De conceptione Salvatoris
The Divine Plan of Redemption
The Incarnation is presented as the perfect reversal of the Fall, occurring in the fullness of time.
The archangel Gabriel. In the sixth month after the conception of the Forerunner, when the fullness of that most sacred and joyful time had come—namely, the beginning of the sixth age, for which the most high Trinity had ordained before time began to provide for the human race through the Incarnation of the Word—God Almighty called the archangel Gabriel, one of the first princes of His kingdom, and sent him into a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to the Virgin Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a man of her own lineage. Both were of the house of David, of royal family, of noble tribe and stock, and more religious than others, as Bernard says. It pleased God to reconcile man in the same order and in the same way He knew he had fallen. According to Bede, man had fallen with the devil directing, the serpent executing, the dialogue intervening, and the woman consenting. He was restored in the same order but in reverse: God directing, the Angel executing, the dialogue intervening, and the Virgin consenting. The words placed here are full of mysteries, and therefore, as Bede says, they should be noted solemnly and inscribed upon the heart all the more diligently, the more clearly it appears that the whole sum of our redemption consists in them. For we ought to remember the beginnings of our salvation with a willing heart. It should be noted, therefore, that the number six is not without mystery. This is why Christ was conceived in the sixth age, because through him all things were to be brought to perfection; the number six, moreover, is perfect. It was also in the sixth millennium—the thousand-year period that serves as the boundary for all numbers, just as Christ is the boundary and end of all created things. It was also in the sixth month, because in that month the world was made, which was to be restored through him, just as it had been created through him. It was also on the sixth day of the week, because on that day man was created, and through him, now lost, man was to be recreated. For this reason, he suffered in the same way: in the same age, the same millennium, the same month, and on the same day of the week, after thirty-three years had passed. And perhaps, so that all things might align, one could say that he was also conceived at the sixth hour, because he suffered at that same hour, just as man also sinned at that same hour; so that, by a certain fittingness, at the same hour that Eve was seduced by the devil, Mary was instructed by the Angel.
The Mystery of Nazareth
The choice of Nazareth and the Virgin Mary reveals God's humility and the fulfillment of prophecy.
The angel Gabriel—whose name means 'the strength of God'—was sent to announce that the power and wisdom of God were to be received. By appearing in humility, he would defeat the powers of the air; he rightly belonged to the order of Archangels because he announced such great things. He was sent by God; yet the God who sent the angel was the whole Trinity, even though the act is attributed specifically to the Father. The Father sent him because the providence regarding the Son, the Bride, and the Mother rested with Him; the Son sent him because He was about to come into the Virgin; the Holy Spirit also sent him because He was the one who would sanctify and overshadow her. He was sent into a city of Galilee, which means 'transmigration,' because He was about to pass from the unbelief of the Jews to the faith of the Gentiles. There are two Galilees: one of the Gentiles, joined to Tyre, which Solomon gave to King Hiram—this is not the one meant here. The other is of the Jews, located above the Sea of Galilee, and this is the one intended. Its name is Nazareth, which means 'flower.' It was fitting that the true flower, Christ, should be conceived in a flower, Nazareth; from a flower, the Blessed Virgin; and with flowers, in the time of flowers. Thus, we shall receive the flower, from the flower, in the flower, among the flowers. Jesus is called a flower because of the beauty and grace of His holy life, the sweetness and fragrance of His good reputation, the fruit of His passion, and the usefulness of His life to the faithful. This flower blossomed at the conception, appeared at the birth, withered in the passion, but finally blossomed again in the resurrection. If you wish to grasp this flower, follow the beauty of His life and proclaim the fragrance of His work; in this way, you will have the fruit of His passion. The Lord did not want, like earthly kings, to choose a great city for His nuptials, in which He joined human nature to Himself. Instead, He chose Nazareth, a small city, as an example of humility, so that He might teach us to always choose humble places. Yet, in the great city of Jerusalem, He chose to suffer, so that He might teach us not to blush at insults before many people for His sake. He was sent, I say, to a Virgin—not just any virgin, but one who was a virgin in mind, in body, and by her profession. Yet Christ chose to be conceived and born of a Virgin. First, according to Bernard, it was fitting that if God were to be conceived or born, He should be conceived or born of none other than a Virgin; likewise, if a Virgin were to conceive or give birth, she should conceive or give birth to none other than God. The second reason, according to Damascene, is that He who has a Father in heaven without a mother might have a Mother on earth without a father. The third, according to the same author, is that He might mark His mystical members who were to be born of the Virgin Church according to the spirit; therefore, it was fitting that the Head be born of a Virgin. The fourth is that, just as the first Adam was made from virgin earth, so the second Adam might become man from a Virgin. The fifth is that, just as the ruin of the human race was brought about through the virgin Eve, so the restoration of the same might be brought about through the Virgin Mary. To the Virgin, he says, betrothed to a man—but why He chose to be conceived and born of one who was betrothed has been stated above regarding the betrothal of the Virgin Mary. As Bernard says, he is called a man not because he was a husband, but because he was a man of virtue and a just man, and for that reason he was a legitimate witness. Joseph—which means 'increasing'—is so named for his growth in virtues; this signifies a continuous progress in virtue. Note that there are four famous Josephs in Scripture. The first was the son of Jacob, in whom prudence is noted. This is because he prudently interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh. The second is Joseph, the husband of Mary, in whom temperance is noted, because he resigned himself to the Virgin Mary. The third is Joseph of Arimathea, in whom fortitude is noted, because he boldly went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. The fourth is Joseph Justus, in whom justice is noted, from which he is also named 'the Just'. It was fitting, therefore, that the Virgin’s spouse should have a name in which the mystery of every virtue could be found. The mention of the house of David is added to show that Christ descended from David’s line, just as the prophets had foretold. For although Joseph wasn't the Savior’s father, the Virgin Mary, from whom Christ took on flesh, was of the same tribe as Joseph—namely, the tribe of David himself.
The Star of the Sea
The name 'Mary' is explored through its various meanings, highlighting her role as a guide and intercessor.
It's fittingly added: "And the Virgin's name was Mary," for this venerable name holds a threefold interpretation in three different languages. In Hebrew, it's interpreted as "star of the sea" or "illuminator"; in Latin, it's etymologized as "bitter sea"; and in Syriac, it's called "lady." She was the star of the sea at the birth of the Son of God, for then she sent forth a ray that illuminated the whole world; she was the bitter sea at the passion of the Son, because then a sword pierced her own soul; but she is the lady in her assumption, when she was exalted above the choirs of angels. Furthermore, Mary is called the star of the sea in the guidance of sinners, because she directs them through the sea of this world to the harbor of repentance, and thus leads them to the Son. In sign of this, a star appeared to the Magi at the birth of Christ, leading them to the infant Savior; therefore, let the eyes of all sinners be fixed upon her, just as the eyes of all sailors are fixed upon the star. Hence Bernard says, "Do not turn your eyes away from the brightness of this star, if you don't want to be overwhelmed by the storm." O you who realize that you are drifting more among the storms and tempests of this world's flood than walking on solid ground, look to the star, call upon Mary. If you are tossed by the waves of pride, or ambition, or detraction, or envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger, or greed, or the allure of the flesh has shaken the little boat of your mind, look to the star, call upon Mary. If you're troubled by the enormity of your sins, or confused by the filth of your conscience, and you begin to be swallowed up by the abyss of despair, look to the star and call on Mary. In dangers, in distress, in doubtful situations, think of Mary, call on Mary; let her not depart from your lips, let her not depart from your heart, and so that you may obtain the help of her prayer, do not abandon the example of her life. Following her, you don't go astray; praying to her, you don't despair; thinking of her, you don't err; with her holding you, you don't fall; with her protecting you, you don't fear; with her leading you, you don't grow weary; with her favoring you, you reach the harbor: so you'll be able to experience for yourself how rightly it is said, the name of the Virgin is Mary, star of the sea. Bernard says this, and also that she is interpreted as 'illuminator,' because she illuminated the world with the splendor of grace and the examples of her most holy life. Hence the Church sings of her: whose glorious life illuminates all the churches. Hence Bernard says: 'Take away this solar body, and where is the day?' Take away Mary, this star of the sea, and what is left but a surrounding fog, the shadow of death, and the deepest darkness? Bernard says: 'She is indeed the star of the sea, of this dark sea, where there are reptiles without number. The sky has many stars, but the sea has one that is brighter and better than all of them, shining with merits, illuminating with examples.' For from this one alone the Sun of justice has risen, by whose brilliance all things are illuminated: whoever follows him does not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Of whose brilliance, then, do we think that star to be, who brought forth such a great and such a Sun into the world? Anyone who follows this star won't go astray or lose their way. She is also a bitter sea in the conversion of sinners, which she obtains for them so that they might turn from their sins, causing the water of carnal pleasure to be turned into the wine of compunction. This name also fits her, in that as the sea of the present age, she found it bitter and tasteless throughout her whole life because of her longing to see her Son in His kingdom. Furthermore, in Latin it is derived from 'maii,' in that she is the confluence of all graces, just as all rivers flow together into the sea. She is also a lady in the relief of temptations, freeing everyone from their distresses in her own time. She can certainly help, and she wants to, because she is the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of mercy. The title 'Lady' also fits her because she is a lady not only to humans on earth, but also to the angels in heaven and the demons in hell. Therefore, in every temptation—and especially against the harassment of demons—Mary should be invoked; for according to Bernard, visible enemies do not fear any army of soldiers as much as those powers of the air fear the name, patronage, and example of Mary. For just as dust is scattered before the wind, and just as wax melts before the fire, so do they flee and perish at the invocation of the name of Mary. And again: 'Where the name of Mary is spoken, the demon is put to flight; to the guilty, pardon is given; to the sick, a remedy; to the faint of heart, strength; to the afflicted, consolation; to those on a journey, help.' So says Bernard. Or it can be understood in another way: as the bitter sea, she represents those who are active; as a star—one who illuminates or is illuminated—she represents those who are contemplative; but as a lady, she represents those who are in authority.
The Annunciation
Gabriel appears to Mary in her solitude, announcing the mystery of the Incarnation and her role as Mother of God.
The angel Gabriel was therefore sent to Mary to announce to her and to say that the Son of God desired her beauty and had chosen her for his Mother, and to urge and lead her to receive that same Son with joy, because God had decreed to work the salvation of the whole human race through her. As Bernard says: “Happy is Mary, who lacked neither humility nor virginity!” For just as she who was to conceive and also bear the Holy of Holies had to be holy in body, she received the gift of virginity; and so that she might be holy in mind as well, she received the gift of humility. Adorned with these jewels of virtue, and shining with the twofold beauty of both mind and body, the royal Virgin, by her appearance and her beauty, drew the gaze of the citizens of heaven upon herself, so that she might incline the King’s heart to desire her and draw the heavenly messenger down to her from on high. And the angel entered to her: where? I believe it was into the secret place of her room, where she was perhaps praying to her Father in secret with the door closed. We shouldn't suspect that the angel found the Virgin’s door open, for it was her purpose to flee crowds and avoid conversation, so that the silence of her prayer might not be disturbed, nor the chastity of her continence tempted. “The most prudent Virgin had closed her dwelling upon herself at that hour, even to men, though not to angels,” says Bernard. Therefore, Mary was not in the public squares, nor was she lingering in public; she was inside, sitting alone in her inner chamber, yet not truly alone, for she was surrounded by such an army of virtues. Chrysostom says: "The Angel found Mary not wandering outside, but alone and given to contemplation; and because she did not seek grace from the world, she found grace with God." Ambrose adds: "When the Angel arrived, she was found at home in her private quarters, without a companion, so that no one might break her focus." She didn't want female companions, for she was occupied with good thoughts; in fact, she seemed less alone to herself when she was by herself, for how could she be alone when she had so many books, so many Archangels, and so many Prophets with her? In short, Gabriel found her where she was accustomed to retreat. Elsewhere, Jerome says: "You will have a cell that holds only you; in fact, you won't be alone: an angelic host will be with you; you will have as many companions as there are saints. Read the Gospel, and Jesus will talk with you; you will reflect on the Apostles or Prophets. Could you ever have another companion like that for your conversations?" And Bernard says: "I am never less alone than when I am alone." It must be believed that she was then completely absorbed in most devout prayer or in deep contemplation, perhaps rising at that moment specifically from meditation on the salvation of the human race, and how, specifically, it was to be saved through the Virgin. Hence, some even say that she was reading that passage of Isaiah at the time: "Behold, a Virgin shall conceive," and so on.✦ In this act of such intimate contemplation, in which she was totally united to God, the Angel entered to her. It seems reasonable that at the very moment the eternal Word willed to be united to her bodily, she was simultaneously united to Him spiritually through her contemplation. The Angel entered to the Virgin while she was in her room and humble home, and appearing to her in a bodily vision and human form, he said: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women." By appearing in human form, the Angel taught her as if by example, announcing that God would be incarnate and that the Spirit would cooperate. For because he announced Him who, while invisible, willed to take on a visible body from the Virgin, it was fitting that he should appear in a bodily form. The Angel formed a luminous body for himself, because, according to Augustine, he appeared to the Virgin with a glowing face and shimmering garments. It is fitting that the Incarnation of the Word was announced to the Virgin, so that she might conceive Him in her mind before she conceived Him in her flesh. Changing the name of Eve, the Angel says to the Virgin: "Hail," indicating that she is free from every woe. She is rightly called full of grace, because grace is given to others by measure; but she alone obtained the grace that no other had earned, so that she might be filled by the Author of grace. Since she is full of grace even before she conceives, who could imagine how much grace of God she abounds in after the conception? Hence Jerome says: "And rightly full, because grace is provided to others in parts; but upon Mary, the fullness of grace poured itself out all at once." “Truly full of grace, through whom all creation has been drenched by the abundant rain of the Holy Spirit; she who gave glory to the heavens, God to the earth, and poured out peace upon humanity, faith to the nations, an end to vices, order to life, and discipline to our ways.” It is also said to her: 'The Lord is with you,' meaning that He who is with you in your spirit should also be in your womb; may He who fills your mind also fill your womb. He is with you not only through His essence, power, and presence—as He is in all things—nor only through grace, in the way He is in holy people, but also through the assumption of flesh from your most pure blood. Note here that even though the entire Angelic Salutation is most pleasing to the Virgin, this clause—'The Lord is with you'—delights her most of all, and for that reason it should be said with singular devotion. For although He was already with the Virgin, He sent a new message because He wanted to be with her in a singular way. She alone is proclaimed blessed before all women and above all women; for every other woman is subject to the curse of God or the Law. For the corrupted woman is subject to the curse of God, who says, 'In pain you will give birth,' and the virgin is subject to the curse of the Law, under which the barren woman was cursed. But Mary avoided both curses: the curse of God, because she remained a virgin, and the curse of the Law, because she had a son. Thus, as the first and foremost of virgins, when she first offered her virginity to God, she abolished the curse of the Law; and she is rightly called blessed, as the one through whom the world is freed from the curse. It should be noted that no human will ever be able to surpass this salutation, nor could anyone find anything more excellent, sweeter, or more graceful. No one will be able to greet the Virgin better than with this salutation, which God the Father Himself dictated and sent to her through an Angel. Each of its words contains sweet mysteries. God the Father, in His omnipotence, fashioned her to be free from every woe—the very thing the word "Ave" brought with it. The Son of God, in His wisdom, illuminated her so that she became a brilliant star by which heaven and earth are enlightened; this is what the name "Maria" signifies, which sounds the same as "star of the sea." The Holy Spirit, too, by penetrating her with all His divine sweetness, made her so full of grace through His own grace that everyone who seeks grace through her will find it; this is hinted at in the words "full of grace." By the phrase "the Lord is with you," we are reminded of the work of that ineffable union which the whole Trinity accomplished in her, when He joined the substance of His flesh to the divine nature in one person, so that God became man and man became God. No human being has ever been able to fully experience what she possessed in that hour of joy and sweetness. Through this clause, "Blessed are you among women," every creature recognizes with wonder and testifies that she is blessed and exalted above every creature, both heavenly and earthly. Through the words, "Blessed is the fruit of your womb," the most excellent fruit of the virginal womb is blessed and exalted—the One who has brought life to every creature, sanctified them, and blessed them forever. When the Virgin Mary heard the angel's greeting, she was troubled and said nothing in response. She wasn't troubled by the kind of doubt that troubled Zechariah, nor by any other blameworthy reason; nor was she troubled by the vision of an angel, since she was accustomed to seeing them. Instead, she was troubled, first of all—according to Chrysostom—because of the nature of this new apparition. Although she was used to seeing an angel, he appeared to her now in a new way, having taken on a bodily form, and with immense light and splendor; she was somewhat startled by this. Hence the song: 'And the Virgin is startled by the light.' Secondly, she was troubled because of the modesty of her virginal purity, for as Ambrose says, 'It is the way of virgins to be timid, to be startled at the approach of any man, and to be wary of any man's speech.' Thirdly, she was troubled because of the form of this new greeting that his words brought to her. Hence the same Ambrose says: 'She marveled at a new formula of blessing, one that had never been revealed before; this greeting was reserved for Mary alone.' Fourthly, she was troubled because of the excellence of the praise with which the angel honored her in his speech; for holy minds, the more they are lifted up by praise, the more they fear. She was troubled, therefore, out of a virtuous and honest modesty, but she was not disturbed. And so, being prudent, cautious, and entirely modest, she said nothing, reflecting within herself on the novelty of such a greeting and examining what was said; for the angels hadn't been accustomed to greet her in this way, nor had she ever heard them speak like this. In that greeting, when she saw herself being commended for three things, the humble Lady could not help but be troubled. She is praised because she was full of grace, because the Lord was with her, and because she was blessed above all women. Yet the humble Lady couldn't hear her own praise without blushing and feeling troubled, because a humble person is accustomed to blush and feel uneasy when praised and honored. As Bernard says: 'That she was troubled was a matter of virginal modesty; that she wasn't perturbed was a matter of fortitude; that she was silent and thoughtful was a matter of prudence and discretion.' Then the Angel, looking upon the Virgin and seeing most easily that she was turning various thoughts over in her mind, and knowing the cause of her trouble, consoles the frightened one, strengthens the one who is afraid, and, as if calling a known person familiarly by name, kindly persuades her that she should not fear, and commands her, saying: 'Do not fear...' 'Do not fear, Mary, and don't be ashamed of the praises I have spoken to you; for they are true.' 'Not only are you full of grace, but you have also recovered manifold grace for the whole human race and have found it before God in a way that no creature ever has.' It is as if he were saying, according to Chrysostom, that whoever finds God deserves grace and has nothing to fear.
The Virgin's Consent
Mary's humble inquiry and final 'fiat' allow the Word to be conceived within her.
“By what merit, you ask?” Certainly by her humility, the purity of her modesty, her chastity, and the purity of her conscience. Regarding the first, Chrysostom says: “How could anyone find grace except through humility? For God gives grace to the humble.” Regarding the other two, Gregory says: “She found grace truly before God because, by adorning her own soul with the splendor of purity, she prepared herself as a pleasing dwelling for God; and she not only kept her virginity inviolate, but also guarded an immaculate conscience.” And so you found grace—that is, the grace of God and of humanity, peace, the destruction of death, and the restoration of life—so that through you God might redeem the world, through you enlighten it, and through you call it back to life. Full of grace, she now finds grace, both for herself and for distribution to others. Hence Augustine says: “O Mary, you found grace before the Lord, and you deserved to spread it throughout the whole world.” Note carefully that he says you *found* it; he doesn't say you *had* it or *acquired* it. A thing that is possessed or justly acquired is kept as one's own, but something found is restored to those who lost it. Thus, Mary found grace, not to be kept for herself alone, but as something to be restored to others. For whoever finds what is lost is bound to restore it. Indeed, the grace that Eve lost, Mary found—not only for herself, but also for us; in fact, even for our sake, because if we hadn't been sinners, God would not have taken flesh from her. And therefore, let all of us who have lost grace by sinning approach the throne of grace with confidence, and let us knock at the door of Mary, the finder of grace, with pious tears and devout prayers, so that she may restore to us the grace she found for us and for our sake. She is so lawful, just, kind, and favorable that she denies grace to no one who asks. As Bernard says: 'She has been made all things to all people; she has opened the bosom of her mercy to everyone, so that all may receive from her fullness: the captive, redemption; the sick, healing; the sad, consolation; the sinner, pardon; the just, grace; the angel, joy; and finally, the whole Trinity, glory.' And again: 'Little children, this is the ladder for sinners, this is my greatest confidence, this is the whole reason for my hope.' I tell you: if you seek her with devotion, if you call upon her with devotion, she will sympathize with you; she won't fail your need, since she can lack neither the power nor the will, for she is the Queen of heaven, and both merciful and the Mother of mercy. And again: 'Look with what depth of devotion he wanted her to be honored by us, he who placed the fullness of all good in Mary, so that if there is any hope in us, if any grace, if any salvation, we might know it to flow from her; for God willed that we have nothing that did not pass through the hands of Mary.' You have found grace, I say, as you are about to conceive the Author of all grace; for look, you will conceive in your womb without sin or stain, and you will give birth to a Son without pain or sorrow, remaining a virgin in the birth just as you were in the conception. It is well said that you will conceive in your womb, for she had already conceived Him in her heart through faith and devotion. We, too, must conceive Him in this same way—through faith and devotion—and bring Him forth through holy action. “And you will call His name Jesus,” which means Savior. It doesn't say “you will impose” it, because this name was imposed from eternity by God the Father, and was made known to Mary and Joseph by an angel, and through them to others. This name was also imposed according to its future meaning, because the salvation of the human race was to come through Jesus, which is what “Savior” means. And so it is added: “He Himself will save,” not just anyone, but “His people”—those who cling to Him through faith and imitate Him through good works—“from their sins.” By this, it is noted that He is truly God, because it belongs to God alone to save from sins, as Chrysostom says: “The people of Christ are not only the nation of the Jews, but also all who come to Him and are given to the knowledge of Him.” If only You would deign, Lord Jesus, to count me, a sinner, among Your people, so that You might save me from my sins! How is Jesus called great? He will be great, though not with the same greatness as John, of whom it was also predicted: “For he will be great before the Lord.” But they are spoken of, according to Ambrose, because John is great as a human before the Lord, while this One is great as God and the Son of God. It says, however: “He will be great,” not because He wasn't great before the Virgin’s birth—for God was always great—but because He will be a great human. For the magnificence that the Son of God had eternally by nature, the Son of the Virgin was to receive in time through grace, and to possess eternally, so that He might be one person, both human and God. He is rightly called great, for he will deserve to be called the Son of the Most High. It follows that he will be called the Son—that is, the natural Son—of the Most High, meaning God himself, who alone is the Most High. For man is high among bodily creatures; but an angel is higher; God, however, is the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne—that is, the kingdom—of his father David. According to Bede, the fact that the angel first called Christ the Son of the Most High, but then called David his father, clearly demonstrates the two natures in the one person of Christ: the divine, by which he is the Son of God, and the human, by which he is the son of David. He will give him the throne of David, not a symbolic one, but a real one; not a temporary one, but an eternal one; not an earthly one, but a heavenly one. It is said to have been David’s for this reason: the throne on which David sat for a time bore the image of that eternal one. Hence Bede says: He received the throne, or kingdom, of David, the Lord, so that he might call the people to whom David once provided the guidance of a temporary kingdom and examples of justice—and whom he was accustomed to stir toward faith and love for their Creator through the melodies of spiritual hymns—to a heavenly and immortal kingdom, and lead them to the very vision of God the Father, through his own deeds, words, gifts, and promises. The angel, therefore, isn't speaking of a temporary kingdom, because Christ denied it before Pilate, saying, 'My kingdom is not of this world,' nor did Christ exercise a temporary kingdom in this world among the Jewish people, to whom the kingdom of the Jews was nevertheless owed by hereditary right. Rather, he is speaking of the spiritual kingdom of the Church triumphant, which was prefigured by the temporary kingdom of David, just as the heavenly Jerusalem was prefigured by the temporary one. And just as David reigned in a temporary kingdom, so too will Christ reign in a spiritual and heavenly one, because he will reign in the Church, both here on the way and in the homeland. Hence it is also added: And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. Here, too, the house of Jacob must be understood not as a temporary one, but as an eternal one, in which he reigns forever. He will reign forever in the house of Jacob—that is, over all the elect. For from the house of Abraham and Isaac, some were rejected, like Ishmael and Esau; but in the house of Jacob, all his children are counted by the holy doctors among the elect, because even if some sinned, they still did penance. Jacob, you see, is interpreted as 'supplanter'; for Christ reigns in those who supplant disordered passions and vices, but the Devil reigns in those who are supplanted by them. He will reign, therefore, not only in the house of David—that is, in the tribe of Judah—but also in the house of Jacob—that is, in the whole people of Israel, in the entire Church, and in all the elect, not according to the succession of the flesh, but of faith. By this, it’s understood that everyone who imitates the faith and justice of David and Jacob is counted in the army of his kingdom; they themselves are spiritual and eternal. This is the seat of David and the house of Jacob, in which the Lord Jesus will sit and reign forever—now, indeed, through grace, and in the future, through glory. Blessed are those in whom Jesus will reign forever, because they, too, will reign with him! The kingdom of Christ is without end. And of his kingdom there will be no end.✦ Christ will reign forever, not only as God but also as man, and he will reign not just over humanity, but over the angels as well. This kingdom is eternal and incorruptible; this authority won't fail or be taken away, because the Lord will reign forever, age after age. Bernard says: “Oh, how glorious is that kingdom where kings are gathered, having come together as one to praise and glorify him who is King of kings and Lord of lords over all; in the light of his most splendid contemplation, the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father!” Oh, if only Jesus would remember me, a sinner, in the favor of his people when he comes into his kingdom! Oh, if on that day when he is about to hand over the kingdom to God the Father, he would deign to visit me in his salvation, so that I might see him in the goodness of his chosen ones and rejoice in the joy of his people, and so that he might be praised by me as well, along with his inheritance! “Come in the meantime, Lord Jesus; take away the obstacles from your kingdom, which is my soul, so that you may reign in it as you ought; for you yourself are my King and my God, who command the salvation of Jacob.” So says Bernard. When the angel delivered such great news, Mary was perplexed, because, as Ambrose notes, she shouldn't have disbelieved the angel, yet she also shouldn't have so rashly presumed to take hold of divine things. Wanting to be certain about a matter she feared greatly—that she might lose her virginity—she asked about the manner of the conception, saying: "How will this happen, that you promise I will bear a son, since I do not know a man?" That is, she had vowed in her heart that she would not know a man, and had proposed this by vow; for although she was betrothed, she knew most certainly that she would never marry, nor would she ever know a man. And so she was a virgin in mind, in body, and in purpose; it was as if she were saying: "I believe the fact, but I ask about the manner, since the Lord God, the witness of my conscience, knows that it is the vow of your handmaid not to know a man: by what law, by what order, will it please Him that this should happen?" Hence Ambrose says: "She doesn't doubt that it is to be done; she only inquires how it can be done." Mary had read: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a son,' and therefore she believed it would happen, but she had not read before how it would happen; for it had not been revealed to any prophet how it would come about. "For such a great mystery of the command was not to be uttered by the mouth of a man, but by an angel," says Ambrose. And the Angel said, "It will happen, not in a human way, but in a divine way; not through a man, but through the operation of the Holy Spirit, who will come upon you." It will be as if a divine fire inflames your mind and sanctifies your flesh with the most perfect purity, so that it may be united to the Son of God; it will make you fruitful in a unique way, and through His work, your virginity remaining intact, you will conceive. The Holy Spirit had already come upon the Virgin in her sanctification, cleansing her from original sin; but He came upon her again at the conception of the Son of God—that is, He came to confer a greater fullness of grace, which not only sanctified her mind, but her womb as well. The Holy Spirit therefore came upon the Virgin just as the power of the sun descends upon the rose and the lily, giving them the power to conceive. And although this ineffable conception was brought about by the work of the whole Trinity, since the works of the Trinity are indivisible, this work is nevertheless specifically attributed to the Holy Spirit for several reasons. The first reason, according to Augustine, is to show grace without merit; for by saying that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, it is shown that it was by grace alone, which no human merit preceded. Grace, however, is attributed to the Holy Spirit. Hence the Gloss: "Spirit is the name for all grace that is inspired by God." The second reason, according to Ambrose, is because of the power of the operation; for He was conceived by the operation and power of the Holy Spirit, to whom the works of mercy and piety are attributed. The third reason, according to Peter Lombard, the Master of the Sentences, is to show the extraordinary love attributed to the Holy Spirit, making it clear that the Word of God became flesh through an ineffable love—the same love by which God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, in the mystery of the entire Trinity’s cooperation in the Incarnation. And the 'power of the Most High'—that is, the Father—refers to the Word, or the Son, who the Apostle calls the wisdom and power of God the Father. This 'power of the Most High will overshadow you' means that He will take on a body from you as a kind of veil, in which God will hide Himself like a hook beneath bait, because in the blessed Virgin the power of the Godhead lay hidden under the shadow of the flesh. The Godhead was overshadowed for the Virgin through the assumption of humanity, so that she might bear the presence of majesty and endure the inaccessible light—something impossible for a mortal woman—by the intervention of a life-giving body, just as the sun is obscured for us by a veil when we cannot look directly at it. Hence Bernard says: 'Because God is spirit and we are flesh, He tempered Himself to us by the shadow of His own body, so that by the intervention of life-giving flesh we might see the Word in the flesh, the sun in a cloud, light in an earthen vessel, a candle in a lantern.' What is sung in the Preface of the Blessed Mary—'who also conceived her only begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit'—is not contrary to what is said here, that the overshadowing occurs through the body of Christ applied to the divine light. Since both the Son and the Holy Spirit are powers of the Father, and the body of Christ corresponds to both powers—to the Son as the one to whom it is united, and to the Holy Spirit as the agent by whom it is formed—it is clear that this overshadowing can apply to both the Son and the Holy Spirit. And notice how the Angel here revealed the entire Trinity to the Virgin. He first mentions the Holy Spirit by his proper name, then the Son by the name of 'Power,' and consequently implies the Father by the name of 'the Most High.' So, to show that the entire Trinity brought about the Incarnation, the text attributes the cooperation of the Incarnation to the Holy Spirit when it says, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you"; it attributes the assumption of flesh to the Son when it adds, "And the power of the Most High will overshadow you"; and it attributes authority to the Father when it says, "the Most High." For the sublime work of the Incarnation belonged to the whole Trinity, because just as the persons of the Trinity are inseparable and undivided, so too are their works: whatever one person does, the others do as well, even though only the Son was incarnate, and not the Father or the Holy Spirit. This was so that the restoration might be accomplished by the same wisdom through which God had created the world, and so that the one who was the Son of God in his divinity would himself become the son of man in his humanity, lest the name of "Son" pass to another who was not the Son by eternal birth. We have a similar example in three people putting on one garment, where it can be said that they all perform a single act together; whatever one does, the others do as well, yet only one is actually wearing it. Hence Augustine says: "In this way, the Trinity performs every work of the individual persons within the Trinity, with two cooperating with the one who is acting, and a harmony of action existing among the three, with no lack of effectiveness in any one of them to complete the work." Christ is rightly called Holy and the Son of God. Therefore, "what will be born of you will be called Holy, the Son of God"—not an adopted son like others, but the natural Son, who nevertheless was the Son from eternity, though he wasn't called or manifested by that name until the fullness of time. It is as if he were saying: "Because you are made fruitful by the power of the Holy Spirit, you won't bear the offspring of a man, but the Son of God; because you won't conceive out of lust, you will give birth not to a sinner but to the Holy One, and consequently you will give birth without pain." Hence Bernard asks: "What does it mean to say that you will conceive not by a man, but by the Holy Spirit?" You will conceive the power of the Most High, that is, the Son of God; therefore, what will be born of you—that is, from your own true nature—will be called Holy, the Son of God, meaning not only the one who comes from the bosom of the Father into your womb. He will come and overshadow you, but even that which He joins to Himself from your own substance will from this moment be called the Son of God; just as He who was begotten of the Father before all ages will also henceforth be considered your Son. So, too, what is born of Him will be yours, and what is born of you will be His, so that there aren't two sons, but one. And although one part is from you and another from Him, it is no longer the son of each of you individually, but one Son of both; so says Bernard. And note that He says 'Holy' absolutely and substantively, without qualification; for if He had said 'holy flesh,' 'holy man,' or something similar, it would have seemed a small thing to say, and it would not have fully expressed His holiness. He used 'Holy' indefinitely, therefore, because whatever the Virgin brought forth was, without a doubt, uniquely and singularly Holy. And so that the Virgin wouldn't despair in any way about the birth, and so that the Angel might establish and confirm her faith with an example, he brought forward the example of the barren old woman who was about to give birth; he announced to the Virgin the unexpected fertility of this elderly and barren woman, to assert that all things fitting for God are possible, even those that seem contrary to the usual order of nature; and he who gave conception beyond nature to the barren woman would not be doubted to be about to give it to the Virgin as well. To make it easier for her to believe, he said, "Look, your relative Elizabeth, even though she was old, and..." ...was called barren because of the long-standing stigma of her sterility, has now been pregnant for six months with a son, through the power of God. However, because that example isn't entirely perfect—since it's a greater thing for a virgin to conceive than for a barren woman—the Angel introduces the effectiveness of reason based on God's omnipotence, saying: "Nothing will be impossible for God," which means every word, that is, every thing worthy of the word, so that he can fulfill everything promised by his word; or "word" means whatever work or deed is provided in his plan. For to speak is for God to act, according to that verse of the Psalm: "He spoke, and they were made." For whatever does not involve a contradiction is entirely possible for God, such as a virgin giving birth; but things that involve a contradiction—like contradictory things being true at the same time, or things that have already happened being made not to have happened, and so on—such things are not possible for God, not because of any impossibility in God, but because of the impossibility of the thing itself. It is as if he were teaching that by the power and action of nature, neither a barren woman nor a virgin can conceive, but by divine power, he can do this. According to Bernard, it means "every word," but not "every possible thing," because just as easily as humans can speak what they want, God can incomparably more easily fulfill whatever they can express in that word. Furthermore, according to the same Bernard, Elizabeth's conception is announced to the Virgin so that, as one miracle is added to another, she might be filled with joy. Also, because she had hidden herself, and could no longer hide it, it was fitting that the Virgin should know this before others. Also, so that she might know the deeds of both the Forerunner and the Savior, which she was meant to teach the writers. Also, because of the sanctification of the Baptist, whom Jesus wished to sanctify while he was still in his mother’s womb. Also, so that she might offer service to her elderly relative, and so that she might fulfill the work of humility. Mary and Elizabeth were indeed relatives, or second cousins, because they were the daughters of two sisters, Anne and Hysmeria; Elizabeth was also of the tribe of Judah, just as Mary was.1 Look here and meditate on how the entire Trinity is present, waiting for the response of this, His unique daughter, watching her modesty and character with love and delight, and listening to her words. Oh, what a small house it is, where such things are and such things are done! For although the holy Trinity is everywhere, you should meditate on how it is present here in a unique way, because of this unique work. Look also and meditate on how the Angel, with reverence and a gentle face, carefully leads his Lady, and wisely arranges his words so that he might fulfill the will of his Lord in this wondrous work; and also how she carries herself with fear and humility, with a modest face, as if she were caught off guard by these words from the Angel. She isn't puffed up, nor does she think highly of herself; and when she hears such great things about herself—things never said to anyone else—she doesn't claim them for herself, but attributes everything to divine grace. Now, therefore, the Angel, having finished his duty as an ambassador, waits for the Virgin's response. Hence Bernard says: 'You have heard, Virgin, that you will conceive; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The Angel waits for your response; for it is time for him to return to God, who sent him.' We, too, wait, O Lady, for a word of mercy, we who are miserably weighed down by the sentence of condemnation. Look, the price of our salvation is being offered to you, and we'll be set free immediately if you consent. Pious Virgin, the weeping Adam, exiled from paradise with his miserable offspring, begs for this; your other fathers, who themselves dwell in the region of the shadow of death, demand this; the whole world, prostrate at your knees, awaits this. O Lady, speak the word that the earth, the underworld, and the heavens are waiting for. Speak the word and receive the Word; offer your own and receive the divine; let go of the passing and embrace the eternal—so says Bernard. And so the blessed Augustine exclaims: 'O blessed Mary, the whole world, held captive, begs for your consent; you, Lady, have made the world a pledge of your faith; do not delay, Virgin; speak the word quickly to the messenger, and receive the Son.' The obedience and humility of Mary. At last, the most prudent Virgin, having heard the angel's words, consented. As it is said, she knelt with deep devotion and, with hands outstretched and then joined, and eyes raised to heaven, she spoke with incomparable humility the most longed-for word, which should be heard with the whole affection of the heart, saying: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.' Behold the prompt obedience, the devout longing, the faith, and the consent. 'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' she says; 'I am not under my own power, but His; let it be done to me according to your word,' that is, according to what you have announced to me.
The Word Made Flesh
The moment of conception is described, followed by a reflection on the union of divine and human natures.
Chosen to be the Mother of the Lord, she remained mindful in all things of her own condition and of God's favor, calling herself his servant and longing with great devotion for the Angel's promise to be fulfilled. At this word of Mary, Augustine exclaims: "O happy obedience! O remarkable grace!" For by humbly giving her faith, she brought the Creator of heaven into herself. And so Anselm says: "O faith acceptable to God!" O humility pleasing to God! O obedience, offered to God more pleasantly than any sacrifice! O sublime Virgin, Mother of God! O Mother, humble servant of God! What could be more sublime? What could be more humble? And so Ambrose says: "Look at her humility, look at her devotion; she calls herself the servant of the Lord when she is chosen to be his Mother, and by calling herself a servant, she claimed no prerogative of such great grace for herself when she did what she was commanded." For since she was to give birth to the gentle and humble One, she herself had to embody humility. As Bernard says: "Humility is a virtue that is always close to divine grace; for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." She answers humbly, therefore, so that a place for grace might be prepared. "Behold," she says, "the handmaid of the Lord." What is this humility so sublime, that it doesn't know how to yield to honors, nor how to grow arrogant with glory? "It's no great thing to be humble in lowliness; but humility when honored is a truly great and rare virtue," says Bernard. The blessed Virgin, therefore, who was exalted above everyone in the world by the angel's announcement, was nevertheless most profoundly humble within herself; for this reason, her humility is praised as incomparable above all other virtues. For among all virtues, the humility of the blessed Virgin pleased the Son of God so much that it drew Him down. He came so that He might take on flesh from the Virgin, just as iron is drawn by a magnet. Augustine says: 'O true humility, which brought forth God to men, gave life to mortals, opened paradise, and set the souls of men free!' Mary's humility became a heavenly ladder, by which God descended to earth. It was fitting, as Bede says, that just as death entered the world through Eve's pride, so the entrance to life might be opened through Mary's humility. Yet this voice of the Virgin pleased Christ so much when she said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord,' that because of it, He refers to Himself in Scripture more as the son of the handmaid than as the son of the Virgin. From this, we can clearly conclude that Mary's humility pleased God more than her virginity. While every word of this Gospel is full of mysteries, the words the Virgin uses to express her consent are especially fragrant with incomparable virtues. She offers six words that are fragrant with six exceptional virtues within her. For she says: 'Behold,' in which there is prompt obedience; 'the handmaid,' in which there is perfect humility; 'of the Lord,' in which there is immaculate virginity; 'to me,' in which there is inflamed charity, and so on. '; in which there is secure hope; 'according to your word,' in which there is devout faith. Truly, there was a devout faith in the Virgin, because she believed that what had never been heard of, never discovered, never seen, or even imagined by anyone since the beginning of time, was to happen in her at the word of the Angel. Regarding this faith, Bernard says: 'The Lord performed three wonders in the Incarnation; indeed, God and man, mother and virgin, faith and the human heart are joined together.' And indeed, the third union is inferior to the other two, but no less strong. For it is a wonder how the human heart gave its faith to these two things, how it could be believed that God was man, and that she who had given birth was a Virgin; for these things cannot be joined unless the glue of the Holy Spirit binds them. 24. The Incarnation of the Son of God takes place. Therefore, once these words were spoken by the Virgin, the Holy Spirit immediately came upon her in that most holy hour, and the glorious Virgin conceived the Son of God. From this, immediately upon Mary’s words, the Son of God entered her womb in His entirety, took on flesh from her, and yet remained in the Father’s bosom in His entirety. For in an instant, the entire body of Christ was formed and a rational soul was created; both were joined simultaneously to the divinity in the person of the Son, so that He might be the same God and man, while preserving the properties of both natures. The body of Christ was formed from the blood of the Blessed Virgin, not from flesh. And in an instant, the separation, consolidation, formation, animation, and deification of the blood occurred. And in that same instant, He was a full and perfect man in soul and flesh, according to all the lineaments of the body, yet very small, so that the distinction of the limbs could scarcely be discerned by human sight; later, however, He grew naturally in the womb like others, although the distinction of the limbs and the infusion of the soul were not delayed, as they are in others. He was also perfect God just as He was perfect man: subsisting according to human nature from a rational soul and human flesh, and according to divine nature from the Word—a conjunction of both in the unity of one person. Just as there is one essence and three persons in the Godhead, so in Christ, conversely, there is one person and three essences: deity, soul, and flesh—that is, the eternal, the new, and the ancient. The deity is eternal; the soul is new, because it was created at the moment of assumption; the flesh is ancient, because it was propagated from Adam. And Christ, according to the nature of his deity, is begotten; according to his soul, he is created; and according to his flesh, he is born. There is a threefold union in Christ: the union of the Godhead with the soul and vice versa, the union of the Godhead with the flesh and vice versa, and the union of the soul with the flesh. The first two unions remained always; the third was separated in death. The union of the Godhead with human nature, therefore, is not in the unity of nature, but of person; not of the human person, but of the divine; not of the nature assumed, but of the One assuming; and not of any person, but of the Word alone. Since it's impossible for the divine nature to combine with another as a part to form a third thing, or for it to pass into another, or for another to pass into it, the Godhead and humanity aren't united in the unity of nature, but of person. And because the divine nature cannot subsist in any subject except in its own hypostasis, that union cannot be in the person of a man, but of God. For this reason, God, in one of His Persons, made Himself the subject of human nature. Hence there is only one personality there, and one personal unity, namely, on the part of the One assuming. And therefore Christ, according to what He is as man, is not a person. Hugo says: From the moment God took on man, he took on everything—that is, both flesh and soul. He assumed the nature of man, not the person of man, but rather assumed man into his own person. For that flesh and soul, before they were united to the Word in one person, were not united to each other in a person. The union happened in one act toward the Word: it wasn't first the Word and flesh, then the Word and soul, then soul and flesh; rather, it was the Word, soul, and flesh all at once. The Word did not begin to be a person when he began to be man; rather, he assumed man in such a way that he began to be man as a person, and there was no other person than the one who took him on. Therefore, the Word assumed man as a person—not a human person, but a divine nature—so that the one who assumed and what was assumed would be one person in the Trinity. So, Christ as a person descended into hell, but only according to his soul; and Christ... ...as a person lay in the tomb, but only according to his flesh; and Christ as a person was everywhere, but only according to his divinity. What, then, is the meaning of the writing that says Christ was in the tomb? The whole is used to represent the part. Maybe you're thinking that Christ is made up of three distinct things: divinity, soul, and flesh. God forbid. For the Word is not just a part of Christ, nor is the human nature just a part; rather, the whole Christ is the Word, and the whole Christ is human. Divinity wasn't a part, nor was it a part within the person. In humanity alone there are parts—namely, soul and body—and wherever one of these is, it's a part of the human. It's true, therefore, that Christ lay in the tomb, yet the whole human didn't lie there, even though the whole human was Christ; for the soul and flesh were united in person to the Word of God. Therefore, where the flesh was, the Word couldn't be absent: so says Hugo, for one meditating on the Incarnation of Christ. Regarding the Incarnation of the Word, Anselm says: "Lord, You saw the affliction of Your people, and touched inwardly by the pain of love, You set Your mind on thoughts of peace and redemption for us." Indeed, though You were the Son of God, true God, coeternal and consubstantial with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, dwelling in inaccessible light and upholding all things by the word of Your power, You didn't disdain to lower Your majesty into this dungeon of our mortality, so that You might taste and absorb our misery and restore us to glory. It was a small thing, good Lord Jesus, for Your love to accomplish the work of our salvation by sending a Cherub, a Seraph, or one of the angels: You Yourself deigned to come to us by the command of the Father, whose excessive love we have experienced in You. For You came not by changing Your place, but by manifesting Your presence through the flesh. Descending from the royal throne of Your sublime glory into a handmaid who was humble and abject in her own eyes, a girl sealed by the first vow of virginal purity. In her sacrosanct womb, the ineffable power of the Holy Spirit alone caused You to be conceived and born in the true nature of humanity, in such a way that the occasion of Your birth violated neither the majesty of Your divinity within You, nor the integrity of her virginity within her. The same author says to his sister: "First, when you have entered the chamber with blessed Mary, unfold the books in which the Virgin’s delivery and Christ’s coming are prophesied." Wait there for the coming of the Angel, so that you may see him entering and hear him greeting; and thus, filled with wonder and ecstasy, greet your Lady, the most sweet Mary, along with the greeting Angel, crying out and saying: 'Hail, Mary,' etc. By repeating this often—reflecting on what this fullness of grace is, from which the whole world has drawn grace when the Word was made flesh—contemplate and admire the Lord, who fills heaven and earth, yet shuts Himself within the womb of a single girl, whom the Father sanctified, the Son made fruitful, and the Holy Spirit overshadowed. O sweet Lady, how you were intoxicated with sweetness, and with what fire of love you were set ablaze when you felt the presence of such majesty in your mind and in your womb; when He took flesh from your flesh, and fashioned from your own holy members the members in which all the fullness of the Godhead would dwell bodily! So says Anselm. Oh, if you could truly feel what that fire sent from heaven was like, and how great it was—the refreshment it brought, the comfort it poured out! What an exaltation for the Virgin Mother, what a noble dignity for the human race, what a condescension of Majesty! If you could hear the Virgin singing with such joy, I believe you would begin to rejoice with her for such a great blessing, and you would never stop singing praises to God. So, to renew such joy for the Virgin herself and to bring it to mind, don't neglect to greet her often with that sweet Angelic verse, and at least to press the kisses of a devout salutation to her feet, saying: Hail, Mary. Hence Bernard says: 'To you, Virgin Mary, it is like a kiss to hear this Angelic verse, Hail.' For you kiss the most blessed one as often as you greet her devoutly with 'Hail.' Therefore, dearest brothers, approach her image, bend your knees, press kisses upon her, and say: Hail, Mary. And again: 'The heavens respond, the angels rejoice, the world exults, the demons tremble, when I say Hail, Mary,' says Bernard.
Spiritual Conception
The author provides a guide for the soul to conceive Christ spiritually through detachment and purity.
28. For those who wish to conceive Christ. Here we touch upon six conditions that any holy soul must possess if she is to conceive Christ spiritually. First, she must live in a state of separation and detachment from all created pleasure, so that she may dwell in Galilee, which is interpreted as 'transmigration.'2 A soul dwells perfectly in this transmigration when she has moved beyond all created pleasure, finding no delight in any created thing except where the image and perfection of the Creator shine through it. She doesn't just avoid loving anything against God; she loves nothing at all except insofar as God shines through it, or the image of God—as in a neighbor—or insofar as it can be useful for her ultimate salvation, just as with any other thing. Second, such a soul must live in a kind of flowering of God-like action—that is, she must dwell in Nazareth, which is interpreted as 'flower,' 'sprout,' 'holiness,' or 'consecration.' This means she should flourish, or dwell in the flower through the brightness of innocence; be a sprout through the sweetness of divine influence; be holiness through the fervor of divine love; and dwell in a kind of consecration through the splendor of truth. Third, such a soul must be a virgin, restricted from every impulse—not only of the senses, but also of all the powers of the soul—so that no corruption can enter her. Nothing may enter through the paths of the senses that would move her toward carnality, nor may anything come through the paths of the intellect that would lead to curiosity. And according to Augustine, any soul that is like this is considered a virgin. Fourth, such a soul must be betrothed, having restricted her faith and love to the one true Good, which is God, so that she doesn't wander in uncertainty, loving now this, now that. It's significant that she's said to be betrothed to Joseph, which means 'increase' or 'addition,' so that by adding to her faith and love, she may always be growing and increasing; for in such things, not to move forward is, in a way, to fall back. And it's significantly added that she was of the house of David, which means 'strong hand,' because through spiritual steps—through strong efforts and actions—one grows in spiritual exercise. Fifth, this soul is described as entirely enlightened, because her name is Mary, which means 'enlightened'—that is, so that the face of the Lord may be marked upon her, and she may have spiritual joy in her heart. Sixth, she is described. She is strengthened by God through the gift of the fortitude of the Holy Spirit, because the angel Gabriel—which means 'the strength of God'—enters to her, and through him the annunciation is made; that is, when the contemplative soul, strengthened by God, is lifted up through hope so that she may desire the fullness of grace, the presence of the Lord, and a certain uniqueness of blessing among all creatures. Regarding the third condition, it's important to understand that the mystery of Christ being conceived and formed in a virginal womb by the operation of the Holy Spirit signifies that He is spiritually conceived and formed in a pure mind by the operation of that same Holy Spirit. The mind that is to conceive the eternal Word must be virginal—meaning it must be free and detached not only from vices, but also from the images of created things, and from the pleasure and corruption that come with them. Since every creature is subject to vanity, every image drawn from a created thing is bound to that vanity, and through this, it in some way distracts and corrupts a mind reaching for higher things. Dionysius urges Timothy toward this mental detachment, saying: 'You, friend Timothy, with strong compunction, leave behind your senses and intellectual operations, and all things sensible and intelligible, and hasten toward union with Him who is above all substance and knowledge.' In this detachment, that beatitude is perfected of which it is said: 'Blessed are the pure in heart,' understanding a 'pure heart' to be one cleansed of every foreign image. Such people will see God. They will see Him here through interior contemplation, and in the homeland through eternal enjoyment. And such virginal minds follow the Lamb of all purity wherever He goes, for they are virgins. Regarding such a mind and soul, Bernard says: 'A soul that has once learned from the Lord to enter into itself, and in its innermost depths to sigh for the presence of God and always seek His face—such a soul, I say, I don't know if it would find it more horrible or painful to experience hell for a time than, after having once tasted the sweetness of this spiritual study, to go out again to the enticements, or rather the burdens, of the flesh, and to return to the insatiable curiosity of the senses.' I tell you, there is nothing that someone who has once received this gift fears more than being abandoned by grace and forced to return to the comforts—or rather, the desolations—of the flesh, and to endure once again the tumult of carnal senses; so says Bernard. In Nazareth, where the Annunciation took place, there are two churches: one where the house stood in which the Angel came to Mary and brought the news, and where Mary’s altar now stands in the place where she was praying when the Angel greeted her, along with Gabriel’s altar where he stood to deliver the message; the other is where the house stood in which the Lord was raised as a child. The Lord's conception was prefigured in the burning bush. For the bush endured the fire without losing its greenness; Mary conceived her Son without losing her virginity. The Lord dwelt in the burning bush, and He likewise dwelt in Mary's pregnant womb. He descended into the bush for the liberation of the Jews, to lead them out of Egypt; He descended into Mary for our redemption, to rescue us from hell. When the Lord willed to be incarnate, He chose Mary alone above all other women. This was prefigured in Gideon’s fleece, which alone caught the heavenly dew while all the surrounding ground remained dry; so Mary alone was filled with the divine dew, and no other in the world was found worthy. The filling of the fleece. It was a sign of the liberation of the children of Israel from their enemies; Mary’s conception was a sign of our redemption. Gideon’s fleece is the Virgin Mary, from which fleece Jesus Christ made a tunic for Himself. The fleece received the dew without damage to the wool; Mary conceived her Son without corruption of the flesh. Gideon squeezed out the dew and filled a bowl from it; Mary brought forth a Son who filled the whole world with the dew of grace. This conception occurred through Gabriel’s announcement, which was prefigured in the servant of Abraham and in Rebecca, the daughter of Batuel. Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for his son among the virgins; Rebecca offered the messenger a drink, and for that reason, he chose her as a bride for his master's son. In the same way, the heavenly Father sent His angel to seek a virgin to be the mother of His Son. He found a most devout virgin, Mary, who gave Him a drink—that is, she gave her consent to His announcement. Rebecca gave a drink not only to the messenger but also to his camels; Mary offered the fountain of life to both angels and men.
The Solemnity of Salvation
The chapter concludes with a celebration of the Incarnation as the foundation of all Christian joy and a prayer for grace.
Gabriel finished his mission, bowed reverently, said goodbye to his Lady, and departed, disappearing; he was surely rejoicing and exulting, because he was about to bring back to God an acceptable response. The Bridegroom had already arrived, so the best man withdrew, leaving the Bridegroom in the most holy chamber of the bride, the marriage now consummated. The Angel did indeed depart from her, but the King of Angels and Son of God remained with her. He departed from her in outward appearance, but many remained with her, showing reverence both to her, on account of the dignity of her soul, and to their King. Withdrawing, therefore, having completed his message, and returning to his homeland, he told of this, creating there a new feast, a new joy, and an exceedingly great exultation. You should therefore consider how great today's solemnity is, rejoice in your heart, and celebrate a day of gladness. For it was unheard of until now, and there had never been such a solemnity since the beginning of time. For today is the solemnity of God the Father, who arranged the marriage of human nature to his Son, whom the Son has inseparably united to himself today. Today is the solemnity of the marriage of the Son of God within the womb, though later it will be outside the womb. Today is the solemnity of the Holy Spirit, because of this wondrous work attributed to him, and because today he began to show singular kindness to the human race. Today is the solemnity of our glorious Lady, who was acknowledged and assumed by the Father as daughter, by the Son as mother, and by the Holy Spirit as spouse. Today is the solemnity of the whole heavenly court, because its restoration begins. Today is, even more so, the solemnity of human nature, because its salvation and redemption begin, as does the reconciliation of the whole world, and because it is today exalted and deified; for the Son of God did not take hold of angels—that is, he did not assume them into his own person—but the offspring of Abraham.3 Today the Son accepted a new obedience from the Father regarding the salvation we were to receive; today, coming from the highest heaven, He exulted like a giant to run the path of our salvation and shut Himself within the cloister of a virgin's womb. Today He was made one of us, our brother, and began to journey with us. Today the true light descended from heaven to banish our darkness and take it away. Today the living bread that gives life to the world was fashioned in a virgin's womb, but on the cross, it was baked as if in an oven. Today, in fact, the Word was made flesh and lived among us, which is why He is called Emmanuel—meaning 'God with us,' that is, God and man. Today the foreshadowings of figures, the teachings of the Scriptures, and the longings of the prophets were fulfilled; this is why the coming of Christ is called the fullness of time, for they cried out with an unspeakable longing and waited most intensely for this very day. Today is the beginning and foundation of all solemnities, and the start of all our good. For until now the Lord had been angry with the human race because of the transgression of our first parents, but from now on, seeing the Son made man, He will not be angry forever. You see what an admirable work and most solemn feast this is—entirely delightful, entirely pleasant, entirely desirable, and most worthy of all veneration. It is to be received with all devotion and celebrated with jubilation, joy, and exultation. Meditate on these things, take delight in them, and you'll be glad; and perhaps the Lord will show you greater things if you stay awake. PRAYER: O Jesus, Son of the living God, who by the will of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, coming forth from the bosom of that same Father like a river from a place of delight, descending through the lowliness of the valleys, and looking upon the humility of your handmaid, descended into the womb of the Virgin, where, conceived in an ineffable way, you took on flesh: may your grace, merciful Jesus, descend eagerly upon me, your most unworthy servant, through the merits of your mother and Virgin, so that through it I may desire you and conceive you within by love; and through that same grace working in me, may I bring forth the salutary fruits of good works. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Gabriel archangelus. — In mense autem sexio a conceptione Praecursoris, postquam venit plenitudo illius sacratissimi et felicissimi temporis, scilicet principium sextse aetatis, quo summa Trinitas generi humano per Incarnationem Verbi providere ante tempora ordinaverat ; vocans Deus omnipotens Gabrielem archangelum , unum de primis principibus regni sui, misit eum in civitatem Galilceae, dictam Nazareth, ad Virginem Mariam desponsatam Joseph viro de suo genere, quia ambo erant de domo David, de familia regali, de tribu et stirpe nobili, et prae ceteris religiosa, sicut dicit Beniardus. Placuit Deo eodem ordine, et eodem modo hominem reconciliare quo noverat cecidisse. Ceciderat autem homo, secundum Bedam, diabolo destinante, serpente exequente, dialogo interveniente, muliere consentiente. Reparatus est eodem ordine e contrario, Deo destinante, Angelo eiequente, dialogo interveniente, et Virgine consentiente. Verba autem hic posita mysteriis sunt plena, et ideo, ut dicit Beda, solemniter sunt notanda, tantoque diligentius cordi inserenda, quanto manifestius apparet, quod in ipsis tota redemptionis nostrae summa consistit. Libenter enim debemus recordari de principiis nostrae salutis. Notandum ergo quod numerus senarius non vacat a mysterio.
Unde Christus conceptus est sexta aetate, quia per ipsum debebant omnia perfici ; numerus autem senarius perfectus est; item sexta chyliade, id est, millenario, qui est limes omnium numerorum, ut Christus est limes et finis omnium entium ; item sexto mense, quia illo mense factus est mundus, qui per ipsum refici debebat, sicut per ipsum factus fuerat; item sexta feria, quia illa die homo est creatus, et per ipsum recreari debebat jam perditus. Et ideo similiter eadem aetale, eodem millenario, eodem mense, et eadem feria passus est, revolutis xxxiii annis. Et forte, utomnia convenirent, dici posset, quod etiam sexta hora conceptus esset, quia ea hora passus est, sicut etiam eadem hora homo peccavit, ut sic secundum quamdam congruentiam, eadem hora qua Eva seducta fuit per diabolum, Maria edocta sit per Angelum.
Missus est igitur angelus Gabriel, qui Dei fortitudo interpretatur, ut Dei virtutem et Dei sapientiam suscipere nuntiaret, in qua humilis apparens aereas potestates debellaret ; et ideo merito de ordine Archangelorum esse debuit, quia magna nuntiavit. Missus esta Deo; Deus autem mittens Angelum, fuit tota Trinitas, licet Patri specialiter attribuatur. Pater quidem misit, quia ei incumbebat providentia de Filio, de Sponsa , et de Genitrice; FiJius vero misit, quia venturus erat in Virginem ; Spiritus Sanctus etiam misit, quia ipse sanctificare et obumbrare habuit ipsam. Missus est in civitatem Galilcece, quae interpretatur transmigratio , quia scilicet transiturus erat de incredulitate Judaeorum ad fidem Gentium; est autem duplex Galilaea : una est Gentium, conjuncta Tyris, quam Salomon dedit regi Hiram, et de illa hic non dicitur ; alia est Judaeorum, quae est super mare Gaiilaeae, et de illa hic intenditur; cui nomen Na^areih, quod interpretatur Jlos, Conveniens enim fuit, ut verus flos, id est Christus, conciperetur in flore, id est, in Nazareth; et de flore, id est, de Beata Virgine; ct cum floribus, id est, tempore florum : et sic accipiemus florem, de flore, in flore, inter flores. Dicitur autem flos Jesus, propter sanctae conversationis pulchritudinem et decorem, propter bonae opinionis suavitatem et odorem, propter passionis fructum, et conversationis fidelium utiiitatem. Iste flos floruit in conceptione, apparuit in nativitate, emarcuit in passione, sed refloruit tandem in resurrectione. Si ergo vis capere istum florem, sequere decorem suae conversationis, praedica odorem operationis , et sic habebis fructum passionis. Noluit Dominus, sicut terreni Reges, magnam civitatem eligere in nupliis suis, quibus sibi copulavit naturam humanam*; sed Nazareth, civitatem parvam, propter humilitatis exemplum, ut nos doceret semper humilia loca eligere : sed in civitate Jerusalem magna elegit pati, ut nos doceret opprobria coram multis pro ipso non erubescere.
Missus esi, inquam, ad Virginem non quamlibet, sed virginem mente, virginem corpore, virginem professione. Voluit autem Ghristus concipi et nasci de Virgine. Primo, secundum Bernardum, quia congruum fuit, ut si Deus concipi vel nasci debuit, non nisi de Virgine conciperetur vel nasceretur ; item si Virgo conceptura vel paritura erat, non nisi Deum conciperet vel pareret. — Secunda ratio est, secundum Damascenum, ut qui in ccelis Patrem habet sine matre, in terris haberet Matrem sine patre. — Tertia, secundum-4i/g^M5^/«i/m,utsignaret membra sua mystica de Virgine Ecclesia secundum spiritum nascitura, ideo decuit Caput de Virgine nasci. — Quarta, ut sicut primus Adam de terra virgine factus fuerat, ita secundus Adam de Virgine homo fieret. — Quinta, ut sicut per Evam virginem facta fiiit hvmani generis perditio, ita per Mariam Virginem fieret ejusdem reparatio. Ad Virginem, inquit, desponsatam viro, Cur autem de desponsata concipi et nasci voiuit, su* pra de desponsatione Virginis Maria& dictum est.
Virum vero nominat, ut dicit Bemardus, aon quia maritus , sed quia homo virtutis et justus erat, et ideo fuit testis legitimus. Unde Joseph, id est, accrescens, scilicet per augmentum virtutum, dicitur; per quod continuus profectus virtutum innuitur. Et nota quatuor famosos Joseph in Scriptura. Primus fuit filius Jacob, in quo notatur prudentia;. quia somnia Pharaonfs prudenter exposuit. Secundus Joseph, vir Mariae, in quo notatur temperantia; quia Mariam Virginem resignavit. Tertius Joseph ab Arimathia, in quo notatur fortitudo ; quia audacter introivit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu. Quartus Joseph Justus, in quo notatur justitia, unde et justus est nominatus.
Tale itaque decebat habere nomen sponsum Vir— ginis, in quo inveniretur mysterium omnis virtutis. Additur autem de domo David, ad ostendendum quod Christus descendit de semine David, sicut fuerat per Prophetas praedictum. Licet enim Joseph non fuerit pater Salvatoris, tamen Virgo Maria de qua Christus carnem assumpsit, fuit de eadem tribu cum Joseph, scilicet, de tribu ipsius David.
Merito autem additur : Et nomen Virginis Maria : hoc enim venerabile nomen, triplicem habet interpretationem in triplici lingua. Hebraice interpretatur stella maris, vel illuminatrix ; Latine etymologizatur mare amarum; Syriace vero domina nuncupatur. Ipsa fuit maris stelia in Fiiii Dei nativitate, tunc enim emisit radium totunf mundum illuminantem; mare amanim in Fiiii passione, quia tunc ipsius animam pertransivit gladius ; sed domina in sua assumptione, quando super choros Angelorum est exaltata. Item Maria dicta est stella maris, in peccatorum conductione, quia per mare hujus seculi eos dirigit ad portum poenitentiae, et sic ad Filium perducit; in cujus etiam signum in nativitate Christi stella Magis apparuit, quae eos ad natimi Infantem perduxit : unde oculi omnium peccatorum sint ad ipsam, sicut oculi oipnium nautamm ad steilajD. Unde Bernardus : a Ne avertas oculos tuos a fulgore hujus sideris, si non vis obrui procelli^. O quisque te intelligis in hujus seculi profluvio magis inter procellas et tempestates fluere, quam super terram ambulare, respice steilam, voca Mariam. Si jactaris superbiae undis, si ambitionis, si detractionis, si aemulationis , respice stellam, voca Mariam. Si iracundia, aut avaritia, aut camalis illecebra naviculam concusserit mentis, respice stellam, voca Mariam.
Si criminum immanitate turbatus, vel conscientiae foeditate confusus, baratro desperationisincipias absorberi, respice stellam, voca Mariam. In periculis, in angustiis, in rebus dubiis Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca; non recedat ab ore, non recedat a corde : et ut impetres ejus orationis suffragium, ne deseras conversationis exemplum. Ipsam sequens non devias, ipsam rogans non desperas, ipsam cogitans non erras; ipsa tenente non corruis,ip8a protegente non metuis, ipsa ducente non fatigaris, ipsa propitia ad portum pervenis : sic in temetipso experiri poteris quam merito dictum sit, nomen Virginis Maria, maris stella : » haec Bernardus, Item illuminatrix interpretata est, quia splendore gratiae, et exemplis su« sanctissimae vitae mundum illustravit. Unde de ea canit Ecdesia : cujus vita inclyta cunctas illustrat Ecclesias. Hinc ait Bemardus : a Tolle hoc corpus solare, ubi dies ? tolle Mariam, hanc maris stellam, quid nisi caligo involvens, et umbra mortis, ac densissimae tenebrae relinquuntur? » haec Bernardus» Est quippe stella maris, hujus utique tenebrosi maris, ubi reptilia, quorum non est numerus, Plures stellas habet coelum : mare unam quae ^rae omnibus illis clarior, et melior est, micans meritis, illustrans exemplis. De hac enim una ortus est Sol justitiae,cujusfuIgore illustrantur omnia : quam qui sequitur, non ambU' lat in tenebris, sed habebit lumen vitce, Cujus ergo fulgoris illam stellam esse putamus, quae hunc tan-' tum talemque Solem peperit mundo?
Qui hanc stellam sequitur, deviare non poterit, nec errare.
Item est mare amarum in peccatorum conversione, quam eis impetrat, ut convertantur de peccatis suis, faciens aquam carnalis delectationis converti in vinum compunctionis. Hoc etiam nomen convenit ei, in quantum mare praesentis seculi, in tota vita sua fuit sibi amarum et insipidum, propter desiderium videndi Filium in regno suo. Item Latine derivatur a maii, in quantum in ipsa est confluentia omnium gratiarum, sicut omnia flumina confluunt ad mare.
Item est domina in tentationum subventione, liberansomnes de angustiis suo tempore. Potest quidem et vult subvenire, quia Regina cceli est, et Mater misericordice, Hoc etiam nomen, scilicet domina, convenit ei in quantum ipsa domina existit, non lantum hominum in terra, verum etiam Angelorum in coelo, et daemonuQi in inferno : et ideo in omni tentatione, et maxime contra infestationes daemonum invocanda est Maria; quia secundum Bernardum, non sic timent hostes visibiles quamlibet castrorum muhitudinem, sicut illae aereae potestates Mariae vocabulum, patrocinium et exemplum. Sicut enim pulvis ante faciem venti spargitur, et sicut cera ante faciem ignis liquescit, sic ad invocationem hujus nominisMariae,fugiunt etpereunt. Et iterum : « Ubi nomen Mariae nominatur , ibi daemonium efFugatur; reis venia, medela aegris, pusillis corde robur, afflictis consolatio, peregrinantibus adjutorium datur : » haec Bernardus, — Vel aliter potest accipi : ut in quantum mare amarum, gerat typum activorum ; in quantum stella, vel illuminatrix, seu illuminata, gerat typum contemplativorum ; sed in quantum domina, gerat typum praelatorum.
Missus est igitur angelus Gabriel ad Mariam, ut annuntiaret ei et diceret, quia Dei Filius speciem suam concupisceret, et eam sibi in Matrem elegisset , ipsamque mone* ret et induceret, ut eumdem Filium laetanter susciperet; quia per eam totius humani generis salutem Deus operari decrevisset. Unde Bernardus : <i Felix Maria cui nec humilitas defuit, nec virginitas ! Ut enim quae Sanctum Sanctorum conceptura erat, pariter et paritura, sancta esset corpore, accepit donum virginitatis ; ut esset et mente, accepit et humilitatis. His nimirum Virgo regia gemmis ornata virtutum, geminoque mentis pariter et corporis decore praefulgida, specie sua et pulchritudine sua, in coelestibus cognita coeli civium in se provocavit aspectus, ut et Regis animum in sui concupiscentiam inclinaret, et coelestem nuntium ad se de supernis adduceret. Et ingressus Angelus ad eam : quo? puto in secretarium cubiculi, ubi illa fortassis, clauso super se ostio, orabat Patrem suum in abscondito. Nec suspicandum cst, quod apertum Angelus invenerit ostium Virginis, cujus in proposito erat hominum frequentias fugere, vitare colloquia, ne vel orantis pertubaretur siientium, vel continentiae castitas tentaretur. Clauserat itaque etiam illa hora suum super se habitaculum prudentissima Virgo, sed hominibus, non Angelis : » haec Bernardus, Non igitur in platdis Maria erat, non in publico morabatur, intus erat, in penetralibus sola sedebat, nec tamen sola tanto virtutum exercitu circumsepta.
Unde Chrysostomus : « Invenit Angelus Mariam, non foris vagantem, sed solitariam et contemplationi vacantem : et quia non quaesivit gratiam apud mundum, invenit gratiam apud Deum. » Unde et Ambrosius : « Haec ad ipsos ingressus Angeli, inventa est domi in penetralibus sine comite, ne quis intentionem abrumperet. Neque enim comites feminas desiderabat, quae bonas cogitationes habebat : quin etiam tunc sibi minus sola videbatur, cum sola esset, nam quemadmodum sola cui tot libri adessent tot Archangeli, tot Prophetae ? denique Gabriel ubi eam revisere solebat invenit. » Unde alibi Hieronymus : « Habebis cellulam quae te solum capiat, imo non eris sola : angelica tecum turba versabitur; tot socii quot sancti : lege Evangelium, febulatur tecum Jesus; replicabis Apostolos vel Prophetas ; numquid poteris talem alium tuis sermonibus habere consorfem ? » Et Bernardus : « Nunquam minus solus sum, quam quando solus sum. » Credendum autem quod tunc erat tota abstracta in devotissima oratione, vel in intima contemplatione , consurgente forte tunc specialiter ex meditatione super salute generis humani, qualiter scilicet per Virginem debebat salvari. Unde etiam quidam dicunt, eam tunc actu legisse illud Isaiae : Ecce Virgo concipiet, etc.
In hoc igitur actu tam intimae contemplationis, quo erat Deo totaliter coadunata, ingressus est Angelus ad eam. Rationabile enim videtur, quod quando corporaliter sibi voluit uniri Verbum aeternum, tunc ipsa spiritualiter sibi fuerit unita in contemplationis actu.
Jngressus itaque Angelus ad eam Virginem, inthalamo et condavi domunculae suae manentem, et ei ad sensum corporali visione, et humana specie apparens ait : Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus, Angelus in hominis forma apparens quasi exemplo docuit, quia Deum incarnari, et Spiritum cooperari nuntiavit. Quia enim illum nuntiavit, qui iri se invisibilis, corpus visibile vohiit ex Virgine sumere, congrue debuit corporali specie apparere. Formavit autem Angelus sibi corpus lucidum, quia secundum Augustinum, facie rutilans, et veste coruscansVirgini apparuit. Convenienter vero annuntiatur Virgini Incarnatio Verbi, ut scilicet prius ipsum concipiat mente quam carne. Mu~ tans ergo Angelus nomen EvaSy dicit Virgini : Ave, indicans eam ab omni vae liberam. Quae bene gratia plena dicitur, quia aliis ad mensuram gratia datur; haec autem sola, gratiam quam nulla alia meruerat consecuta est, ut gratiae repleretur Auctore. Quae cum gratia plena sit prius etiam quam concipiat, post conceptionem quanta Dei abundet gratia, quis cogitare possit ? Unde Hieronjrmus : « Et bene plena, quia ceteris per partes praestatur gratia ; Mariae vero simul se totam infudit gratiae plenitudo.
» Vere gratia plena, per quam largo Sancti Spiritus imbre superfusa est omnis crea^ra ; quae coelis dedit glorianx, terrisDeum, pacemque refudit hominibus, fidem gentibus, finem vitiis, vitae ordinem , moribus disciplinam.
Dicitur quoque ei : Dominus tecum, scilicet, sit in utero qui est tecum in animo; adimpleat ventrem, qui adimplet mentem; tecum non tantum per essentiam, potentiam et praesentiam, qualiter est in omnibus rebus; npc solum per gratiam, eo modo quo est in sanctis hominibus ; sed etiam per carnis assumptioncm de tuis purissimis sanguinibus. Ubi nota, quod et si tota salutatio Angelica sit Virgini gratissima, ista tamen clausula, scilicet Dominus tecum potissime eam delectat, et ideo singulari devotione dicenda esset : licet enim jam erat cum Virgine, novum tamen misit nuntium, quia modo singuiari voluit esse secum. Haec etiam sola prae omnibus mulieribus et super omnes mulieres benedicta praedicatur : omnis enim mulier subjacet maiedictioni Dei, vel Legis. Nam corrupta subjacet maledictioni Dei, qui ait : Jn dolore paries; virgo maledictioni Legis, in qua erat maledicta sterilis; sedMaria utrumque maiedictum vitavit : maledictum Dei, quia Virgo permansit; maledictum Legis, quia filium habuit. Unde prima primiceria Virginum, dum primo virginitatem suam Deo obtulit, maledictum Legis abolevit ; et merito benedicta dicitur, per quam mundus a maiedictione liberatur. Et notandum quod super hanc saiutationem nunquam homo pervenire valebit, nec aliquis excellentius, dulcius, et gratius, B. Virginem salutare poterit, quam hac salutatione, quam ipse Deus Pater dictavit, et per Angelum ei destinavit. In cujus verbis singulis dulciflua implicantur mysteria.
Nam Deus Pater sua omnipotentia eam conformavit, ut esset immunis ab omni vae ; quod importavit istud verbum, Ave. Filiustiuoque Dei, sua sapientia sic eam illustravit, ut esset praeclarum sidus quo coelum et terra illustrantur ; quod notat hoc nomen Maria, quod sonat idem quod maris stella. Spiritus Sanctus etiam tota sua divina dulcedine eam penetrando, sua gratia eam tam gratiosam effecit, ut omnis qui quaesierit j>er eam gratiam, iivveniat; quod innuitur in his verbis, gratia plenaAn hoc autem verbo Dominus tecum, admonetur illius ineffabilis unionis operatio, quam tota Trinitas in ea perfecit, cum suae carnis substantiam divinae naturae in una persona copulavit, ita ut Deus fieret homo, et homo Deus. Quid in illa hora gaudii et dulcedinis habuerit, nullus unquam hominum ad plenum experiri potuit. Per hanc dausulam : Benedicta tu in mulieribus, omnis creatura mirando agnoscit ct testatur eam benedictam, et exaltatam super omnem creaturam, tam coelestem quam terrestrem. Per : Benedictus fructus ventris tui, benedicitur et extollitur excellentissimus fructus ventris virginalis, qui omnem creaturam vivificavit, sanctificavit, et in aeternum benedixit.
Ipsa vero Virgo Maria ut salutationem Angeli audivit turbata est, et nihil respondit. Non fuit turbata turbatione incredulitatis, sicut Zacharias, vel alia ratione culpabili ; nec de visione Angeli, quia Angelos videre solita erat; sed turbata fuit : primo, secundum Chrysostomum, propter novae apparitionis speciem; quia etsi consueta fuit videre Angelum, nunc tamen novo modo apparuit ei, sumpta spede corporali, et cum ingenti lumine et splendore : ex hoc aliqualiter perterrita fuit. Unde cantatur : Et cjcpavescit Virgo de lumine, — Secundo, propter virginalis pudicitiae verecundiam : a Quia, ut dicit Ambrosius, trepidare virginum est, et ad omnes viri ingfessus pavere, omnes viri affatus vereri. » — Tertio, propter novae salutationis formam, quam sermo ejus ingerebat. Unde idem Ambrosius : « Benedictionis novam formulam mirabatur, quae nusquam est ante aperta ; soli Mariae salutatio haec servabatur. » — Quarto, propter laudationis excellentiam, qua Angelus in suo ser— mone eam laudavit : sanctae enim mentes humiUum, quanto amplius laudibus attolluntur, tanto magis timent. Turbata ergo fiiit ex verecundia virtuosa et honesta; sed noa perturbata. Unde tanquam prudens et cauta , et tota pudorosa , nihil respondit, cogitans intra semetipsam de novitate talis salutationis , et dictum examinans : non enim sic salutare Angeli consueverant eam , nec unquam tales loquentes audierat.
In qua salutatione cum videret se de tribus commendari, non pdterat humilis Domina non turbari. Commendatur enim quod esset gratia plena, et quod Dominus esset secum, et quod esset benedicta super omnes mulieres. At iiumilis Domina non poterat suam commendationem sine nibore et turbatione audire, quia venis humilis de laudibus et honoribus erubescere solet et doiere. Unde Bernardus : « Quod turbata csi, fuit verecundiae yirginalis; quod non perturbata fuit, fortitu(Unis; quod vero tacuit et cogitavit, fuit prudentiae et discretionis. » n Deum iNVENiTi' — Tunc Angelus intuitus Virginem, et varias eam secum volvere cogitationes faciUime deprehendens, et causam suee turbationis cognoscens, consolatur pa\idam, confortat timentem, ac quasi notam familiariter ex nomine rocans, ne timere debeat benigne pcrsuadet et jubet, dicens : Ne ti- . neas, Maria, nec de iaudibus quas tibi dixi verecunderis ; est enim veritas in eis. Nec solum es gratia pkna, sed etiam toto generi humano gratiam multiplicem recuperasti et re invenisii apud Deum, quam nulla unquam reperit creatura. Quasi diceret, secundum ChrysosUmm, qui afHid Deum meretur gratiam, non habet quid timeat.
/«^msti, inquit, quo merito? Certe humilitate, pudicitiae castitate, et conscientiae puritate. De primo dicit Chrysostomus : « Qualijer quisque gratiam reperiret, nisi mediante humilitate, nam humilibus ^us dat gratiam, » De aliis duobus didt Gregorius : « Invenit gratiam vere coram Deo, quia splendore pu«iicitiaB propriam exornans aniQwm, gratum se Deo habitaculum preparavit : et non solum caelibato inviolabilem reliquit; sed etiam immaculatam conscientiam custodivit. D Itaque invenisti gratiam, sdlicet Dei et hominum, pacem, mortis destructionem, et vitae reparationem, ut per te Deu#mundum redimeret, per te illuminaret, et per te ad vitam revocaret. Piena ergo jam gratia invenit gratiam, «ed aliis, et ad dispensandum. Unde Augustinus : a O Maria, gratiam apud Dominum invenisti, et hanc per totum mundum difFundere meruisti. » Unde notanter dicit invenisti : non dicit habuisti, vel acquisivisti, quia res habita vel juste acquisita ut propria custoditur, sed inventa his qui perdiderunt restituitur : sic Maria invenit gratiam, non sibi soli retinendam , sed tanquam aliis restituendanu Qui enim invenit perditum, tenetur restituere : gratiam vero quam Eva perdidit, Maria invenit, non soium pro se, sed et pro nobis , imo etiam propter nos; quia si nos peccatores non fuissemus, Deus de ipsa carnem non sumpsisset. Et ideo omnes qui peccando grattam amisimus, securi ad thronum gratiae accedamus, et Mariam inventrioem gratiae piis fletibus atque devotis orationibus pulsemus , ut gratiam nobis reddat quam pro nobis et propter nos invenit.
Ipsa est enim ita legalis, justa, pia et propitia, quod nulli quaerenti denegat gratiam. Unde Bernardus: a Omni- * bus omnia facta est, omnibus sinum misericordiae aperuit, ut de plenitudine ejus accipiant universi : captivus redemptionem , aeger curationem, tristis consolationem, peccator veniam, justus gratiam, Angelus laetitiam, denique tota Trinitas gloriam. » Et iterum : « Filioli, haec peccatorum scala, haec mea maxima fiducia, haec tota ratio spei meae. Dico vobis : Si pie a vobis pulsata fuerit, si pie fuerit invocata , compatietur vobis, non deerit necessitati vestrae, siquidem nec facultas deesse poterit, nec voiuntas, quoniam Regina coelorum est, et misericors et Mater miserRordiae. » Et iterum : a Aitius intuemini quanto devotionis affectu a nobis eam voluit honorari, qui totius boni plenitudinem posuit in Maria, ut si quid spei in nobis est, si quid gratiae, si quid saiutis, ab ea noverimus redundare : nihil enim nos habere voluit Deus, quod per manus Mariae non transiret :
Invenisti, inquam, gratiam, totius gratiae Auctorem conceptura; nam ecce concipies in utero sine peccato et macula, acparies Filium sine dolore et tristitia, virgo permanens in partu, sicut et in conceptu. Et bene dicit concipies in utero; jam enim per fidem et devotionem conceperat eum in corde suo : et hoc modo debemus nos eum concipere, scilicet per fidem et devotionem, et parere per sanctam operationem. Et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum, id est, Salyatorem, Non dicit impones, quia hoc nomen ab aeterno fuit a Deo Patre impositum, et per Angelum Mariae et Joseph, ac per eos aliis divulgatum. Hoc etiam nomen impositum est, secundum proprietatem futuram, quia salus humani generis futura erat per Jesum, qui salus interpretatur; et ideo subditur : Ipse enim salvum faciet, non quemcumque, sed' populum suum, ei scilicet per fidem adhaerentem, et ipsum bonis operibus imitantem, a peccatis eorum, Et per hoc notatur verum esse Deum, quia soiius Dei est salvare a peccatis, ut ait Chrysostomus, Populus Christi , non tantum natio Judaeorum est, sed omnes quoque qui ad eum veniunt, ejusque agnitioni donantur. Utinam et me peccatorem digneris, Domine Jesu, annumerare populo tuo, ut salvum me facias a peccatis meis! i3 QuoMODo Jesus dicitur maGNUS? — Hic erit magnus non quidem eadem magnitudin^ qua Joannes, de quo etiam praedictum fuerat : Erit enim magnus coram Domino; sed dicuntur, secundum Ambrosium, quia Joannes magnus ut homo coram Domino, hic vero magnus ut Deus et Dei Filius. Dicit autem : Hic erit magnus, non quod ante partum Virginis non fuerit magnus, semper enim fuit magnus Deus j sed futurus erit magnus homo; quia magnificentiam quam habuit Filius Dei aeternaliter per naturam, accepturus erat filius Virginis ex tempore per gratiam, et aeternaliter habiturus, ut una sit persona homo et Deus.
Et bene magnus, qui Filius Altissimi merebitur appellari. Unde sequitur : Et Filius sciiicet naturalis Altis^ simiivocabitur, id est, ipsius Dei qui solus est Altissimus. Homo enim altus -est inter creaturas corporales; sed Angelus altior; Deus autem altissimus.
Et dabit illi Dominus Deus sedem, id est, regnum David patris ejus. Secundum Bedam, quod Angelus prius dixit Christum Filium AJtissimi, nunc vero patrem suum dixit esse David, per hoc evidenter demonstrat duas naturas in una persona Christi : divinam, secundum quam est Filius Dei, et huma^am, secundum quam e%t filius David. Dabit autem ei sedem David, non typicam, sed veram; non temporalem, sed aeternam; non terrenam, sed coelestem, quae idcirco dicitur fuisse David; quia haec in qua David temporaliter scdit , aeternae illius imaginem gerebat. Unde Beda : a Accepit autem sedem, sive regnum David Dominus, ut gentem cui David quondam temporalis regni gubernacula simul et exempla justitiae praebuit, quamque modulis hymnorura spiritualium ad fidem atque amorem sui Conditoris accendere solebat, hanc ipse factis, verbis, donis, et promissis, ad regnum coeleste et immortale vocaret, atque ad ipsam Dei Patris visionem perduceret. » Angelus ergo-non loquiturde regno temporali, quia il Uid negavit Christus coram Pilato dicens : Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo, neque Christus in hoc mundo exercuit temporale regnum in Judaico populo, cui tamen debebatur regnum Judaeorum, jure haereditario; sed loquitur de regno spirituali Ecclesiae triumphantis , quod figuratum fuit per regnum David temporale, sicut et ccelestis Jerusalem per temporalem. Et sicut David regnavit in regno temporali, ita et Christus regnabit in spirituali etcoelesti,quia regnabit in Ecclesia, hic in via et in patria. Unde et subditur : Et regnabit in domo Jacob in CBternum. Hic quoque accipienda est domus Jacob, non temporalis sed seterna, in qua regnat in aeternum.
Regnabit ergo in aeternum in domo Jacob, id est, super omnes electos : dedomo enim Abrahae et Isaac aliqui fuerunt reprobati, sicut Ismael etEsau; sed in domo Jacob omnes ejus filii a sanctis doctoribus inter dectos sunt computati; quia etsi aliqui peccaverunt, poenitentiam tamen egerunt. Jacob quippe interpretatur supplantator, in illis enim qui supplantant passiones ^inordinatas et vitia, regnat Christus; sed in illis qui supplantantur ab eis, regnat Diabolus. Regnabit ergo non solum in domo David, id est, in tribu Juda, verum etiam in domo Jacob, id est, in toto populo Israel, et in tota Exclesia, et in omnibus electis, non secundum successionem carnis, sed fidei. Per quod intelligitur , quod in ejus regni exercitu omnes illi enumerantur, quicumque Davld et Jacob fidem et justitiam imitantur : qui ipsi sunt spiritualis et aeterna . r sedes David , et domus Jacob; in qua sedebit et regnabit Dominus Jesus 1« ceternum, et nunc quidem per gratiam , et in futuro per gloriam. Beati in quibus Jesus regnabit in aeternum, quia et ipsi cum eo regnabunt ! I b Regnum Christi sine fine. — Et regni ejus non erit Jinis.
Christus enim non solum in quantum Deus, sed etiam in quantum homo, regnabit in ceternum, non solum super homines, sed etiam super Angelos. Hoc regnum aeternum est , et non corrumpetur; hoc imperium non deficiet, et non auferetur : quia regnabit Dominus in ceternum, et in seculum seculi. Ubi Bernardus : « O quam gloriosum est regnum illud, in quo reges congregati sunt, convenerunt in unum, ad laudandum scilicet et glorificandum eum, qui super omnes est Rex regum et Dominus dominantium , de cujus splendidissima contemplatione fulgebunt justi sicut sol, in regno Patris eorum! O si et mei peccatoris meminerit Jesus in beneplacito populi sui, cum venerit in regnum suum ! O si me in illa die, quando traditurus est regnum Deo Patri, visitari dignabitur in salutari suo, ad videndum scilicet in bonitate electorum suorum, ad laetandum in laetitia gentis suae, ut laudetur etiam a me cum haereditate sua ! Veni interim, Domine Jesu ; aufer scandala de regno tuo, quod est anima mea, ut regnes, qui debes, in ea; quia tu es ipse Rex meus et Deus meus, qui mandas salutes Jacob : » haec Bemardus.
Et CUm Angelus retulisset tanta, Maria perplexa fuit, quia, secundum Ambrosium, neque non credere debuit Angelo, neque tam temere usurpare divina. Unde de alio certificari volens, de quo multum timebat, scilicet ne virginitatem suam perderet, de modo conceptionis quaerit, dicens : Quomodo fiet istud, scilicet, quod tu promittis me parere filium, quoniam virum non cognosco ? id est, me vinun non cognituram in animo vovi, et ex voto proposui ; quia quamvis desponsata erat, tamen se nunquam nupturam, neque virum cognituram certissime sciebat. Et ita fuit Virgo mente, carne et proposito; quasi diceret : Rem credo, sed de modo quaero, cum sciat Dominus Deus, testis conscientiae meae , votum esse ancillae non cognoscere virum : qua lege, quo ordine placebit ei ut fiat istud ? Unde Ambrosius : a Non dubitat esse faciendum, quod quomodo possit fieri inquirit. Legerat Maria : Ecce Virgo concipiet in utero, et pariet filium; et ideo id credidit futurum, sed quomodo fieret ante non legerat : non enim quemadmodum fieret, vel tanto alicui Prophetae fuerat revelatum. Tantum enim mandati mysterium non fuit hominis, sed Angeli ore promendum : » haec Ambrosius.
Et Angelus, Fiet, inquit, non modo humano, sed divino; non per virum, sed per operationem Spiritus Sancti qui in te superveniet. Sicut ignis divinus mentem tuam inflammans, camemque tuam Dei Filio uniendam perfectissima puritate sanctificans, et singulari modo te fecundabit, et ex ejus operatione, salva tibi virginitate tua, concipies. Spiritus Sanctus prius in Virginem venerat, in sua sanctificatione, eam ab originali peccato purgando; sed in conceptione Filii Dei supervenit, id est, itenim venit, majorem gratiae plenitudinem conferendo , quae non solum sanctificavit men-r tem, sed etiam ventrem. Supervenit igitur Spiritus 'iSanctus in Virginem, quemadmodum virtus solis descendit super rosam et lilium, dans illis concipiendi virtutem. Et licet ista ineflabilis conceptio celebrata sit operatione totius Trinitatis, cum opera Trinitatis sint indivisa, specialiter tamen appropriatur hoc opus Spiritui Sancto propter plures rationes. Prima est, secundum Augustinum, propter ostensionem gratiae sine meritis, ut videlicet per hoc, quod dicitur conceptus de Spiritu Sancto, ostendatur quod sit ex sola gratia, quam nuUa hominum merita praecesserunt; gratia autem attribuitur Spiritui Sancto. Unde Glossa : « Spiritus est nomen omnis gratiae:, quaea Deo inspiratur. » — Secunda est, secundum Ambrosium, propter virtutem operationis; quia scilicet operatione et virtute Spiritus Sancti conceptus est, cui attribuuntur opera ciementiae et pietatis.
— Tertia est, secundum Petrum Lombardum magistrum sententiarum , propter ostensionem eximiae charitatis, quae attribuitur Spiritui Sancto, ut scilicet ostendatur quod Verbum Dei caro factum est ineffabili charitate , qua sic Deus dilexit mtmdum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret, 18 COOPERATIO TOTIUS TrINITATIS MYSTERio Incarnationis. — Et vir^ tus Altissimi, Patris sciiicet, Verbum enim seu Fiiius, secundum Apostolum, diciturDei Patris sapientiaj et virtus Aliissimi obumbrabit iibi, id est, de te corpus quasi umbraculum assumet, in quo Deus quasl hamum sub cibo se abscondet, quia in beata Virgine sub umbra carnis latuit virtus deitatis. Divinitas obumbrata fuit Virgini per susceptionem humanitatis, ut quod impossibile erat mortaii feminae, objectu tamen vivifici corporis ferret praesentiam majestatis, et lucem sustineret-inaccessibilem, sicut sol, quando eum visu intueri non possumus, obumbratur nobis aliquo velamine. Unde Bemcwdus : a Quia Deus spiritus est, nos vero caro, umbra corporis sui temperavit se nobis, ut objectu vivificae carnis videamus Verbum in carne, solem in nube , lumen in testa , cereum in latema : » haec Bernardus. Quod autem in Praefatione Beatae Mariae canitur : Quce et Unigenitum suum Sancti Spiritus obumbratione concepit, non est contrarium huic quod hic dicitur, obumbratio fieri per corpus Christi applicatum divino iumini. Cum enim tam Filius quam Spirims Sanctus sint virtutes Patris, et corpus Christi utrique virtuti conveniat, Filio tanquam cui unitur, Spiritui Sancto tanquam agenti a quo formatur ; patet quod haec obumbratio tam Filio quam Spiritui Sancto» convenire potest. Et attende quomodo hic Angelus totam Trinitatem Virgini edidit. Primum namque Spiritum Sanctum sub nomine proprio commemorat, deinde Filium nomine Virtutis, et consequenter Patrem nomine Altissimi insinuat.
Sic ergo ut notetur tota Trinitas fecisse Incarnationem, appropriat hoc Spiritui Sancto Incarnationis cooperationem, cum dicit : Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te; sed Filio camis assumptionem, cum subditur : Et virtus Altissimi obumhrabit tibi; sed Patri auctoritatem cum dicit, Altissimi, Excelsum namque Incarnationis opus totius Trinitatis fuit, quia sicut personae , sic et opera Trinitatis inseparabilia sunt et indivisa : ita ut quidquid operatur una persona, operetur et alia, quamvis solus Filius fuerit incamatus, nec Pater, nec Spiritus Sanctus; utpereamdem sapientiam qua Deus mundum condiderat, reparatio fieret, et qui Dei Filius erat in divinitate, ipse filius hominis fieret in humanitate, ne Filii nomen ad alium transiret, qui non esset Filius aeterna nativitate. Et habemus simile de tribus induentibus unum de semetipsis, de quibus dici potest, quod omnes simul unicum faciunl opus; et quidquid facit unus, facit alius; non tamen induitur nisi unus. Unde Augustinus : « Ita singulorum quaeque in Trinitate opera Trinitas operatur, unicuique operanti cooperantibus duobus, conveniente in tribus agendi concordia, non in uno deficiente efl&cacia peragendi. » 19 Christus recte Sanctus et FiL,ius Dei vocatur. — Ideo et quod nascetur ex te Sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei; non adoptivus sicut alii, sed naturalis, qui tamen ab aeterno fuit Filius, sed non vocabatur vel manifestabatur nomine aliquo, nisi in tempore. Quasi diceret : Quia enim foecundaris virtute Spiritus Sancti, non prolem viri generabis, sed Filium Dei : quia nonexlibidine concipies, ideo non peccatorem sed Sanctum gignes, et per consequens sine dolore paries. Unde Bernardus : « Quid est dicere, quoniam non de homine, sed de Spiritu Sancto concipies ? Concipies autem virtutem Altissimi, hoc est Filium Dei ; ideo et quod nascetur ex te, id est, ex tua vera natura, Sanctum, vocabitttr Filius Dei, id est, non solum qui de sinu Patris in uterum tuum.
veniens obumbrabit tibi, sed etiam id quod de tua substantia sociabit sibi, ex hoc jam vocabitur Filius Dei; quemadmodum et is qui a Patre est ante secula genitus, tuus quoque amodo reputabitur Filius. Sic autem et qu6d natum est ex ipso, erit tuus, et quod ex te nascetur erit ejus; ut tamen nonsint duo filii j sed unus. Et licet aliud quidem ex te, aliud ex illo sit, jam tamen non cujusque suus, sed unus utriusque filius erit': » ha^c Bernar^ dus. Et nota quod dicit Sanctum, absolute et substantive absque determinatione; quia si diceret sancta caro, sanctus homo, vel aliquod consimile, parum videretur dixisse, nec expressisset sanctitatem ejus complete. Posuit ergo indefinite Sanctum, quia quidquid fuit quod Virgo genuit, procul dubio ac singulariter Sanctum fuit.
Et ne Virgo de partu in aliquo desperaret, et ut fidem exemplo Angelus astrueret et confirmaret, exemplum sterilis anus et pariturae induxit, seniorisque feminae et sterilis inopinatam fecunditatem Virgini nuntiavit, ut assereret omnia decentia Deo possibilia, quae |solito ordine naturae videntur contraria; et qui supra naturam conceptum dedit sterili , daturus non dubitaretur et Virgini. Et ut facilius credat ; Ecce, inquit, Eli:(abeih cognata tua, cum esset senex, et. vocaretur sterilis propter notam jamdudum ejus sterilitatem, jam sex menses sunt quod concepit filium , per Dei virtutem. Tamen quia istud exemplum non est usquequaque perfectum , quia majus est virginem concipere quam sterilem, et ideo Angelus inducit rationis efficaciam ex Dei omnipotentia, dicens : Q.M2a non erit impossibile apud Deum omne ver^ bum, id est, omnis res digna verbo, quin implere possit omne verbo suo promissum : vel verbum, id est, quodcumque opus vel factum , in ejus dispositione provisum. Nam dicere Dei est facere, secundum illud Psalmi : Ipse dixit et facta sunt , quidquid enim coiftradictionem non implicat, totum est Deo possibile, cujusmodi est virginem parere ; sfed quae implicant contradictionem, ut, contradictoria simul esse vera, ut, ea quae facta sunt, fiant non facta, etc, hujusmodi, talia non sunt Deo possibilia, non propter impossibilitatem Dei, sed propter impossibilitatem rei ; quasi doceret per virtutem et actionem naturae, nec sterilis nec virgo potest concipere, sed divina potentia potest hoc facere. Secundum Bernardum, dicit omne verbum, et non omne factibile, quia quam facile possunt homines loqui quid volunt, sic incomparabiliter facilius potest Deus implere quidquid possunt illi verbo exprimere. Praeterea secundum eumdem Bernardum, conceptus Elizabeth Virgini nuntiatur, ut dum miraculum miraculo additur, gaudio cumuletur. Item quia occultaverat se, et jam occultare non poterat, conveniens fuit quod ante ceteros Virgo hoc sciret.
Item, ut tam Praecursoris , quam Salvatoris gesta sciret, quae scriptores docere debebat. Item propter sanctificationem Baptistae, quem adhuc in utero matris positum Jesus voluit sanctificare. Item ut antiquae cognatas obsequium praeberet, et ut humilitatem impleret. Maria quippe et Elizabeth cognatae, seu consobrinae fuerunt in secundo gradu, quia filiae duarum sororum, scilicet Annae et Hysmeriae : fuit etiam Elizabeth de tribu Juda, sicut et Maria.
Intuere hic et meditare qualiter tota Trinitas est ibi praesens, responsionem hujus suae filiae singularis expectans, et amanter ac delectabiliter ejus verecundiam et mores aspiciens, et verba auscultans. O qualls est domuncula, ubi tales sunt et talia exercentur! Nam licet san— cta Trinitas sit ubique, ibi tamen nunc aliquo modo singulari eam esse mediteris ratione singularis operationis. Intuere etiam et meditare, qualiter Angelus cum reverentia, vultuque placido Dominam suam diligenter inducit, et verba sua sapienter ordinat, ut super hoc opere mirifico voluntatem Domini sui perficere valeat; et etiam qualiter ipsa se habet timorate et humiliter, facie pudorosa, quasi et de improviso ab Angelo verbis istis praeventa. Non extollitur, neque se reputat; et cum audit magnalia de se, qualia nunquam alicui dicta ftiere, non sibi, sed totum adscribit gratiae divinae. Jam ergo Angelus, expleto nunc ambasiatoris officio, expectat Virginis responsum. Unde Bernardus : « Audisti, Virgo, quia concipies, audisti quia non per hominem sed per Spiritum Sanctum ; expectat Angelus responsum tuum ; tempus est enim ut revertatur ad Deura, qui misit illum. Expectamus et nos, o Domina, verbum miserationis, quos miserabiliter premit sententia damnationis.
Ecce tibi pretium ofFertur nostrae salutis, statimque liberamur si consentis; hoc supplicat item , pia Virgo, flebilis Adam, cum misera sobole exul de paradiso ; hoc ceteri flagitant patres tui, qui et ipsi habitant in regione umbrae mortis; hoc totus mundus tuis genibus provolutus expectat. ODomina, responde verbum quod terra, quod inferi, quod coeli expectant. Responde verbum, et suscipe Verbum; profer tuum, et suscipe divinum : emitte transitorium, et amplectere sempiternum : » haec Bernardus. Unde et beatus Augustinus exclamat : « O beata Maria, seculum omne captivum tuum deprecatur assensum ; te, Domina, mundus suae fidei obsidem fecit; noli morari Virgo; nuntio festinanter responde verbum, et suscipe filium. » 22 Obedientia et humilitas MaRLE. — Tandem prudentissima Virgo auditis Angeli verbis consensit, et prout dicitur, profunda devotione genua flexit, ac manibus expansis, deinde junctis, et oculis ad coelum elevatis, cum inaestimabili humilitate protulit desideratissimum verbum, toto cordis affectu audiendum, dicens : Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Ecce prompta obedientia, devota optatio, fides, consensus. Ancilla, inquit, sum Domini ; non meae, sed illius potestati sum ; fiat mihi secundum verbum tiium, id est, secundum quod tu mihi nuntiasti.
Quae mater Domini eligitur, suae conditionis et divinae dignationis per omnia memor, ancillam se nuncupat , et cum magna devotione promissum Angeli impleri optat. Ad hanc vocem Mariae exclamat Augustinus dicens : « O felix obediential o insignis gratia! quae dum humiliter fidem dedit, coeli in se opificem comparavit. » Unde et Anselmus : « O fides Deo accepta ! o humilitas Deo grata ! o obedientia, omni sacrificio Deo jucundius oblata 1 o sublimis virgo Mater Dei ! o mater humilis ancilla Dei ! Quid sublimius esse possit i Quid humilius sentire posset :• » Unde etiam Ambrosius : « Vide humilitatem, vide devotionem ; ancillam se dicit Domini, quae mater eligitur, nec redemptiva exaltata promissione simul ancillam dicendo, nullam sibi praerogativam tantje gratiae vindicavit, * quando faceret quod juberetur.
Mitem enim humilemque paritura, humilitatem debuit etiam ipsa praeferre. » Unde Bernardus : « Semper solet esse gratiae divinae familiaris virtus humilitas : Deus enim superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam. Humiliter ergo respondet, ut sedes gratiae praeparetur. Ecce, inquit, ancilla Domini. Quae est haec tam sublimis humilitas, quae cedere non novit honoribus, insolescere gloria nescit? Non magnum est ess^ humilem in abjectione : magna prorsus et rara virtus humilitas honorata : » haec Bernardus. Beata ergo Virgo, quae ultra omnes homines mundi per annuntiationem Angeli attollebatur, tamen in se profiindissime humiliabatur ; ideo ejus humilitas incomparabilis , prae omnibus aliis virtutibus commendatur. Inter omnes enim virtutes tantum placuit humilitas beatae Virginis Filio Dei, quod attraxit ipsum.
de coeio, ut ex Virgine carnem assumeret, quemadmodum ferrum trahitur ab adamante. Unde Augustinus : a O vera humilitas quae Deum hominibus peperit, vitam mortalibus edidit, paradisum aperuit, et hominum animas liberavitl Facta est Mariae humilitas scala coelestis, per quam Deus descendit ad terras. » Decebat enim, ut dicit Beda, quod sicut per superbiam Evae mors in mundum intravit, ita per humilitatem Mariae, vitae introitus panderetur. Tantum autem placuit Christo ista vox Virginis cum dicit : Ecce ancilla Domini, quod ex hoc magis appellat se in Scriptura filium ancillae, quam Virginis. Ejc quo trahitur evidens argumentum, quod plus placuit Deo Mariae humilitas quam virginitas.
Et licct singuia verba hujus Evangelii sint plena mysteriis , ista tamen verba quae in sui consensus expressione Virgo ponit praecipue redolent virtutes incomparabiles. Ponit enim sex verba, quae redolent sex virtutes eximias in ea. Dicit namque : Ecce, in quo obedientia prompta ; ancilla, in quo humilitas perfecta ; Domini, in quo virginitas immaculata; ^a(, in quo charitas inflammata, etc. ; mihi, in quo spes secura ; secundum verbum tuum, in quo fidea devota. Et vere fides devota erat in Virgine, quia illud credidit in se debere fieri ad verbum Angeli, quod nunquam a seculis fuerat auditum, nunquam repertum, nunquam visum, aut ab aliquo cogitatum. De hac fide diclt Bernardus : a Tria mirabilia fecit Dominus in Incarnatione ; conjuncta quidem sunt ad invicem Deus et homo, mater et virgo, fides et cor humanum. Et quidem tertia commixtio est inferior aliis duabus, sed non minus fortis. Mirum enim est quomodo cor humanum his duobus fidem accommodavit, quomodo credi potuit quod Deus homo esset, quod Virgo fuerat quae peperisset; haec enim nequeunt commisceri, si non misceat glutinum Spiritus Sancti.
» 24 FiLii Dei fit Incarnatio. — Igitur his verbis dictis a Virgine, statim in illa hora sanaissima, Spiritus Sanctus in eam supervenit, ac Dei Filium Virgo gloriosa concepit. Unde statim in his verbis Mariae, Filius Dei totus intravit in uterum ejus, et ex ea carnem assumpsit, et totus in sinu Patris remansit. In instanti enim fuit totum corpus Christi formatum, et anima rationalis creata; simul utrumque divinitati in persona Filii conjunctum, ut idem esset Deus et homo , salva utriusque naturae proprietate. Fuit autem corpus Christi formatum ex sanguine B. Virginis, non ex came, et fiiit in instanti sanguinis separatio, consolidatio, figuratio, animatio, deificatio. Et in eodem instanti, fuit plenus et perfectus homo in , anima et carne, secundum omnia corporis lineamenta, sed parvulus valde, ita ut membrorum distinctio vix posset discerni visu humano, Postea vero naturaliter in utero crevit ut alii, licet membrorum distinctio, et animae infusio dilata non fuerit, ut in aliis. Fuit etiam perfectus Deus sicut et perfectus homo : secundum humanam naturam, ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens ; secundum divinam, ex Verbo; utriusque in unitate personae conjunctio.
Sicut enim in deitate est una essentia et tres personae, ita in Christo e converso est una persona, et tres essentiae, scilicet : deitas, anima, et caro ; hoc est, steraum, novum, et antiquum. Est enim deitas aeterna; anima nova, quia in assumptione creata; caro antiqua, quia ab Adam propagata. £t Christus secundum naturam deitatis, est generatus ; secundum animam, creatus; et secundum camem, haus.
Et fiiit unio triplex in Christo, scilicet deitatis ad animam, et e converso; ac deitatis ad camem, et e converso; et animae ad carnem. Duae priores unlones semper manserunt; tertia separata ftiit in morte. Unio igitur divinitatis ad humanam naturam non est in unitate naturae, sed persons; non personae humanae, sed divinse; non assumptae, sed assumentis; nec personae cujuslibet, sed solius Verbi. Quia enim impossibile est quod natura divina concurrat aim alia, sicut pars ad tertii constructionem, vel quod ipsa transeat in aliam, vel alia in ipsam; ideo divinitas et humanitas non uniuntur in unitate naturae, sed personae. Et quia divina natura in nullo supposito potest subsistere, praeter<pJam in propria hypostasi; ideo unio illa non potest esse in persona iominis , sed Dei. Et propterea Deus in una personarum suarum, fedt seipsum suppositum humanae Mturae. Unde tantum ima est ibi personalitas, et unitas personalis, scilicet ex parte assumentis. Et ideo Christus fiecundum quod est homo, non est persona.
Unde Hugo : a Ex quo hominem Deus assumpsit, to^ assumpsit, carnem scilicet et animam, id est, hominis naturam, aon hominis personam, sed homi^ in personam. Caro enim illa ct anima, antequam Verbo uniren^ in personam, non erant inter se ^nita ad personam. Unio siquidem ^na fiiit ad unum Verbi camis et animae : non prius Verbum et caro, nec prius Verbum et anima, nec prius anima et caro; sed simul Verbum et anima et caro. Nec coepit persona esse Verbum, quandohomo esse coepit ; sed hominem sic assumpsit, ut personaesse homo inciperet, nec alia persona quam erat illa quae eum acciperet. Itaque Verbum persona suscepit hominem : non personam, sed naturam, ut qui suscepit et quod suscepit, una esset in Trinitate persona. Ergo Christus persona ad infernum descendit, sed secundum solam animam ; et Christus . persona in sepulcro jacuit, sed secundum solam camem ; et Christus persona ubique fiiit, sed secundum solam divinitatem. Quid est autem quod scriptum est : quia cum Christus in sepulcro jacuisset, dicitur ?
totum pro parte positum est. Fortasse cogitas quasi tria quaedam : divinitatem, animam, camem composuisse Christufe. Absit. Non enim pars Christi Verbum, et pars homo; sed totus Christus Verbum, et totus Christus homo. Divinitas pars non fuit, nec in ipsa pars fuit. In humanitate sola partes sunt, anima scilicet et corpus, et ubi alterum illorum est, pars hominis est. Verum est ergo quod in • sepulcro Christus jacuit, nec tamen ibi totus homo jacuit; quamvis totus homo Christus fuit ; anima enim et caro Dei Verbo in persona unita fuit. Ideo ubi caro erat, Verbum deesse non potuit : » haec Hugo, 26 Pll SENSTTS ANIM^ InCARNATIONEM Christi meditantis.
— De hac Verbi Incarnatione, sic dicit Anselmus : « Vidisti, Domine, afflictionem populi tui, et tactus dolore charitatis intrinsecus, apposuisti cogitare super nos cogitationes pacis et redemptionis. Et quidem cum esses Filius Dei, verus Deus, Deo Patri Sanctoque Spiritui coaeternus et consubstantialis , lucem habitans inaccessibilem , portansque omnia verbo virtutis tuae, non despexisti in hoc nostrae mortalitatis «rgastulum, altitudinem inclinare tuam , ut nostram et gustares et absorberes miseriam, nosque reparares ad gloriam. Parum , bone Domine Jesu , fuit charitati tuae ad consummandum opus nostrae salutis, Cherubim vel Seraphim, aut unum ex Angelis destinare : ipse ad nos venire dignatus es, per mandatum Patris, cujus nimiam charitatem experti sumus in te. Venisti enim, non locum mutando, sed praesentiam tuam per carnem exhibendo. Descendens a regali solio sublimis gloriae tuae, in humilem et abjectam ancillam in oculis suis puellam, primo virginalis continentiae voto sigillatam. In cujus sacrosancto utero, sola Sancti Spiritus virtus inenarrabilis, et concipi te fecit, et nasci in vera humanitatis natura, ita ut nec majestatem divinitatis in t^, necintegritatem virginitatis in se violaret nativitatis occasio. » Idem ad sororem suam : a Primum cum beata Maria ingressa cubiculum, libros quibus Virginis partus et Christi prophetatur adventus, evolve. Ibi adventum Angeli praestolare, ut videas intrantem , audias salutantem; et sic repleta stupore et extasi, dulcissimam Mariam dominam tuam, cum Angelo salutante salutes, clamans et dicens : Ave, Maria, etc.
Hoc crebrius repetens, quae sit haec gratiae plenitudo, de qua totus mundus mutuavit gratiam, quando Verbum caro factum est; contemplare et admirare Dominum, qui terram implet et coelum, intra unius puellae viscera claudit, quam Pater sanctificavit , Filius fecundavit, Spiritus Sanctus adumbravit. O dulcis Domina , quanta inebriabaris dulcedine, quo amoris igne succendebaris , cum sentires in mente et in ventre tantae majestatis praesentiam ; cum de tua carne carnem assumeret, et membra quibus corporaliter omnis plenitudo divinitatis inhabitaret, de tuis sanctis membris aptaret! » haec Anselmus.
O si valeres utique sentire, quale quantumque fuerit illud e coelo immissum incendium, collatum refrigerium , infusum solatium! quanta sublimatio Virginis matris, quanta nobilitatio humani generis, quanta condescensio majestatis! Si virginem canentem cum jubilo posses audire, aestimo quod cum illa pariter pro tanto beneficio inciperes jubilare, et non cessares Deo gratias decantare. Ut ergo ipsi Virgini tantum gaudium renovare, et ad mentem revocare valeas, crebro eam cum dulci versu Angelico salutare, et devotae salutationis oscula, saltem pedibus ejus infigere non negligas, dicens : Ave, Maria. Unde Bernardus : « Est tibi, Virgo Maria, quasi osculum, audire hunc versum Angelicum Ave. Toties enim beatissima oscularis, quoties per Ave devote salutaris. Ergo, fratres carissimi, ad imaginem ejus accedite, genua flectite , oscula ei imprimite, Ave, Maria dicite. yr Et iterum : a Coeli respondent, Angeli jubilant, mundus exultat, daemones contremiscunt, cum dico Ave, Maria : » haec Bernardus.
28 IliJE Christum CONCIPERE VOLENTIS. Moraliter tanguntur hic sex conditiones, quas debet habere quae libet anima sancta, Christum spiritualiter conceptura. Debet enim primo habitare in quadam separatione et alienatione omnis creatae delectationis, ut sic habitet in Galilaea, quod interpretatur transmi^ gratio. Illa enim anima perfecte habitat in transmigratione, quae transmeavit omnem cuatam delectationem, ita quod nulla re creata amplius dclectatur, nisi in quantum in ea relucet imago et perfectio Creatoris ; quod non solum nullam diligit contra Deum, sed nec uUam diligat, nisi in quantum in ea Deus relucet, vel imago Dei,ut proximum, vel in quantum potest esse accommoda ultimate saluti, sicut alia res. — Secundodebet talis animahabitare in quadam floritione deiformis operationis, scilicetut inhabitet in Nazareth, quod interpretatur flos, virgultum, sanctitas, vel consecratio : ut scilicet floreat, vei in flore habitet ex candore innocentiae; sit virgultum, dulcore divinae influentiai; sanctitas, fervore divinae charitatis; et inhabitet in quadam consecratione, splendore veritatis. — Tertio, talisanima debet esse virgo, ut ab omni motu, non solum sensuum, sed etiara omni animae virium sit restricta, ita ut nihil in ea corruptionis valeat subintrare; nec per vias sensuum intret aliquid quod moveat ad carnalitatem ; nec per vias virium intellectivarum veniat aliquid quod tendat in curiositatem. Etsecundum Augustinum, quaecunque anima taiis fuerit, virgo censetur. — Quarto, talis anima debet esse desponsata, ut fidem et amorem ad unicum bonum restrinxerit, quod est Deus, ne in incerto vagetur, nunc istud, nunc illud amans.
Et signanter dicitur quod debet esse desponsata Joseph, quod interpretatur augmentum vel appositio : ut in fide et amore apponens, semperque proficiens augmentetur, quia in talibus non proficere, est quodam modo deficere. Et signanter additur de domo David, quod interpretatur manu fortis : quia per gressus spirituales, per fortes conatus et operationes , in spirituali exercitio augmentatur. — Quinto describitur haec anima ut tota illuminata, quia nomen ejus est Maria, quod interpretatur illuminata : scilicet ut signatum sit super eam vultus Domini, et habeat laetitiam spiritualem in corde suo. — Sexto describitur. ut a Deo confortata per donum fortitudinis Spiritus Sancti, quia ingreditur ad eam angelus Gabriel, quod interpretatur /pr/i/i/io Dei, et per eum fit annuntiatio : sciiicet quando anima contemplativa fortificata a Deo, per spem elevatur, ut appetat gratiae plenitudinem, Domini praesentiam, et quamdam singularitatem benedictionis inter omnes creaturas.
Spccialiter autem circa tertiam conditionem est sciendum, quod mystice per hoc quod Ghristus conceptus et formatus fuit in utero virginali per operationem Spiritus Sancti , significatur quod spiritualiter concipitur et formatur in mente pura, ejusdem Spiritus Sancti operatione. Oportet enim mentem aeterni Verbi conceptivam esse virgineam, id est, non solum a vitiis, sed etiam a speciebus creatarum rerum, et ab hujusmodi specierum delectatione et corruptione immunem esse et abstractam. Gum enim oninis creatura vanitati sit subjecta, omnis species a re creata abstracta, vanitati est conjuncta, ac per hoc mentem ad altiora tendentem abducit quodam modo et corrumpit. Ad hanc autem mentis abstractionem, hortatur Dionysius Timptheum dicens : « Tu autem, amice Timothee, forti contritione, sensus derelinque, et intellectuales operationes, et omnia sensibilia et intellectibilia, et ad ejus unitionem propera, qui est super omnem substantiam et cognitionem : » haec Dionysius, Et in hac abstractione perficitur illa beatitudo, de qua dicitur : Beati mundo corde, intelligendo mundum cor, illud quod est ab omni extranea specie emundatum. Tales autem Deum videbunt. et hic per internam contemplatio•nem, et in patria per aeternam fruitionem. Et tales virgineae mentes sequuntur Agnum totius puritatis quocumque ierit, virgines enim sunt. De tali mente et anima, sic dicit Bernardus : « Anima quae semel a Domino didicit intrare ad semetipsam, et in intimis suis Dei praesentiam suspirare, et quaerere faciem ejus semper, talis, inquam, anima nescio an vel ipsam gehennam ad tempus experiri horribilius poenaliusve ducat, quam post spiritualis hujus studii gustatam semel suavitatem, exire denuo ad iiiecebras, vel potius molestias carnis, sensuumque inexplebilem repetere curiositatem.
Dico ergo vobis, nihil est quod in tantum formidet, quisquis hoc beneficium semel accepit » quam ne gratia derelictus necessarie habeat denuo egredi ad carnis consolationes, imo desolationes, rursumque carnalium sensuum sustinere tumultus ; » haec Bernardus, 30 Nazareth duas habet eccxesiAS. — In Nazareth autem, ubi annuntiatio facta est, sunt duae ecclesiae : una ubi erat domus, in qua Angelus ad Mariam venit, et annuntiationem fecit, in qua est altare Mafiae , in loco ubi orabat quando Angelus eam salutabat, et altare Gabrielis, ubi annuntiationem faciendostetit; altera, ubi domus fuerat, in qua Dominus nutritus est, cum infans erat.
Fuit autem conceptio Dominica in rubo ardenti praefigurata. Rubus enim sustinuit ignem, et non per^idit viriditatem; Maria concepit filium, et non amisit virginitatem : Dominus habitavit in rubo ardente, et ipse habitavit in Mariae gravidato ventre : descendit in rubum propter Judaeorum liberationem , ut eos educeret de iEgypto; descendit in Mariam propter nostrara redemptionem , ut nos eriperet de inferno. Cum autem Dominus incarnari voluit, Mariam solam prae omnibus mulieribus elegit. Et hoc fuit praefiguratum in vellere Gedeonis , quod solum coelestem rorem capiebat, et tota terra drcumjacens sicca remanebat; sic Maria sola divino rore replebatur, et in mundo nulla alia digna inveniebatur. Repletio velleris . signum erat liberationis filiorum Israel ab hostibus suis; conceptio Mariae signum erat nostrae redemptionis. Vellus Gedeonis est Virgo Maria : de quo vellere Jesus Christus fecit sibi tunicam; vellus sus— cepit rorem sin& lanae laesione; Maria concepit filium sine carnis corruptione. Gtedeon eipressit rorem, et concham ex eo replevit; Maria enixa est filium, qui totum mundum rore gratiae replevit.
Haec au— tem conceptio facta est per annuntiationem Gabrielis, quod figuratum est in servo Abrahae, et in Rebecca filia Batuelis. Abrahanl misit servum, ut de virgine filio suo in sponsam provideret , Rebecca autem 'nuntio potum praebebat, et ideo eam filio domini sui in sponsam eligebat Sic Pater coelestis misit Angelum suum, ut Filio suo quaereret virginem in matrem : qui virginem < dqpentissimam , scilicet Mariam, invenit, quae sibi potum, id est, nuntiationi suae consensum dedit. Rebecca non solum nuntium, sed etiam camelos ejus potavit : Maria tam Angelis, quam homini— bus fontem vitae propinavit.
Gabriel itaque, peracto legationis suae ofl&cio, reverenter se inclinans, et Dominae suae valefaciens, discessit ab ea et disparuit, gaudens utique et exultans, quia responsionem Deo acceptabilem relaturus erat» Jam enim venerat sponsus, et ideo recessit paranymphus , dimittens sponsum in sanctissimo sponsae cubiculo, matrimonio consummato. Discessit quidem ab ea Angelus, sed remansit cum ea rex Angelorum et Dei Filius ; discessit ab ea quantimi ad apparentiam, sed remanserunt cum ea multi propter rcverentiam, quam et sibi propter dignitatem mentis, et suo Regi exhibebant. Recedens ergo, peracto nuntio, et ad patriam rediens, hoc<jue narrans, fecit ibi novum festum et novum gaudium, et eiultationem magnam nimis.
Considcrare ergo debes quanta est hodierna soiemnitas et jubilare in corde tuo, et agere dies laetitiae. Inaudita est enim usque tunc a seculis ; nec unquam fuerat solemnitas talis. Hodie namque est solemnitas Dei Patris, qui Filio suo in desponsationem humanae naturae nuptias fecit, quam hodie sibi Filius inseparabiliter univit. Hodie est solemnitas nuptiarum Filii Dei in utero, sed postea erit ex utero. Hodie est solemnitas Spiritus Sancti, propter hoc mirificum opus quod attribuitur ei, et quia hodie incepit ostendere benignitatem singularem humanogeneri. Hodie est solemnitas gloriosae Dominae nostrae, quae a Patre in filiam, a Filio in matrem, a Spiritu Sancto in sponsam est recognita et assumpta. Hodie est solemnitas totius coelestis curiae, quia inchoatur ejus reparatio. Hodie multo magis est solemnitas humanae naturae, quia ejus salus incipit et redempjtio, et totius mundi reconciliatio, et quia ipsa hodie est subliniata atque deificata : nusqnam ^nim Dei Filius Angelos apprehendit, hoc est, non in unam sibi personam assumpsit; sed semen Abrahce.
Hodie novam obedientiam suscepit Filius a Patre, de nostra peragenda salute; hodie a summo coelo egrediens , exultavit ut gigas ad currendam viam nostrae salutis, et se reclusit in claustro uteri virginalis; hodie factus est quasi unus ex nobis, et frater noster, et coepit peregrinari nobiscum; hodie de coelo lux vera descendit, ad fugandas nostras tenebras, et tollendas]; hodie panis vivus qui dat vitam mundo, in utero virginali est confectus, sed in cruce quasi in clibano decoctus : hodie enim Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis, unde vocatur Emmanuel , quod dicitur nobiscum Deus, id est, Deus et homo. Hodie impleta sunt praeambula figurarum, documenta Scripturarum, ac desideria Prophetarum; propter quod etiam adventus Christi plenitudo temporis dicitur : clamabant enim desiderio inenarrabili , et hodiernum diem vehementissime expectabant. Hodie est principium et fundamentum omnium solemnitatum, et totius boni nostri initium. Nam usque nunc indignatus erat Dominus contra genus humanum, propter transgressionem primorum parentum; sed amodo videns Filium hominem factum , non ulterius irascetur in aeternum. Vides quam admirabile opus et solemnissimum festum sit iilud , totum delectabile, et totum jucundum; totum desiderabile et omni veneratione dignissimum ; cum omni devotione suscipiendum , in jubilatione ac laetitia et exultatione ducendum. In his ergo meditare, in his delectare et jucundaberis, et forte ostendet tibi Dominus ampliora, si vigilaveris. ORATIO O Jesu Fili Dei vivi, qui ex voluntate Patris, cooperante Spiritu Sancto, de sinu ejusdem Patris, velut quidam fluvius de loco voluptatis egrediens, per humilia declinans convallium, humilitatem ancillae tuae respiciens, in uterum Virginis descendisti, ubi conceptus ineffabiliter carnem assumpsisti : descendat, Jesu misericors, gratia tua avide, per merita matris et Virginis, super me servum tuum indignissimum, per quam teipsum desiderem, et amore intus concipiam; et per eamdem gratiam operantem in me, fructus bonorum operum salutares proferam. Amen.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩The name 'Hysmeria' (often Emerentia in other traditions) is cited here as the sister of St. Anne.
- 2 ↩The Latin text ends with a corrupted term 'transmi^ gratio', which appears to be a garbled etymology for Galilee. I have translated the intended sense of 'transmigration'.
- 3 ↩The Latin 'subliniata' is likely a variant or error for 'sublimata' (exalted).
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