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The plenitude of grace in Mary was first made manifest through the
privilege of the Immaculate Conception, which was more and more
explicitly admitted in the Church, and was finally solemnly defined by
Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854.[2460] Pius IX
says in this definition: "We define the doctrine that holds the
Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was by a
singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in view of the merits of
Jesus Christ the Savior of the human race, preserved exempt from all
stain of original sin, and that this is a doctrine revealed by God and
therefore must be believed firmly and constantly by all the
faithful."[2461]
This privilege, according to the bull of definition, is implicitly
affirmed by the archangel Gabriel to Mary on the day of the
Annunciation, who said: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with
thee, blessed art thou among women";[2462] and St. Elizabeth
uttered similar words.[2463] The Blessed Virgin Mary would
not have received this fullness of grace if her soul at any moment had
been in a state of spiritual death because of original sin, that is,
if at any moment she had been without sanctifying grace and charity,
and therefore turned away from God the ultimate end, a daughter of
wrath, whom the devil could have claimed as having once been his
slave.
This is especially evident from tradition, as this same bull
declares, for it quotes the testimonies of St. Justin, St.
Irenaeus, Tertullian, St. Ephrem, St. Ambrose, and St.
Augustine.[2464] The feast of the Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary has been celebrated especially in the Greek Church since
the seventh century, and almost in the whole of Europe since the
twelfth century.
The theological proof for this privilege completes by the notion of
preservative redemption what St. Thomas had said for the
sanctification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb before her
birth. He had said: "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."[2465]
Now it must be said to be fitting that the most excellent Redeemer
most perfectly redeemed the person who was most closely connected with
Him as Mother and associated with Him in the redemption of the human
race. But most perfect redemption liberates not only from sin, but
also preserves from sin. Therefore it was far more fitting that the
most excellent Redeemer, by His merits, that were of infinite
value, preserve His mother from original sin and also from actual
sin, as tradition affirms.
This argument was proposed by Eadmer in the twelfth century, and was
afterward more clearly explained by Scotus,[2466] and is valid
even regardless of the special opinion held by Scotus concerning the
motive of the Incarnation.
The bull of definition declares that it is not fitting for the most
perfect Redeemer to have had a Mother conceived in sin.
The consequences of the particular privilege of the Immaculate
Conception are that the Blessed Virgin Mary never had
concupiscence, and never had any absolutely first deordinate movements
arising in her sensitive nature, but that there was always perfect
subordination of her sensitive nature to the intellect and will, which
were fully in subjection to the divine good pleasure, as in the state
of innocence. Thus the Blessed Virgin is inviolate and undefiled.
Her intellect was never exposed to either error or illusion, so that
she was always correct in her judgments, and if she was not at any time
enlightened about anything, then she suspended her judgment, avoiding
all precipitation. Thus she is called Seat of Wisdom, Queen of
Doctors, Virgin most Prudent, Mother of Good Counsel.
In what way was she subjected to pain and death? She submitted to it
as Christ did, inasmuch as pain and death were in her not the result
of original sin, but of human nature or of the body conceived in
passible flesh. For human nature of itself, just like all animal
nature, is subjected to pain and death, and man is by nature mortal.
The human body in the state of innocence was endowed with the
preternatural gift of immortality, but when this was taken away, then
the laws of nature at once came into operation. But Jesus, that He
might be our Redeemer by His passion and death, was conceived in
passible flesh, and thus willingly accepted pain and death for our
salvation. The Blessed Virgin Mary also accepted pain and death,
so that she might be united with her Son in the sacrifice of
redemption.
The privilege of the Immaculate Conception and the beginning of the
fullness of grace very much increased in Mary her capacity of grieving
for the greatest of all evils, which is sin. It is precisely because
she was most pure, and loved God and her Son in the very highest
degree, that she grieved to the utmost for our sins, whereby God is
offended and for which Christ was crucified.
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