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Objection 1: It would seem that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified
before animation. Because, as we have stated (Article 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 4: Further, the Apostle says (Rm. 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 (Mt. 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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
Lk. 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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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