作者：韩大辉 Hon, Tai Fai, Savio
MARY AS THE SANCTUARY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT－
SACRARIUM SPIRITUS SANCTI
1. Introduction
"As for May she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Lk 2:19,51). The Virgin Mary who was directly involved in the event of the incarnation never lost sight of any mysterious happenings in her life but kept them all in her heart that. as it were, a greater desire be induced in her to reach all the full depth of the descent of God, descendit de caelo. In fact the grace she received far surpasses all other creatures, both in heaven and on earth and was called the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (Sacrarium Spiritus sancti) because by receiving the Word of God in her heart and in her body she gave Life to the world (1). Many in later generations who were in search of God (quaerere Deum) followed the examples of the humble Virgin by meditating upon the same marvels that God has achieved.
The Holy Scripture as divinely inspired is precisely a record of God's words and deeds (2). Meditation on the Scripture thus offered the beginnings of the eternal vision of God. This is especially true in the monastic culture (3). A reverent approach to the text, careful consideration of every detail of expression and cultivation of a quiet receptiveness which allows the Holy Spirit to speak in a man's heart as it will, all these had long been the traditional features of the "holy reading" (lectio divina) of the monastic life (4). Regarding the Marian title "Sacrarium Spiritus Sancti", we confine ourselves to a presentation of a lectio divina of a twelfth-century abbot, Rupert of Deutz (5). To be more precise, we are going to present some of his reflections (on this title) taken from his treatise On the Works of the Holy Spirit (6) which was the fruit of his prayerful meditation.
The twelfth-century has been considered a period of theological renewal (7). It witnessed the first stirrings of scholasticism and a flowering of the patristic traditions, specially, among monks. Many great authors belonged to this period like Anselm of Laon (d.1117), Rupert of Deutz (d.1129), Hugh of St Victor (d.1141), Abelard (d.1141), William of St. Thierry (d.1148). St. Bernard (d.1153), Gilbert of Poitiers (d.1154). Peter the Venerable (d.1156), Peter Lombard (d.1160) and so on (8). Among them Rupert of Deutz is considered the founder of biblical theology (9). Whatever one may think of the accuracy of this title it does bear witness to the fact that his writings had a great influence on monastic theology (10). Besides, he was also a "Mystiker" (11) and was endowed with the special gift of understanding the Scriptures. He did not deny the value of human learning, but simply they cannot be compared with "a visit from on high" (vistatio ab altissimo) (12) and he claimed himself among those who were privileged to have the gift of understanding with which he could do nothing but keep writing (13). Obviously this visitatio ab altissimo has enriched his lectio divina so much so that his commentary was intended to be a help for his readers to have an initial contact with divine mysteries (14).
What then is lectio divina? It means a text itself to be read, a selected passage or a lesson taken from the Scripture. In the Middle Ages as in antiquity, the reading involved the participation of body and mind. The readers had to pronounce the words they saw them, listening to the words pronounced and hearing the so-called "voices of the pages". It is a real acoustic reading: legere and audire. At the same time the lectio is accompanied by meditatio. The mind should think of the words read. It implies the thinking of a thing with the intention of doing it: in other words, to prepare oneself for it, to prefigure it in the mind, to desire it, in a way, to do it in advance－briefly, to practice it. This results in more than a visual memory of the written words. What results is a muscular memory of the words pronounced and an aural memory of the words heard. The meditatio consists in applying oneself with attention to this exercise in total memorization; it is, terefore, inseparable from the lectio. It is what inscribes, so to speak, the sacred text in the body and in the soul. This repeated mastication of the divine words is sometimes described as spiritual nutrition. In this case the vocabulary is borrowed from eating, from digestion, and from the particular form of digestion belonging to ruminants. For this reason, reading and meditation are sometimes described by the word ruminatio which will lead to the depths of the words and taste of their flavour (in ore cordis). The way of uniting reading, meditation and prayer, this "meditative prayer" as William of St. Thierry calls it, had great influence on religious psychology. It occupies and engages the whole person in whom the Scriptures take root, later on to bear fruit. It is this deep impregnation with the words of Scripture that explains the extremely important phenomenon of reminiscence whereby the verbal echoes so excite the memory that a mere allusion will spontaneously evoke whole quotations and, in turn. a scriptural phrase will suggest quite naturally allusions elsewhere in the sacred books. Each word is like a hook, so to speak; it catches hold of one or several others which become linked together and make up the fabric of the expose. The monastic lectio is aimed at meditatio and oratio. It is a prayerful reading. Obviously lectio divina is one of the principal occupations of the monk as described in the Rule of St. Benedict. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to know, to learn, and for some. to teach. In fact literature is a conditioning factor of Benedictine life (15).
(1)See Lumen Gentium 53: Virgo enim Maria, quae Angelo nuntiante Verbum Dei corde et corpore suscepit et Vitam mundo protulit (...) ut sit Genitrix Dei Filii (...) sacrarium Spiritus Sancti quo eximiae gratiae dono omnibus aliis creturis, coelestibus et terrestribus, longe antecellit.
(2)See Dei Verbum 2: Placuit Deo in sua bonitate et sapientia Seipsum revelare et notum facere sacramentum voluntatis suae (cf eph 1:9), quo homines per christum, Verbum camem factum, in Spiritu Sancto accessum habent ad Patrem et divinae naturae consortes efficiuntur (cf Eph 2:18; 1Pt 1:4). (...)Haec revelationis oeconomia fit gestis verbisque intrinsece inter se connexis, ita ut opera, in historia salutis a Deo patrata, doctrinam et res verbis significatas manifestent ac corroborent, verba autem opera prociament et mysterium in eis contentum elucident.
(3)LECLERCQ J., The Love of Learning and the Desire for God. A Study of Monastic Culture (New York－Fordhanm Univ. 1982, repr. 1985) 71-86. This is a translation from L' Amour des lettres et le desir de Dieu: Initiation au auteurs monastiques du moyen age (Paris 1957); EVANS G. R., The Language and Logic of the Bible. The Earlier Middle Ages (Cambridge Univ. 1984); SPICQ C., Esquisse d' une histoire de 1' exegese latine au Moyen Age (Paris 1944).
(4)See EVANS G. R., o.c. 13; LECLERCQ J., o.c. 15-17, 72-73; 212-217; ROUSSE J.－SIEBEN H. J.－BOLAND A., Lectio Divina et Lecture Spirituelle, in Dictionnaire de Spiritualite t. 9 (Pris 1976-77) 470-510; Von SEVERUS E. －SOLIGNAC A.－GOOSSENS M.－SAUVAGE M.－SUDBRAK J., Meditation, in Dictionnaire de Spirtualite t. 10 (Paris 1977-80) 906-934.
(5)Rupert of Deutz (ca. 1075-1129) was born and brought up in the environs of Liege. During his adolescence he had a series of mystical experiences and was convinced he had been granted the gift of understanding the Scriptures. As zealous Gregorian reformer he refused ordination until his simoniacal bishop had been reconciled to Rome (1106). As a biblical theologian he wrote many biblical commentaries and had not a few controversies with the secular clergy of Liege, the school of Laon, the Canon Regulars. He was appointed Abbot of Deutz near Cologne in 1120 and died March 4, 1129.
Further details on his life can be found in MAGRASSI M., Teologia e storia net pensiero di Ruperto di Deutz (Roma 1959); ARDUINI M. L., Contribute alla biografia di Ruperto di Deutz, in Studi Medievali 3 ser. 16 (1975) 537-582; EADEM, Neue Studien uber Rupert von Deutz, Siegburger Studien 17 (Siegburg 1985); VAN ENGEN J., Rupert of Deutz (Berkeley 1983).
(6)The De Operibus Spiritus Sancti (abbrv. Spir) belongs to the third part of Rupert's most comprehensive exgetical work De sancta Trinitate et Operibus eius, in HAACKE Rh. (ed.). Corpus Christianorum Continuatio MedMevalis (abbrv. CCCM) 21-24 (Turhnolti 1971-72). The whole work contains 42 books in three parts. It deals with the greater part of the Bible, associating the Three Persons of the Trinity with the principal epochs of history: the Father with Creation (in part one from book I to book 3), the Son with Redemption (which begins already with the expulsion from Paradise and culminates in the Incarnation in part two from book 4 to book 33) and God the Holy Spirit active through His seven gifts from the Incarnation to the Last Judgment in part three from book 34 to book 42). The thirty-two books in the first two parts deal with differnt Old Testament books except one with the Gospels. When Rupert comes to Part three De Operibus Spiritus Sancti on the works of the Holy Spirit he draws freely from the whole Bible. It can be taken as an independent unit. Rupert follows the Augustine's influential tripartite division of salvation-history (ante legem, sub lege, sub gratia). These nine books deals with the Holy Spirit who is at work through His seven gifts. The history of the Church is organized in seven epochs corresponding to the seven gifts though without defining clearly their time divisions.
(7)See the stimulating volume of BENSON R.L., －CONSTABLE G. (eds). Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth Century (Oxford 1982). Especially CONSTABLE G., Introduction xxvii: "By their self-imposed chronological limits, the authors imply that the renaissance was mainly bracketed in the century from the 1060s or 1070s to 1160s and that the early twelfth century was its center of gravity",
(8)See LECLERCQ J., The Renewal of Theology, in BENSON R.L－CONSTABLE G. (eds), o.c. 68-87, here 69-70.
(9)See SPICQ C., o.c. 117
(10)See LECLERCQ J., The Love of Learning and the Desire for God 218: Rupert "is the source par excellence for traditional monastic theology".
(11)HAACKE Rh., Die mystischen Visionen Ruperts von Deutz, in Sapientiae Doctrina: Melanges de theologie et de litterature medievales offerts a Dom Hildebrand Bascour O. S. B. (louvain 1980) 68-90.
(12)See De gloria et honore Filii hominis super Matthaeum XII ed. HAACKE Rh. CCCM 29, 386: Ego quamvis et ipse nonnullos in disciplinis scholaribus patres habuerim, et in libris artium liberalium non segniter studiosus exititerim, hoc profiteor quia vistatio ab altissimo melior roihi est quam decern patres huiusmodi.
(13)IBID., CCCM 29, 384: (...) cito subsistit inundans ilia vis amoris paulatimqu decessit; ego autem os meum aperuit et cessare quando scriberem nequaquam potui, et etiam si velim, tacere non possum.
(14)See Spir 1, 2 24, 1823-24: Verum speculandae huius gratiae via recta legitimusque ordo, tune demum nobis servabityr, si gratiae principem et largitorem, mediatorem Dei et hominum, hominern Iesum Christum prius cognoverimus.
(15)See note 4.
2. Mary－Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (Sacrarium Spiritus Sancti)
The title in this work first appeared in the seventh chapter of book one (Spir 1. 7) when the incarnation of the Word is mentioned as the first act of the Holy Spirit. The Word though pre-existing should now take human flesh in the Virgin's womb and be generated by her. Since Mary is a creature and could not achieve this alone, then the Holy Spirit comes upon her and the power of the Most High overshadows her that the incarnation be achieved. Rupert actually repeats what the Gospel has narrated but only put it in a nice poetical way that reflects, nonetheless, his theological vision of history and the destiny of men.
The Latin word Sacrarium indicates a place destined for ceremonies of worship or a sacred dwelling of divinity where divine secrets or sacred things pertinent to divinities are to be reserved (16). Rupert has used it as a bridge term to describe the highest point of the continual descent of tanscendent deity into immanence which had already initiated in the first moment of creation and which pointed to the summit of the Virginal conception of the Word. It is an adapted term to provoke ideas like God's plan {propositum Dei), revelation, indwelling of divinity, worship of God, Church, sanctification of man, and so on. In sum it is a reassertion of the classical interpretation of the "exchange" {commercium) by which the Son of God became what we are in order that we might become what he is－sons of God in the Son. The underlying motif in all these concepts is Rupert's theology of salvation-history (17). At the heart of history is the event of the incarnation which took place in the Sacrarium Spiritus Sancti. the Blessed Virgin.
2.1 Mary and the Synagogue:
The Preparation of the IncarnationThe outreach of the Word to the world has already taken place ever since the very moment of creation. Rupert expresses this idea by putting the words of Ps 44:1-2 in the mouth of the Father: "My heart overflows (eructavit) with a goodly theme (verbum bonum); I address my verses (opera) to the king; my tongue (lingua) is like the pen (calamus) of a ready scribe"(18). Verbum bonum obviously is associated with the second divine person. The world is not only created in Him but also for Him (propter quod) that He may reign over all peoples. God intended all along to have the Word assume a concrete, earthly role in the divine plan for all peoples independent of the fall of humanity. Just as the first man should dominate all the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth by virtue of his rationality; so the Incarnate Word will reign over all peoples by virtue of His divine majesty (19). Man is to be the Lord of the world, but God the Lord of all men through the Incarnate Kingship of the Word. This has always been the plan (propositum) of God. The Word's assumption of the flesh constituted no new plan on God's part. That is to say the incarnation is unconditional. All that was "new" yet not unforeseen was attributed to the fall of man which required that the Incarnate Word, rather than opting for other possibilities, should assume a servile humanity of Adam. namely, a mortal body which was to undergo the suffering of sacrifical death in order to requite God's righteousness (20).
The unfolding of the divine plan is always in a progressive form (a minore ad majus) and every part of sacred history marks a incrementum of light. Thus the divine plan has taken a more explicit shape in the history of the chosen people (21). By quoting Ez 16:4ff, Rupert recalled the misery of the people born in the state of sin just like a poor girt born in the dirt of blood. The misery was represented by the slavery in Egypt whence the Lord brought her and made a covenant with her decorating her with the Law. This passage like many others in the Scripture demonstrated that the love of God towards the chosen people his likened to that of a husband for is bride (sponsa Dei) (22). This great love of God will be further made tangible in the incarnation.
"Would it be a joke or fictitious play on words, spoken without thinking seriously, from the Father of alt wisdom whose immense great love is the Holy Spirit? Far from this! Actually He wanted to be the husband of rational humanity, that is to generate from her His own Son. In fact He began doing this, when He revealed this here and there and when He sent Moses and the prophets. God, the husband and spiritually God the Holy Spirit chose some souls from the people proven by faith. They were admitted to by embraced chastely by the husband. Then by the impetus of His love, namely, of the Holy Spirit, God－the husband－infused His own seed from His inner self, His Word from the depth of His heart to the chosen ones. Then the Word of Truth received by them opened their mouths and took up their corporeal voices that they might prophecy for Him and provoke faith from the listeners". (23)
In this way Rupert shows that the love of God is not only confined to the Synagogue－the chosen people, but extended to all humanity as such (vir esse intendebat rationalis creaturae humanae). Or to speak in another way, the Church in the largest sense embraces all men in different times and places (24). To be the husband of humanity means that God wants to generate His own Son together with her. In fact the "infusion" of the divine seed is expressed in the prophetical charism, that is, a spiritual conception of the Word (Conceptio in mente) in the chosen people (sponsa Patris).
Since God spoke to man through man. He adopted human languages. Obviously all transcendence of divine truth cannot be enclosed in earthly speaking. Thus Rupert warned us "not to let the apparent use of the similes attenuate the reality of truth. In fact whatever the truth-telling holy Scripture speaks to us about the love of God or God, the lover, is always true and constant. However due to the limited situations of our flesh similes are to be used. These similes with respect to the constant truth are nothing but shadows or transitory images. For us. earthly beings, the earthly things came to be known immediately and deemed as the reality and the 'reality' itself as similes. On the contrary the latter is reality, the former are similes which will pass away with respect to the permanent" (25). Hence to call the Synagogue sponsa Patris is a metaphorical way of talking about the intimate relation between God and man. What matters here is not the term itself but the relation that constitutes the entire reality.
Now the "reality" which will come true is that God loved so much humanity that He wanted to generate His own Son out of her and now in Mary God will bring His plan to completion (cause completa). Just as the conceptio in mente has taken place in the chosen people, above all, among prophets, so Mary, before her physical conception (conceptio in ventre), has had also the spiritual conception (conceptio in mente). In this sense Rupert is not only audacious enough to call Mary the bride of the Father (sponsa Patris) but also the best of the chosen people (pars optima ecclesiaeprioris). There are two reasons for which Mary became the best. First in the moral order Mary in an excellent way manifested her faith or "fiat" before the proposal of God (26). Faith is the pre-condition of (conceptio in mente) (27). Her faith thus furnished the best dwelling for God (descendit de caelo). Secondly, in the ontological order, it is the physical conception (conceptio in ventre) that brings, as it were in a retroactive way, her conceptio in mente to fullness. Let us now examine this two-fold conceptio more in detail.
2.2 Conceptio in mente
As the Virgin was the chosen sponsa Dei Patris and the pars optima God loved her to the utmost. But how (quornocto)? Rupert's technical use of "how" is usually intended to lead the readers to rise from the "letter" to the "spiritual sense" of the reality. Then elegantly he puts his meditated "how" in this way:
"God, the Father, (...) was her husband (...). How all his interest, all his fruit, all his affection, all his love. all his power and generating force were brought together upon this Virgin when the fullness of time came? Only the Virgin herself who had experienced this knew best (...). The holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. We have only heard of these words but she was the first to hear and by believing what she had heard. In her fervent belief she opened her mind and mouth saying, 'Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, let it happen to me as you have said'. At once, according to the word of the angel, the Holy Spirit came over her and through the open doors of faith penetrated in her. Where? First in the sanctuary of her chaste breast (Sacrarium pudici pectoris), then in the temple of the sacred and immaculate womb (templum sacri et incorrupt! uteri). In the dwelling of the breast the Spirit made her the prophetess and in the womb, the mother" (28).
By relating the image of "open doors" (ianuae apertae) to the assent of faith, Rupert describes the penetration of the Holy Spirit which is the love of God (Amor Dei) and which entails the conceptio in mente of the Word in her heart. Thus Mary became the prophetess. Her prophetical dignity is far beyond all other prophets insofar as her conceptio in mente is the last and the most important preparation for the conceptio in ventre. In fact the beatitude of all other prophets derives from their relations to this sanctuary of God. To express this. Rupert employs the prophecy of Isaiah, "'I approached the prophetess then she conceived and gave birth to a Son' (...). Rather we have no doubt that all the holy prophets, Moses for the first, had approached this prophetess! All came to her: the particuler prophecies of alt and every single special grace came together upon this prophetess at the moment of the coming of the Holy Spirit over the virgin. Isaiah, indeed all the prophets, believed themselves blessed because they were well aware of bringing something of the good Word to this sanctuary of the Holy Spirit" (29).
Hence in this way the Virgin Mary "received the full grace of the Holy Spirit and conceived the whole Word of God. first in the spirit then in the womb (prius mente quam ventre concipiens)"(30).
The word "approach" (accessi) together with "conceive" and "give birth" does convey the meaning of sexual intercourse which, however, is used to express "intimate knowledge" in another way. The prophecies are the fruit of the conceptio in mente of the prophets. The sum total of all these prophecies points to nothing but the coming of the Messiah－the incarnation of the Word. However all these prophecies would not be fulfilled, were it not for the believing assent of the Blessed Virgin. In such a way the prophecies give expression to the immense richness of this sanctuary of the Spirit but it is the opening of the doors of this dwelling that renders all the prophecies dynamic, vital and fulfilled. The dynamic outreach of the divine transcendence through the prophecies arrives at its summit and fullness in the Virgin's conceptio in mente.
2.3 Conceptio in ventre
Like many other prophets conceptio in mente requires both faith of the person concerned as pre-condition and assistance of the Holy Spirit. In fact for the fiat of the Virgin Mary the Spirit came upon her. However for the conception in ventre it requires something more which is expressed by the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel, "Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus". Rupert further specified the fullness of grace (gratia plena) in terms of the overshadowing of the power of the Most High that guarantees the second generation of the Son of God (31). This power (virtus altissimi) is nothingbut the Holy Spirit Himself, the Spirit of love (32).
"What did this fragile girl receive or conceive? She was so fragile not by her sex but by her mortal nature. In spite of this, she conceived the true Word of the Lord. the true substance of the Word, out of the best substance of God the Father before whom even the angels trembled (...). It is precisely the power of the Most High, the power of performing great wonders that makes her female nature ready for the coming of the Word"(33).
Now Rupert turns his attention to the Incarnate Word who constitutes the real content of the conceptio in ventre. Though the conceptio in ventre is by virtue of the Holy Spirit. Rupert made it clear that it is not the Spirit who generates (Spiritu generante). The Son generated is not the Son of the Spirit. The conceived one is not due to the generatio but operatic Spiritus sancti. The child to be born will be called holy (sanctum), the Son of God (Filius Dei). Rupert following John 1:1 affirms that what the Virgin conceives has pre-existed long before, holy (sanctum) by ageless essence {antiqua essentia), and has always heen the Son of God. The fact that he is now called the Son of God manifests the name of God who was not yet known as the Father who generated this Son not by adoption of grace (non adoptione gratiae) but by his very nature (proprietate naturae) (34).
For Rupert the holy (sanctum) is the sanctifying holiness (sanctitas, qua sancti omnes sanctificantur)and is now born as the holy of the holy (sanctus sanctorum). He was not conceived or born in the sin of Adam and then sanctified by the accidental holiness. Definitely not. It was the immaculate Virgin (incorrupta Virgo) that conceived this essential holiness (essentialiter sanctum) by virtue of the Holy Spirit (35). Rupert is well aware that the "sanctifying holiness" is to be conceived or born in the immaculate Virgin, though without making it explicit that it is this "sanctifying holiness" which had sanctified her long before this conception. However it is important to note that the conceptio in ventre does not only point to the revelation of the heavenly Father but also the sanctification of all humanity. In fact a few lines later he associated this holy one called the Son of God with the New Man of St. Paul: The first man became a living soul (animam viventem) and the second has become a life-giving spirit (spiritum vivificantem) (36).
Now by his comparison between the New Man and the old man, Rupert tries to draw a picture of the New Man. God made man out of the soil of the earth which was not blessed, while for the heavenly man God blessed the Virgin. He quoted the words of the archangel Gabriel "blessed are you among women" (benedicta tu in mulieribus) and Ps 84 "Lord, you have blessed your land" (Benedixisti. Domine, terram tuam). Thus the New Man was not made of the soil of the ground (cte limo terrae) but of the "blessed earth" which unlike the first is the living, sensible, rational and above all. faithful. Precisely because of this faith, it becomes capable of receiving the Holy Spirit and the seed of God (37). We should not think that Holy Spirit is a better and wiser maker (artifex) than the Father, though the New Adam conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit is better than the old one; because the New Adam is made of a better land that is more similar to the divine reason (divinae rationi vicinior) (38).
The first man was created in the image (adimaginern) and likeness (ad similitudinern nostram) of God. imago means the reason which distinguishes man from other creatures in the world (39). Similitudo is the participation in the Holy Spirit (40). The first man was supposed to pass from imago to similitudo. He could have by his free and rational activities entered into loving communion with God from a natural life to a supernatutal one. These activities are nothing but the imitations of God's goodenss (41). However the first man failed. Now comes the second Man in whom the similitudo is the Holy Spirit Himself and the imago Dei invisibilis is the Son of God. They both join together in the very womb of the Virgin. Then by way of reminiscence (42), Rupert refers this fact to Ps 84:11: "Faithful love (misericordia) and Loyalty (veritas) join together. Saving Justice (iustitia) and Peace (Pax) embrace". These divine attributes personified are referred to the Holy Spirit (misericordia -pax) and the Son (veritas - iustitia). "Loyalty (veritas) will spring up from the earth" (Ps 84:12) points to Christ's humanity and "Justice (iustitia) will lean down from heaven" (Ps 84:12) to His divinity (43). In this way the New Man is by far the most perfect of all men.
Rupert's identification of the similitudo with the Holy Spirit obviously depends heavily on the Latin structure of Gen 1:26: "Faciamus hominern ad imaginern et similitudinern nostram". The possessive adjective "our" {nostram) is attached to similitudinem not to imaginem. This enables him to say that "our likeness" (similitudinem nostram) refers to the Spirit of the Father and of the Son (44). Such a heavy dependence on the Latin version in exegesis today sounds perhaps far-fetched, yet the analysis of the Latin structure for medieval exegetes was itself one of the techniques to discover the "key" to other passages. It is an effective evocation of biblical images and a device to break through the prison of the letter so as to arrive at the spirit of the word. Of course the similitudo of the New Man reinforces the concept of the overshadowing of the Spirit and thus fits in squarely with that fo the sacrarium Spiritus Sancti.
2.4 Mary and the Church: The Continuation of Incarnation
Within the framework of the "unique Church" as the entire humanity, the conception in ventre does not only render Mary the pars optima ecclesiae. the sponsa Patris but also the model of the new Church, the bride of the Son of God (exemplar iunioris ecclesiae sponsae Filii De;) (45). The Holy Spirit who in or from the womb of the Mary has worked for the incarnation of the only begotten Son of God will also be at work in the womb of the Church through the life-giving baptism of grace for the re-birth of many sons of God. It is not without reason that we distinguish the Old Synagogue which is the bride of the Father from the "New" Church which is the bride of the Son. It is clear that the Synagogue of that time did not recognize the Son of God and thus could not be said to be His bride; God was only revealed to a few through the Spirit of prophecy and was hidden from the rest (46). The distinction between Mary as sponsa Patris, par excellence, and the Church as sponsa Fitii enables Rupert to draw a close parallel between the womb of Mary (uterus Mariae) and that of the Church (uterus Ecclesiae).
First of all. the Church in a large sense an be identified with the entire humanity yet has a special task of conceiving the Word who wanted to be incarnated. For Rupert that pregnant woman in labour described in Rev 12 is to carry out this task and hence the image is formally applied to the Church (47) but inclusively also to the Virgin Mary who has shared the pain of childbirth. Rupert did not tackle this point in one explicit place, but if we put together the scenes he depicted in different passages, a close-up picture of the Church-Mary can be seen in this woman. "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman robed with the sun standing on the moon. and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth"(Rev 12:1-3). Rupert explained in detail that this woman is the Holy Church. According to the Scripture, once she was found in her nudity because of the sins of the first parents but now is robed with the sun, that is, Christ, the sun of justice(...). The moon under her feet means renouncement of worldly goods. On her head a crown of twelve stars means that at the beginning the Church is embellished with twelve apostles (48). She is pregnant with the good Word of God in her heart by virtue of the Spirit of God's love. She preaches out of great love and cares only for the generation of the spiritual sons (49). The labours of the Church are due to the confrontation of the evil one which has begun a lasting battle (50). However the presence of Mary on Calvary shows her involvement in the same "labours", namely, the painful childbirth which is different from that of the joyful childbirth in Bethlehem. Rupert decribes this by images. Under the cross "a sword pierced through the soul of the blessed Virgin and Mother of God" (51). At the same time John the beloved disciple was there "to drink the cup of the Lord's passion"(52). The "drinking" marks a new life of John as one of the twelve stars of the nascent Church and as a son entrusted to Mary. Later as apostle and evangelist he was granted the admirable visions with which he wrote of the inexpressible mystery of the Incarnate Word in the Book of Revelations. (53). Then in his letter he was able to testify to the three human witnesses of Christ's baptism: the Spirit, water and blood (54). The blood of Christ was poured out with water from his side and thus washed away all the sins of those who have faith (55). In another passage He was likened to a little golden bag of God, namely the fullnes of the Holy Spirit. This bag was torn by the passion and from thence overflows (procedere) the Spirit for the forgiveness of sins (56). The passion is His own baptism by which Christ Himself was glorified (57). In this way the glorified Christ－the husband of the Church (sponsus ecclesiae) by His blood, water and Spirit renders fecund the womb of the Church.
Secondly, both Mary and the Church enjoyed the same divine fecundity of the Holy Spirit. "The divine omnipotence that came upon Mary and overshadowed her that the only begotten Son of God might be conceived and born of her, is the same omnipotence that comes over the waters and endows them with fecundity so that the sons of God may te re-born of them. The source of the natural water is rendered life-giving and becomes the womb of the Church and the womb of grace" (58). In this way Mary becomes the exemplar of the New Church, because the same Spirit that first came upon and dwelled in her will also does the same for the regeneration of the children of God in the womb of the Church.
Thirdly, since Mary herself is neither detached from nor stands above but is always within the Church, her fecundity empowered by the Holy Spirit renders fecund the motherhood of the Church in generating sons of God. Rupert again resorts to the image of Rev 12:1-2 so as to show that the entire Church through Mary who forms pan of the Church gives birth to Christ in flesh with a loud cry of desire and of lasting expectation (59). In this way the divine fecundity of the Spirit enables both of them to generate the same Christ but at once in different senses. Mary gave birth to the Only Son of God, while the Church to sons in the Son. By the message of the archangel Gabriel and the overshadowing of the Spirit Mary gave birth to the Only Son of God who, pre-existing in eternity, assumed the flesh from her; whereas the Church by the preaching of Gospels (praedicatio evangelorum) and the life-giving washing (lavacrum vivificum) (60) generates the children of God who in their corrupted humanity are re-formed in the divinity of Christ (61). Just as the message of Gabriel requires faith from the Virgin, so does the preaching of Gospels require it from the listeners. To put it in another way, the Church thus becomes the Mother of God, at least in a mystical way, precisely because on the one hand her most excellent member Mary has generated the Son of God and on another the Church herself through her generates sons in the Son. It is from Mary, the sacrarium Spiritus sancti, the Church first, mente gravida, then utero gravida, attains the divine fecundity and generates the sons of God. When the Virgin was giving birth to the Incarnate Son, it was the whole Church in her giving birth. When the Church is giving birth to the sons, it is Mary in the Church giving birth to them. In Mary the Church becomes Mother of the God-man and in the Church Mary becomes mother of all. A mutual penetration, almost an exchange of functions, takes place between one and another. Thus Mary by virtue of her motherhood of the Son becomes the mother of all sons (62).
As the Church has assumed the task of generating the children of God (63), she has to face the challenges of the evil one (64). It is the Incarnate Word Himself who has to carry on the process of incarnation and bring it to fullness (65) and become the sanctifying holiness of all who are born of this woman. The fullness of the incarnation, from which we are invited to attain initially in this world (66) through the sacraments, will be realized in the resurrection of the body. On that day the Word in the heart of the Father will fully be present in our body (67) in such a way that the Spirit dwelling corporally in the Incarnate body will also dwell in us (68).
(16)The Latin Word "Sacrarium" derives from "Sacer" (sacred, holy) and "Arium" (a suffix denoting a place). The Greek is "Ieroteion", "hagionbema". It means a temple, a sanctuary of a church, sacristy, treasure-room, chapel, sacred order; the inner part of the temple or the altar where the pyx for the consecrated bread is placed. See Du CANGE F. C.－HENSCHEL G. A. F.－FAVRE L., Glossarium mediae et infimae Latinitatis 10 vols = Standard Edition of L. FARVRE (Niort 1882-87, repr. Paris 1937-38); FORCELLINI A.－CORRADINI F,－PERIN J., Lexicon Totius Latinitatis 4 vols (Patavii 1864-69); NIERMYER J. F., Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus. A Medieval Latin－French/English Dictionary with Abbreviationes et index fontium by Van de KIEFT C. (Leiden 1976, repr. 1984).
(17)Rupert did not discuss theoretically the historical interpretation of salvation but he simply took it for granted. Every divine truth is to be grounded on historical events. His work of De sancta Trinitate et operibus eius covers the whole span of salvation-history. He managed to construct a sucession of epochs according to the Holy Scripture which is a record of divine work. However he could only manage to illuminate the early period on one side and the end of time on the other: the vast period between the patristic age and the present remains undifferentiated. For this argument see MAGRASSI M., o.c.
(18)Spir 1,12: CCCM 24:1835: Eructavit cor meam verbum bonum, dico ego opera men regi. Lingua mea calamus scribae velociter scribentis? Neque enim tantummodo intelligendum est de creatione mundi, ubi Pater verbum eructabat, creando quidpiam, dicendo: Fiat (...).
(19)See Spir 1, 12: CCCM 24, 1835: Ergo ilium (Adam) praeesse iussit piscibus, volucribus et bestiis, videlicet dignitate rationis; istum (Christum) autem populis, scilicet auctoritate divinae maiestate.
(20)See Spir 2, 6 CCCM 24,1868: multum tibi debemus nos, Deus Christe, quia homo factus es, at tu econtra multum nobis debes, homo Christe, quia propter nos Deum assumptus es. Nam nisi fuissemus nos peccatores, causa cur tu assumi in Deum deberes, nulla fuisset. Confortenetur, inquam, nec enim id solum attendere debent, quod tantae dignitatis Dominus propter tarn indigna servilium personarum delicta, tantis affectus est iniuriis et ipsa morte, morte autem crucis.
Note that Deus Christe and Homo Christe means the same Incarnate Word, Son of Mary, hence these words are not addressed to the pre-existing Word. The plan of Incarnation was already established in eternity (ante omnia omnia saecula: Spir 1,8: CCCM 24, 1829), but the concrete way of incarnation as now de facto is conditioned by the fall of humanity. Further explanation can be found in MAGRASSI M., o.c. 229-232.
(21)See Spir 1, 8: CCCM 24,1829: causam (...) in ea (Maria) perficere.
(22)See Spir 1, 7: CCCM 24, 1828: Multa eiusmodi sunt in Scripturis ... ubi vinim sive maritum eclesiae sive ecclesiae sive synagogae sese Deus esse asserivit.
(23)Spir 1, 7: CCCM 24, 1829: Numquid laetabunda aut ludicra levitate et non cum certae rei pondere haec loquebatur omnis sapientiae Pater Deus, cuius est amor magnus et immensus, hic Deus, hic Spiritus sanctus? Absit hoc! Actu quippe vir esse intendebat rationalis creaturae humanae, id est Filium sibi ex ea generare, quod et facere iam incipiebat, cum haec et haec diceret, cum Moysen et prophetas mitteret. Electas nimirum et probatae plexibus castis, spiritualiter Deus Spiritus Sanctus admittebat, et impetu huius amoris sui, huius Spiritus sancti, semen suum de secretis suis, Verbum suum de proftindo cordis sui incutiebat illis.
(24)See also MAGRASSI, o.c. 91.
(25)Spir 1, 7: CCCM 24, 1829: Rem veritatis non extenuet et suspicio affectatae similitudins. Nam revera quaecumque sancta et veridica Scriptura nobis de amore Dei vel amante Deo loquitur, tarn vera tamque constantia sunt, ut potius haec nostra camalia, de quibus similitudines ducuntur, illis constantis veritatis queadam quasi umbrae vel transitoriae imagines sint. Verum quia nobis, qui de terra sumus, prius ista terrena in notitiam venerunt, idcirco istae res, illae autem rerum similitudines aestimantur; revera autem ilia res, istae vero rerum similitudines sunt, quae et illis permanentibus transeunt.
(26)Spir 1, 8: CCCM 24, 1829: per huius beatae Virginis uterum camem fidei ante omnia saecula proposuerat.
(27)See Spir 1, 11 CCCM 24, 1833: propter fidem ... seminis Dei perceptibilis.
(28)Spir 1,8-9: CCm 24, 1830: Pater (...) vir eius erat (...) Tpta autem tails viri utiliats, totus fructus, ominis affectuis, totus amor, tota virtus ac generandi vis, quomodo ubi venit plenitudo temporis in iam dictam Virginem se contulerit, ipsa quae experta est melius novit, nos autem audivimus tantum verba aeterne mandata memoriae, verbe Gabrihelis archangeli dicentis: Spirtius sanctus suerveniet in te et virtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum vocabitur filius Dei. Verba, inquam haec nos audivimus tantum, illa autem et prior audivit et auditui credens continuo quod audierat experini meruit. Ubi enim bene credula menten suam st os suum aperuit, ut diceret: Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum, moxs iuxta dictum angeli hic Spiritus sanctus superveniens in eam per apertas fidei ianuas sese infudit. Quo autem sese infudit? Nimirum prius in sacrarium pudici pectoris, deinde in templum sacri et incorupti uteri; on donum pectoris, ut prophetissam faceret; in uterum, ut materm efficeret.
(29)Spir1, 9: CCCM 24, 1830-31: Et acessi ad prophetissam, et concepit et peperit filium. Num autem solum istum ad hanc prophetissam accessisse putamus, aut quornodo accedere potuerit miramur? Immo sanctos omnes prophetissam accessisse non dubitamus. Omnes omnino ad illam convenerunt, omnium enim et singulorum divisivae gratiae, particulares prophetiae, in istam prophetissam sirnul convenerunt, sirnul Spiritu sancto superveniente concurrerunt, Et beatum se Isaias, immo beatos se omnes prophetae sancti non immerito crediderunt, quod hoc modo ad istam prophetissam accessuros se sese noverunt, quod ad istud Dei templum, ad istud Spiritus sancti sacrarium quidpiam Verbi boni sese afferre cognoverunt.
(30)Spir 1, 9: CCCM 24, 1831: haec Virgo (...) plenam sancti Spiritus gratiam suscipiens, totum Dei Verbum, Deum Verbum prius mente quam ventre concipiens.
(31)See Spir 1, 9: CCCM 24:1831: Ad exponendam eius gratiae plenitudinem parum fuerat dixisse: Spiritus sanctus superveniet in te, nisi addidisset, et virtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi.
(32)See Spir 1, 9: CCCM 24,1831: virtus, inquam, altissimi. id est idem ipse Spiritus sanctus, Spiritus amoris obumbravit ei.
(33)Spir 1, 9: CCCM 24, 1831: Quid enim puella fragilis non modo sexu sed et conditione mortalitatis suscepit aut concepit, nisi validum Verbum Domini, validam substantiam Verbi, de optima substantia Dei Patris, quern tremunt angeli? (...) Opportune igitur obumbrabit illi virtus altissimi, virtus miraculonim potens. fernineam substantiam Deo Verbo conciliare valens.
(34)See Spir 1, 10: CCCM 24, 1832: Condpies enim de sancto quidem Spiritu, sed non generante sancto Spiritu. COnceptus iste Spiritus sancti non generatio, sed operatio est. Caro de came Virginis, non de ipsa erit substantia Spiritus sancti. Et notandum quod non dixit sanctum vocabitur aut erit, neque dixit Filius Dei erit, sed vocabitur Filius Dei quod nascetur ex te. Quod enim Virgo concepit iamdudum erat, et antiqua essentia sanctum erat, Filiue Dei erat. Restabat hoc solum ut vocaretur quod erat, et ipsa vocatione dum vocatur Filius Dei manifestaretur nomen Dei, quod nondum notum erat, non quo dicitur Deus, sed quo Pater Filii vocatur. Vocabitur,iaquam, Filius Z) ei, quod iam est, non adoptione gratiae sed proprietate natureae.
(35)See Spir 1, 10: CCCM 24, 1832: unum autem sanctum id est sanctitas, qua sancti omnes sanctificantur. Hoc sanctum est iste sanctus sanctorum, quern non in delicto praevaricationis Adae concepturn vel natum sanctitas accidens sanctificavit, sed essentialiter sanctum Virgo incorrupta de Spiritu sancto concepit.
(36)See Spir 1, 10: CCCM 24, 1832: Vocabitur ergo, id est invocabitur ab omni saeculo hoc nomine quod est Filius Dei, Filius altissimi. Ecce haec est illa nova creatura, ille novus homo, de quo apostolus: Primus, ait, homo de terra terrenus, secundus homo de caele caelestis. Item: Factus est primus homo Adem in animam viventem, novissimus vero in spiritum vivificantem.
(37)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1833: Ecce autem in ista caelestis hominis factura nova dicit archangelus, immo qui in archangelo loquitur Spiritus sanctus: Benedicta tu in mulieribus. Et psalmista per propheticam hue adductus gratiam succinit et dicit: Benedixisti, Domine, terrain tuam. Amplius autem et in hoc terra ista praepollet, quia terra Domini est. Non enim illic dixit Scriptura: Formavit igilur Deus hominern de limo terrae suae, sed benedixisti, ait, Domine terram tuam, et recte. Qualis enim ilia, et qualis terra ista? Terra ilia nullo modo seminis Dei perceptibilis, utpote irrationalis, insensibilis, inanimata, immobilis. Terra autem ista animata, sensibilis, rationalis, et quod optimum est, fidelis, et propter fidem Spiritus sancti et seminis Dei perceptibilis.
(38)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1833: Non ergo melior aut sapientior est artifex Spiritus sanctus, quam Deus Pater, licet novus iste Adam, qui de Spiritus sancti operatione conceptus est, melior atque dignior illo sit vetere Adam, quern fecit Pater, sed melior terra, melior et divinae rationi vicinior a Spiritu sancto materia sumpta est.
(39)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1834: Homo...ad imaginem Dei, quia factus est rationalis.
Spir 7, 13: CCCM 24, 2062: Rationalitas quippe hominis in eo eat quod ait: faciamus hominem ad imaginem, sive creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam.
(40)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1834: similitudinern Dei, ad quam non pervenit homo, nisi participatione eius, id est Spiritus sancti.
(41)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1834: est bonitatem Dei.
(42)The rumination of certain words or sentences often provokes imagination or association of other verses in the scripture. The memory, fashined wholly by the Bible and nurtured entirely by biblical words and the images they evoke, causes them to express themselves spontaneously in a biblical vocabulary. Reminiscences are not quotations, elements of phrases borrowed from another. They are the words of the person using them, they belong to him. Perhaps he is not even conscious of owing them to a source. Moreover, this biblical vocabulary is twofold in character. First, it is often poetic in essence. Sometimes it has greater value because of its power of suggestion than because of its clarity or precision; it hints at much more than it says. But for that very reason it is the better suited to express spiritual experience which is completely impregnated with a mysterious light impossible to analyze. Furthermore, though lacking in precision, this vocabulary is endowed with a great wealth of content. See LECLERCQ J., The Loving of learning and Desire for God 75-76.
(43)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1834-35: Convenerunt igitur beatam Virginern similitude atque imago Dei invisibilis, obviaverunt, sicut in psaimo canimus, misericordia et veritas sibi, iustitia et pax osculatae sunt. Veritas quippe et iustitia secundum Scripturarum auctoritatem vera sunt nomina huius imaginis, id est Filii Dei. Misericordia et pax pia sunt vocabula huius sumilitudinis, id est Spiritus Dei. Itaque quod dictum est: Misericordia et veritas obviaverunt sibi, hoc repetitum est dicendo: Iustitia et pax osculatae sunt. Dicendo deinde, veritas de terra orta est, et iustitia de caelo prospexit, removit impietatem blasphemiae dicentis quia Christus ex Maria initium sumpsit. Etenimunus idemque Dei Filius secundum carnern quidem de terra ortus est, sed secundum divinitatem prius de caelo prospexit.
(44)See Spir 1, 11: CCCM 24, 1834: notandum quod non dictum sit, faciamus hominem ad similtudinem et imaginem nostram, sed ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram.
(45)See Spir 1, 8: CCCM 24,1829: Sic autem beata Virgo, prioris ecclesiae pars optima, Dei Patris sponsa esse meruit, ut exemplar quoque fuerit iunioris ecclesiae sponsae Filii Dei, filii sui.
(46)See Spir 1, 8: CCCM 24,1829-30: Qui enim Spiritus sanctus in utero vel de utero eius incarnationern operatus est unigeniti Filii Dei, ipse utero vel per uterum ecclesiae, per vivificum lavacrum gratiae suae muitorum operatunis erat regenerationern filiorum Dei. Unde nobis suo loco plenius dicendum erit. Nec vero ab re ita distinguimus, ut praecedentem ecclesiam Patris sequentis Filii sposam esse dixerimus. Nam quern virum non cognoverat, eius coniux synagoga dici vel esse non poterat. Constat autem quia Dei Filium illius temporis ecclesia non cognoscebat; nam excepto quod paucissimis per prophetiae Spiritum revelabatur, de cetero Deus absconditus erat.
(47)There are two significant places in which Rupert comments on the woman in labours in Re 12. Spir 6, 14: CCCM 24, 2027; 8, 13 CCCM 24, 2089.
(48)See Spir 6, 14: CCCM 24, 2027: Mulier nempe ista, sancta ecclesia est, mulier quondam nuda nuditate ilia, quam in primis parentibus per peccatum accidisse sancta Scriptura denotat, nunc autem amicta non amictu qualicumque, sed amicta sole, id est Christo sole vero sole iustitiae. (...) Et luna sub pedibus, id est mutabilitas bonorum temporalium in contemptu eius (...) omni mundo abrenuntiare, (...). In capite eius, id est initio eius, corona stellarum duodecim, decus est apostolorum duodecim.
(49)See Spir 6, 14: CCCM 24, 2027: Quid enim erat mulierem in utero habere et clamare parturientem et crucian, ut pareret , nisi habere in corde bonum Dei verbum de Spiritu amoris Dei conceptum et praedicare per magnum caritatis affectum et nimium sollicitari progeneratione filiorum spiritualium?
(50)See Spir 6, 14: CCCM 24, 2028: mulier in utero habens, dum cruciaur ut pariat, tacere non potest, iratus est diabolus, et contra illam consurrexit in bellum.
(51)See Spir 6,12: CCCM 24,2025: ubi beatae Virginis et genitricis animam gladius pertransivit.
(52)Spir 6, 12: CCCM 24, 2025: Stabat autem, ut iam dictum est, cum ea (Maria) iuxta crucern isto (lohannes) quoque dilectus, et siquidem credis, ipse quoque mente vulnerabantur. Quapropter, ut credimus, non caret omnino magni huius honore praeconii, quod et ipse biberit calicern Domini.
(53)See Spir 4, 10: CCCM 24, 1950: lohannes apostolus et evangelista ex verbis suis cognoscitur, (...) istum discipulum Dominus lesus ceteris altius diligens (...) aperuit illi nirsus singulariter secreta caeli, ut videret visiones admirabiles, quas et digessit libro qui inititulatur Apocalypsis, in quo tot paene sacramenta, quot verba sunt, scriberetqiie illud altum et hominibus inenarrabile Verbi Dei, Del incarnati mysterium.
(54)See Spir 3, 10: CCCM 24, 1907: lohannes autem: Quia tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in terra, Spiritus, aqua et sanguis (...) sermonis auctoritas, procul dubio divina est.
(55)See Spir 1, 27: CCCM 24, 1854: Fusus est sanguis christi atque cum sanguine aqua pariter de latere eius cucurrit, et quia fidem habuerant, eonim omnium peccata lavit.
(56)See Spir 1, 27: CCCM 24, 1855-56: At vero ubi Dei Filius semetipsum hominern exhibuit hominibus, et qui sacculus auro Dei, id est plenitudine plenus huius Spiritus sancti, scissus est tormento passionis, illinc extunc processisse vel procedere hunc eundem Spiritum sanctum in remissionern peccatorum. nullus ambigit, nemo diffidit, nullus dubitat nisi infidelis.
(57)See Spir 3, 3: CCCM 24, 1906: baptismate suo Christus, id est passione sua est glorificatus.
(58)Spir 3, 9: CCCM 24, 1912: Qui enim divina omnipotentia sua in Mariam supervenit, et obumbravit illi, ut conciperetur et nasceretur ex ea unigenitus Filius Dei, ipse eadem omnipotentia supervenit aquis, et eis fecunditatem tribuit, ut renascantur ex eis filii Dei. Fons aquae elementaris hoc superveniente vivificatus, fit uterus ecclesiae, uterus gratiae.
(59)See Spir 8, 13 CCCM 24, 2089-90: Mulier (...) in utero habens et clamabat parturiens, et cruciatur ut pariat (...) Ouamvis enim iuxta querndam altiorem sensum semel hoc factum sit, tamen el hodie fit, et fieri non desinit usque ad finern saeculi, semel videlicet hoc factum est, quando universa patrarehanim et prophetarum electorumque omnium ecclesia per Mariam Virginern, quae eiusdem ecclesiae portio est, Christum in came peperit, cum magno clamore magni desiderii et diutinae expectationis.
(60)See Spir 2, 12: CCCM 24, 1875-76: IsteDominus est,cuius manus haec fecit, Dominus, inquam, cuius in manu est amima omnis viventis et spiritus universae carnis, hominis immo cuius tanta est potestas, ut de lapidibus homines facere possit. Propter quod dicit: Data est mini omnis potestas in caelo et in terra, Euntes docete omnes gentes, bapyizantes eos in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Spir1, 8: CCCM 24, 1830: ipse (Spiritus sactus) de utero vel per uterum ecclesiae, per vivificum lavacrum gratiae suae multorum operaturus erat regenerationem filiorum Dei.
(61)See Spir 1, 15: CCCM 24, 1838: Tandem fomiatum istum (Christum) ab illo (Adam) formato discemimus, non tantum in eo quod istum Spiritus sanctus de virginea came, ilium autem formavit Dominus Deus de limo terrae, verum et ipsa formationis dictione, Dicimus namque quia formatus ille formatus tantum, hie autem formatus et ipsa forma est.
Spir* 6, 14: CCCM 24, 2027-28: Universi ordinis praedicatonim quoscumque Spiritus sanctus misit, qui ordo vere mater ecclesia est, universi ordinis eorum talis est intentio, talis affectus, ut spirituales parere filios et Cristum formare valeant in suis auditoribus.
(62)The title of Mary as the Mother of the Church is not an easy one. At the first sight it may seem that Mary as Mother is not within the Church. It is the ingenuity of Rupert to explain Mary as member of the Church but at the same time the Mother of the Church. This coincides with the expression of Paul VI, "lgitur ad Beatae Virginis gloriam ad nostrumque solacium, Mariam Sanctissiman declaramus Matrem Ecclesiae in the closing speech of the third session of the Vatican II in 1964; see AAS 56(1964) 1016 (Enchiridion Vaticanum I 306*); and the same in his Solemnis professil fldei (30 iunii 1968) AAS 60(1968) n.15 (Enchiridion Vaticanum III 551).
(63)See note 59. Spir 8, 13, 2089-90: Quamvis enim iuxta querndam altiorem sensum semel hoc factum sit, tamen et hodie fit, et fieri non desinit usque ad finern saeculi, semel videlicet hoc factum est, quando universa (...) ecclesia per Mariam Virginern, quae eiusdem ecclesiae portio est, Christum in came peperit, cum magno clamore magni desiderii et diutinae exspectationis.
(64)See Spir 8, 13: CCCM 24-2090: Tunc stetit draco ante mulierem, ut cum peperisset, statim devoraret filium eius…
(65)See Note 61. The New Man Christ is the forma and imago according to which the new humanity is to be re-formed. That is to say that the divinity of Christ descendit de caelo is going to embrace all humankind.
(66)See Spir 1, 27: CCCM 24, 1854: Sane cum hie Spiritus sanctus plenus dicitur, eodem dicto nos ad hauriendum invitamur. Item cum dicit ille alius testis pleni huius: Et de plenitudine eius nos omnes accepimus, nos ad accipiendum, nos ad haruienendum provocamur.
(67)See Spir 9, 24: CCCM 24, 2125: Vita igitur illa hic a praedicta resurrectione prima incipitur, quia videlicet nunc in tantum vivimus, in quantum beatam Trinitatem cognoscimus, illic autem in resurrectione secunda perficietur, quando vel ex quo facie ad faciem Deum Patrem et Verbum Patris in corde eius et in came nostra, sanctumque utriusque Spiritum in utroque videbimus. Ipsi gloria et imperium in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
(68)See Spir 1, 2: CCCM 24, 1823: Haec duplex gratia resurrectionis animarum et reovationis corporum. haec gemina resurrectio mortuorum, nunc nobis ruminanda atque tractanda est, in laudem et gloriam eiusedm Spirtus sancti, Det et Domini nostn, cuius emissio per Christum nostras iam animas vivere fecit, et corpora vivificabit (…) inquit apostolus (…) Quod si spiritus eius (Christi) qui suscitavit Iesum a mortuis, habitat in vobis, qui suscitavit Iesum a mortuis, convivificabit et mortalia corpora vestra propter inhabitantem Spiritum eius in vobis.
3. Conclusion
Behind the exegesis of Rupert, there lies a strong historical sense. He constantly, though not explicitly, applied his notion of predestination very concretely to sacred history. From the very beginning God had a plan (propositum) whereby those whom He had called He would also save and exalt (Rm 8:29-30) by way of the Son's incarnation. The Devil sought to frustrate God's plan but without success. God's plan remains unchanged but the Incarnation of the Word had to assume a fallen humanity. To prepare this incarnation God the Father chose the "girl born nude in the dirt of blood" (Ez 16) to be His bride. Thus the conceptio in mente began to take place in the chosen people, and in particular, among the prophets. Just as all Scriptures tend towards Christ the Word, so also alt prophecies converge upon Mary, the "physical" bearer of that Word. In her the plan (propositum) was to be brought to fullness. Thus she became the sponsa Patris. par excellence and at the same time the sacrarium Spiritus sancti.
The use of sacrarium reminds us that the Word, who as the most precious seed is kept in the innermost and heart of the Father Creator, reaches out to humanity through Divine Love, the Holy Spirit. Since humanity was corrupted by sin, the Word goes deep down to its depth (kenosis) in order to renew it completely with the power of the Spirit. In accordance with the saving design of the Father, He took up the human flesh from the virginal immaculate womb. Thus the Virgin Mary becomes an abode in which dwells the divine fecundity, that is, the seed of the Father and the love of the Holy Spirit. From the virgin this fecundity will extend itself to the entire Church, namely, humanity, that she may generate spiritual sons in the Son. The whole incarnation process has still to take place in the Church and in her very heart, namely, the sacrarium spiritus Sancti.
Right at the beginning of the twelfth-century, the Church because of the political situation tended to take up a juridical countenance and the devotion to Mary tended to be isolated from an ecclesial context. Rupert, instead, by way of his lectio divina. following tradition, reminds us that Mary is in the Church, and Church in Mary by virtue of the incarnation of the Word. Her dignity as Mother and Virgin becomes object of our filial veneration and her virtue becomes that of our imitation.