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Objection 1: It would seem that the Annunciation should not have
been made by an angel to our Blessed Lady. For revelations to the
highest angels are made immediately by God, as Dionysius says
(Coel. Hier. vii). But the Mother of God is exalted above all
the angels. Therefore it seems that the mystery of the Incarnation
should have been announced to her by God immediately, and not by an
angel.
Objection 2: Further, if in this matter it behooved the common
order to be observed, by which Divine things are announced to men by
angels; in like manner Divine things are announced to a woman by a
man: wherefore the Apostle says (1 Cor. 14:34,35):
"Let women keep silence in the churches . . . but if they would
learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home." Therefore it
seems that the mystery of the Incarnation should have been announced to
the Blessed Virgin by some man: especially seeing that Joseph, her
husband, was instructed thereupon by an angel, as is related (Mt.
1:20,21)
Objection 3: Further, none can becomingly announce what he knows
not. But the highest angels did not fully know the mystery of the
Incarnation: wherefore Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. vii) that
the question, "Who is this that cometh from Edom?" (Is.
63:1) is to be understood as made by them. Therefore it seems
that the announcement of the Incarnation could not be made becomingly
by any angel.
Objection 4: Further, greater things should be announced by
messengers of greater dignity. But the mystery of the Incarnation is
the greatest of all things announced by angels to men. It seems,
therefore, if it behooved to be announced by an angel at all, that
this should have been done by an angel of the highest order. But
Gabriel is not of the highest order, but of the order of archangels,
which is the last but one: wherefore the Church sings: "We know
that the archangel Gabriel brought thee a message from God" [Feast
of Purification B.V.M. ix Resp. Brev. O.P.]. Therefore
this announcement was not becomingly made by the archangel Gabriel.
On the contrary, It is written (Lk. 1:26): "The angel
Gabriel was sent by God," etc.
I answer that, It was fitting for the mystery of the Incarnation to
be announced to the Mother of God by an angel, for three reasons.
First, that in this also might be maintained the order established by
God, by which Divine things are brought to men by means of the
angels. Wherefore Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. iv) that "the
angels were the first to be taught the Divine mystery of the loving
kindness of Jesus: afterwards the grace of knowledge was imparted to
us through them. Thus, then, the most god-like Gabriel made known
to Zachary that a prophet son would be born to him; and, to Mary,
how the Divine mystery of the ineffable conception of God would be
realized in her."
Secondly, this was becoming to the restoration of human nature which
was to be effected by Christ. Wherefore Bede says in a homily (in
Annunt.): "It was an apt beginning of man's restoration that an
angel should be sent by God to the Virgin who was to be hallowed by
the Divine Birth: since the first cause of man's ruin was through
the serpent being sent by the devil to cajole the woman by the spirit of
pride."
Thirdly, because this was becoming to the virginity of the Mother of
God. Wherefore Jerome says in a sermon on the Assumption: "It is
well that an angel be sent to the Virgin; because virginity is ever
akin to the angelic nature. Surely to live in the flesh and not
according to the flesh is not an earthly but a heavenly life."
Reply to Objection 1: The Mother of God was above the angels as
regards the dignity to which she was chosen by God. But as regards
the present state of life, she was beneath the angels. For even
Christ Himself, by reason of His passible life, "was made a little
lower than the angels," according to Heb. 2:9. But because
Christ was both wayfarer and comprehensor, He did not need to be
instructed by angels, as regards knowledge of Divine things. The
Mother of God, however, was not yet in the state of comprehension:
and therefore she had to be instructed by angels concerning the Divine
Conception.
Reply to Objection 2: As Augustine says in a sermon on the
Assumption (De Assump. B.V.M.) a true estimation of the
Blessed Virgin excludes her from certain general rules. For
"neither did she 'multiply her conceptions' nor was she 'under
man's, i.e. her husband's,' power (Gn. 3:16), who in her
spotless womb conceived Christ of the Holy Ghost." Therefore it
was fitting that she should be informed of the mystery of the
Incarnation by means not of a man, but of an angel. For this reason
it was made known to her before Joseph: since the message was brought
to her before she conceived, but to Joseph after she had conceived.
Reply to Objection 3: As may be gathered from the passage quoted
from Dionysius, the angels were acquainted with the mystery of the
Incarnation: and yet they put this question, being desirous that
Christ should give them more perfect knowledge of the details of this
mystery, which are incomprehensible to any created intellect. Thus
Maximus [Maximus of Constantinople] says that "there can be no
question that the angels knew that the Incarnation was to take place.
But it was not given to them to trace the manner of our Lord's
conception, nor how it was that He remained whole in the Father,
whole throughout the universe, and was whole in the narrow abode of the
Virgin."
Reply to Objection 4: Some say that Gabriel was of the highest
order; because Gregory says (Hom. de Centum Ovibus [34 in
Evang.]): "It was right that one of the highest angels should
come, since his message was most sublime." But this does nat imply
that he was of the highest order of all, but in regard to the angels:
since he was an archangel. Thus the Church calls him an archangel,
and Gregory himself in a homily (De Centum Ovibus 34) says that
"those are called archangels who announce sublime things." It is
therefore sufficiently credible that he was the highest of the
archangels. And, as Gregory says (De Centum Ovibus 34), this
name agrees with his office: for "Gabriel means 'Power of God.'
This message therefore was fittingly brought by the 'Power of
God,' because the Lord of hosts and mighty in battle was coming to
overcome the powers of the air."
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