blessed lot this is : May they enjoy in good time all the fruits of such a wondrous blessing, and may we ourselves, through their intercession, find access to her from whom they obtained such Favour.   

 

Footnotes

[1] Lib. IV Revel., c. 74.

[2] Lib. VIII, c. 13.

[3] Lib. VI, c. 95.

[4] Lib. VI, c. 89 et 90.

[5] Revel. Extravag., c. 66.

[6] Lib. VI, c. 102.

[7] Lib. VI.

[8] god-like : translating Diophane in the French text. From Dĭophắnēs: said to derive from Διός (Diós, genitive of Ζεύς (Zeús)) +‎ -φανής (-phanḗs, “seeming, appearing”).

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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.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 4 : § 3.1-3

Chapter 4 : The Third Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a source of Favour for her children

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)

§ 3. The influence enjoyed by the Favourites of the Holy Virgin : the second effect of her Favour

 1   It was not without reason that Pompey the Great compared Favour to the rising sun, venerated by many people. This is because everyone seeks it by reason of the influence and power enjoyed by Favourites, who are in a certain sense made omnipotent by it. Josue felt strongly the favour of Heaven upon him and was enabled to make the sun obey him[1].The great servants of God were able to command the animate and inanimate in creation, as though nothing were impossible for them. Joseph wielded such absolute power in the Pharaoh’s court that one day this Prince spoke to him as follows[2]: I am Pharao; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Hephæstion, a favourite of Alexander, was able to award crowns according to his good pleasure, in proportion as the great Conqueror subjugated Kingdoms. Suleiman the Magnificent developed such a fondness for Ibrahim Pasha that this Favourite actually thought the favour shown towards him was excessive and he frequently asked for it to be moderated. Suleiman, however, had such strong feelings in this regard that he could not control them. If we had as much understanding of heavenly as we do of earthly Favour, we would say that David had very good reason for saying[3]: But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality[4] is exceedingly strengthened.

Footnotes

[1] Jos. x. 12-13.

[2] Gen. xli. 44.

[3] Ps. CXXXVIII. 17.

[4] principality: the Douay-Rheims translation of the Vulgate’s principatus: meaning the first place, pre-eminence or preference (see Lewis & Short’s entry) - with which they have been favoured and from which they derive power and influence.

St Dominic – St Philp Neri

 2   What I have just been saying also applies to the Mother of Love’s Favour – but in a proportionate manner, having no other foundations than the immutability of God. The influence enjoyed by others is such that they do not themselves understand it. I am speaking of the influence they have with the Mother of Favour and of the influence which she gives them with God and with all the Saints – in short, the influence enabling them to obtain all that their heart might desire. There are numerous examples of this but I am happy to relate just one of them which concerns St Dominic. With a true feeling of humility and understanding, he declared that he had never asked his beloved Mother for a single thing that he had not obtained from her. The following pages will give many examples of the influence which she allows them to have with God since she is the one who holds the key to Favour’s chamber, so to speak. 

I recall in passing what happened one day to Blessed St Philip Neri, founder of the Oratory in Rome[1].       

This man of God, learning about the serious illness of the famous Church historian Cæsar Baronius (who was himself an Oratorian and later gained his Cardinal’s hat for his outstanding merits), knelt down before a Crucifix and said: “Lord, it is important for Cæsar to be healed – if it is thy will.” As he did not receive a favourable answer, he made use of his beloved Mother’s influence and he uttered the same words to her and they were followed immediately by that which he had requested. What is even more remarkable in this story is that the Blessed Virgin allowed Caesar to see everything concerning him as it was actually happening in Blessed Philip’s Oratory. This was confirmed by the evidence of two irreproachable witnesses, putting it beyond all reasonable doubt.

 

Footnotes

[1] In the Life written by Antonio Gallonio. It took place in the year 1572.

St Henry, Emperor

 3   Neither should there be any doubt regarding what happened to the great and valiant Emperor St Henry, the first of this name (although some call him the second). He was a Prince of such outstanding wisdom and exceptional virtue that only a person of ill will could doubt it and what we have learned has come to us from his own sworn testimony. He was truly accomplished in every perfection but was especially esteemed for the honour he showed to the Holy See, for the justice he dispensed to his subjects, for the perpetual chastity he observed in his marriage to the Empress Cunegonde his wife and for the exceptional devotion that he had towards the MOTHER OF GOD. 

Every time he came to Rome, it was his custom to pass the first night in prayer in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. On one of these occasions, (and there are reasons to believe that it was the night of the Purification by reason of the Mass, about which I will speak later), he was praying more ardently than usual when he saw entering the church the Saviour of the world, wearing priestly vestments, and at his side St Laurence and St Vincent were performing the office of Deacon and subdeacon. Immediately after them came the Queen of Heaven with a retinue of holy Virgins; next came St John the Baptist, at the head of a group of ancient Patriarchs and Prophets; then came St Peter and St Paul, walking at the head of the Apostles; after them came St Stephen who led the Martyrs and St Martin the Confessors. All this took place to the great astonishment of St Henry, who alone amongst all the mortals was a spectator to this solemnity.

 

The Angels chanted the Introit of the holy Mass: Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam in medio templi tui[1], which is that of Candlemas. When they came to the words: Justitia plena est dextera tua[2], meaning Thy right hand is full of justice, this is what happened: first of all, the Saviour, then His holy Mother, followed by all the others, turned one after another towards St Henry and pointed towards him, attesting through this gesture to Heaven’s satisfaction with the justice that he dispensed to all his subjects. After the reading of the Gospel, an Angel presented the book to the Saviour for Him to kiss, then to the Holy Virgin and to the others present. The Mother of sweetness and gentleness did not want the Emperor to be deprived of this consolation and she ordered the Angel to take him the book, saying: 

“Do thou offer on my behalf the kiss of peace to my faithful servant Henry, whose chastity is singularly pleasing to me.”

The sweetness of this action so affected Henry’s heart that he was transported into ecstasy and he ceased to be fully aware of what was going on. For this reason, the Angel administered a firm blow to a sinew in his thigh, saying: 

“This will serve thee for a witness of the love that God hath for thee, by reason of thy chastity and the justice thou dost dispense.”

The effect of the Angel’s blow was to make the sinew shrink, causing one of his legs to be shorter than the other. For this reason he was ever after called Henry the Lame.

Footnotes

[1] We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple. Ps. XLVII 10. 

[2] Ps. XLVII 11.

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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.

© Peter Bloor 2025 

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 4 : § 2.3-5

Chapter 4 : The Third Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a source of Favour for her children

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. Advancing the Favourites of the Holy Virgin : first effect of her Favour

St Andrew of Fiesole[1]

 3   If the little human heart is capable of so much love and can show this with such noble and magnificent effects, how astonished do you think we would be if we could see the testimonies of heavenly favour? What heights of happiness, in our judgement, could be attained by the Favourites of the MOTHER OF GOD? 

Amongst this number may be counted blessed Andrew of Fiesole in Tuscany, born in Florence and a member of the illustrious family of the Corsini. His parents had consecrated him to the Holy Virgin before he was even conceived (they had prayed to her for a baby and had consecrated him to her before his conception). He had imbibed devotion to the Queen of Heaven with his mother’s milk and one day, when he was kneeling before her altar in the Carmelite Church, he experienced a calling to join that Order. It was the Favour of the Virgin that led him to the Order at the age of fifteen and accompanied him until the end. It was her Favour that caused him to make extraordinary advances in the Court of her Son by means of the outstanding virtues of humility, obedience, prayer, silence, mortification and charity which he obtained through her. 

Once he had attained the minimum age required to become a priest, his Superiors directed him to receive Holy Orders. Through obedience he agreed but it was never possible to persuade him to say his first Mass in Florence. In fact, because he feared the trouble and fuss that the presence of his family might cause, he withdrew to the Convent of the Forests near Florence  and this was where he offered his first fruits to God and His beloved Mother. He did this with such fervour and devotion that the Holy Mother, to show how pleased she was with him, appeared in person to Andrew, her favourite, and said to him:

“Thou art my servant[2], forasmuch as I have chosen thee and in thee will I be glorified.”  

Words more precious and all the effects that could ever be imagined of human favour. His wonderful virtues, which he enjoyed as a consequence of the choice the Holy Virgin had made of him, led to his elevation as Bishop to the See of Fiesole. There his great holiness and his closeness to her who had shown favour to him, made him so famous that he became a true luminary of the Church. The high point of his favour came when, having been warned by the glorious Virgin of the day of his decease, namely the Epiphany of the Saviour, he parted this life in the year 1373. His life had lasted seventy-one years which had seen him make continual progress, tirelessly engaged in good works – which God marked on several occasions by several noteworthy miracles during his lifetime, but with many more after his death. 

Footnotes

[1] Commonly known as St Andrew Corsini (1302-1373)

[2] Isaiah xlix. 3.

Albert the Great

 4   The same Favour took the Blessed Albert from nowhere and made him so great in all his perfections that the name Great has always been attached to his name. 

From a very young age, he dedicated himself to the service of the most sacred Virgin who received him with such warmth and love that soon the marks of her Favour became apparent. Every day he would offer veneration to his Mother by offering her various little acts of service and a small selection of prayers. He redoubled these as soon as he attained an age where he was able to contemplate the state of life he wished to embrace. He surrendered this desire entirely into the hands of his beloved Mother who took such a special interest in his progress that it was she who told him to enter into the Order of Friars Preachers. He did this and initially faced certain problems and difficulties but these were were all resolved by her who was guiding him .

A short while after joining the Order, he experienced a serious setback for he became prey to a very powerful temptation which arose from his feeling that he could not keep up with his companions in the study of philosophy. He was on the point of giving way to this temptation to quit and had even begun to prepare for his departure when he had a dream which caused him to change his mind. He seemed to see a ladder leaning against a wall in the cloister and all he had to do was to climb it and leave. At that precise moment, however, he was stopped in his tracks by four Virgins of incomparable beauty who explained that they were members of the MOTHER OF GOD’s retinue. They prevented him from passing and, after replacing his discouragement with renewed hope, they led him to their Mistress. The Mother of goodness received him with an extraordinary show of warmth and, by her serene countenance and her sweet words, she touched his heart so tenderly that all his cares left him. Then she spoke to him as follows:

“Albert, my son, thou shouldst not be faint-hearted over such a little thing as this, especially as thou knowest it was I who didst lead thee here and that, with thy consent, I have the power to sustain thee here. Thou hast only to tell me what thou desirest of me and thou shalt want for nothing.”

The young man found the courage to ask her to grant him the favour of excelling in philosophy – which was then the most pressing of his concerns. 

“If that is all thou dost require to continue happily in my service ,” replied the Virgin, “then thou wilt have what thou seekest; but in order that thou shalt remember this day and that thou shalt not forget thou didst receive this grace from me, when the end of thy life doth draw near, thou wilt suddenly revert to thy present ignorance. This will be for thee a certain sign that thou shouldst prepare for thy departure from this world and come to take the place I shall be keeping for thee in heaven.”

With that, she disappeared but subsequent events were soon to confirm the truth of the apparition, for after but a short time he overtook in his studies all those students who had previously left him far behind. In the end, he acquired such a reputation in matters of doctrine that he was nicknamed the Great. The Holy Virgin (who always gives much more than she promises) was not content with making him great in learning but went on to make him greater still in virtue. She conferred upon him the gift of a wondrous purity of heart and an excellent habit of prayer : in short, she made him a perfect mirror of the perfections desirable in the religious life. In the end, that which she had predicted came to pass, for he suddenly had to stop short in the middle of a lesson he was giving and had to take leave of his pupils, explaining to them in detail what had happened to him. Their hearts were so affected by these words that, once he had finished speaking, they all began to weep and they escorted him to his cell just as though they were taking him to the tomb.  He used all the little time he had left by making ready for his death, which was just as holy as his life, and finally he commended his spirit into the hands of her who was waiting for him in Heaven.  

St Bernardine of Siena

 5   Another beloved son of the MOTHER OF GOD who benefited from her Favour was the Blessed St Bernardine of Siena. He was a member of the Franciscan Order and we have frequently heard him speaking in honour of the Holy Virgin, as recorded in Parts I and II of this work.

Whilst he was still young, it could be seen from his remarkable modesty, the love he had for chastity, and his gentle ways that the Virgin Mother had her eye on him. What shone forth the most in his youth was indeed the tender affection he had towards the Queen of Angels and this was so strong that his radiant countenance gave off a light which was noticed by all those who had dealings with him. His principal devotion was to an image of the Virgin on one of the gates of the city of Siena, called Camollia. He would visit everyday, kneeling down and offering her his service, telling her of his singular love for her, and that (after God) he placed all his trust in her. He practised this devotion from a very early age and continued with it for as long as he could, even after he was admitted into the Franciscan Order.

The following story about this young servant of the Virgin reveals something of his nature. Having lost his parents when he was young, he was brought up by a kind-hearted aunt called Diana and her daughter Tobia – his main source of support who took extraordinary care in raising him well. One day whilst he was in conversation with her, he let slip that he had made the acquaintance of a Mistress[1] who was the most beautiful, the wisest and the most accomplished that could be imagined. He revealed he had been speaking with her every day and it had reached the stage where he could not get to sleep without seeing her. On the one hand, Bernardine’s aunt did not dare to question his virtue, for she could discern in him a maturity and a wisdom beyond his years ; on the other, his gentle nature and the various risks to which youth can find itself exposed, caused her some apprehension. Unable to resolve her uncertainty, she decided to keep a careful watch on him and she was delighted when all she could discover were his diligent visits to the Virgin of Camollia. She determined, nevertheless, to get to the bottom of the mystery and she took him aside one day and questioned him further about the way he had spoken of this Mistress. She was so insistent that in the end he confessed to the wondrous affection he felt in his heart towards the Queen of Angels and he spoke of the ways in which he, for his part, had received so many favours from her. His good aunt Diana was so pleased with what she heard that she could scarcely contain the joy in her soul.  

In addition to his other devotions, Bernardine also recited the Crown of Our Lady every day with great devotion. Because of the affection and service he offered to her, the Virgin gave him a special place in her heart, magnifying him before God and before men. One day, whilst he was praying as usual, she appeared to him and said: 

“My dear son, I have come to tell thee that thy devotion is most pleasing to me and, in consideration of the services thou hast rendered unto me, I have obtained for thee the gift of working miracles to advance my Son’s glory and mine own. I have in addition obtained for thee the grace of preaching and thy sermons will bear a rich plenitude of fruit. I can also reveal thou wilt rejoice with me forever in heaven and wilt have a goodly share in my joys.” 

God alone would know how this favour caused his love and trust for his beloved Mother to grow in his heart. His closest friends heard from his own mouth his belief that he had never received any grace from God which was not the result of this devotion and a sign of the Queen of Heaven’s approval.

During a sermon that he preached in the city of Siena in 1427, he revealed that he had been born on the feast day of the Nativity of the Virgin and he went on to explain that on this same date he had been baptised, he had received his religious habit, he had made his solemn profession, and he had said his first Mass. He added that on this same day he hoped to depart this world but in fact this proved not to be the case, since he died on the 20th of May. He received a special warning of this some time before his death whilst he was preaching in the city of Aquila (which is in the Kingdom of Naples) where he is buried. He was explaining the mysterious image of the Crown with twelve stars which is on the head of the woman that St John refers to in his Apocalypse. Suddenly, people saw on his head a star brighter than the sun, and rays of extraordinary brightness streamed from the star, lighting up his face. After a while, the star disappeared, foreshadowing the moment a few days later when this wondrous luminary, who had up until then enlightened the world, would cease to shine here below so that he could ascend to the eternal joys of Heaven.

Footnotes

[1] In the sense of teacher, instructress or governess; the French Maîtresse is from the Latin magistra; cf. Pope John XXIII’s Encyclical Mater et Magistra (1961).

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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.

© Peter Bloor 2025