On Thu, 10 Jul 1997, Carol Symes wrote:
> I don't have an auctoritas handy, but I had always taken those beams of
> light (pointing to the BVM's ear, rather than to her head) to be
> representative of the "Word made Flesh" in Mary's womb; that upon hearing
> the word of God from the mouth of Gabriel she immediately conceived. The
> Physiologus (13th c.) picked up on the aural conception theme and
> attributes this genetive trait to either the weasel or the hyena, I forget
> which - in pious emulation, of course.
In the background of this image is perhaps a favourite idea of Augustine,
that the Virgin conceived by faith (through hearing):
Enarr. in psalmos 67:21
illa uirgo christum non carnaliter concupiscendo sed spiritaliter
credendo concepit
Sermo 69; PL 38:442
non enim uirgo libidine, sed fide concepit
Sermo 196; PL 38:1019
angelus nuntiat, uirgo audit, credit, et concipit. fides in mente,
christus in uentre
Sermo 223; PL 38:1114
uirgo ergo maria non concubuit et concepit, sed credidit et concepit
De pecc. meritis 1.29.57; CSEL 60:57
solus sine peccato natus est, quem sine uirili complexu non concupiscentia
carnis, sed oboedientia mentis uirgo concepit
A striking text possibly even more to the point is Augustine's comment on
Luke 11:27-28 ("A certain woman from the crowd called out, Blessed is the
womb that bore you and the breasts that gave you suck. But he said,
Blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it") in Sermo
72A; MiAg 1 (1930) 162-163:
inde ergo et maria beata, quia audiuit uerbum dei, et custodiuit: plus
mente custodiuit ueritatem, quam utero carnem. ueritas christus in mente
mariae, caro christus in uentre mariae; plus est quod est in mente, quam
quod portatur in uentre
--
Paul Chandler || Yarra Theological Union
[log in to unmask] || Melbourne College of Divinity
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