Join St. Ildephonsus of Toledo in an ancient meditation on Mary, Beauty, Virtue, and Sanctity. Discover the ninth stone in the crown of the virgin in this excerpt taken from The Crown of the Virgin.
The Iridescent Agate Stone
O Empress most refulgent, you are seated in the heavenly throne, crowned with glory and honor, ornate with the priceless jewels of virtue, unspeakably joyful, perfectly beautiful, and incomparably lovely! You are beautiful in virginity, more beautiful in humility, and most beautiful in the immaculate conception of the Son of God himself! You are lovely in the celestial praise you merit, lovelier in the purity of morals by which you lived, most lovely in the glory of the divine vision you enjoy.
You are beautiful indeed—for you have neither fault nor flaw, no imperfection, either of spirit or body. Rather you are absolutely pure, and radiant like refined gold. The slightest tint or shadow of sin never once approached your heart, but the grace and charism of all sanctity enveloped it totally.
O most beautiful, lovely and exquisite Mistress! Accept, I pray, an agate stone, which I venture to situate in the ninth place in your crown as an adornment for you. Amongst its other power, the agate has the effect of making a person gracious; which certainly befits you, O Lady, who are more effective and potent than anything else in transforming our souls. We once languished in the darkness of sin, in the filth of concupiscence, and in the shadows of iniquity, and therefore deserved to be despised by God, even as progeny of hell. And there are indeed many inflated by pride, blackened with avarice, bloody through wrath, foul through lust and luxury, jaundiced through gluttony, livid through envy and bloated by sloth.
But when it was pleasing to him who had chosen you from your mother’s womb, your immaculate heart was moved with pity for us. Then—by the assistance of your maternal hand—we were led from the domain of darkness to sanctity’s realm of infinite light. Vices came to be detested and abstinence to be embraced. Sinful desire was extinguished, and virtue sprang once more to life. For “you open your hand, and fill all living beings with blessings.” Once the seed of grace is sown within us, the proud become humble; the avaricious, generous; the greedy, temperate; the lustful, chaste; the wrathful, charitable; and the slothful, industrious. And thus we—who had been the offspring of darkness—are transformed into children of the Light and co-heir with Christ of the heavenly kingdom. Glory to God in the highest! For he graciously has furnished us with such a needed and beloved Protectress as you, O Mother of mercy, who were granted, by the grace of God;
to empty the infernal dungeons of hell,
to illuminate the world,
to enhance the lustre of heaven,
to enrich paradise,
to crush the devil,
to seize the prey from the jaws of the
devouring lion;
to lead sinners to repentance.
O Mary, full of grace, refulgent Virgin, aureate, pure and flawless, consecrated as the dwelling place of Christ, vessel of glory and beauty precious in the eyes of the highest King! O innocent maiden, blessed by the Holy Spirit, protected by the holy angels, adored by the seraphim, adorned with infinite graces and virtues!
Turn to me your sweet, gracious eyes of mercy, O Mistress, resplendent and luminous. Visit me, who languish in infirmity. Care for me, afflicted with suffering. Console me, who weep and mourn. Grant to me a devout heart and an enlightened mind, that I may comprehend the greatness of your goodness, the magnificence of your purity, the depths of your wisdom, and the sanctity of your body and soul. O Highest Empress, look down from the exalted heights of your majesty and shed the splendor of the light of your grace upon the darkness of my soul, repair my wounded heart, and inflame my being with your love!
Prayer
I pray to thee, O Mary: that your holy virginity may render me chaste; that your motherhood may grant me increase in virtue; that your humility may make me humble; that your sanctity may make me contrite; that your mercy may make me worthy of eternal life; and, that you permit me to serve as a devout poet of praise for as long as this earthly life abides!
For, alas, my body is afflicted with torments. My soul is almost broken by temptations. Internal peace and sweetness have vanished from my heart. O holy Queen of Virgins! Grant solace and succor unto thy supplicant. Behold the tears of one crying out to thee. Remain with me, O Mary, since the dense gloom of despair begins to envelop me.
O Virgin immaculate, O Queen crowned by the hand of the Most High, grant that this tearful soul that beseeches thee may one day become truly meek and humble and genuinely contrite for its sins, and thus may enter into the felicity of eternal life and join the noble ranks of the blessed saints and angels in heaven! Amen.
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This article is taken from a chapter in Crown of the Virgin by Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo which is available from TAN Books.
