The Glorious Virgin Mary: The Unanimous Opinion of the Fathers

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Glorious Virgin Mary
   1. Comparison with Eve
   2. Unanimous Opinion of the Fathers
   3. Abundance of Heavenly Gifts
   4. Fullness of Grace and Innocence
3. The Unspeakable Miracle of God
   1. The Crown of All Miracles
   2. The Mother of God
   3. Approaching God Himself
4. The Original Innocence and Sanctity
   1. Comparison to Eve
   2. Exaltation above Eve
   3. Destruction of the Evil One
5. The Fathers' Proclamations
   1. The Lily among the Thorns
   2. The Land Entirely Intact
   3. The Virgin Undefiled
   4. Immaculate and Free from Sin
6. The New Adam and Paradise of Innocence
   1. Formed from the Blessed Virgin
   2. Flawless, Brightest, and Beautiful
   3. Planted and Protected by God
7. The Singular Providence of God
   1. Growing Never Gray and Green
   2. Escaping Corruption
   3. The Fountain Never Clear
   4. The Holy Temple
   5. The Treasure of Immortality
8. The Singular Affirmation
   1. More Grace Given than Necessary
   2. Reparatrix of the First Parents
   3. Chosen Before the Ages
   4. Foretold by God
9. The Doctrine of Immaculate Conception
   1. Nature Yielded to Grace
   2. The Firstborn Conceived
   3. The Flesh of the Virgin
10. The Veneration of the Immaculate Conception
    1. The Work Adorned and Woven by God
    2. The First and Exceptional Work
    3. The Dwelling Place of All Graces
11. The Extensive Use in Liturgy and Church Offices
    1. Invocation and Praise of the Immaculate
    2. Spotless, Beautiful, and Innocent
    3. Ever Blooming Rose
    4. The Second Eve Who Brought Forth Emmanuel
12. Petitions for the Dogma
    1. Earnest Appeals from Bishops, Clergy, and Rulers
    2. Renewal in Modern Times
13. Papal Consideration and Joyful Intentions

The Glorious Virgin Mary and the Unanimous Opinion of the Fathers 🌹

The comparison between Mary and Eve reveals a profound understanding of the fathers regarding the most glorious virgin. They firmly believed that Mary, resplendent with an abundance of heavenly gifts and fullness of grace and innocence, was nothing short of an unspeakable miracle of God. In fact, they proclaimed her to be the crown of all miracles and the true mother of God. According to their unanimous opinion, Mary approached as near to God Himself as is possible for a created being, surpassing the glory of all men and angels.

The Original Innocence and Sanctity

The fathers not only frequently compared Mary to Eve, but they also exalted her above Eve, highlighting her original innocence and sanctity. While Eve, deceived by the treacherous serpent, fell from her state of original innocence, Mary, even while a virgin, remained innocent and uncorrupted. The blessed virgin not only never lent an ear to the serpent but also possessed the divine power to utterly destroy the force and dominion of the evil one.

The Fathers' Proclamations

To demonstrate the original innocence and sanctity of the mother of God, the fathers used a variety of expressions to exalt Mary. They called her the lily among the thorns, the land entirely intact, and the virgin undefiled. She was described as immaculate, ever blessed, and free from all contagion of sin. The fathers saw Mary as the flawless paradise of innocence, immortality, and delights planted and protected by God Himself. She was considered the incorruptible wood that the worm of sin had never corrupted and the fountain never clear and sealed with the power of the Holy Spirit. In their eyes, Mary was the most holy temple, the treasure of immortality, and the one and only daughter of life, not of death. She was a pure and beautiful plant, devoid of anger but filled with grace. The fathers believed that Mary, through a singular providence of God, grew never gray and green in contrast to the common law of corruption and tainted roots.

The Singular Affirmation

The fathers, not content with these splendid eulogies and tributes to Mary, went further in their proclamations. They made explicit affirmations that when one speaks of sin, the holy virgin Mary is not to be mentioned, for more grace was given to her than was necessary to conquer sin completely. Furthermore, they declared that Mary, the most glorious version, was the reparatrix of the first parents and the giver of life to posterity. They believed that she was chosen before the ages and prepared by the Most High Himself. This belief was reinforced by the words spoken by God in the divine scriptures, where He said, "I will put enmities between you and the woman," clearly indicating that Mary would crush the poisonous head of the serpent.

The Doctrine of Immaculate Conception

Based on their understanding of the immaculate conception, the fathers testified that nature yielded to grace, and it was proper that Mary be conceived as the firstborn, for through her, the firstborn of every creature would be conceived. They emphasized that the flesh of the virgin, although derived from Adam, did not contract the stains of Adam. Therefore, the most blessed virgin was the tabernacle created by God Himself and formed by the Holy Spirit. She was a work adorned in royal purple and woven with gold, a new belle silel made by God.

The Veneration of the Immaculate Conception

The fathers' profound devotion to the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary found expression in their prayers and praises. They invoked and exalted the blessed mother of God as immaculate in every respect, innocent and spotless, holy and removed from every stain of sin. They saw her as the very model of purity and innocence, more beautiful than beauty and lovelier than loveliness. In their eyes, Mary was singularly holy and most pure in soul and body. She surpassed all integrity and virginity, becoming the dwelling place of all the graces of the Holy Spirit. To them, Mary was more excellent than all and naturally fair, beautiful, and holy. Her praises were beyond the tongues of heaven and earth.

Petitions for the Dogma

Throughout history, bishops, ecclesiastics, religious orders, emperors, and kings earnestly petitioned the Apostolic See to define the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Mother of God. These petitions continued to be brought forth, even in modern times, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of the faithful towards this belief. These appeals were not only made by bishops and the clergy but also by the secular authorities and the faithful themselves.

Papal Consideration and Joyful Intentions

The papacy, acknowledging the fervent petitions and the profound devotion of the faithful, greatly desired to show forth the prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin Mary in resplendent light. A special congregation of cardinals, known for their piety, wisdom, and knowledge of the sacred scriptures, was established to carefully consider all matters pertaining to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin. Priests, both secular and regular, well-trained in theological sciences, were also selected to contribute their opinions. The papacy approached this matter with great prudence, considering the petitions and the intentions with joy in their hearts.