Monday Musings - Advent Insights of St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. - 2nd Week of Advent

As I noted last week, every Monday during Advent, I will posting 12-15 quotations excerpted from St. Thomas Aquinas – Meditations for Every Day, translated and illustrated by Rev. E.C. McEniry, O.P. These pearls of wisdom are worth pondering during the course of the week. If you missed last week's quotes, you can find them here.
        

Nothing can be thought of that is more wonderful than the Divine fact, that the true God, the Son of God, became a true man.

            God moves man to know the truth, to love good things and to perform just works.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

            There was no cause of Christ’s coming into the world, except to save sinners.  Take away the diseases, take away the wounds, and there is no need of medicine.

            It was not fitting for God to become incarnate at the beginning of the human race before sin.  For medicine is given only to the sick.

            Nor was it fitting that God should become man – immediately – after sin. Since man’s sin was the result of pride, man was to be liberated in a manner that he might be humbled and see how he stood in need of a deliverer.

            Mary was always immune from sin…Mary’s whole life was free from sin.

            The entire time of the present might be compared to “night”, because of the darkness of ignorance in which the present life is surrounded.  On the contrary, the state of future blessedness is to be compared to the day because of the brightness of God by which the saints are enlightened.

            The time before the Incarnation may be compared to the “night” because it was as yet clear and the world was under a certain cloud of darkness.  On the contrary, the time from the Incarnation of Christ is compared to the “day” because of the power of the spiritual sun which came into the world with the birth of Christ.

            The Blessed Virgin received the fullness or perfection of grace.

            Mary is the dispenser of grace to others.

            God gives grace to each one according to the purpose for which He has chosen him.

            There are three reasons why the ancients desired so much the Incarnation of Christ: because of the flood of earthly miseries from which they suffered; because of the abundance of internal and external peace which abounded everywhere at His coming; and because of the abundance of internal joy which they received.

            The Light of the World, although present in the world and manifest by its effects, is nevertheless not recognized by the world. Thus Jesus “came unto His own” so that He might be recognized through the assumption of human nature.  He Who was invisible came that he might become visible to all mankind.