70. Mary's Sanctification, Sinlessness, Grace, and Virginal Conception

Subscribe in Podcast App | Download Transcript

Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Freedom from Actual Sin (Article 4) #

• Whether Mary was preserved from every actual sin, both mortal and venial
• The distinction between the fomes (inclination to sin remaining) and disordered movements arising from it
• Divine providence’s role in preventing sinful movements before reason could consent
• The binding of concupiscence rather than its complete removal in Mary
• Scriptural objections: the sword piercing her soul (Simeon’s prophecy), doubt at Christ’s death, apparent vainglory in seeking Christ’s attention
• The patristic interpretation that Mary’s doubt was not loss of faith but rational deliberation (taxatio, discussio) between what she saw and what she knew from Gabriel’s promise
• Distinction between Mary’s doubt and Zechariah’s doubt: she wondered how the incarnation would occur, not whether it would

The Fullness of Grace (Article 5) #

• Whether Mary obtained the fullness of grace at her sanctification in the womb
• The principle that something approaching its beginning in any genus partakes more of that beginning’s effects
• Christ as the beginning of grace both authoritatively (according to divinity) and instrumentally (according to humanity)
• Mary’s unique proximity to Christ through his humanity (he took flesh from her)
• The threefold perfection of grace in Mary:
  1. Dispositive perfection: grace preparing her to be Mother of God (at sanctification in womb)
  2. Formal perfection: grace from the incarnate Son’s presence in her womb
  3. Perfective perfection: grace in her glorification
• The distinction between Mary’s fullness and Christ’s fullness: she received such grace that she could be near to the author of grace, but not the identical fullness Christ possessed
• The uses and non-uses of grace in Mary: she had wisdom for contemplation but not for teaching (following St. Paul on women teaching); she had prophecy (Magnificat) but not the working of miracles during her earthly life

Sanctification in the Womb: Uniqueness (Article 6) #

• Whether sanctification in the womb was unique to Mary alone
• Scriptural evidence: Jeremiah 1:5 (“Before you came out of the womb, I have made you holy”) and Luke 1:15 (John the Baptist “filled with the Holy Spirit even from the womb”)
• Augustine’s cautious approach: the exaltation of John in the womb may have been a sign rather than necessarily implying sanctification
• The possibility that John’s movement in the womb was a miraculous sign of the incarnation rather than an act of faith
• The resolution: Jeremiah and John the Baptist were made holy in the womb, but as special prefigurations of Christ’s sanctification
• Jeremiah prefigures Christ’s passion and death; John the Baptist prefigures baptismal sanctification
• Mary’s sanctification is unique in its fullness and purpose: she alone was preserved from all sin, both original and actual
• Principle: privileges of grace given apart from the common law are ordered to the utility of others and must be made known to the Church

Virginal Conception (Article 1 of Q. 28) #

• Whether Mary was a virgin in conceiving Christ
• Objections: Christ is called the son of Joseph; the genealogy traces through Joseph; Christ is of the same species as other men; the human form requires matter from both male and female seed; Christ must have had both a father and mother
• The distinction between Christ having a father (God) and mother (Mary) versus being biologically generated from both
• The need to address how the genealogy’s descent through Joseph validates Christ’s descent from David and Abraham despite virginal conception

Key Arguments #

For Mary’s Complete Sinlessness #

• From propriety: The Mother of God could not be suitable for this role if she had sinned
• From honor: The ignominy of the mother redounds to the son; therefore, the mother of God must be honored
• From grace: God renders suitable those he chooses; he chose Mary to be mother of God and gave her the necessary grace
• From wisdom: Wisdom does not enter an evil soul (Wisdom 1:4); therefore, the incarnate Word dwelling in her womb presupposes her sinlessness
• From Scripture: “You are wholly beautiful, my friend, and there is no stain in you” (Song of Songs 4:7)

For the Binding Rather Than Removal of Fomes #

• The grace of sanctification would not be sufficient to remove fomes entirely, for then Mary would lack fomes, contradicting the principle that all born of Adam (except Christ) inherit it
• Divine providence’s particular action in preventing disordered movements from arising from the bound fomes
• The complement or perfection of binding the fomes came from divine providence, not from the grace of sanctification alone

Against Attributing Venial Sin to Mary from Fomes #

• Motion of concupiscence that goes before reason, while potentially being venial sin in others, requires consent for it to be sin
• The absence of such disordered motion in Mary (through divine providence) means no actual sin occurred

Against Unique Sanctification in Womb to Mary Alone #

• Jeremiah and John the Baptist have explicit scriptural testimony to womb sanctification
• Others had greater proximity to Christ than these figures (e.g., the apostles conversed with Christ)
• Yet the principle that privileges must be ordered to the utility of others and made known to the Church explains why only these are explicitly mentioned

Important Definitions #

Fomes (Concupiscence) #

• The inclination to sin or disordered desire remaining after sanctification
• Distinct from actual sin itself; a consequence of original sin
• In Mary’s case, bound by grace and divine providence, preventing disordered movements

Sanctificatio (Sanctification) #

• The action of grace cleansing from sin and making suitable for a particular purpose
• Requires a rational creature as its subject
• In Mary: making her suitable to be Mother of God

Taxatio, Discussio (Rational Deliberation/Discussion) #

• The kind of doubt Mary experienced regarding Christ’s incarnation
• Distinguished from doubt as loss of faith (as in Zechariah)
• Involves fluctuation between different aspects of knowledge without denying their truth

Virginitas (Virginity) #

• In Mary’s case: integrity of body in conception and birth, and perpetual virginity thereafter
• Not merely physical but involves grace and divine preservation
• Appropriate to Christ’s dignity as the Son of God

Examples & Illustrations #

The Three Perfections of Grace in Mary #

1. Dispositive: At her sanctification in the womb, grace disposed her to be mother of God, preserving her from original sin
2. Formal: From the incarnate Son’s presence in her womb, perfecting her in her actual role
3. Perfective: In her glorification, perfecting her grace in the enjoyment of the divine good

Each perfection is more powerful than the previous: formal perfection (form itself) exceeds dispositive perfection (preparation for form); perfective perfection (achievement of end) exceeds formal

Mary’s Uses of Grace #

• Wisdom: She used it for contemplation (“Mary preserved all these words, pondering them in her heart”) but not for teaching (inappropriate to her female sex, following St. Paul)
• Prophecy: She exercised this in the Magnificat, proclaiming the Lord
• Miracles: She did not work miracles during her earthly life, as this was proper to Christ and his apostles confirming his teaching

Comparison of Womb Sanctifications #

• Jeremiah: Sanctified in womb as explicit prefiguration of Christ’s passion; he prophesied Christ’s suffering most openly
• John the Baptist: Sanctified in womb as prefiguration of baptismal sanctification; John’s baptism prepared men for Christ’s baptism (which represents dying and rising with Christ)
• Mary: Sanctified in womb with fullest grace, preserved from all sin; unique in both kind and degree

The Doubt of Mary vs. Zechariah #

• Zechariah doubted whether the thing could be done (doubting divine power), so was punished with muteness
• Mary wondered how it would be done (not doubting divine power, but seeking understanding of method), showing faith combined with rational deliberation
• She proceeded to Elizabeth’s house with willingness, showing her faith in Gabriel’s word

Notable Quotes #

“About the Holy Virgin Mary, on account of the honor of Christ, when one considers sin… I wish there to be no question.” — Augustine, On Nature and Grace (cited on Mary’s sinlessness)

“Hence, we know that to her, more grace was bestowed to conquering every side sin, so that she might conceive in what merit to bring forth the one who stands to have no sin.” — Augustine, On Nature and Grace (on Mary’s grace)

“Those that God chooses for something, He so prepares and disposes that to that to which they are chosen, they are found suitable.” — Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae (principle governing God’s preparation of creatures)

“You have found grace before God. Behold, you shall conceive…” — Luke 1:30-31 (Angel’s greeting to Mary)

“Hail, full of grace.” — Ave gratia plena (Angel Gabriel’s greeting, expounded by Jerome as: to others grace is given in parts, but to Mary the whole fullness at once)

“You are wholly beautiful, my friend, and there is no stain in you.” — Song of Songs 4:7 (applied to Mary as fulfillment of her sinlessness)

“Grace and truth was made through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:17 (Christ as instrumental cause of grace)

“The blessed virgin, assisting at the cross, and regarding each thing, after the testimony of Gabriel, after the ineffable knowledge of the divine conception, after the speakable showing of miracles, fluctuated in soul, from one part, seeing him to undergo such abject things, and then from another part, considering his marvelous things.” — Basil, Epistle to Optimus (on Mary’s rational deliberation at the passion)

“Before you came out of the womb, I have made you holy.” — Jeremiah 1:5 (scriptural evidence of womb sanctification)

“He was filled with the Holy Spirit even from the womb of his mother.” — Luke 1:15 (on John the Baptist’s womb sanctification)

Questions Addressed #

Article 4: Was Mary preserved from every actual sin? #

Resolution: Yes, absolutely. Mary committed neither mortal nor venial sin. Although the fomes remained in her (as a consequence of human nature descended from Adam), divine providence bound it such that no disordered motion arose from it. This is fitting because:

• She is the Mother of God
• She brings forth Christ, who has no sin
• Wisdom does not dwell in an evil soul
• The honor of the mother redounds to the son

Article 5: Did Mary obtain the fullness of grace? #

Resolution: Yes. Mary, being nearest to Christ through his humanity (he took flesh from her), obtained a fullness of grace from Christ as the source of grace, though not identical to Christ’s fullness. Her grace operated in three perfections: dispositive (preparing her), formal (from his presence in her womb), and perfective (in her glorification). While she possessed all virtues and graces in superabundance, she used some (like wisdom for contemplation, prophecy) and did not use others (teaching, miracles) as not fitting her condition.

Article 6: Was womb sanctification unique to Mary? #

Resolution: No, but Mary’s is unique in fullness. Jeremiah and John the Baptist were also sanctified in the womb, prefiguring Christ’s sanctification through passion (Jeremiah) and baptism (John). However, Mary alone received such fullness of grace that she was preserved from all sin, making her sanctification singular in kind and degree. Other saints may have been sanctified in the womb, but none are explicitly mentioned in Scripture except these two, as privileges of grace must be made known to the Church and ordered to the utility of others.

Article 1 (Q. 28): Was Mary a virgin in conceiving Christ? #

Resolution: Yes. Despite objections that Christ had both father and mother, that he descended from David through Joseph, and that he is of the same species as other men, Mary remained a virgin in conceiving. The lecture begins addressing how Christ’s true father is God, how the genealogy through Joseph validates descent without biological generation, and how the incarnation transcends natural generation. The full resolution will follow as the article continues.