Whether the Blessed Virgin Was Sanctified Before Animation?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified
before animation. Because, as we have stated (A. 1), more grace was
bestowed on the Virgin Mother of God than on any saint. Now it seems
to have been granted to some, to be sanctified before animation. For
it is written (Jer. 1:5): "Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy
mother, I knew thee": and the soul is not infused before the
formation of the body. Likewise Ambrose says of John the Baptist
(Comment. in Luc. i, 15): "As yet the spirit of life was not in him
and already he possessed the Spirit of grace." Much more therefore
could the Blessed Virgin be sanctified before animation.
Obj. 2: Further, as Anselm says (De Concep. Virg. xviii), "it was
fitting that this Virgin should shine with such a purity that under
God none greater can be imagined": wherefore it is written (Canticles
4:7): "Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in
thee." But the purity of the Blessed Virgin would have been greater,
if she had never been stained by the contagion of original sin.
Therefore it was granted to her to be sanctified before her flesh was
animated.
Obj. 3: Further, as it has been stated above, no feast is celebrated
except of some saint. But some keep the feast of the Conception of
the Blessed Virgin. Therefore it seems that in her very Conception
she was holy; and hence that she was sanctified before animation.
Obj. 4: Further, the Apostle says (Rom. 11:16): "If the root be holy,
so are the branches." Now the root of the children is their parents.
Therefore the Blessed Virgin could be sanctified even in her parents,
before animation.
_On the contrary,_ The things of the Old Testament were figures of
the New, according to 1 Cor. 10:11: "All things happened to them in
figure." Now the sanctification of the tabernacle, of which it is
written (Ps. 45:5): "The most High hath sanctified His own
tabernacle," seems to signify the sanctification of the Mother of
God, who is called "God's Tabernacle," according to Ps. 18:6: "He
hath set His tabernacle in the sun." But of the tabernacle it is
written (Ex. 40:31, 32): "After all things were perfected, the cloud
covered the tabernacle of the testimony, and the glory of the Lord
filled it." Therefore also the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified
until after all in her was perfected, viz. her body and soul.
_I answer that,_ The sanctification of the Blessed Virgin cannot be
understood as having taken place before animation, for two reasons.
First, because the sanctification of which we are speaking, is
nothing but the cleansing from original sin: for sanctification is a
"perfect cleansing," as Dionysius says (Div. Nom. xii). Now sin
cannot be taken away except by grace, the subject of which is the
rational creature alone. Therefore before the infusion of the
rational soul, the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified.
Secondly, because, since the rational creature alone can be the
subject of sin; before the infusion of the rational soul, the
offspring conceived is not liable to sin. And thus, in whatever
manner the Blessed Virgin would have been sanctified before
animation, she could never have incurred the stain of original sin:
and thus she would not have needed redemption and salvation which is
by Christ, of whom it is written (Matt. 1:21): "He shall save His
people from their sins." But this is unfitting, through implying that
Christ is not the "Saviour of all men," as He is called (1 Tim.
4:10). It remains, therefore, that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified
after animation.
Reply Obj. 1: The Lord says that He "knew" Jeremias before he was
formed in the womb, by knowledge, that is to say, of predestination:
but He says that He "sanctified" him, not before formation, but
before he "came forth out of the womb," etc.
As to what Ambrose says, viz. that in John the Baptist there was not
the spirit of life when there was already the Spirit of grace, by
spirit of life we are not to understand the life-giving soul, but the
air which we breathe out (_respiratus_). Or it may be said that in
him as yet there was not the spirit of life, that is the soul, as to
its manifest and complete operations.
Reply Obj. 2: If the soul of the Blessed Virgin had never incurred
the stain of original sin, this would be derogatory to the dignity of
Christ, by reason of His being the universal Saviour of all.
Consequently after Christ, who, as the universal Saviour of all,
needed not to be saved, the purity of the Blessed Virgin holds the
highest place. For Christ did not contract original sin in any way
whatever, but was holy in His very Conception, according to Luke
1:35: "The Holy which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son
of God." But the Blessed Virgin did indeed contract original sin, but
was cleansed therefrom before her birth from the womb. This is what
is signified (Job 3:9) where it is written of the night of original
sin: "Let it expect light," i.e. Christ, "and not see it"--(because
"no defiled thing cometh into her," as is written Wis. 7:25), "nor
the rising of the dawning of the day," that is of the Blessed Virgin,
who in her birth was immune from original sin.
Reply Obj. 3: Although the Church of Rome does not celebrate the
Conception of the Blessed Virgin, yet it tolerates the custom of
certain churches that do keep that feast, wherefore this is not to be
entirely reprobated. Nevertheless the celebration of this feast does
not give us to understand that she was holy in her conception. But
since it is not known when she was sanctified, the feast of her
Sanctification, rather than the feast of her Conception, is kept on
the day of her conception.
Reply Obj. 4: Sanctification is twofold. One is that of the whole
nature: inasmuch as the whole human nature is freed from all
corruption of sin and punishment. This will take place at the
resurrection. The other is personal sanctification. This is not
transmitted to the children begotten of the flesh: because it does
not regard the flesh but the mind. Consequently, though the parents
of the Blessed Virgin were cleansed from original sin, nevertheless
she contracted original sin, since she was conceived by way of
fleshly concupiscence and the intercourse of man and woman: for
Augustine says (De Nup. et Concup. i): "All flesh born of carnal
intercourse is sinful."
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