Chapter XVI WHO AND WHAT WAS THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB OF BLESSED MARY

Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. It has been shown above how Mary, because of the innocence of her life, is rightly saluted by the Ave; how because of the abundance of her grace, she is called full of grace; how because of the familiar presence of God with her it is said that the Lord is with her. We have now to show how, because of the most useful excellence of her Child, the Fruit of her womb is called blessed. Blessed, therefore, is the Fruit of thy womb, O Blessed Mother of the Son of God ! This is that Fruit of which the Prophet saith: "The Lord will give benignity, and our earth will give its fruit." Commenting on this passage, Bede says: "The Lord gave benignity, because, by the entrance of His Only Begotten Son, He consecrated by the grace of the Holy Ghost the temple of the virginal womb. And our earth will give its fruit, because the same Virgin, who had her body from the earth, brought forth a Son, co-equal indeed in divinity with God the Father, but in the reality of His Flesh consubstantial with her." We have to consider, that this Fruit is a most well-born Fruit, a most delicious Fruit, a most virtuous and most abundant Fruit. A Fruit, I say, most sublime in being well-born, most desirable in delight, most useful in virtue, most universal in its abundance.

First, consider how the Fruit of the virginal womb is most well-born. It is well-born, because it is from a regal womb; it is more well-born because it is from a virginal womb; but it is without doubt most wellborn because it is from the paternal womb, that is, from the womb of the Eternal Father. I say that this Fruit is well-born because it proceeds from a regal womb, that is, from the womb of King David, as the Lord had promised him, saying in the Psalm: "Of the fruit of thy womb I will place upon the throne." The Apostle bears witness to this in his letter to the Romans: "Who was made from the seed of David according to the flesh." Without doubt this Fruit is well-born and noble, not only because of King David, but because of all those noble kings, his progenitors, by whom, according to the genealogy described by Matthew, He came into this world, according to that word of Wisdom: "He came from a royal throne" (Wisd. XVIII, 15.) Again, this Fruit, although it is well-born because of the regal womb, is even more well-born because of the virginal womb, of which it is said: "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb," of that womb which, according to what is signified by the rod of Aaron, retained the flower of virginity together with the fruit of fecundity. Therefore, St. Bernard says: "Christ is born of a woman, but one to whom the fruit of fecundity came in such a manner that the flower of virginity did not fall." This nobility of the virginal fruit, as it is more wonderful, so it is also more excellent than the former, as far as the heavens are above the earth. O truly wonderful and unheard-of nobility! O truly noble birth from the Virgin! "The nobility of the Child was in the virginity which brought Him forth," says St. Augustine, "and the nobility of the parent was in the Divinity of the Child." Again, this Fruit is well- born because of the regal womb which bore it; more well-born because the womb was virginal; most well-born of all, because of its fatherhood. We can understand of this Fruit that word of Osee: "From me is thy fruit found to be" (Osee XIV, 9.3 The original text has "thy," but the Septuagint has "hers." Let God the Father, therefore, say to Mary: let Him say to the faithful soul, let Him say to the Church: "From Me is thy fruit." Thine, O Mary, chosen to produce this fruit; thine, O soul, who art drawn to love this Fruit; thine, O Church, gathered together to partake of this Fruit. Thine, without doubt in the body by the nature He assumed; thine spiritually by grace; thine sacramentally by the Eucharist; thine eternally by glory. But it is of me that He is thine, because He was begotten from my womb, as it is written in the Psalm: "From the womb, before the day-star I have begotten thee." O truly wonderful and venerable nobility, that the fruit of the maternal womb is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Wisdom of the paternal Heart, as St. Bernard says of this Fruit: "O Mary, thou wilt be the Mother of Him whose Father is God; the Son of the paternal love will be the crown of thy chastity; the Wisdom of the paternal heart will be the fruit of the virginal womb." The nobility of this most well-born fruit precedes in dignity the first and the second in an infinite degree, and exceeds by its sublimity every intellect, both human and angelic. Well, therefore, is it said of this fruit by Isaias: "There will be a bud of the Lord in magnificence and glory, and a sublime fruit of the earth"; in magnificence, because of the regal dignity; in glory, because of the virginal dignity; and it will be sublime, because of the eternal or paternal generosity.

Secondly, let us consider how the Fruit of the virginal womb is most delightful. It is delightful in smell, more delightful in appearance, but most delightful in savor. Its beauty is in faith, its odor in hope. We perceive its beauty by faith, its fragrance by hope, its savor by charity. I say that the Fruit of Mary is delightful by its sweet fragrance. Therefore, the Mother of this Fruit can well say with Ecclesiasticus: "I like a vine have borne a fruit of sweetness of odor." The fruit of the vine is the Child of the Virgin. But what is truly wonderful, and wonderfully true, as says St. Augustine, speaking of this fruit: "The Creator of all things is born of a creature, a great fountain flows from a little rill, the root of all things springs from its stem, and the true vine is the fruit of its own branch." The fruit of the vine is wine; the smell of wine is delightful. So without doubt the fragrance of the examples of Christ, the fragrance of the consolations of Christ, the fragrance of promises of Christ, is most delightful to the soul that thirsts for Christ. And, therefore, as the smell of wine draws one who thirsts, so does the odor of Christ draw one who runs and says: "Draw me after thee," etc. That we miserable ones do not run, but creep, is a sign that we little relish the sweet odor of this Fruit. Oh, that we had Isaac's sense of smell, who perceived the odor of this divine fruit from such a distance; as St. Bernard says: "He perceived the fragrance of this sweet-smelling fruit, who said: Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a full field, which the Lord hath blessed." Again, this Fruit is not only delightful to the sense of smell, but it is more delightful in beauty and fairness. Note on this point what is said in Leviticus: "Ye shall take on the first day the fruit of the most fair tree." The first day illumining the soul is faith. And certainly, if we ought to eat the Fruit of the most beautiful tree, that most fair tree is Mary; fair indeed in the leaves of the words of her mouth; fairer in the flowers of her heart; fairest of all in the most beautiful Fruit of her womb. Of which St. Bernard well says: "If that fruit of death was not only sweet to the palate, but also, according to Scripture, 'delightful to behold'; how much more should we seek the vivifying beauty of this life-giving Fruit, on which the angels long to look? Christ indeed is a beautiful Fruit, beautiful in form above the sons of men." But if we wish to appreciate more fully the beauty of this Fruit, let us have recourse to the beautiful tree itself, let us seek that most beautiful Mother herself, and let us speak to her that word of the Canticle: "What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful of women?" And behold she will at once answer: "My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen from thousands." He, the brightness of eternal light, is indeed white in His divinity, but ruddy in His humanity, white in His life, ruddy in His Passion. Behold how beautiful is this Fruit! Well, therefore, doth St. Augustine say of Him: "Beautiful in Heaven, beautiful on earth, beautiful as the Word in the Father, beautiful in His Mother as the Word and as Flesh" And this most beautiful tree, Mary, has not only the most beautiful Fruit of the womb, but also the most beautiful Fruit of the mind. Of these fruits the Apostle, writing to the Galatians, says: "The fruit of the spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continence, and chastity." Again, this fruit is not only delightful in fragrance, and more delightful in beauty, but it is also most delicious in savor. This was felt by that holy soul who says: "I sat under the shadow of Him whom I desired, and His fruit was sweet to my palate." What wonder if this Fruit is so sweet, which is also so high? For St. Bernard says: "The higher a fruit is, the sweeter it is." Therefore, thou alone art most sweet, because thou alone art Most High. But how can that fruit be most high, whose tree is most short? But without doubt this tree, which is Mary, is at the same time most high and most short. She is most high in dignity, most lowly in humility; most high in the eyes of the Lord, most lowly in her own; although in this manner she is lowly, her fruit is nevertheless exceedingly sweet. Therefore is it said in Ecclesiasticus: "The bee is small among flying things, but her fruit hath the chiefest sweetness" (XI, 3.) If, therefore, the fruit of Mary is most delicious in fragrance, in appearance, and in savor, therefore is it truly blessed, as St. Bernard testifies, saying: "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb": blessed in smell, blessed in savor, blessed in beauty.

Thirdly, consider that the fruit of the virginal womb is most powerful. It has great power to save the lost, to multiply the number of those who are to be saved, and to preserve this great number. I say that this blessed fruit is powerful to save, or powerful unto salvation, and for this reason it is called the Fruit of salvation. Ecclesiasticus says: "The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, filling with peace and the fruit of salvation." Why does he say, peace and fruit? The fruit of our salvation and our peace is He who maketh both one, Jesus Christ. And certainly, the fear of the Lord did fill this fruit, this peace, as Isaias says: "And He was filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord." Well is He called the Fruit of salvation, without whom we have no salvation, according to that word: "There is no salvation in any other." And St. Anselm says: "There is no salvation except Him whom thou, O Virgin, hast brought forth." Thou, therefore, O Mary, art truly the tree of salvation, who hast borne for the world the Fruit of salvation, as St. Bernard says: "O truly celestial plant, more precious than all, more holy than all ! O truly a tree of life, which alone was worthy to bear the fruit of salvation!" But, alas, there are many who make this life-giving fruit one of death; they turn this fruit, which is so sweet, so to speak, into an eternal wormwood for themselves, as it is said in Amos: "Ye have turned judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of justice into wormwood." Again, this fruit is exceedingly powerful, not only with a saving power, but with a multiplying power. We could explain it well perhaps by that word which is written, "By the fruit of their wheat, wine and oil they are multiplied," if we say that the wheat is the Body of Christ, the oil the soul of Christ, and the wine the Divinity of Christ. We can see in the fruit of the wheat the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, in the fruit of the wine the Blood of Christ in the Sacrament, and in the fruit of the oil the unction of the Holy Spirit. By this fruit sons are multiplied to the Church, and the Church is multiplied in sons. For all the sons of the womb of the Church are the inheritance and the fruit of the womb of Mary, as it is said in the Psalm: "Behold, the inheritance of the Lord is sons, the fruit of the womb." Of this St. Jerome says: "The Lord Himself, born of the Virgin, became the fruit of the womb, whose assumed humanity obtained this reward, that the nations called to be His sons should be His inheritance." Again, this blessed fruit is powerful not only in its salvific virtue, not only more powerful by its multiplying power, but also most powerful by its preserving virtue. Of this fruit we may understand that word of the Proverbs: "The fruit of the just is the tree of life." For, as the tree of life, which was in the middle of the earthly paradise, had power to preserve the life of nature, so without doubt the fruit of Mary's womb, which is the Tree and the Fruit of Life, in the midst of the Paradise of the Church, preserves the life of grace; in the midst of the Paradise of the heavenly life, preserves the life of glory. It preserves the life of grace from the corruption of guilt, and the life of glory from the corruption of every misery, that so we may receive in the fruit of Mary what we lost in the fruit of Adam and Eve, as Bede well says: "Blessed is the fruit of the womb of her by whom we have received the fruit of the seed of incorruption in the field of the eternal inheritance, which we had lost in Adam." Let, therefore, the fruit of Mary by spiritually giving salvation, by universally multiplying those who are to be saved, by eternally preserving those who are multiplied, be most powerful.

Fourthly, consider how the fruit of the virginal womb is most abundant. It is, in fact, so abundant that it can abundantly refresh the soul; it is so abundant that it can suffice for all; it is so abundant that it can never fail. In the first it is abundant; in the second it is more abundant; in the third it is most abundant of all. I say that this blessed Fruit is so abundant that it can refresh to satiety the rational soul, which the whole world and every creature cannot satisfy. Therefore it is written: "Of the fruit of thy works the earth shall be filled" (Ps. CIII, 13.) The fruit of the womb of Mary is the fruit of thy works, O Lord: indeed, of Thine, not of human beings, not of mortals, but of Thine. Thine, O Lord, is the work of the preparation of so much power; Thy work is the mission of Gabriel; the supervention of the Holy Ghost is Thy work; the union of the Word with Flesh is Thy work. Of such works of Thine, O Lord, is this fruit, because from such works proceeded this fruit, as it were from flowers. Therefore aptly did these flowers appear in Nazareth, which is interpreted as "flower." For St. Bernard says: "In Nazareth is it announced that Christ will be born, because of the flower is hoped the coming of the fruit." The earth which is filled with this fruit is human nature, which, like the earth, is ever ready to germinate either useful or noxious plants, that is, thoughts and desires. This earth, I say, is filled with the fruit of Mary, as is written: "I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear." What wonder if those enjoying this fruit in glory are satisfied, when even those in misery here below are satisfied in believing in it! Therefore Cassiodorus cries out: "Oh, that wonderful Fruit, which has satisfied the human race in sweet belief !" Not to taste of it is to sin. See, therefore, how abundant this Fruit is, which can satisfy the soul, which the whole world cannot satisfy. Again, this Fruit, this blessed Fruit, is not only so abundant that it can fully refresh the insatiable soul, but it is also so abundant that it can well suffice for the whole number of those who are to be saved. Hence it is the fruit of that glorious tree of which it is said: "Its fruit was exceeding much; and in it was food for all" (Dan. IV, 9), certainly for all those who live in the Lord, those who rest and those who rise again, as it may be beautifully signified in Leviticus, where it says: "I will give you my blessing in the sixth year, and it will bring forth the fruit of three years" (Lev. XXV, 21) The sixth year signifies the sixth age, the seventh the seventh age, and the eighth the eighth. This sixth year is the year of fullness, according to the Apostle: "But when the fullness of time was come, God sent His Son," etc. This year, therefore, brought forth the Fruit, the Son of God--a Fruit so abundant, that by it, in the sixth year of the living, in the seventh year of the dead, and in the eighth year of those rising again, we have all the fruit of our souls. He, therefore, is the Fruit sufficing to the universality of souls, because it is the Lord who suffices to all creatures. This indeed is the Fruit of the womb of Mary, as St. Augustine testifies, saying: "This Virgin was prevented and filled by a singular grace, that she might have Him for the fruit of her womb, whom from the beginning all things had as their Lord." Again, this blessed Fruit is not only abundant in this that it can fill to repletion all souls who are to be refreshed; it is not only more abundant in this that it can satisfy all the souls who need to be refreshed; but it is also most abundant in this that it can never fail in satisfying souls and angels, according to that word of Ezechiel, "Its fruit shall not fail" (Ezech. XLVII, 12.) O infinite abundance! O abundance which knows no defect ! The abundance of this Fruit can never fail, for it is most abundantly blessed forever. St. Bernard says: "Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, who is blessed forever." Thus this blessed fruit is abundant, for it refreshes unto complete satisfaction; it is more abundant, because it suffices to the whole multitude of those who are to be fed upon it; it is most abundant because it never fails those who feed upon it, nor ever will for all eternity. You see now, O reader, O hearer, how exceedingly well-born, how exceedingly delicious, how exceedingly abundant is the blessed Fruit of the womb of Mary. You see, I say, how it is well-born because it is from a regal womb, more well-born because it is from a virginal womb, most well- born from its paternal origin. You see also how it is delightful in smell, more delightful in beauty, and most delightful of all in savor. You see how powerful it is to heal, more powerful in multiplying, most powerful of all in preserving. You see, moreover, how it is abundant to satisfy, more abundant in its universality, most abundant in its perpetuity. These twelve conditions or qualities of this Fruit may be signified by those twelve fruits of which it is said in the Apocalypse, that the angel showed John a tree of life bearing twelve fruits. And because this Fruit, the Fruit of life, the tree of life, is produced for the life of all men, therefore it is fitting and right that all men should praise the Maker of this Fruit in the words of the Psalm: "Let all peoples praise thee, O God, let all peoples praise thee; the earth hath given its fruit" (Ps. LXVI, 7.) O blessed Mother of this blessed Fruit, grant us that we may enjoy this fruit forever, by the same Fruit, Jesus Christ Our Lord, thy Son. Amen.