The Perfection of Our Lord Before His Birth

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

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

Therefore, the sanctification of Christ’s human nature included the complete conforming of his human will to the divine will; this act is meritorious; hence, Christ meritedperfectly in the first instant of his conception. And this perfect merit is complete; God made man cannot possibly increase in merit.

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.