82. Christ's Sanctification and Perfection from Conception

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Immediate Sanctification of Christ #

• Christ possessed the fullness of sanctifying grace in the first instant of conception
• This differs from creatures who receive grace through temporal process
• Sanctification derives from the hypostatic union of Christ’s human nature with the divine Word
• Christ was sanctified not from sin (he never sinned) but from privation—from not being human before conception

The Nature of Sanctification (Sanctificatio) #

• Definition: To become holy (sanctificari = to be made holy)
• Sanctification can proceed from two sources:
  • From sin as its contrary (as in conversion of sinners)
  • From privation in a negative sense (lacking something, as in Christ)
• Augustine’s distinction: Christ is born holy, whereas other humans are born and then later sanctified
• The text of John 1:14 emphasizes Christ’s fullness: “full of grace and truth”

Perfect vs. Imperfect Operations #

• Imperfect operation (actus imperfectus): Motion; incomplete by nature (e.g., walking home—while walking, one has not yet walked home)
• Perfect operation (actus perfectus): Complete in the instant of performance (e.g., understanding, willing, loving)
  • When understanding the Pythagorean theorem, one has understood it
  • When loving one’s wife, the act is perfected immediately
• Aristotle’s doctrine: Perfect operations are unlike motions because they are complete when performed

Free Will in the First Instant #

• The use of free will (liberum arbitrium) is a perfect operation, completable in an instant
• Deliberation (consilium) is required only when facing uncertainty about the good
• Christ possessed fullness of truth and grace, so no prior deliberation was necessary
• Upon animation of his body and possession of his rational soul, Christ could immediately exercise his will
• Christ could merit from the first instant through his human will, moved by grace

The Problem of “Animal Before Spiritual” #

• Objection cites 1 Corinthians 15: “Not before what is spiritual, but what is animal”
• This principle applies to creatures progressing toward perfection, not to the incarnation
• The incarnation is characterized by descent of divine fullness, not ascent of human nature
• Therefore, Christ possessed perfect spirituality from the beginning

Christ’s Humanity as Tool (Instrumentum) of Divinity #

• Christ’s humanity functions as a joined tool of his divinity, like the hand to the soul
• A tool is a “moved mover” (motor motum)—it moves other things while being moved by the principal agent
• Christ’s humanity is both sanctifying (sanctificans) and sanctified (sanctificata)
• This is analogous to the union of soul and body, but more accurately understood through the analogy of tool

Key Arguments #

Against Immediate Sanctification (Objections) #

1. 1 Corinthians 15 order: The spiritual comes after the animal, suggesting gradual development

   • Response: This applies to creatures in process, not to the incarnation, which is divine descent

2. Sanctification from sin: Sanctification normally means being freed from sin, which doesn’t apply to Christ

   • Response: Sanctification means becoming holy, which can proceed from privation (not having holiness) rather than from sin

3. Self-sanctification problem: The Word through which all things are made is not self-made (Augustine), so Christ shouldn’t be sanctified

   • Response: Christ’s humanity is a tool of his divinity—both sanctifying and sanctified in different respects

On Free Will and Merit #

• Objection: Choice requires deliberation; Christ couldn’t choose without prior deliberation

  • Response: Deliberation is necessary only when facing uncertainty; Christ possessed certitude of all truth

• Objection: Bodily organs weren’t fully developed in the first instant of conception

  • Response: Perfect operations like understanding and willing don’t depend on external sense organs; Christ’s infused knowledge transcended the need for sensory imaging

• Note: Christ could exercise the sense of touch from the first instant, as the fetus in the womb possesses touch before a rational soul

Important Definitions #

Sanctificatio (Sanctification) #

• The process of becoming holy
• Proceeds from privation, not merely from sin
• In Christ: becoming a holy man, though never a sinful man, from the moment he became human

Actus Perfectus vs. Actus Imperfectus #

• Actus perfectus: Operations complete in themselves in an instant (understanding, willing, loving)
• Actus imperfectus: Operations incomplete by nature, progressing in time (motion, generation)

Liberum Arbitrium (Free Will) #

• The faculty of will and reason together
• Its use is a perfect operation completable in an instant
• Requires certitude about the good, not necessarily prior deliberation

Hypostatica Unio (Hypostatic Union) #

• The union of Christ’s human nature with the divine person of the Word
• Source of Christ’s sanctifying grace
• Basis for Christ’s perfections from conception

Instrumentum (Tool/Instrument) #

• Christ’s humanity functions as a joined tool of his divinity
• An instrument both moves and is moved (motor motum)
• Enables finite human nature to participate in infinite divine operations

Examples & Illustrations #

Perfect Operations Complete in an Instant #

• Understanding: When I understand the Pythagorean theorem, I have understood it (not “I am understanding it”)
• Willing: When Christ wills something, he has willed it immediately
• Seeing a painting: Have I seen it yet? Yes, in the instant of seeing

Imperfect Operations Incomplete in Time #

• Walking home: While walking home, I haven’t yet walked home; it’s an incomplete motion
• Cooking meat: Heating takes succession of time to cook the meat properly
• Conception: Physical generation proceeds through temporal succession

The Blind Man Illuminated #

• A blind man given sight sees naturally through visual power, even though he received it miraculously
• Similarly, Christ exercises natural human operations (willing, understanding) even though received miraculously through incarnation

Sense in the Womb #

• The fetus possesses the sense of touch in the womb before acquiring a rational soul
• Christ, having a rational soul from conception, possessed sensory capability from that instant
• Infants recognize their mother’s voice and familiar sounds before birth

Heavenly Bodies’ Motion #

• The motion of heavenly bodies is natural from the matter’s perspective (aptitude for motion)
• But voluntary from the mover’s perspective (angels cause the motion)
• Requires distinction between patient and agent

Questions Addressed #

Question 1: Was Christ Sanctified in the First Instant of Conception? #

Answer: Yes. Because Christ’s human nature was immediately united to the divine Word in the hypostatic union, and this union is the source of sanctifying grace, Christ possessed the fullness of grace from the first instant. The fullness of grace derives from the Word, who is “full of grace and truth.” Christ was made holy not from the privation of sin (he never sinned) but from the privation of not being human (before conception).

Question 2: Did Christ Have the Use of Free Will in the First Instant? #

Answer: Yes. The use of free will is a perfect operation (like understanding) that is complete when performed in an instant, unlike imperfect operations (like motion). Christ, possessing fullness of truth and sanctifying grace from conception, possessed certitude about the good and could immediately exercise his will without requiring prior deliberation. His rational soul was present from the first instant with his body, enabling the operation of will.