felt no
contagion of earthly corruption, whose birth was wondrously
immaculate" (Ambrose, on Luke 2:23).

Reply Obj. 2: As the Son of God "became man, and was circumcised in
the flesh, not for His own sake, but that He might make us to be
God's through grace, and that we might be circumcised in the spirit;
so, again, for our sake He was presented to the Lord, that we may
learn to offer ourselves to God" [*Athanasius, on Luke 2:23]. And
this was done after His circumcision, in order to show that "no one
who is not circumcised from vice is worthy of Divine regard" [*Bede,
on Luke 2:23].

Reply Obj. 3: For this very reason He wished the legal victims to be
offered for Him who was the true Victim, in order that the figure
might be united to and confirmed by the reality, against those who
denied that in the Gospel Christ preached the God of the Law. "For we
must not think," says Origen (Hom. xiv in Luc.) "that the good God
subjected His Son to the enemy's law, which He Himself had not given."

Reply Obj. 4: The law of Lev. 12:6, 8 "commanded those who could, to
offer, for a son or a daughter, a lamb and also a turtle dove or a
pigeon: but those who were unable to offer a lamb were commanded to
offer two turtle doves or two young pigeons" [*Bede, Hom. xv in
Purif.]. "And so the Lord, who, 'being rich, became poor for our
[Vulg.: 'your'] sakes, that through His poverty we [you] might be
rich," as is written 2 Cor. 8:9, "wished the poor man's victim to be
offered for Him" just as in His birth He was "wrapped in swaddling
clothes and laid in a manger" [*Bede on Luke 1]. Nevertheless, these
birds have a figurative sense. For the turtle dove, being a
loquacious bird, represents the preaching and confession of faith;
and because it is a chaste animal, it signifies chastity; and being a
solitary animal, it signifies contemplation. The pigeon is a gentle
and simple animal, and therefore signifies gentleness and simplicity.
It is also a gregarious animal; wherefore it signifies the active
life. Consequently this sacrifice signified the perfection of Christ
and His members. Again, "both these animals, by the plaintiveness of
their song, represented the mourning of the saints in this life: but
the turtle dove, being solitary, signifies the tears of prayer;
whereas the pigeon, being gregarious, signifies the public prayers of
the Church" [*Bede, Hom. xv in Purif.]. Lastly, two of each of these
animals are offered, to show that holine