THE ANGEL’S GREETING TO MARY

 

 

 

 

 

by

 

 

 

Friar Conrad of Saxony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translated by Campion Murray OFM

 

CONTENTS

 

Translator’s Preface                                                        v

Preface                                                                       vi

Prologue                                                                       3

Chapter 1    That in the angel’s greeting five statements are

                 found pointing to five most sweet praises of the

                 blessed Virgin Mary                                        6

Chapter 2    That the blessed Virgin was free from the

                 triple woe of actual sin, from the triple woe of

                 original sin and from the triple woe of hell’s

                 punishment                                                  8

Chapter 3    On the meanings of the name Mary and that

                 the blessed Virgin is most fittingly called a

                 bitter sea, star of the sea, illuminator and Lady  13

Chapter 4    That the name Mary is most fitting for the

                 blessed Virgin, that she was totally without sin

                 and shone with every virtue                           21

Chapter 5    That the grace of blessed Mary is true,

                 copious, manifold and most valuable                26

Chapter 6    A fourfold grace in Mary is to be considered,

                 namely, a grace of gifts, lips, privileges and

                 rewards, and of each of these separately         32

Chapter 7    That there are nine perfections in Mary

                 which represent the nine orders of angels

                 in glory                                                      40

Chapter 8    That the Lord of whom was said to Mary:

                 The Lord is with you, is in general the Lord

                 of all things, most powerful, wise, noble and

                 unfailing, and with him blessed Mary is

                 also such                                                   47 

Chapter 9    That the Lord of whom was said to

                 blessed Mary: The Lord is with you,

                 is in a special way the kind, just,

                 sure and famous Lord of rational creatures

                 and is such of blessed Mary herself                 50

Chapter 10   That the Lord of whom was said to blessed         

                 Mary: The Lord is with you, is with Mary in

                 such a singular way that she is his noble

                 daughter, worthy mother, gracious spouse

                 and faithful handmaid                                   53

Chapter 11  That Mary for her own sake and for our sake

                 Is compared fittingly to the dawn                    58

Chapter 12   How blessed Mary is a shoot and a flowering

                 shoot                                                       67

Chapter 13   How blessed Mary is compared to a queen

                 entering the palace with the king                     73

Chapter 14  That Blessed Mary is blessed in the fullness

                 of grace, in the dignity of her child, in the

                 multitude of her mercies and in the greatness

                 of her glory                                                78

Chapter 15  That Mary is blessed by the seven virtues

                 Which are contrary to the seven vices             86

Chapter 16   Who and of what kind is the fruit of the womb

                 of the blessed Virgin?                                   92

Chapter 17   To whom and for whom does the fruit of the

                 womb of Mary belong?                                 99

Chapter 18   For what purposes is the fruit of Mary

                 necessary, and its twelve values                   104

Appendix                                                                   111

     Abbreviations                                                    111

     Non-Scriptural works quoted                                 111

     Scriptural references                                           116

 

 

 

 

 

Translator’s Preface

 

 

 

The work entitled THE ANGEL’S GREETING TO MARY [SPECULUM BEATAE MARIAE VIRGINIS] was published by the Editors in the College of St Bonaventure, Quaracchi, Italy in 1904. It was published as the second volume of the series entitled Bibliotheca franciscana ascetica medii aevi.

 

The identity of the author and the date of the work are discussed in the Preface prepared by the Editors and which follows this Preface.

 

The Bible used in this translation is the New Revised Standard Bible (NRSV). At times, however, this translation is markedly different from the Latin Bible used by the author. When this occurs the Douay Rheims Bible (DRB) has been used as it follows the Latin text closely; whenever the Douay Rheims Bible is quoted this is noted in the text. In the translation the abbreviations for the names of the books of the Bible are the abbreviations used in the New Revised Standard Bible.

 

In the printed text there are not a few occasions when the source of a quotation in the text is not identified. Sometimes also the author quoted in the text is corrected in the footnotes, and sometimes the work attributed, for example, to St Augustine is found to be from a non genuine work of Augustine. These details are presented in the translation exactly as they appear in the printed edition.

 

I record my gratitude to Fr Maurice Carmody OFM for verifying some of the footnotes, to Fr Christopher Goulding OFM and Sr Joanne Fitzsimons OSC for their careful work in proofreading these pages and for their many suggestions which have improved the translation. The mistakes which remain are my own responsibility.

 

 

Campion Murray OFM

St Paschal’s College,

Box Hill

Victoria

 

Christmas 1999

PREFACE

 

In the course of editing the works of St Bonaventure, we decided, on the evidence of critical arguments based particularly on the manuscripts, that many important writings by the seraphic Doctor are not authentic; one of the significant of these is the Speculum B. Mariae Virginis [Mirror or Reflection of the blessed Virgin Mary] or Expositio salutationis angelicae [The Angel’s Greeting to Mary]. To satisfy the requests of many people, we offer a new edition of this work based on the manuscript tradition, and preceded by a brief exposition about the author and the value of the work, together with the method followed in preparing this edition.  

 

I. THE AUTHOR OF THE ANGEL’S GREETING TO MARY

 

1. Who was the author? Up till now The Angel’s Greeting to Mary has been regarded as one of the works of Bonaventure, but already in the Middle Ages John of Turrecremata and Anthony of Brixen, then Wadding, Alva, Bonelli, Sbaralea and others attributed the work to Friar Conrad of Saxony. This opinion is supported by the evidence of the manuscripts and is clearly and expressly confirmed by the work itself.

 

i.      As a first step, the time when the work was composed has to be determined. That the time of composition was the thirteenth century is indicated by some manuscripts, and also by the words in chapter 14, page 80: ‘The first mercy of Mary was while she was yet living on earth; the last instance of her mercy is what she has now shown from heaven for more than one thousand two hundred years.’

ii.    Concerning the place of composition it is noteworthy that about one hundred and forty manuscripts of the work are found in libraries in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, while scarcely fifteen are found in Italy, France and England; hence, it is lawful to conclude that the work comes from Germany.

iii.    In the large majority of the manuscripts which we have examined the name of the author is not given. Two manuscripts of the fourteenth century name Friar Giles of Rome, two of the same century name Albert the Great, ten, including two manuscripts of the fourteenth century, name Bonaventure, while seventeen, four of which are from the fourteenth century, name Friar Conrad of Saxony. On the basis of the manuscripts only Bonaventure or Conrad of Saxony can be considered as the author.

 

The answer is to be found in the work itself. In chapter 13, page 72 the author says: ‘But because I have spoken of this Queen in the Sermon Astitit regina etc, now I will treat of her entry;’ it is clear that the author of this Sermon was the author of the The Angel’s Greeting to Mary. The Sermon Astitit is not found in the sermons of Bonaventure but is the first sermon on the Assumption of our Lady among the sermons of Friar Conrad of Saxony. This sermon has come to us in ten manuscripts of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries all of which attribute the sermon to Conrad. In confirmation of this one can see that the author of the sermon refers the reader to the The Angel’s Greeting to Mary, and the same opinions, the same quotations from Scripture and the Fathers are found in each book.

 

2. The life of the author. We have been able to discover but little of the life of the author. In the first place, the manuscripts name the author as Conrad of Saxony or Saxo; codex 67, of the library of the academy of Traiectensis which contains his sermons adds of Brunswick, which infers that his home was in Braunschweig, an important town of old lower Saxony. In some manuscripts the family name is given as Holzinger (Holthniker or Holtnykher), and John of Turrecremata is in agreement with this when he says in the treatise On the Truth of the Conception of the blessed Virgin: ‘Friar Conrad of Saxo, with the family name Holxinger, in a significant and most devout work on the angelic greeting.’

The manuscripts also claim that he was a Friar Minor while the manuscript Fulginatensis adds ‘from the province of Saxony’. This is supported by his sermons in which many references occur to St Francis and his death, to St Anthony of Padua and to St Clare. His sermon on St Clare begins: ‘You, our sister. These words were spoken by Rebekah’s brothers to her, and the Friars Minor, Clare’s brothers, can say to her … So let us as brothers say: You, our sister.’

Finally, all his writings which show much learning and deep piety justify the prominent position he held among the Friars Minor of his time and country. If one goes to the Chronicles of the Order for the thirteenth century, it can easily be seen that a certain Friar Conrad of Brunswick was eminent among the friars of the province of Saxony both for learning and authority; for this reason it is not without reason that we argue that The Angel’s Greeting to Mary and the sermons mentioned above are to be attributed to this Friar Conrad of Saxony.[1] Glassberger has recorded much about him. For the year 1245 he says:

 

Friar Gottfridus, the minister of Saxony, when he had been minister for three years and some months, was released from office in the chapter at Lyons and Friar Conrad of Brunopolis, a lector at Hildensis, was appointed vicar. In the same year, during the chapter at Hall, celebrated on the feast of the Birthday of the blessed Virgin, he was elected minister of Saxony and confirmed about the time of the feast of St Martin. He governed the province with discipline, rigour, great maturity and observance, in the peace bequeathed to him by his predecessors; after almost sixteen years in office and after his strongest insistence, tired and worn out from work, he was released from office to the sorrow of many friars.

 

He speaks of Conrad again in reference to the year 1272:

In the year of the Lord 1272 during the chapter at Magdeburg, Friar Conrad of Brunopolis was reelected. He ruled the province for some years in a satisfactorily faithful manner, but when he went to the chapter in Assisi, then to be celebrated in the year of the Lord 1279, he fell ill in Bologna and died from a stone in the kidney or bladder and from other infirmities.[2]

 

3. The other writings of the author. It is fitting to add here a list of the writings of Friar Conrad. The first catalogue which we found in Rodulphius Tossinianensis says:

 

Conrad of Saxony wrote on the four books of the Sentences, one book on the Lord’s Prayer, one book on the angel’s greeting, one book of sermons for the seasons of the year, one book of sermons for Lent, one book on the saints, and wrote commentaries on many books of the Bible.

 

In listing the writings of Conrad, Sbaralea omitted the work on the Sentences, the book on the Lord’s Prayer and those commentaries on sacred Scripture; nor were we able to find any trace of them. The writings of Friar Conrad which we have found in manuscripts are the following:

Sermons for the seasons of the year;

Sermons on the saints;

Sermons on the common of the saints. Much has already been written in the Opera Omnia of St Bonaventure (9, XIII-XIV) on the manuscripts and editions of these sermons.

Sermons for Lent.

 

Perhaps, a collection of Sermons to Religious, found in a manuscript of Siena and attributed to an unknown writer of the early fourteenth century, can be credited to our Conrad, since in the same volume are other sermons of Friar Conrad as well as The Angel’s Greeting to Mary. 

Sbaralea, who omitted this last book of sermons, attributed to Friar Conrad a Concordance, which under the name of Friar Conrad of Germany was printed many times;[3] we are not able to pass judgment on this.

 

II.  THE VALUE OF THE WORK

 

The doctors of the thirteenth century in their theological and exegetical works as well as in their homilies honoured with great love the most blessed Virgin, in fact there is hardly one of them who does not extol the Mother of God with their praises. The more common writings are commentaries on the Hail Mary; the most notable of the doctors laboured to expound this prayer. Our present commentary, The Angel’s Greeting to Mary, is by no means the least among these commentaries which is clear from the number of copies made in the Middle Ages, about 150, and the frequency with which it is quoted by scholars and writers.

In eighteen chapters the author offers a pious and ingenious exposition of the angel’s greeting. It is a work full of sweetness and doctrine, betraying the author’s spirit of tender devotion to the blessed Virgin; it abounds in solid and weighty opinions and delights with its images and comparisons offered in a rich and lovely variety, so that ‘hardly can one find any other work treating of this subject which is its equal in these qualities and virtues.’[4]

The author is especially versed in sacred Scripture which he quotes continually; his interpretations are free, often proposing a mystical sense. For this reason many attributed the work to St Bonaventure, and indeed the clear and significant division of chapters reminds one of Bonaventure; however, some of the explanations of Scripture are far fetched and at times curious, departing from the fullness and depth of Bonaventure. 

The teaching of the author reflects the common opinions of theologians of his time, which is shown clearly when in chapter 11, p. 57 he says of the conception of the Virgin:

 

However, because the blessed Virgin was conceived in sin, but born without sin, she did not have her origin in sin. This is against those who claim that not only was she born without sin but was also conceived without sin.

 

There is no doubt that Friar Conrad is to be given great praise among the many writers of the thirteenth century.

 

III.  THE PRINCIPLES FOLLOWED IN OUR EDITION

 

Our edition of The Angel’s Greeting to Mary has primarily a practical purpose. We first examined the manuscripts known to us so as to decide who was the auth or and to preserve the integrity of the work. Second, we selected some good manuscripts on the basis of which, with the help of the Vatican edition corrected from its many errors, we tried to come to the original text. Because of our practical aim, we have added variant readings in the texts only where there seemed to be a special need for them; in fact there are not many major difficulties in the work and the variant readings rarely affect the substantial sense of the text….

 

THE EDITORS

Quaracchi, 26 November 1903

 

 

 

 

 

THE ANGEL’S

 

 

 

GREETING

 

 

 

TO

 

 

 

MARY

PROLOGUE

 

As blessed Jerome says[5]: ‘There is no doubt that whatever is worthily attributed to the Mother of God rebounds to the glory of the praise of God’. Wishing to say something to the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and to promote the glory of God’s most glorious Mother, I was led to take as a worthy topic the angelic salutation. I confess my complete insufficiency for this task on account of the quality of such material, the thinness of my knowledge, the dryness of my language, the utmost unworthiness of my life, and on account of the highest praise due to such a praiseworthy person.

Who doubts the mysterious quality of this material of which holy Jerome did not hesitate to say[6]:

 

What nature did not have, was unknown to practice, reason was unaware of, the human mind could not understand, the heavens were afraid of, the earth amazed, and every heavenly creation was in admiration of, this is all in what was divinely announced to Mary by Gabriel and fulfilled through Christ. For this reason, I admit I am unworthy to speak of such great things.

 

Likewise, how could I whose knowledge is so thin and whose mind so obscure be adequate to express praises worthy of Mary when the clear mind of Anselm was insufficient? For he says[7]:

 

My language is inadequate, my mind insufficient, O Lady. Lady, my whole being is anxious to thank you for such benefits but I cannot think of what is worthy of being said and I am ashamed to offer what is not worthy.

 

Blessed Augustine when referring to Mary says[8]: ‘What can I, a poor ignorant person, say of you when whatever I say is less praise than your dignity deserves?’

How, then, can my rough speech, my most arid interpretations not be deficient in praising Mary when Augustine, whose language was so fluent in such things, was inadequate? For he says[9]: ‘What can we, so small and weak in actions, offer as praise to Mary when even if all our limbs were tongues, no one would be equal to praising her?’

Likewise, since praise is unseemly on the lips of a sinner [Sir 15:9], how can I a poor, sinful person, a little person who is most unworthy, dare to sing the praises of Mary when I learn that Jerome, a person most worthy in these matters, feared to do so? He says[10]:

 

I am rather afraid and most anxious, for while I want to respond to your requests, I perhaps would be like a shameless person in daring to praise Mary. Because I am lacking in holiness and fluency, I am unable to praise worthily the blessed and glorious Virgin.

 

Moreover, why should I add a drop of water to an ocean, why should I add a pebble to a mountain? Indeed, since Mary is highly praised by divine and angelic praises, what could I who am so insignificant possibly add to these praises? Finally, blessed Jerome says of Mary[11]:

 

In truth, whatever human words can utter is less than the praises of heaven, since Mary has been preached and praised by divine and angelic oracles. She was foretold by the prophets, prefigured in the persons and riddles of the patriarchs, presented and taught by the evangelists, and in a venerable and official way greeted by the angel.

 

With all this in mind the pious reader and hearer should rightly pardon me for any inadequacy, any incompetence which strikes them in this writing. How could I who am so insufficient be able to give shape to praises worthy of the Virgin, praises which would be pleasing to her devotees? Even blessed Bernard, her admirer and devotee, had to be forced to praise her. He says[12]: ‘Nothing delights me more, nothing frightens me more, than to have to preach on the glory of the Virgin Mother’. He adds the reason for this:

 

As is right, all people hold, honour and accept her with such a feeling of devotion that all try to speak of her, but what can be said of what is unspeakable? For this reason whatever is said is less agreeable, less pleasing and less acceptable.

 

However, blessed Jerome encouraged and consoled me[13]: ‘Even though no one is found worthy of this task, the prayers of all, even of any sinner, should not cease from giving praise’. Blessed Augustine,[14] after speaking and reflecting on how the Son of God ‘in coming brought fruitfulness to his Mother and in being born did not take away her integrity’, said:

 

We are unable to speak of such a gift of God, since we are too insignificant to extol its greatness, and yet we are forced to give praise so as not to be ungrateful by remaining silent.

 

Certainly the poor widow who offered to God two small copper coins [Lk 21:2] was most pleasing to God, nor should she have offered nothing because she could not offer a large sum. For this reason, I who am poor in ability, in fact poverty stricken in knowledge and eloquence, presume to offer this small gift, this most poor writing to the honour of so great a Queen, so that in this writing as in a small obscure mirror more simple lovers of this Queen may gaze at least in a slight way on the image such as it is. Because the same writing is like a crude mirror representing the life, grace and glory of Mary it is not unfittingly entitled Speculum amoris.[15]

Therefore, most kind Lady Mary, gently accept this small gift given to you by a poor friend. With this tiny gift, with this writing I salute your greeting; I salute you on bended knees, with head bowed, with my heart and mind saying: Hail, Mary etc.

 

 

CHAPTER 1

 

That in the angel’s greeting five statements are found pointing to five most sweet praises of the blessed Virgin Mary

 

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb [Lk 1:28.42]. Hear, most sweet Virgin Mary, hear what is new and wonderful: Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear [Ps 45:10]: hear Gabriel the glorious messenger, consider the miraculous way to fruitfulness, incline your ear to a fruitful consent, hear indeed what is announced to you from God the Father, consider how the Son of God is to be born from you, incline your ear to the Holy Spirit who will work wonders in you. Because you have ears for hearing, listen [Mt 11:15] in the beginning of the message to the unheard of greeting: Hail, Mary. The name Mary was inserted not by Gabriel but by the devotion of the faithful under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The final clause, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, does not come from the greeting of Gabriel but was added by Elizabeth as she prophesied. Bede says[16]: ‘The degree to which this greeting is not used in ordinary speech, so much the more does it fit the dignity of Mary’. In this sweet greeting five statements are made in which five sweet commendations or praises of the sweet Virgin are implied. How sweet the implication! There is implied how the blessed Virgin Mary was most pure, full, safe, worthy and useful. I say most pure because of the absence of sin; most full from the fullness of grace; most safe because of the divine presence; most worthy from her title of honour; most useful due to the excellence of her child.

That Mary was pure because of the absence of sin is clearly implied in the word, Hail. She who was completely free of any stain of sin is rightly addressed with the word, Hail. Anselm bears witness to this when he says[17]:

 

It was fitting that the conception of that person should be from a most pure Mother so that the Virgin should be resplendent with a purity, than which no greater could be imagined under God; to her, God the Father deigned to give his only Son whom he bore equal to himself from his heart, so that he might become both a Son of God and a human Son.

 

Likewise, that Mary was full from the fullness of grace is clearly implied in the words full of grace. Truly full and more than full, as Anselm says in exclaiming most devoutly[18]: ‘Woman, full and overflowing with grace, from whose fullness poured out every creature has been renewed’.

 Likewise, that Mary was safe because of the divine presence is clearly implied in the words: The Lord is with you. Rightly is Mary safe as the Lord is present and living with her, and so God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is with her, as is clear in the words of Bernard[19]: ‘Not only is God the Son with you, he whom you clothed with your flesh, but also God the Father who brought forth him whom you conceive’.

Likewise, that Mary was worthy from her title of honour is clearly implied in the words: Blessed are you among women. Anselm in wonder says further[20]: ‘Virgin blessed and abundantly blessed, through your blessedness every being is blessed, not only the creature by the Creator, but also the Creator by the creature’.

Likewise, that Mary was useful due to the excellence of her child is clearly implied in the words: And blessed is the fruit of your womb. Mary was useful for the salvation of the world, for she gave birth to a fruit excellent and valid for salvation. Devout Anselm says the same[21]:

 

Through your fruitfulness, Lady, the world is redeemed, sinners justified, the damned saved and exiles repatriated. Lady, the captive world is redeemed, the sick healed and the dead raised to life through you giving birth.

 

Reflect, dear reader, how Mary from her lack of sin and freedom from stain is rightly greeted with Hail. She was rightly called full of grace from the abundance and fullness of grace; and it was rightly said that because of the divine presence and familiarity the Lord is with you; she is correctly greeted because of the honour and dignity of her person as blessed among women; on account of the excellence and value of her child it is rightly said to her blessed is the fruit of your womb. We may look at each of these points in turn.

 

 

CHAPTER 2

 

That the blessed Virgin was free from the triple woe of actual sin, from the triple woe of original sin and from the triple woe of hell’s punishment

 

Hail, Mary, etc. May we shout out the good and sweet word Hail by which our redemption from eternal woe began. May each of us, I say, shout out, may all shout out most devoutly saying: Hail, Mary. For, dear reader, as was said above, the most holy Virgin Mary because of her total lack of and freedom from sin, because of her complete innocence and purity, rightly merited to be greeted with Hail; it was fitting that the greeting begins with Hail because she was without woe.[22] One ought also reflect on the triple woe from which she was most free, she to whom was said Hail. There is a woe of sin, a woe of misfortune and a woe of hell. These are the woe of actual sin, the woe of original sin, and the woe of hell. It is not unreasonable to apply to these three woes what is read in Revelation: Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew in midheaven, ‘Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth’ [Rev 8:13]. But unfortunately each of these three woes is multiplied to be three woes, so that together they are nine against which Mary is rightly greeted with Hail. There are three woes of sin, three of misfortunes and three of hell, and Mary is greeted with Hail since she lacked all three.

 

First, we are to reflect on the triple woe of sin, namely the woe of sin in the heart, the woe of sin in the mouth, and the woe of sin in actions. Of each of these woes can be said: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth.

Woe to sinners for sin in the heart as Isaiah says: Ha! You who hide a plan too deep for the Lord etc [29:15]. Woe to those who hide evil in the depths of the heart, because hearts with evil in their depths are the deep refuges of the devils and deep graves filled with ugly vices. Woe to such to whom is said: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-washed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth [Mt 23:27]. Bernard writes of how far the most innocent heart of Mary was from this woe[23]: ‘Mary had no sin of her own, and repentance was far from her most innocent heart’. Why would the heart of Mary be repentant when she never did anything worthy of repentance? Her most pure heart was not a refuge for the devil, nor a grave of vice, but rather it was a garden and paradise of the Holy Spirit according to the text: A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked [Song 4:12]. Jerome comments[24]: ‘Truly a garden of delights in which are planted all the varieties and perfumes of the flowers of the virtues’. Because, therefore, Mary was far from woe of the heart she was rightly greeted with Hail.

Likewise, woe to sinners for sins of the tongue as Isaiah says: Ah, you who call evil good and good evil [5:20]. Woe to these and to all who sin with the tongue because they carry the poison of the devil on the tongue as is said in a Psalm: The poison of asps is under their tongues [Ps 13:3 in DRB; Ps 14:3 in NRSV].[25] The holy tongue of Mary was far from this woe. Ambrose says well[26]: ‘There was no sternness in the eyes of Mary, nothing improper in her words, nothing shameful in her actions’. In the mouth of Mary there was no bitterness or poison of the devil, but the honey and milk of the Holy Spirit according to the text of the Song: Your lips distill nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue [4:11]. The milk under the tongue of Mary was clean when she spoke the most chaste words: How can this be, since I am a virgin? [Lk 1:34]. The honey under her tongue was most sweet when she spoke the sweet word: Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word [Lk 1:38]. Since woe of the tongue was so far from Mary she was rightly addressed with Hail.

Likewise, woe to sinners for sins in actions as stated in Sirach: Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil [2:14 in DRB; 2:12 in NRSV]. This verse touches on all three woes. Woe to a double heart for sins of the heart; woe to wicked lips for sins of the tongue; woe to hands that do evil for sins in actions. How far were the actions and life of Mary from such woe! For this reason blessed Bernard says[27]:

 

It was fitting that the Queen of virgins should, by a special privilege, lead a life without any sin, so that she who was to bear the destroyer of sin and death, should be given the gift of life and justice in all things.

 

Note that he says ‘without any sin’. Mary lived her whole life contracting no stain of sin in her heart, mouth or actions, so that the Lord could truly say of her: You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you [Song 4:7]. Therefore, the most innocent and holy Mary was without woe in her heart, without woe in her mouth, without woe in her actions, and so she was greeted with Hail.

 

Second, one should reflect that Mary was free not only from the triple woe of actual sin, but also from the triple woe of original misfortune, namely, from the woe of the misfortune of those being born, from the woe of the misfortune of those giving birth, and from the woe of the misfortune of the dying. The woe of misfortune of those being born is the woe of the infection weakening those being born, and the woe of the misfortune of those giving birth is the woe of pain affecting the parents, and the woe of the misfortune of those dying is the woe of the turning to ashes of those dying. To these the triple woe can be addressed: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth.

The woe of the misfortune of those being born is the woe of the infection which is innate in us. By this infection we are prone, from original corruption, both to being weak in doing good and inclined to evil. Each person is born with this infection and so to each of us, weak and wounded from the infection, can be said: Woe is me because of my hurt! My wound is severe. But I said, ‘Truly this is my punishment, and I must bear it’ [Jer 10:19]. But alas, not only is the woe of weakness and misfortune present in those being born and inclining adults to sin, but there is also the woe of ugliness and sin turning children to anger, for the Apostle says: All of us were by nature children of wrath [Eph 2:3]. Mary was most free in her most holy birth from this woe of those being born, for she is believed to have been freed not only from original sin, but also from the misfortune of infection which leads one to sin. This freedom came to her from being made holy in the womb so that at no time was she inclined to sin in this world as Bernard says[28]: ‘I think that a more abundant grace of holiness came down on her, which not only sanctified her beginning but then kept her free from all sin during her life’. Because the birth of Mary was so far removed from this woe, she was rightly greeted with Hail.

Likewise, the woe of misfortune of those giving birth is the woe of the original misfortune, spoken to Eve: In pain you shall bring forth children [Gen 3:16]. Of this woe can be said in general to those who are pregnant what the Lord said specifically to some pregnant women: Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days [Mt 24:19]. Augustine writes of how free was the pregnant and birth giving womb of Mary when he says[29]: ‘How blessed is this Mother who conceived without stain and brought forth our medicine without pain’. Because Mary was so far removed from this woe of those giving birth, she was rightly greeted with Hail.

Likewise, the woe of misfortune of those dying is the woe of turning to ashes, inflicted on humans when it was said to the one sinning: You are dust, and to dust you shall return [Gen 3:19]. The woe of those dying and the woe of those being born can be well understood in the words of Sirach: Woe to you, the ungodly, who have forsaken the law of the Most High God! If you have children, calamity will be theirs … and a curse is your lot [41:8-9]. Certainly, both the pious and the wicked are born with the curse of an inclination toward sin and will die in the curse of becoming dust; however, it would seem that the double curse can with reason be applied here only to the wicked since for the wicked an inclination to sin is more dangerous and the turning to ashes more hateful. For the unjust the misfortune of an inclination to sin is more harmful and the thought of turning to ashes more bitter than it is for the just. We believe the most holy body of Mary was far removed from this woe of turning to ashes. Her body was the most holy ark of God and it was unfitting for it to suffer corruption, so that she like her Son should be raised up before corruption began. To both the Son and his Mother can be applied the words of the Prophet: Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might [Ps 132:8]. This ark was made of incorruptible wood [Ex 25:10] because, as we believe, the flesh of Mary was never subject to corruption. Augustine says well[30]: ‘Such an outstanding treasure is more fittingly preserved in heaven than on earth, for it is right that incorruption, not corruption, follow such integrity’. Therefore, Mary, in the way just explained, was far from the woe of those being born, far from the woe of those giving birth, far from the woe of those dying, and so she was rightly greeted with Hail.

 

Third, dear reader, one should reflect that Mary was free not only from the triple woe of actual sin, not only from the triple woe of original misfortune, but also from the triple woe of the punishment of hell which consists in its degree, multiplicity and duration. Woe, therefore, to the damned and equally to those who are to be damned, woe, I repeat, because of its degree, woe because of its multiplicity, and woe because of the duration of the torments. Of these three woes can be said: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth.

The woe of hell consists in the degree of its punishments. The text of Ezekiel can well be applied here: Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile great [24:9]. The bloody city is the gathering of all the wicked, for there will be a great pile in the burning of the damned. Mary, due to the degree of her grace and glory, was far from this great woe of the degree of punishment; God had prepared for her, not a share in the great pile of the damned in hell but great glory in heaven, for just as she was great in merit, so should she be great in her reward. She is that great throne spoken of in 1 Kings: The king also made a great ivory throne [10:18]. The genuine throne of Solomon is Mary, totally great in grace and glory. For this reason Bernard says with good reason: ‘To the degree that Mary received grace on earth beyond all others, to that degree did she receive in heaven a singular glory’. Because, therefore, Mary was so far removed from this woe, she is rightly greeted with Hail.

Likewise, the woe of hell is not only in the degree of the punishment but also in its multiplicity; Isaiah says: Woe to them, for they have brought evil on themselves [3:9]. In this text evil is plural because many evils are inflicted on the evil in hell. Mary, because of the multitude of her merits and rewards, was far from the woe of this multitude of torments; for her, God had prepared not the many evils of the damned in hell, but many good things in heaven, so that no angel, no saint could equal her in the multitude and total of heavenly goods, according to the text of Proverbs: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all [31:29]. If we understand women in this text to refer to holy people or angels, has not Mary exceeded all of them with her special riches?[31] Has she not exceeded the riches of virgins, confessors, martyrs, apostles, prophets, patriarchs, and angels, since she is the first of virgins, the model for confessors, the rose of martyrs, the register of apostles, the oracle of the prophets, the daughter of the patriarchs, and the queen of angels? Listen to Jerome[32]: ‘If you look with care on Mary there is no virtue, no beauty, no radiance nor glory which does not shine from her’. Because, therefore, Mary was so far removed from this woe of hell, she is rightly greeted with Hail.

Likewise, the woe of hell consists not only in its degree and multiplicity, but also in its duration. Jude says: Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain, and abandon themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of gain … for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever [11.13]. Note that he says forever and reflect on the duration of that punishment which finds no end even in eternity. Far removed from this woe of hell was the duration of the glory of Mary for whom the Lord had prepared eternal light in heaven in contrast to eternal darkness in hell; just as a sinful soul, the home of the devil, lives miserably in darkness forever, so Mary is the mediatrix, the home of Christ, and is wonderfully radiant forever, according to the Psalm: His throne shall endure before me like the sun, established forever like the moon [89:36-37].

Therefore, the most blessed Virgin Mary was far removed from the triple woe of hell, indeed far from the nine woes mentioned above, and so is rightly greeted with Hail. We all are to say to her Hail, we are all to pray that she would pray for us to be freed from every woe, through our Lord Jesus Christ, her Son, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns.

 

CHAPTER 3

 

On the meanings of the name Mary and that the blessed Virgin is most fittingly called a bitter sea, star of the sea, illuminator and Lady

 

Hail, Mary. This name, as stated above,[33] does not come from the angel but from the devotion of the faithful. Of this name the holy evangelist Luke says: The virgin’s name was Mary [1:27]. This holy, sweet and worthy name is fittingly given to the holy, sweet and worthy Virgin. For Mary means a bitter sea, star of the sea, radiant and illuminating, and Lady. Mary is a bitter sea for the demons, a star of the sea for us, radiant or illuminating for the angelic spirits, and a Lady for all creatures. Mary is a bitter sea in a spiritual sense for the demons, a star of the sea officially for us, an illuminator for the angels for all eternity, and a Lady for all creatures without exception.

One should reflect, therefore, what it means to call Mary a bitter sea, a title which befits her best against the devil. Note how Mary is a sea, how she is bitter, and taken together a bitter sea. Mary is a sea abounding in grace, she is bitter in suffering with her Son, she is a bitter sea in which the devil drowns. Mary is then a sea through the fullness of the copious outpouring of the Holy Spirit, she is bitter in suffering the passion of her Son, she is a bitter sea through holding down the devil to the point of suffocation.

 

First, dear reader, reflect that Mary is called a sea because of the copious outpouring of graces. In Ecclesiastes is written: All streams run to the sea [1:7]. The streams are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water’. Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive [Jn 7:38; see also Deut 18:15 and Joel 2:28]. All streams, therefore, run to the sea, while all the gifts of the saints flow into Mary. The stream of grace of the angels flows into Mary, the stream of grace of the patriarchs and prophets flows into Mary, the stream of grace of the apostles flows into Mary, the stream of grace of the martyrs flows into Mary, the stream of grace of the confessors flows into Mary, the stream of grace of the virgins flows into Mary. All streams run to the sea, all graces flow into Mary and so it can be said of her: I am the mother of beautiful love, of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope [Sir 24:18]. Is it strange if every grace flowed into Mary through whom great grace has flowed to everyone? Augustine says: ‘Mary, you are full of the grace which you found in the Lord and have merited to scatter it throughout the whole world’.

 

Second, reflect that Mary was extremely bitter during the passion of her Son when a sword pierced her soul [Lk 2:35]. A text of Ruth can well be applied to her: Call me no longer Naomi [beautiful], call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me [1:20]. Naomi was bitter because her two sons were dead [Ruth 1:5]. The beautiful and bitter Naomi represents Mary, beautiful indeed from the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, bitter from the suffering of her Son. The two children of Mary are the God-man and men and women, of whom Mary is the mother of one physically and of the other spiritually. Blessed Bernard says[34]:

 

You are the Mother of the King, Mother of the exile, Mother of God, Mother of the Judge, Mother of God and men and women, and since you are the Mother of both you cannot tolerate discord between them.

 

Blessed Anselm says well[35]: ‘Blessed trust, safe refuge, the Mother of God is our mother’. Both these children of Mary died in the passion: one bodily, the other mentally; one by the bitterness of the cross, the other by unfaithfulness of mind. The heart of Mary was indeed filled with bitterness, as holy Augustine claims[36]:

 

That pious Mother lamenting with great sorrow, crushing her weakened resolve so that her heart and all her limbs were exhausted, was scarcely able to move forward and come to the burial of Christ.

 

See how Mary is a sea of the Holy Spirit and how she is bitter over the death of her Son.

 

Third, dear reader, reflect that Mary is a bitter sea for the devil and his angels pushed down by her, just as the Egyptians were submerged in the bitter Red Sea, of which Exodus says: The Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them [15:19]. How bitter and fearful was this sea to the Egyptians; how bitter and fearful is Mary to the demons. Bernard says: