Solution to the aforesaid, § I

SOLUTION TO THE AFORESAID. From Question XXXVI to XLIII.

§ I. We defer solving what is objected concerning the meaning of fullness until we have pursued all the things entering into this fullness.

To the other point that was objected concerning sacramental graces, we respond that the most blessed Virgin then received all the sacraments of the Church that in her time were generally instituted for all men and promulgated as to be observed by all; and this for a manifold cause. First, for the humiliation of herself. Second, because of the avoidance of scandal. Third, because of the fulfillment of the precept. Fourth, because of the supererogation of her merits. Fifth, because of the confutation of heresies, namely of those that asserted that she was not a human being but an Angel. Sixth, for the instruction of the perfect, that he who is holy may be sanctified still. Seventh, for the rebuke of sinners.

And these seven causes can be reduced to three causes, because of which sacraments are said in Book IV of the Sentences to have been instituted, namely for humiliation, for instruction, and for exercise.

But why nothing is found expressly about this reception of the sacraments by the blessed Virgin, we do not believe this was done without cause.

The first cause can be that through this the devotion of the faithful may be stirred up, according to that saying: Those who eat me will still hunger: ... and those who elucidate me will have eternal life ¹.

The second cause is that our vain operation may be restrained, as we reckon our good works as something great, since we believe that many works of most excellent merit were done by the blessed Virgin, indeed fulfilled by the Lord himself up to his thirtieth year, which Scripture, as though not esteeming them, passed over by keeping silence; as if by being silent Scripture says to us: When you have done all things that are commanded you, say: We are useless servants ². And: Do not sound a trumpet before yourself ³, because he will not be able to answer him one for a thousand ⁴.

The third cause is that our Lord and Lady did not wish to manifest by themselves their secret conditions, known to themselves, according to that saying of Proverbs 27:2: Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your lips. Hence the things they did in the presence of the peoples or disciples were written for our edification, so that we may act similarly, namely that our light may shine before men, and they may see our works, and we may glorify our Father who is in heaven ⁵. But the things done while the Apostles or others were ignorant, they kept silent; and this was for our instruction, that your left hand may not know what your right hand does; because, as blessed Gregory says: "It is not enough to guard the zeal of heavenly desire from malign spirits, if one does not hide this from human praises. Hence one desires to be plundered who carries a treasure publicly on the road ⁶." Hence Bernard says: "The birth of Christ rebukes those who praise themselves and desire to display themselves ⁷." Hence, in the same place: "Christ wished to be born at night: where are those who so shamelessly long to display themselves? Finally Christ is silent, the Angel announces him, the multitude of the heavenly army praises him. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth."

The fourth cause can be that the Lord permitted us to doubt certain things on the way, so that he may entice our minds to desire perfect knowledge in the homeland. Hence Exodus 12:10 says: Nothing from it shall remain until morning; if anything will have been left over, you shall burn it with fire. The Gloss of Gregory says: "What remains from the lamb, we burn with fire, because what we cannot penetrate or understand concerning the mystery of his incarnation, we humbly reserve to the power of the Holy Spirit, so that no one proudly dares either to despise or to denounce what he does not understand, but hands it over to fire, that is, leaves it to the Holy Spirit, namely until in the future all things are in anyone in whom he is known and he knows ⁸." Yet in the meantime let our devotion not grow sluggish without exercise, according to what precedes in the same place, verses 9 and 10: You shall eat the head with the feet and intestines. Nothing from it shall remain until morning. The Gloss of Gregory says: "To eat the head of the lamb is to receive his divinity by faith; to eat the feet is to follow or understand the footsteps of his humanity by loving and imitating; the intestines, that is, to seek out the hidden things of Christ's words and his mystical commands; we eat these when we take them eagerly. In this word of eating our sluggishness is reproved, because we neither seek his words and mysteries by ourselves, and we unwillingly hear things said by others. Nothing from it shall remain until morning, because his sayings are to be examined with great solicitude, so that before the day of resurrection comes, in the night of the present life, we may penetrate all his commands by understanding them ⁹."

The fifth cause can be this: just as blessed Augustine places one rule concerning the blessed Virgin, Wherever sins are being treated, he does not wish a question to be made about her, so also let this be supposed in the good as a rule and as a principle known through itself concerning her: whatever good any pure creature has done or received, concerning this it is not permitted to doubt that she is without it, since, as Damascene says, she is surpassed by none of the illustrious.

The sixth cause is that, just as nothing diminished, so nothing superfluous is placed in sacred Scripture, because, as the Philosopher says, one who says one thing in a certain way says many things. Hence I say and hold as settled that, if the Apostles and other saints received sacramental graces, it was superfluous to add this same thing concerning her who was full of grace. Hence Bernard says: "For if neither a leaf from a tree falls without cause, nor one of the sparrows falls without the heavenly Father, shall I think that a superfluous word flows from the mouth of the holy Evangelist, especially in the sacred history of the Word? I do not think so. Indeed all things are full with heavenly mysteries, and the individual things overflow with celestial sweetness, if nevertheless they have a diligent inspector, one who knows how to suck honey from the rock and oil from the hardest stone ¹⁰."

For these reasons, then, the most blessed Virgin wished both to have in herself the humble reception of the sacraments and to keep silent about it, so that while she humbled herself more in all things and concealed, so far as was in her, her very humility in all ways, all Scripture, even by keeping silence, might proclaim her just as perfect in humility, so also full of every grace.