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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

34. The Perfection of Our Lord Before His Birth

1. The human soul of Christ was sanctified in the firstinstant of his conception by its union with the Word of God. Fromthe first, Christ as man had the fullness of grace sanctifying bothhis body and his soul.

2. From the first instant of his conception, Christ had aperfect human nature with complete use of reason, that is, withperfect intellect and will.

3. Therefore, the sanctification of Christ's humannature included the complete conforming of his human will to thedivine will; this act is meritorious; hence, Christ meritedperfectly in the first instant of his conception. And this perfectmerit is complete; God made man cannot possibly increasein merit.

4. From the first instant of his conception Christ'shuman nature was taken into the unity of Person. Therefore, fromthe first, Christ wasa comprehensor, that is, he had perfectbeatitude in the possession of the beatific vision of God.

"Obedience is a short cut to perfection."
St Philip Neri

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"The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you."
Thomas á Kempis

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"The one thing necessary which Jesus spoke of to Martha and Mary consists in hearing the word of God and living by it."
R. Garrigou-Lagrange, OP

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