Advent and Christmas with the Church Fathers by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Author:United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Published: 2012-04-10T16:00:00+00:00

SATURDAY

Rufinus of Aquileia, Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed, 8-9

In the writings of the Holy Curé of Ars, we read that “when we talk about earthly matters, such as business and politics, we quickly grow tired; but when we talk about the Blessed Virgin, it is as though the matter were ever new. All the saints were strongly devoted to the Blessed Virgin, and no grace comes from heaven without first passing through her hands. One cannot enter a house without speaking first with the porter: well then, the Blessed Virgin is the porter of heaven!” The following excerpt arose in a much different context than the one just cited, was intended for a different audience, and uses a different tone and style—but we never grow tired of praising the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Mother of God.

Indeed, the world has now been given a new birth, and not without reason. Indeed, he who is the unique Son in heaven is therefore also unique on earth and is born in a unique way. Regarding this point, the words of the prophets in the Gospels are reechoed and well known: “The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son” (Is 7:14; see Mt 1:23; Lk 1:31). The prophet Ezekiel had already indicated birth as the marvelous mode of his arrival, symbolically defining Mary as the Gate of the Lord: he entered the world through this gate.... He came through this gate, from the Virgin’s womb, and the gate of the Virgin remained eternally sealed because her virginity was preserved. For this reason, the Holy Spirit is called the creator of the Lord’s flesh and of its temple.

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