Crown of the Virgin

I recently stumbled upon a great little meditation book that I wanted to share with you. This book is an ancient text dated somewhere around the 600’s and is attributed o St. Ildephonsus of Toledo. Crown of the Virgin: An Ancient Meditation on Mary’s Beauty, Virtue, and Sanctity has been published by Tan Books, and it appears in English for the time.

 This book is beautiful, but before we get to the book, a bit about St. Ildephonsus. He was born around 607 in Spain. It is believed he was a pupil of St. Isidore of Seville. While very young, he entered the Benedictine monastery of Agalia near Toledo and later became its Abbot. Ildephonsus had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Legend tells us that Mother Mary appeared to him and presented him with a vestment to wear when celebrating Mass.

St. Ildephonsus was a prolific writer, but only four of his works have survived, the best-known being On the Perpetual Virginity of Most Blessed Mary. That does not include the subject of this review. There is some debate as to whether Ildephonsus did indeed author this devotional, but all indication appears to point to him as the writer. In 657, he was elected Archbishop of Toledo as his uncle’s successor. He died ten years later.

Ildephonsus uses a crown as the foundation for the book. “I shall fashion for her a golden crown, adorned with twelve precious gems, made radiant with six stars of celestial light, and perfumed with six of the most beautiful flowers so that it may be filled with all imaginable sweetness!” The book is arranged into 24 chapters, one for each meditation. The volume serves as a testament to Ildephonsus’ deep devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Each of the book’s 24 chapters consists of a brief meditation, ranging from a single page to a few pages long, all conclude with a prayer. It serves as a perfect companion for guided daily devotion to our Blessed Mother. I would encourage anyone to get a copy of this ancient text. It’s short, but powerful chapters serve as a fantastic springboard to deeper meditation. Use Crown of the Virgin to draw closer to our Blessed Mother. We need her now more than ever.

Where to Find