Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that, by her sanctification in the womb, the Blessed Virgin did not receive the fulness or perfection of grace. For this seems to be Christ's privilege, according to Jn. 1:14: "We saw Him as the Only-Begotten full of grace and truth." But what is proper to Christ ought not to be ascribed to some one else. Therefore the Blessed Virgin did not receive the fulness of grace at the time of her sanctification.

Objection 2: Further, nothing remains to be added to that which is full and perfect: for "the perfect is that which lacks nothing," as is said Phys. iii. But the Blessed Virgin received additional grace afterwards when she conceived Christ; for to her was it said (Lk. 1:35): "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee: and again, when she was assumed into glory." Therefore it seems that she did not receive the fulness of grace at the time of her first sanctification.

Objection 3: Further, "God does nothing useless," as is said De Coelo et Mundo i. But it would have been useless for her to have certain graces, for she would never have put them to use: since we do not read that she taught which is the act of wisdom; or that she worked miracles, which is the act of one of the gratuitous graces. Therefore she had not the fulness of grace.

On the contrary, The angel said to her: "Hail, full of grace" (Lk. 1:28); which words Jerome expounds as follows, in a sermon on the Assumption (cf. Ep. ad Paul. et Eustoch.): "Full indeed of grace: for to others it is given in portions; whereas on Mary the fulness of grace was showered all at once."

I answer that, In every genus, the nearer a thing is to the principle, the greater the part which it has in the effect of that principle, whence Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. iv) that angels, being nearer to God, have a greater share than men, in the effects of the Divine goodness. Now Christ is the principle of grace, authoritatively as to His Godhead, instrumentally as to His humanity: whence (Jn. 1:17) it is written: "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." But the Blessed Virgin Mary was nearest to Christ in His humanity: because He received His human nature from her. Therefore it was due to her to receive a greater fulness of grace than others.

Reply to Objection 1: God gives to each one according to the purpose for which He has chosen him. And since Christ as man was predestinated and chosen to be "predestinated the Son of God in power . . . of sanctification" (Rm. 1:4), it was proper to Him to have such a fulness of grace that it overflowed from Him into all, according to Jn. 1:16: "Of His fulness we have all received." Whereas the Blessed Virgin Mary received such a fulness of grace that she was nearest of all to the Author of grace; so that she received within her Him Who is full of all grace; and by bringing Him forth, she, in a manner, dispensed grace to all.

Reply to Objection 2: In natural things at first there is perfection of disposition, for instance when matter is perfectly disposed for the form. Secondly, there is the perfection of the form; and this is the more excellent, for the heat that proceeds from the form of fire is more perfect than that which disposed to the form of fire. Thirdly, there is the perfection of the end: for instance when fire has its qualities in the most perfect degree, having mounted to its own place.

In like manner there was a threefold perfection of grace in the Blessed Virgin. The first was a kind of disposition, by which she was made worthy to be the mother of Christ: and this was the perfection of her sanctification. The second perfection of grace in the Blessed Virgin was through the presence of the Son of God Incarnate in her womb. The third perfection of the end is that which she has in glory.

That the second perfection excels the first, and the third the second, appears 1. from the point of view of deliverance from evil. For at first in her sanctification she was delivered from original sin: afterwards, in the conception of the Son of God, she was entirely cleansed from the fomes: lastly, in her glorification she was also delivered from all affliction whatever. It appears 2. from the point of view of ordering to good. For at first in her sanctification she received grace inclining her to good: in the conception of the Son of God she received consummate grace confirming her in good; and in her glorification her grace was further consummated so as to perfect her in the enjoyment of all good.

Reply to Objection 3: There is no doubt that the Blessed Virgin received in a high degree both the gift of wisdom and the grace of miracles and even of prophecy, just as Christ had them. But she did not so receive them, as to put them and such like graces to every use, as did Christ: but accordingly as it befitted her condition of life. For she had the use of wisdom in contemplation, according to Lk. 2:19: "But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart." But she had not the use of wisdom as to teaching: since this befitted not the female sex, according to 1 Tim. 2:12: "But I suffer not a woman to teach." The use of miracles did not become her while she lived: because at that time the Teaching of Christ was to be confirmed by miracles, and therefore it was befitting that Christ alone, and His disciples who were the bearers of His doctrine, should work miracles. Hence of John the Baptist it is written (Jn. 10:41) that he "did no sign"; that is, in order that all might fix their attention on Christ. As to the use of prophecy, it is clear that she had it, from the canticle spoken by her: "My soul doth magnify the Lord" (Lk. 1:46, etc.).

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod beata virgo per sanctificationem in utero non obtinuerit gratiae plenitudinem, sive perfectionem. Hoc enim videtur pertinere ad privilegium christi, secundum illud Ioan. I, vidimus eum, quasi unigenitum a patre, plenum gratiae et veritatis.

Sed ea quae sunt propria christi, non sunt alteri attribuenda.

Ergo beata virgo plenitudinem gratiarum non accepit in sanctificatione.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, ei quod est plenum et perfectum, non restat aliquid addendum, quia perfectum est cui nihil deest, ut dicitur in III physic..

Sed beata virgo postmodum additionem gratiae suscepit, quando christum concepit, dictum est enim ei, Luc. I, spiritus sanctus superveniet in te.

Et iterum, quando in gloriam est assumpta. Ergo videtur quod non habuerit in sua prima sanctificatione plenitudinem gratiarum.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, deus non facit aliquid frustra, ut dicitur in I de coelo et mundo.

Frustra autem habuisset quasdam gratias, cum earum usum nunquam exercuerit, non enim legitur eam docuisse, quod est actus sapientiae; aut miracula fecisse, quod est actus gratiae gratis datae. Non ergo habuit plenitudinem gratiarum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Angelus ad eam dixit, ave, gratia plena.

Quod exponens Hieronymus, in sermone de assumptione, dicit, bene, gratia plena, quia ceteris per partes praestatur; mariae vero se totam simul infudit gratiae plenitudo.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, quanto aliquid magis appropinquat principio in quolibet genere, tanto magis participat effectum illius principii, unde dicit dionysius, IV cap. Cael. Hier., quod Angeli, qui sunt deo propinquiores, magis participant de bonitatibus divinis quam homines.

Christus autem est principium gratiae, secundum divinitatem quidem auctoritative, secundum humanitatem vero instrumentaliter, unde et Ioan. I dicitur, gratia et veritas per iesum christum facta est.

Beata autem virgo maria propinquissima christo fuit secundum humanitatem, quia ex ea accepit humanam naturam. Et ideo prae ceteris maiorem debuit a christo plenitudinem gratiae obtinere.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod unicuique a deo datur gratia secundum hoc ad quod eligitur. Et quia christus, inquantum est homo, ad hoc fuit praedestinatus et electus ut esset praedestinatus filius dei in virtute sanctificationis, hoc fuit proprium sibi, ut haberet talem plenitudinem gratiae quod redundaret in omnes, secundum quod dicitur Ioan. I, de plenitudine eius nos omnes accepimus.

Sed beata virgo maria tantam gratiae obtinuit plenitudinem ut esset propinquissima auctori gratiae, ita quod eum qui est plenus omni gratia, in se reciperet; et, eum pariendo, quodammodo gratiam ad omnes derivaret.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod in rebus naturalibus primo quidem est perfectio dispositionis, puta cum materia est perfecte ad formam disposita. Secundo autem est perfectio formae, quae est potior, nam et ipse calor est perfectior qui provenit ex forma ignis, quam ille qui ad formam ignis disponebat. Tertio autem est perfectio finis, sicut cum ignis habet perfectissime suas qualitates, cum ad locum suum pervenerit. Et similiter in beata virgine fuit triplex perfectio gratiae. Prima quidem quasi dispositiva, per quam reddebatur idonea ad hoc quod esset mater christi, et haec fuit perfectio sanctificationis. Secunda autem perfectio gratiae fuit in beata virgine ex praesentia filii dei in eius utero incarnati. Tertia autem perfectio est finis, quam habet in gloria.

Quod autem secunda perfectio sit potior quam prima, et tertia quam secunda, patet quidem, uno modo, per liberationem a malo. Nam primo, in sua sanctificatione fuit liberata a culpa originali; secundo, in conceptione filii dei fuit totaliter mundata a fomite; tertio vero, in sui glorificatione fuit liberata etiam ab omni miseria. Alio modo, per ordinem ad bonum. Nam primo, in sua sanctificatione adepta est gratiam inclinantem eam ad bonum; in conceptione autem filii dei consummata est ei gratia confirmans eam in bono; in sui vero glorificatione consummata est eius gratia perficiens eam in fruitione omnis boni.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod non est dubitandum quin beata virgo acceperit excellenter et donum sapientiae, et gratiam virtutum, et etiam gratiam prophetiae, sicut habuit christus. Non tamen accepit ut haberet omnes usus harum et similium gratiarum, sicut habuit christus, sed secundum quod conveniebat conditioni ipsius. Habuit enim usum sapientiae in contemplando, secundum illud Luc. II, maria autem conservabat omnia verba haec, conferens in corde suo.

Non autem habuit usum sapientiae quantum ad docendum, eo quod hoc non conveniebat sexui muliebri, secundum illud I Tim. II, docere autem mulieri non permitto.

Miraculorum autem usus sibi non competebat dum viveret, quia tunc temporis confirmanda erat doctrina christi miraculis; et ideo soli christo et eius discipulis, qui erant baiuli doctrinae christi, conveniebat miracula facere.

Propter quod etiam de ioanne baptista dicitur, Ioan. X, quod signum fecit nullum, ut scilicet omnes in christo intenderent. Usum autem prophetiae habuit, ut patet in cantico quod fecit, magnificat anima mea dominum.