The Catechism of the Council of Trent/Part 1: Article 3
ARTICLE III.
"WHO WAS CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY GHOST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY."
Incarnation of the Son of God."Who was conceived of the holy Ghost"] From what has been said in the preceding Article, the faithful are given to understand that, in delivering us from the relentless tyranny of Satan, God has conferred a singular and invaluable blessing on the human race: but, if we place before our eyes the economy of redemption, in it the goodness and beneficence of God shine forth with incomparable splendour and magnificence. The pastor, then, will enter on the exposition of this third Article, by developing the grandeur of this mystery, which the Sacred Scriptures very frequently propose to our consideration as the principal source of our eternal salvation. Its meaning he will teach to be, that we believe and confess that the same Jesus Christ, our only Lord, the Son of God, when he assumed human flesh for us in the womb of the Virgin, was not conceived like other men, from the seed of man, but in a manner transcending the order of nature, that is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; [1] so that the same person, remaining God as he was from eternity, became man, [2] what he was not before. That such is the meaning of these words is clear from the confession of the Holy Council of Constantinople, which says: " who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and became incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and WAS MADE MAN." The same truth we also find unfolded by St. John the Evangelist, who imbibed from the bosom of the Saviour himself, the know ledge of this most profound mystery. When he had thus declared the nature of the divine Word: " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," he concludes, " And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us." [3] Thus, " the Word," which is a person of the divine nature, assumed human nature in such a manner that the person of both natures is one and the same: and hence this admirable union preserved the actions and properties of both natures, and, as we read in St. Leo, that great pontiff, "The lowliness of the inferior, was not consumed in the glory of the superior, nor did the assumption of the inferior diminish the glory of the superior." [4]
But as an explanation of the words, in which this Article is expressed, is not to be omitted, the pastor will teach that when we say that the Son of God was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, we do not mean that this Person alone of the Holy Trinity. Trinity accomplished the mystery of the incarnation. Although the Son alone assumed human nature, yet all the Persons of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, were authors of this mystery. It is a principle of Christian faith, that what ever God does extrinsically, is common to the three Persons, and that one neither does more than, nor acts without another. But that one emanates from another cannot be common to all; for the Son is begotten of the Father only, the Holy Ghost, proceeds from the Father and the Son: but whatever proceeds from them extrinsically, is the work of the three Persons without difference of any sort, and of this latter description is the incarnation of the Son of God.
Of those things, notwithstanding, that are common to all, the Sacred Scriptures often attribute some to one person, some to another: thus, to the Father they attribute power over all things: Ghost. to the Son, wisdom; to the Holy Ghost love; and hence, as the mystery of the incarnation manifests the singular and boundless love of God towards us, it is, therefore, in some sort peculiarly attributed to the Holy Ghost.
In this mystery we perceive that some things were done which transcend the order of nature, some by the power of nature: thus, in believing that the body of Christ was formed from the most pure blood of his Virgin Mother, we acknowledge the operation of human nature, this being a law common to the formation of all human bodies. But what surpasses the order of nature and human comprehension is, that, as soon as the Blessed Virgin assented to the announcement of the angel in these words, " Be hold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word," [5] the most sacred body of Christ was immediately formed, and to it was united a rational soul; and thus, in the same instant of time, he was perfect God and perfect man. That this was the astonishing and admirable work of the Holy Ghost can not be doubted; for according to the order of nature, nobody, unless after a certain period of time, can be animated with a human soul.
Again, and it should overwhelm us with astonishment; as soon as the soul of Christ was united to his body, the Divinity became united to both; and thus at the same time his body was formed and animated, and the Divinity united to body and soul. Hence, at the same instant, he was perfect God and perfect man, and the most Holy Virgin, having at the same moment, conceived God and man, is truly and properly, called Mother of God and man. This, the Angel signified to her when he said: " Behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and thou shall call his name Jesus; he shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High." [6] The event verified the prophecy of Isaiah: " Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a Son." [7] Elizabeth also, when, filled with the Holy Ghost, she understood the conception of the Son of God, declared the same truth in these words: " Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" [8] But, as the body of Christ was formed of the pure blood of the immaculate Virgin without the aid of man, as we have already said, and by the sole opera- tion of The Holy Ghost; so also, at the moment of his conception, his soul was replenished with an overflowing fulness of the grace. Spirit of God, and a superabundance of all graces; for God gave not to him, as to others adorned with graces and holiness, his Spirit by measure, as Si. John testifies; [9] but poured into his soul the plenitude of all graces so abundantly, that " of his fulness we have all received." [10]
Although possessing that Spirit by which holy men attained the adoption of sons of God, he cannot, however, be called the adopted Son of God; for being the Son of God by nature, the grace, or name of adoption can, on no account, be deemed applicable to him.
These heads comprise the substance of what appeared to us to demand explanation regarding the admirable mystery of the conception. To reap from them abundant fruit of salvation, the faithful should particularly recall to their recollection, and frequently reflect, that it is God who assumed human flesh; but that manner of its assumption transcends the limits of our comprehension, not to say, of our powers of expression; finally, that he vouchsafed to become man, in order that we mortals may be regenerated children of God. When to these subjects, they ^hall have given mature consideration, let them, in the humility of faith, believe and adore all the mysteries contained in this Article, nor indulge a curious inquisitiveness by investigating and scrutinizing them - an attempt scarcely ever unattended with danger.
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY"] These words comprise another part of this Article of the Creed, in the exposition of which the pastor should exercise considerable diligence; because the faithful are bound to believe, that Christ our Lord was not only conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, but was also " born of the Virgin Mary." The words of the Angel, who first announced the happy tidings to the world, declare with what transports of joy, and emotions of delight, the belief of this mystery should be meditated by us: "Behold," says he, "I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people." [11] The song chanted by the heavenly hot clearly conveys the same sentiments: Glory," say they, to God in the high est: and on earth, peace to men of good-will." [12] . Hence, also, began the fulfilment of the splendid promise made by Almighty God to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed; [13] for Mary, whom we truly proclaim and venerate as Mother of God, because she brought forth him who is, at once, God and man, was descended from King David. [14] But as the conception itself transcends the order of nature, so also, the birth of the man-God presents to our contemplation nothing but what is divine.
Besides, a circumstance wonderful beyond expression or conception, he is born of his Mother without any diminution of her maternal virginity; and as he afterwards went forth from the sepulchre whilst it was closed and sealed, and entered the room in which his disciples were assembled, " the doors being shut;" [15] or, not to depart from natural events which we witness every day, as the rays of the sun penetrate, without breaking or injuring, in the least, the substance of glass; after alike, but more incomprehensible manner, did Jesus Christ come forth from his mother's womb without injury to her maternal virginity, which, immaculate and perpetual, forms the just theme of our eulogy. This was the work of the Holy Ghost, who, at the conception and birth of the Son, so favoured the Virgin Mother as to impart to her fecundity, and yet preserve inviolate her perpetual virginity.
The Apostle, sometimes, called Jesus Christ the second Adam, and institutes a comparison between him and the first: for "as in the first all men die, so in the second all are made alive;" [16] and as in the natural order, Adam was the father of the human Eve. race; so, in the supernatural order, Christ is the author of grace and of glory. The Virgin Mother we may also compare to Eve, making the second Eve, that is Mary, correspond with the first; as we have already shown that the second Adam, that is, Christ, corresponds with the first Adam. By believing the serpent, Eve entailed malediction and death on mankind; [17] and Mary, by believing the Angel, became the instrument of the divine goodness in bringing life and benediction to the human race. [18] From Eve we are born children of wrath; from Mary we have received Jesus Christ, and through him are regenerated children of grace. To Eve it was said: " In sorrow shall thou bring forth children:" [19] Mary was exempt from this law, for preserving her virginal integrity inviolate, she brought forth Jesus the Son of God, with out experiencing, as we have already said, any sense of pain.
The mysteries of this admirable conception and nativity being, therefore, so great and so numerous, it accorded with the views of Divine Providence to signify them by many types and prophesies. Hence the Holy Fathers understood many things nativity, which we meet in the Sacred Scriptures to relate to them, particularly that gate of the Sanctuary which Ezechiel saw closed; [20] the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which became a great mountain and filled the universe; [21] the rod of Aaron, which alone budded of all the rods of the princes of Israel; [22] and the bush which Moses saw burn without being consumed. [23] The holy Evangelist describes in detail the history of the birth of Christ, [24] and, as the pastor can easily recur to the Sacred Volume, it is unnecessary for us to say more on the subject.
But he should labour to impress deeply on the minds and hearts of the faithful these mysteries, " which were written for our instruction;" [25] first, that by the commemoration of so great a benefit they may make some return of gratitude to God, its author; and next, in order to place before their eyes, as a model for imitation, this striking and singular example of humility. What can be more useful, what better calculated to subdue the pride and haughtiness of the human heart, than to reflect, frequently, that God humbles himself in such a manner as to assume our frailty and weakness, in order to communicate to us his grace and glory that God becomes man, and that he " at whose nod," to use the words of Scripture, "the pillars of heaven fear and tremble," [26] bows his supreme and infinite majesty to minister to man that he whom the angels adore in heaven is born on earth!! When such is the goodness of God towards us, what. I ask, what should we not do to testify our obedience to his will? With what promptitude and alacrity should we not love, embrace, and perform all the duties of Christian humility? The faithful should also know the salutary lessons which Christ teaches at his birth, before he opens his divine lips; he is born in poverty, he is born a stranger under a roof not his own, he is born in a lonely crib he is born in the depth of winter! These circumstances, which attend the birth of the man-God, are thus recorded by St. Luke: " And it came to pass, that, when they were there, her days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." [27] Could the Evangelist comprehend under more humble terms the majesty and glory that filled the heavens and the earth? He does not say, there was no room in the inn, but " there was no room for him who says: mine is the earth and the fulness thereof;" [28] and this destitution of the man-God another Evangelist records in these words; " He came unto his own, and his own received him not." [29]
When the faithful have placed these things before their eyes, let them also reflect, that God condescended to assume the lowliness and frailty of our flesh in order to exalt man to the highest degree of dignity; for this single reflection alone supplies sufficient proof of the exalted dignity of man conferred on him by the divine bounty that he who is true and perfect God vouchsafed to become man; so that we may now glory that the Son of God is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, a privilege not given to angels, " for no where," says the apostle, "doth he take hold of the angels: but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold." [30]
We must also take care, that these singular blessings rise not in judgment against us; that, as at Bethlehem, the place of his nativity, he was denied a dwelling; so also, now that he is no life. longer born in human flesh, he be not denied a dwelling in our hearts, in which he may be spiritually born: for, through an earnest desire for our salvation, this is the object of his most anxious solicitude. As then, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and in a manner superior to the order of nature, he was made man and was born, was holy and even holiness itself; so does it become our duty " to be born, not of blood nor of the will of flesh, but of God;" [31] to walk, as new creatures in newness of spirit: [32] and to preserve that holiness and purity of soul that be come men regenerated by the Spirit of God. [33] Thus shall we reflect some faint image of the holy conception and nativity of the Son of God, which are the objects of our firm faith, and believing which we revere and adore "in a mystery, wisdom of God which was hidden." [34]
- ↑ Matt. i. 20.
- ↑ John i. 14.
- ↑ John i. 1-14.
- ↑ Serm. i. de Nat.
- ↑ Luke i. 38.
- ↑ Luke i. 31, 32.
- ↑ Isaiah vii. 14.
- ↑ Luke i 43.
- ↑ John iii. 34.
- ↑ John i. 16.
- ↑ Luke ii. 10.
- ↑ Luke ii. 14.
- ↑ Gen. xxii. 18.
- ↑ Matt. i. 1. 6.
- ↑ John xx. 19.
- ↑ 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22.
- ↑ Eccl. xxv. 33.
- ↑ Eph. i. 3.
- ↑ Gen. iii. 16.
- ↑ Ezech. xliv. 2.
- ↑ Dan. ii. 35.
- ↑ Num. xvii. 8
- ↑ EXod. iii. 2.
- ↑ Luke ii.
- ↑ Rom. xv. 4.
- ↑ Job xxvi. 11.
- ↑ Luke ii. 6, 7.
- ↑ Ps. xlix. 12.
- ↑ John i. 11.
- ↑ Heb. ii. 16
- ↑ John i. 13.
- ↑ Rom. vi. 4-7.
- ↑ 2 Cor. iii. 18.
- ↑ i Cor. ii. 7