Blessed is the fruit of your womb!, Mary: Day 199

Blessed is the fruit of your womb!

St. Thomas Aquinas carefully examines, in his usual systematic way, the meaning of St. Elizabeth’s declaration: “Blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

The sinner sometimes seeks in a thing what he cannot obtain there, while the righteous man obtains it. Thus Eve sought in the fruit, but did not find there, all the things that she desired. But the Blessed Virgin finds in her fruit, Jesus, everything that Eve desired. For Eve desired three things from the fruit.

The first was what the Devil falsely promised her, that they would be as gods, knowing good and evil (see Gn 3:5). And he lies because he is a liar, and the father of lies. Eve was not made like God when she ate the fruit, but instead she was made unlike God, because by sinning she lost her salvation from God and was expelled from paradise. But this is precisely what the Blessed Virgin and all Christians find in the fruit of her womb, because by Christ they are united with and made like God (see 1 Jn 3:2).

The second thing that Eve desired in the fruit was pleasure, because it was good to eat. But she did not find it and immediately knew that she was naked, and felt sorrow instead. In the fruit of the Virgin, however, we find sweetness and salvation.

Third, the fruit of Eve was beautiful in appearance. But more beautiful is the fruit of the Virgin on whom the angels desire to gaze, because he is the splendor of his Father’s glory.

Eve could not find in her fruit what no sinner can find in his sin. Therefore, what we desire, we should seek in the fruit of the Virgin Mary. Here is a fruit blessed by God, because he has so filled him with every grace that it comes to us by showing him reverence. The Virgin is blessed, but far more blessed is the fruit of her womb, Jesus. —St. Thomas Aquinas, “On the Angelic Salutation”

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Have you found it to be true in your experience that “the sinner sometimes seeks in a thing what he cannot obtain there, while the righteous man obtains it”? What examples of this principle would you offer?

CLOSING PRAYER
From the Salve Regina: Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

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