Question 68. Whether the gift of piety was in her

Latin (Borgnet)English

p. 124

QUAESTIO LXVIII.

Utrum donum pietatis fuerit in ipsa?

Post haec quaeritur de dono pietatis, cujus quidem actus sunt tres: unus est movere ad opera misericordiae: alius est Scripturae non contradicere, sive intellectae, sive non intellectae: tertius est sancta honorare: quia, Matth. V, 4, super illud: Beati mites, Glossa: "Qui pie quaerunt et honorant sancta."

Omnes isti tres actus fuerunt excellentius in beata Virgine omni viatore.

De primo actu, qui est movere ad opera misericordiae, patet. Pietas enim secundum quod donum est, movet ad opera misericordiae impendenda proximo: quia imago Dei. Pietas vero quae movebat beatam Virginem ad impendendum opera misericordiae, movebat ipsam ad compatiendum et ad impendendum proximo, non quia imago Dei, sed quasi Deus. Sed constat, quod improportionabilis est pietas, quae debetur Deo respectu illius quae debetur imagini ejus. Ergo pietas beatissimae Virginis improportionabilis est pietati omnis viatoris.

Item, Patet de secundo actu, qui est Scripturae non contradicere, quod est fidei defensio: illa enim omnibus improportionabiliter fidem defendit, quae sola inter omnes in universo mundo haereses vicit.

Item, Patet de actu tertio, qui est honorare sancta. Ipsa enim improportionabiliter sancta honoravit, per quam omnes sancti caelesti gloria sunt honorati et coronati. Unde, Apocal. XII, 1: Signum magnum apparuit in caelo: mulier amicta sole, et luna sub pedibus ejus, et in capite ejus corona stellarum duodecim. Ipsa enim omnes sanctos coronavit, quae causa coronandi omnibus fuit. Unde et alibi, scilicet, Apocal. IV, 9, legitur, quod viginti quatuor seniores, et quatuor animalia coronas suas mittunt ad pedes sedentis in throno: quia per Christi humanitatem quam de matre contraxit, se coronarios recognoscunt.

Et sic habuit omnes actus pietatis excellentius omni viatore ¹.

QUESTION 68.

Whether the gift of piety was in her.

After these things inquiry is made concerning the gift of piety, whose acts indeed are three: one is to move toward works of mercy; another is not to contradict Scripture, whether understood or not understood; the third is to honor holy things, because on Matthew 5:4, on that saying, Blessed are the meek, the Gloss says: "Those who piously seek and honor holy things."

All these three acts were in the blessed Virgin more excellently than in every wayfarer.

Concerning the first act, which is to move toward works of mercy, this is clear. For piety, insofar as it is a gift, moves toward works of mercy to be bestowed on one's neighbor, because he is the image of God. But the piety that moved the blessed Virgin to bestow works of mercy moved her to have compassion and to bestow on her neighbor, not because he is the image of God, but as though God. But it is established that the piety owed to God is disproportionate with respect to that owed to his image. Therefore the piety of the most blessed Virgin is disproportionate to the piety of every wayfarer.

Likewise, this is clear concerning the second act, which is not to contradict Scripture, which is the defense of faith: for she defended the faith disproportionately beyond all, she who alone among all in the whole world conquered heresies.

Likewise, this is clear concerning the third act, which is to honor holy things. For she honored holy things disproportionately, through whom all the saints are honored and crowned with heavenly glory. Hence Apocalypse 12:1: A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. For she crowned all the saints, she who was the cause of crowning for all. Hence also elsewhere, namely Apocalypse 4:9, it is read that the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures cast their crowns at the feet of the one sitting on the throne, because through the humanity of Christ, which he drew from his mother, they recognize themselves as crowned ones.

And thus she had all the acts of piety more excellently than every wayfarer ¹.

Notes

For the solution of the objections, see below after the following question. (Pro solutione objectorum, vide infra post quaestionem sequentem.) ↩