Works › The Mariale: Questions on “Missus est”
Volume 37 · pp. 121–122
Question 65. In what way the gift of counsel was in her
QUAESTIO LXV.
Qualiter donum consilii fuerit in ipsa?
Post haec quaeritur de dono consilii, qualiter et ipsum fuerit in beata Virgine? quod et similiter excellentius videtur per hunc modum:
1. Joan. II, 20: Vos unctionem habetis a Sancto, et nostis omnia: sed beata Virgo omnibus aliis improportionabiliter plus habuit unctionis: ergo improportionabiliter plus instructionis interioris: ergo donum consilii habuit aliis improportionabiliter, etc.
2. Item, Joan. XVI, 13: Cum venerit Spiritus veritatis, docebit vos omnem veritatem: sed beatissimae Virgini Spiritus sanctus venit improportionabiliter et omnem veritatem docuit, juxta id, Spiritus sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi 1, etc. Ergo improportionabiliter prae aliis docuit eam omnem veritatem.
3. Item, Dominus in Evangelio: Jam non dicam vos servos... Vos autem dixi amicos 2, etc. Ergo revelatio secretorum effectus est dilectionis: sed in beatissima Virgine improportionabilis fuit dilectio respectu omnium: ergo improportionabilis revelatio secretorum respectu cunctorum fuit: ergo, etc.
4. Item, Si omnium secretissimum, incarnationis scilicet mysterium, ipsi soli revelavit ad plenum: ergo et nullum aliorum minus secretorum ignoravit.
5. Item, Ut dicit Philosophus, ad illum pertinet motus cui sit nuntiatio: cujus enim est operari, ejus est et cognoscere: ergo cujus prae omnibus et super omnes est operari, ejus prae omnibus et super omnes est operanda cognoscere: sed beatissima Virgo fuit perfectissima consiliorum observatrix super omnes viatores: ergo et cognitionem consiliorum suorum super omnes habuit: hoc autem est donum consilii: ergo donum consilii habuit super omnes.
6. Item, Exod. XI, 10: Non remanebit quidquam ex eo usque mane: si quid residuum fuerit, igne comburetis. Glossa: "Quod ex agno remanet, igne comburimus, quando hoc quod de mysterio incarnationis ejus intelligere et penetrare non possumus, potestati Spiritus sancti reservamus." Ex ista auctoritate videtur, quod mysteria divina in statu viae non possumus ad plenum rimari et penetrare: sed debent Spiritui sancto quaedam reservari. Ex alia parte videtur, quod nihil de veritate mysteriorum maneat indiscussum, et quod nullum verbum Domini revertatur ad ipsum vacuum quod a nullo fuit intellectum, juxta illud Isaiae, LV, 10 et 11: Quomodo descendit imber et nix de caelo, et illuc ultra non revertitur, sed inebriat terram, et infundit eam, et facit germinare eam, et dat semen serenti, et panem comedenti: sic erit verbum meum quod egredietur de ore meo: non revertetur ad me vacuum, sed faciet quaecumque volui, et prosperabitur in his ad quae misi illud. Ex hoc videtur, quod super communem statum viatorum sit perfecta cognitio mysteriorum omnium et divinorum eloquiorum. Et cum reperiatur in aliquo revelatio omnium secretorum, haec autem debetur maxime familiari et maxime amico et maxime sapienti, hoc autem totum est beatissima Virgo, quae est familiarissima, utpote Dei Filio amicissima et prudentissima, de qua liber amoris, qui est Cantica Canticorum, et liber Sapientiae exponuntur, ita ut ea quae de ipsa sapientia dicuntur, de ipsa intelliguntur: in sapientia autem perfecta nulla ignorantia secretorum: ergo videtur, quod beatissima Virgo perfectam cognitionem omnium secretorum habuit universaliter, utpote universalis consiliatrix: alii autem viatores omnes particularem, utpote nuntii diversi ad diversa nuntia destinati 3.
QUESTION 65.
In what way the gift of counsel was in her.
After these things inquiry is made concerning the gift of counsel, in what way it too was in the blessed Virgin. And that it was likewise more excellent appears in this way:
1. John 2:20: You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. But the blessed Virgin had disproportionately more anointing than all others; therefore she had disproportionately more interior instruction; therefore she had the gift of counsel disproportionately beyond others, and so forth.
2. Likewise, John 16:13: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you all truth. But the Holy Spirit came to the most blessed Virgin disproportionately and taught her every truth, according to that saying: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High 1, and so forth. Therefore he taught her every truth disproportionately before others.
3. Likewise, the Lord in the Gospel says: Now I shall not call you servants... But I have called you friends 2, and so forth. Therefore revelation of secrets is an effect of love. But in the most blessed Virgin there was disproportionate love with respect to all; therefore there was a disproportionate revelation of secrets with respect to all; therefore, and so forth.
4. Likewise, if he revealed to her alone in full the most secret of all things, namely the mystery of the incarnation, then she was ignorant of none of the other less secret things.
5. Likewise, as the Philosopher says, motion belongs to that to which the announcement is made; for the one to whom it belongs to operate, to him it also belongs to know. Therefore the one to whom it belongs before all and above all to operate, to her it belongs before all and above all to know the things to be operated. But the most blessed Virgin was the most perfect observer of counsels above all wayfarers; therefore she also had knowledge of her counsels above all. But this is the gift of counsel; therefore she had the gift of counsel above all.
6. Likewise, Exodus 11:10: Nothing of it shall remain until morning; if anything shall have remained, you shall burn it with fire. The Gloss says: "We burn with fire what remains of the lamb when we reserve to the power of the Holy Spirit that which we cannot understand and penetrate concerning the mystery of his incarnation." From this authority it seems that in the state of the way we cannot search out and penetrate divine mysteries in full, but that certain things must be reserved for the Holy Spirit. On the other side it seems that nothing of the truth of mysteries remains undiscussed, and that no word of the Lord returns to him empty because it has been understood by no one, according to that saying of Isaiah 55:10 and 11: As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there any more, but soak the earth and water it and make it germinate, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me empty, but it shall do whatever I have willed, and it shall prosper in the things for which I sent it. From this it seems that above the common state of wayfarers there is perfect knowledge of all mysteries and of divine utterances. And since revelation of all secrets is found in someone, and this is owed to one who is most familiar, most a friend, and most wise, and all this is the most blessed Virgin, who is most familiar, as being most friendly and most prudent to the Son of God, concerning whom the book of love, which is the Song of Songs, and the book of Wisdom are expounded, so that those things that are said of wisdom itself are understood of her; but in perfect wisdom there is no ignorance of secrets; therefore it seems that the most blessed Virgin had perfect knowledge of all secrets universally, as the universal counselor, while all other wayfarers had particular knowledge, as different messengers appointed for different messages 3.
Notes
- Luke 2:35. (Luc. II, 35.) ↩
- John 15:15. (Joan. XV, 15.) ↩
- For the solution of the objections, see below after Question 69. (Pro solutione objectorum, vide infra post Quaest. LXIX.) ↩
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