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259 SERMON 18 GERMINET TERRA Sermon on the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Eighth of September1 Genesis 1.11: Let the earth put forth the green plant that brings forth seed and the fruit-bearing tree that yields fruit. Part 1: Prothema ET THE EARTH put forth the green plant that brings forth seed and the fruit-bearing tree that yields fruit” [Gn 1.11]. Isaiah says about Christ: “Who will tell of his generations?” [Is 53.8] The generation of Christ rests in a way on the generation of Mary—I speak here of Christ’s generation in time.2 Hence the human understanding is not enough for telling the whole story of the generation of Mary.3 Let us, therefore , call upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, by which4 Mary is “ 1. The Sermo is about the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin; it was preached within the octave of this feast. The Collatio in sero is about the Exaltation of the Cross, during the First Vespers of this feast. So this sermon was delivered on a 13th of September. It is clear that this sermon was given to university students. Since the 13th of September was usually not a dies predicabilis, a day on which a sermon was given, it is most probable that it was a Sunday. During Thomas’s years in Paris the only year in which the 13th of September was a Sunday was 1271. 2. “In a way” (quodammodo), for not in an absolute way; God did not depend on her, but he had chosen her to be the mother of Christ. Cf. how Thomas distinguishes between different meanings of necessity: in ST III 46,1 in the context of the Passion in view of God’s almightiness. 3. Although she is a human being born from an earthly father and an earthly mother, her birth is a mystery: ST III 27,1–5. 4. Latin: quam, the antecedent of which is “grace” (graciam). 260 THOMAS AQUINAS sanctified, and let us ask the Lord himself that he may give me something to say. Part 2: Sermo “Let the earth,” et cetera. These words reflect the divine disposition to provide for each and every thing according to what befits it. Hence God in his providence gave to man, because he is earthly, a remedy from the earth.5 Hence it says in Sir 38.4: “The Most High has created a medicine from the earth.” Now a twofold medicine is put forth from the earth: the green plant and the fruit-bearing tree. The green plant is the Blessed Virgin , whose birth the Church is celebrating these days. For she is called (1) “plant” because of her humility [cf. the Magnificat: Lk 1.48], (2) “green” because of her virginity, and (3) “bringing forth seed” because of her fruitfulness.6 E (1) Regarding the species of plants we can consider three things: (1.1) a plant is short in height, (1.2) pliant in slenderness , and (1.3) health-bringing through strength. (1.1) First I say that a plant is short in height. If we compare a plant with a tree, we see that a plant grows upwards a little bit, whereas a tree grows very high. Now, by the height of the tree pride is signified [cf. Dn 4.1–24]. Thus the Psalmist says: “I have seen the godless exalted and lifted up like a cedar of Lebanon” [Ps 37.35]. “I have seen the godless,” that is, the proud, because 5. The Latin word humanus is translated as “earthly” here; Thomas plays with the words which are derived from the Latin word humus, soil, earth: homo (human being, taken from the earth; cf. Gn 2.7), humanus (human, earthly), and later on in this homily humilis/humilitas (low/lowliness, humble/humility), as opposed to being exalted, elevated, proud. The word remedium occurs only once in Scripture, in Tb 6.7 (Vg): in the fish—thus in creation—the remedy against evil is found. The fish is the oldest Christian symbol of Christ; the letters of the Greek word ΙΧΘΥΣ stand for “Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior.” Thomas, however, does not refer to this explicitly. 6. Thomas presents Mary implicitly as a great example for every vowed religious : she excelled in obedience (ST II–II 104) and humility (161), in chastity (151)/virginity (152), and in a fruitful, virtuous life (ST I–II 55–67); cf...

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