Question 153. How the Blessed Virgin had the properties of Angels and of the first hierarchy?

Latin (Borgnet)English

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QUAESTIO CLIII. Qualiter B. Virgo habuerit cum excellentia proprietates singulorum Angelorum, et singulorum ordinum primae hierarchiae?

Deinde de proprietatibus singulorum Angelorum et singulorum ordinum primae hierarchiae, qualiter beatissima Virgo omnes habuit, et in ea fuerunt cum improportionabili excellentia?

Primus est ordo Angelorum, cujus tres inveniuntur proprietates. Una, quod ordo ille immediate ordinatur ad humanam hierarchiam. Secunda, quod maxime nobis noti per intelligentiam sunt illi qui sunt de ordine Angelorum. Tertia, quod singuli singulos homines custodiunt.

Prima harum convenit beatissimae Virgini cum excellentia: ipsa enim est super nos, immediatior tamen nobis, quam Angeli, quia ipsa convenit nobiscum in natura. Unde Angeli sunt nobis praelati, sed non fratres vel filii: ipsa autem est nobis praelata, mater, et soror, et filia.

Secunda etiam convenit ei per excellentiam: Angeli enim noti sunt nobis per intelligentiam tantum, et nos ipsis tantum per intelligentiam: sed beatissima Virgo nota est nobis per experientiam, quia ex nobis agnoscimus ea quae sunt proximae nostrae. Similiter ipsa noscit humanam naturam et infirmitatem per experientiam: non enim habemus Dominam quae non possit compati infirmitatibus nostris.

Tertiam etiam proprietatem habet cum excellentia. Angeli enim custodiunt singuli singulos homines: ipsa vero custodit universaliter singulos homines, et singulariter universos. Singuli enim servorum praesunt sibi commissis: Dominae autem et Domini est custodia et providentia universalis.

Sic patet qualiter ipsa habet cum excellentia omnes proprietates Angelorum.

QUESTION 153. How the Blessed Virgin had with excellence the properties of the individual Angels and of the individual orders of the first hierarchy?

Next concerning the properties of the individual Angels and of the individual orders of the first hierarchy: in what way did the most blessed Virgin have them all, and were they in her with disproportionate excellence?

The first is the order of Angels, of which three properties are found. One is that that order is immediately ordered to the human hierarchy. The second is that those who are of the order of Angels are most known to us through understanding. The third is that individual Angels guard individual human beings.

The first of these belongs to the most blessed Virgin with excellence, for she is above us, yet more immediate to us than Angels, because she agrees with us in nature. Hence Angels are set over us, but are not brothers or sons; but she is set over us, mother, sister, and daughter.

The second also belongs to her through excellence. For Angels are known to us only through understanding, and we to them only through understanding; but the most blessed Virgin is known to us through experience, because from ourselves we recognize the things which belong to our neighbor. Similarly she knows human nature and weakness through experience; for we do not have a Lady who cannot suffer with our weaknesses.

She also has the third property with excellence. For individual Angels guard individual human beings; but she universally guards individual human beings and singularly guards all. For individual servants are set over those committed to them; but universal guardianship and providence belong to the Lady and the Lord.

Thus it is clear how she has with excellence all the properties of Angels.