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," [1] 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." [2] The event verified the prophecy of Isaiah: " Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a Son." [3] 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?" [4] 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; [5] but poured into his soul the plenitude of all graces so abundantly, that " of his fulness we have all received." [6]
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.
