Tertia Pars
Lecture 68: Mary's Sanctification in the Womb and the Immaculate Conception

Transcript
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I think I would have kind of goofed that up myself. I would have had kind of the two together somehow, you know. He's a mediator insofar as he's both God and man. That probably wasn't like that, I think. Not going to be after a more careful thinking. Because he wouldn't have that excellence over other men if he was not God. There's something about God in there, right? Yeah, but still. Now, that third argument is very interesting, because how can we reconcile it except by our sins being removed, right? To the third, then, it should be said that although authoritatively to remove sin belongs to Christ according as his God, nevertheless to satisfy for the sin of the human race belongs to him according as what? Man. And by this he is said to be the mediator of God and men. So is there a Feast of the Divine Mediator? Or is that the Good Friday or something? What would be the Feast of the Divine Mediator? Oh, it's hardly satisfied. Yeah. Good Friday? Feast of Christ the Mediator? I started with a new feast in the church. Interesting. Yeah, well, the old calendars have Mary's Mediator's involved. If they're on the calendar, Mary's Mediator's involved, you've started something new. I'm still trying to make St. Gertrude the Great, you know, back to the church. I think she's St. Gertrude the Great. We just had her Feast there. Oh, Gertrude the Great. Yeah, November 11th. Yeah, we know of it, but she's not officially on our calendar. What, the 16th? Was that her Feast? The 16th? The 11th? What, the 16th? It was, yeah. I don't remember. That was the 11th. The first is the Great. Now just look at the primary here to the next one, because that's where the break comes, you know. Post predicta, right? After the fore said, in which, about the union of God and men, right? That's the first thing we took out. And then about those things which fall upon the union, right? That's what we just finished now, right? It remains to consider about those things which the Son of God incarnate, right? In human nature, or in the human nature, united to himself, rather. Featured or did, or underwent, right? Post success, right? Which consideration will be fourfold? And he said the first three correspond to the division of Matthew, right? First, you consider those things which pertain to his entry into the world. Secondly, about those things which pertain to his proceeding of his life in this world. Third, about his exit from this world, right? And then, fourth, about those things which pertain to his exaltation after this life. Now, his exaltation after this life, where is that shown in the New Testament? Is that in the Apocalypse, mainly, or where? I mean, as you say, the first three parts correspond to the Gospel of Matthew, right? Which is about Christ, especially as man, right? Is it he represented so much by the man? The Gospel of Matthew, right? But the exaltation afterwards, you know, the Lamb and so on there, and the Apocalypse, isn't it there that you can see it more fully? I mean, it isn't already anticipated, you know, in the Gospels. I mean, you know, you have a description of Christ after his ascension, I mean, except in the Apocalypse, right? I mean, being with either St. Paul's, the Bright Light, and St. Stephen's point, I see the Epidemic and some of them standing at the right hand. Yeah, yeah. It's even more fully the Apocalypse, as far as I remember, you know. Yeah. I mean, it's a glimpse of it there. Well, it's what's the thing by the, uh... Yeah, the one with the Lamb. Yeah, the Lamb there, the all the saints. Oh, that's the Ghent? Yeah, yeah. It's all, yeah, it's a section of it, I, you know. It's really marvelous. Yeah, marvelous. But it is kind of inspired by the Apocalypse and the vision there, the Apocalypse of the Lamb. Yeah, because the Lamb is standing on the altar, bleeding into the chalice. Yeah, yeah. You've probably seen, you may be seen, you've probably seen this thing. I like the angels are swinging. Yeah, that's right. They had a big, big blow-up of that at one of the houses that we were in. They were in Germany. They had a church. One thing about, um... They were in Germany, they were in Germany, they were in Germany. Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. God, our enlightenment, guardian angels, strengthen the lights of our minds, order and illumine our images, and arouse us to consider more correctly. St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor, pray for us. Help us to understand what you've written. Let's look at the framing here again at the beginning of question 27. And he says, after the things foresaid in which about the union of God and man, right, and about those things which fall upon this union, have been tweeted, right? That's the two parts we just finished. It remains to consider about those things which the Son of God, incarnate Son of God, in his human nature, united to him, either did or suffered or underwent. And he says this consideration will be divided into four parts. For first, we will consider about those things which belong to his entry into the world. Secondly, about those things which pertain to the proceeding or the process of his life, the course of his life in this world. Third, third, of his exit from this world. And fourth, about those things which pertain to his exaltation after this, what, life, huh? I mentioned before how the first three of those is a division of the Gospel of, what, Matthew, right? Which, he's Matthew, I guess, represented by the man, right? So he emphasizes the human nature of Christ. And so Thomas divides the Gospel into those three parts. But the fourth part is more in the, what? We're talking a little bit about Van Eck there, so maybe I'll bring it in. We've got copies of those things. You know, the famous, what, lamb there and all the saints around him and so on? But when we get to that fourth part, that's more in the Apocalypse, right? Down to that, that it's taken from. Now about the first, he says, four things ought to be considered, huh? First, about the conception of Christ, right? Secondly, about his, what, birth, huh? Third, about his circumcision, and fourth, about his baptism, where he, of course, more sanctifies the waters, and then they sanctify, and then they sanctify, you know, right? Okay. Now, the first of those, about his conception, is necessary to consider some things. First, as regards the mother conceiving, huh? Secondly, as regards the mode or way of the conception, huh? I guess the Holy Spirit has something to do with that, huh? It's appropriate to him, anyway. And third, as regards the perfection of the offspring conceived, huh? Now, from the side of the, on the side of the mother, there occurs four things to be considered. First, about her sanctification, secondly, of her, what, virginity, third, about her patroloon, what, espousal, yeah, fourth, about the annunciation of it, I suppose by the angel, right, or the preparation of her for conceiving, huh? So now the first of those four, about the first six things are asked, huh? First, whether the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, was sanctified before birth from the, what, uterus, huh? Secondly, whether she was sanctified before animation. Third, whether through this sanctification, there was taken away, entirely from her, the, what, fulg, is how you translate that, of sin, huh? They don't translate that? No, no. It's just kind of... Fourth, whether through this sanctification, it followed that she never, what, sinned. And five, whether through this sanctification, she obtained the fullness of, what, racism. And whether to be thus sanctified was private to her, right? Or it seems to me, in a case like this, it's better to translate that by private than proper. It's unique to her, right? To the first, then, one proceeds thus. It seems that the Blessed Virgin was not sanctified before birth from the uterus, huh? For the Apostle says, 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, not before what is spiritual, but what is, what, animal. Then what is spiritual? But through sanctifying grace, man is born spiritually as a son of, what, God. According to that of John 1, from God they are born, huh? But the nativity, or birth from the uterus, is the animal birth, huh? Not, therefore, was the Blessed Virgin before made holy, then she, what, was born from the, what, from the womb, yeah? You've heard Albert the Great's explanation of neuter genus, huh? In grammar, neuter? Neuter genus? Yeah. Neuterus, huh? It's not from the uterus, huh? Well, neuter should be a male or a female, but it's not right. You're not, you're new to. Is that a spiritual synomology? It could possibly be something. Moreover, Augustine says in the epistle to Adarudinus, huh, that the sanctification by which we are made a temple of God is not except of those born again. But no one is born again unless he first be born, huh? I always tell students, you know, reproduction. Who's reproduced? Are you reproduced? No, you're produced. It's your parents that are reproduced in reproduction, huh? The other ones were reproduced again, not to you. Therefore, the Blessed Virgin was not before sanctified than before she was, what, born from the womb. Moreover, whoever is made holy through grace is cleansed from original sin and actual sin, huh? If, therefore, the Blessed Virgin was made holy before birth from the womb, it would follow that she was, what, then cleansed from original sin. But only original sin is able to impede her from, what, entry into the heavenly kingdom. If, therefore, then she had died, it seems that she would have entered the door of the eternal kingdom. But this could not come about before the passion of, what, Christ, huh? According to that of the apostle, that we have confidence or hope in the entry of the saints through his, what, blood, huh? Therefore, it seems that the Blessed Virgin was not made holy before she was born from the, what, womb, huh? Moreover, original sin is contracted from origin. from our origin, but actual sin from our acts. But so long as someone's in the act of sinning, he cannot be, what, cleansed from actual sin. Therefore, neither could the Blessed Virgin from original sin be cleansed while she was in the very act of, what, originating, existing in her maternal womb. Against this is that the Church celebrates the nativity of the Blessed Virgin. But one does not celebrate a feast in the Church except for someone who is holy. Therefore, the Blessed Virgin in her birth was holy. Therefore, she must have been sanctified in the womb. We were talking before class there about how there was some tradition, in the liturgy of Feast of the Immaculate Conception, before the Immaculate Conception was what? Defined. Defined, yeah. That's kind of an argument, huh? That we take into account when Pius XII asks, shall we, can this be defined, you know? So Thomas is showing us all that reason may be against him over there sometimes. The answer should be said that of the making holy of the Blessed Virgin, that to which she was made holy in the womb, nothing is treated of this in canonical scripture, which also makes no mention of her, what? Birth, huh? But as Augustine, in the Tractia, on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, reasonably argues, right, that with her body she was, what? Assumed into heaven, which nevertheless scripture does not, what? Treats of, huh? So also, reasonably, we are able to argue that she was made holy in the, what? For reasonably is it believed that the one who brought forth, yeah, the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, before all others had greater privileges of grace. Whence it is said, Luke 1, chapter 28, or verse 28, that the angel said to her, Ave gratia plenite, full of grace. But we find also in some others that this privilege was conceded that they were sanctified in the womb, just as Jeremiah's, huh? To whom it is said, Jeremiah's chapter 1, before you came out of the vulva, I have, what? Sanctified you. And just as John the Baptist, about whom it is said in Luke 1, with the Holy Spirit, he was filled even from the womb of his, what? Mother, huh? Whence reasonably is it believed that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified before she came forth from the womb, huh? Okay? So let's see how he handles these objections, huh? To the first, therefore, it should be said that also in the Blessed Virgin, first what was animal and after that which was spiritual. Because first, she was conceived according to the flesh, and afterwards according to the, what? Spirit sanctified, huh? Now, to the second objection about you have to be reborn, huh? Become the temple of God. To the second, it should be said that Augustine speaks according to the common law, according to which through the sacraments we are not regenerated except those before born, but God to this law of the sacraments does not bind his power, huh? Because to some from a special privilege he's able to confer his grace before they are born from the universe, huh? Okay, now the third objection is the one about her, what? Intering heaven, right? Before the blood of Christ is shed. To the third it should be said that the Blessed Virgin was sanctified in the womb from original sin as regards the, what, personal stain, huh? But nevertheless she was not freed from the guilt or punishment that the whole nature was held to be subject to. That she would not enter into paradise except through the offering up of Christ, huh? Just as also about the Holy Fathers it is said who were before what? Christ, huh? And the fourth objection, huh? To the fourth it should be said that original sin is drawn from our origin insofar as through it human nature is communicated which regards properly original sins and the nature which comes about when the offspring conceived is, what, insouled, right? Whence after animation nothing prevents the offspring conceived to be sanctified. Whence afterwards it does not remain in the maternal womb to take in human nature but to take some perfection, huh? But it remains there in order to, what, take some perfection, right? Has Tom's in trouble yet and it's for a start ago or not? Yeah, I'm a dream on this. So, I'll give you a text here now from Pio Nono, right? Heist the Ninth, huh? Okay. This is from the bull in the Fabi Listeus, huh? Of the 8th of December, huh? 1864, 1854, rather, 1854. So he says, Ad honorum sanctae et individue trinitatis, to the honor of the holy and divided trinity. Ad decus et ornamentum virginis dee pare, to the adorning and the dignity of the blessed virgin. Ad exultationum fide catholice et christian religionis augmentum, to the exultation of the Catholic faith, and the growth of the Christian religion. Actoritate domini nostri iesi Christi, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. Beatorum apostolorum petri et pauli, act nostra, in ours. Okay? De claramus, we declare, for new Pronunciamus, pronounce, et definibus, define. Doctrinum, the teaching, quetenet, which holds the Pietissimum Virginem Maria, the Blessed Virgin Mary, in primo instante sui conceptionis, in the very first, what, instance of her conception. Fouissi, right, singulari omnipotentes dei, gratia in privilegio, by singular grace and privilege of the almighty God. In tui tu, he says, meritorum, in, what, view of the merits, right? Christi Jesu, salvatoris humani generis, right? That's kind of, you know, what Thompson in a sense sees, right? That through the merits of Jesus Christ, that everybody is, what, saved, right? But this iniquity, she's saved, right? The rest of us are not. Esse adia revelatum, right? To be revealed by God, he says. And therefore, atque incerco, ab omnibus fidelibus, right? By all the faithful. Fermiter constanter que, firmly and constantly, credendum, right? And if someone secus ac ad nobis definitum est, quat deus avertat, presunt sarint, that's pride, presunt sarint, corde sentire, il noverent ac poro shiant, se proprio judicio condemnatus. And they suffer, what? Shipwreck, naufraugea, circofidum passus esse, and to a, what? Fallen out of the unity of the church, in a unitate ecclesiae, de fecice. And it goes on about the first sentence. Okay. Read the English translation of that. It says, To the glory of the holy and undivided Trinity, to the honor and ornament of the Virgin Mother of God, the exaltation of the Catholic faith, and the increase of Christian religion, we, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, those are the ones that John the second, Paul the second, called the princes of the apostles, right? That's the phrase he used. And by our own authority, declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, was, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Christ Jesus, the Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain, original sin, is revealed by God, and is therefore firmly and constantly to be believed by all the faithful. Wherefore, if any person shall dare to think which God forbid, otherwise it has been defined by us, let them clearly know that they are condemned by their own judgment, that they have suffered shipwreck to their faith and fallen from the unity of the Church, that they thenceforth subject themselves, if so factor, to the penalties provided by law if they shall dare to express their views in speech or writing or in any other way. So that was on the 8th of December, 1854. I guess Lourdes is in 1858, four years later. That's kind of a very striking thing, you know. But they call that time from 1854, roughly, to the definition of the assumption as the mystery of the faith, the Marian century, right? And I think I've mentioned before how DeConnick would say perhaps this very solemn definition of these mysteries of the Blessed Virgin, which show how exalted she is, right, were in divine providence delayed until this later time, right? Lest we confuse Mary with what? Yeah. Just as you could say, maybe in the Old Testament there, the mystery of the Trinity is not spelled out like it is in the New Testament. And perhaps if it had been, it would be understood in a polytheistic. And even today, you know, the Islamic brothers, you know, accuse us of being somewhat polytheistic. I mean, that's what they think, right? And they have a hard time trying to teach them that it's not polytheism, right? So they say some business about the gradual unfolding of these things, right? Now, what would mention that they use at the first instant of conception that would be saying that, at least in Mary's case, the animation happened at conception? Now, sometimes, as you're showing this, why don't you pass that text down if I want to get here? Yeah. I just have one. I don't know if it's a couple copies of me, but a little text there from the sentences there, but I think there's another question there, but in the reply there to the third objection there, in the middle there, right, their time seems to be saying that she's immune from what? Original sin as well as what? Actual sin, right? I don't know if it changes his mind or what the thing is, but it's kind of interesting, right? There's a little bit of... Well, they're connected, I guess. Well, you know, Thomas, as you know, before he died, he submitted all his writings to the judgment of the church, right? And so this is a good example of what the judgment of the church, of course, is to be followed even in Thomas' opinion, right? So take these with a grain of salt a little bit of what's said in these articles, right? But nevertheless, in the definition of the mystery there, it says, in view of the merits of Christ, right? Yeah. And the question is, how can you save, right, universal redemption of the human race by Christ if someone never, what? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, as I say, I see in other texts in Thomas, you know, where he speaks of Christ as saving all of us from, what, mortal sin, but he says some by being forgiven their mortal sins, others by being preserved from committing mortal sins, like, or somebody like that, right? Okay. So you could make a similar distinction, right, in regard to original sin, right? Everyone is saved from original sin through the merits of the Savior of the human race, which is Christ, right? But with the exception of Mary, it's, what, being washed from original sin, right, by the waters of baptism or something like that, right? But in the case of Mary, she's saved by, what, being preserved from contracting the sin, and she's preserved in view of the merits of Christ, as he says in the definition here. To the second one proceeds thus, it seems that the Blessed Virgin was made holy before animation, again, you've got to be careful here, because, as has been said, more of grace is given to the Virgin Mother of God than to any of the saints, huh? But to some of them, it seems to be conceded that they be sanctified before what? Animation.