Whether the Blessed Virgin Was Sanctified Before Her Birth from the
Womb?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified
before her birth from the womb. For the Apostle says (1 Cor. 15:46):
"That was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural;
afterwards that which is spiritual." But by sanctifying grace man is
born spiritually into a son of God according to John 1:13: "(who) are
born of God." But birth from the womb is a natural birth. Therefore
the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified before her birth from the womb.
Obj. 2: Further, Augustine says (Ep. ad Dardan.): "The
sanctification, by which we become temples of God, is only of those
who are born again." But no one is born again, who was not born
previously. Therefore the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified before
her birth from the womb.
Obj. 3: Further, whoever is sanctified by grace is cleansed from sin,
both original and actual. If, therefore, the Blessed Virgin was
sanctified before her birth from the womb, it follows that she was
then cleansed from original sin. Now nothing but original sin could
hinder her from entering the heavenly kingdom. If therefore she had
died then, it seems that she would have entered the gates of heaven.
But this was not possible before the Passion of Christ, according to
the Apostle (Heb. 10:19): "We have [Vulg.: 'having'] therefore a
confidence in the entering into the Holies by His blood." It seems
therefore that the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified before her birth
from the womb.
Obj. 4: Further, original sin is contracted through the origin, just
as actual sin is contracted through an act. But as long as one is in
the act of sinning, one cannot be cleansed from actual sin. Therefore
neither could the Blessed Virgin be cleansed from original sin as
long as she was in the act of origin, by existence in her mother's
womb.
_On the contrary,_ The Church celebrates the feast of our Lady's
Nativity. Now the Church does not celebrate feasts except of those
who are holy. Therefore even in her birth the Blessed Virgin was
holy. Therefore she was sanctified in the womb.
_I answer that,_ Nothing is handed down in the canonical Scriptures
concerning the sanctification of the Blessed Mary as to her being
sanctified in the womb; indeed, they do not even mention her birth.
But as Augustine, in his tractate on the Assumption of the Virgin,
argues with reason, since her body was assumed into heaven, and yet
Scripture does not relate this; so it may be reasonably argued that
she was sanctified in the womb. For it is reasonable to believe that
she, who brought forth "the Only-Begotten of the Father full of grace
and truth," received greater privileges of grace than all others:
hence we read (Luke 1:28) that the angel addressed her in the words:
"Hail full of grace!"
Moreover, it is to be observed that it was granted, by way of
privilege, to others, to be sanctified in the womb; for instance, to
Jeremias, to whom it was said (Jer. 1:5): "Before thou camest forth
out of the womb, I sanctified thee"; and again, to John the Baptist,
of whom it is written (Luke 1:15): "He shall be filled with the Holy
Ghost even from his mother's womb." It is therefore with reason that
we believe the Blessed Virgin to have been sanctified before her
birth from the womb.
Reply Obj. 1: Even in the Blessed Virgin, first was that which is
natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual: for she was first
conceived in the flesh, and afterwards sanctified in the spirit.
Reply Obj. 2: Augustine speaks according to the common law, by reason
of which no one is regenerated by the sacraments, save those who are
previously born. But God did not so limit His power to the law of the
sacraments, but that He can bestow His grace, by special privilege,
on some before they are born from the womb.
Reply Obj. 3: The Blessed Virgin was sanctified in the womb from
original sin, as to the personal stain; but she was not freed from
the guilt to which the whole nature is subject, so as to enter into
Paradise otherwise than through the Sacrifice of Christ; the same
also is to be said of the Holy Fathers who lived before Christ.
Reply Obj. 4: Original sin is transmitted through the origin,
inasmuch as through the origin the human nature is transmitted, and
original sin, properly speaking, affects the nature. And this takes
place when the offspring conceived is animated. Wherefore nothing
hinders the offspring conceived from being sanctified after
animation: for after this it remains in the mother's womb not for the
purpose of receiving human nature, but for a certain perfecting of
that which it has already received.
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