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Choose a topic from Part 3a:

• The Incarnation
• Our Blessed Lady
• Our Lord Jesus Christ
  • 31. Our Lord's Body
  • 32. The Conception of Christ
  • 33. The Mode of Our Lord's Conception
  • 34. The Perfection of Our Lord Before His Birth
  • 35. The Nativity of Christ
  • 36. The Manifestation of the New-Born Christ
  • 37. Legal Observances Regarding the Christ Child
  • 38. The Baptism of St. John the Baptist
  • 39. The Baptizing of Christ by St. John the Baptist
  • 40. Our Lord's Life
  • 41. The Temptation in the Desert
  • 42. The Preaching of Christ
  • 43. The Miracles of Christ: In General
  • 44. Miracles of Christ: In Particular
  • 45. The Transfiguration
  • 46. The Passion of Christ
  • 47. The Effecting Cause of the Passion
  • 48. The Efficacy of the Passion of Christ
  • 49. Actual Effects of the Passion of Christ
  • 50. The Death of Our Lord
  • 51. The Burial of Our Lord
  • 52. The Descent Into Hell
  • 53. The Resurrection
  • 54. The Risen Christ
  • 55. The Manifestation of the Risen Christ
  • 56. Causal Power of the Resurrection
  • 57. The Ascension
  • 58. Our Lord at the Father's Right Hand
  • 59. Our Lord's Power as Judge
• The Sacraments in General
• Baptism
• Confirmation
• The Holy Eucharist
• Penance

32. The Conception of Christ

1. The whole Trinity effected the conception of ourLord's body. But in a special way the conception is attributedto the Holy Ghost. For Christ came because of God's great lovefor mankind. Scripture says (John 3:16): "God so loved theworld as to give his only-begotten son." Hence, it is rightthat the conception of our Lord should be attributed to the Spiritof Love, that is, God the Holy Ghost.

2. We rightly say that Christ was conceived of the HolyGhost. This suggests that the Holy Ghost is the active principle ofthe conceiving, and also that the One conceived is consubstantialwith its active principle.

3. However, it is not right to say that the Holy Ghost isthe father of Christ. St. Augustine (Enchir. xl) says,"Christ was born of the Holy Ghost, not as a son; he was bornof Mary as a son." In his eternal personality, Christ is theSon of God by the eternal generation of the Father. He, therefore,is eternally the Son of God; he was not made the Son of God bybecoming man under the active power of the Holy Ghost.

4. In the conceiving of Christ, the Blessed Mother had noactive part to play beyond cooperating by giving consent thatGod's willshould be accomplished in her. And Mary didcooperate in God's will and work: "Be it done to me,"she said to the angelic messenger, "according to thyword."

"God has no need of men."
St Philip Neri

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"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel."
Thomas á Kempis

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