of Christ which
was the operation of the Holy Ghost. And in respect of this, it may be
said that He purified her entirely from the fomes.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 27, Art. 4]

Whether by Being Sanctified in the Womb the Blessed Virgin Was
Preserved from All Actual Sin?

Objection 1: It would seem that by being sanctified in the womb the
Blessed Virgin was not preserved from all actual sin. For, as we have
already stated (A. 3), after her first sanctification the fomes
remained in the Virgin. Now the motion of the fomes, even if it
precede the act of the reason, is a venial sin, albeit extremely
slight, as Augustine says in his work De Trinitate [*Cf. Sent. ii, D,
24]. Therefore there was some venial sin in the Blessed Virgin.

Obj. 2: Further, Augustine (Qq. Nov. et Vet. Test. lxxiii on Luke
2:35: "Thy own soul a sword shall pierce") says that the Blessed
Virgin "was troubled with wondering doubt at the death of our Lord."
But doubt in matters of faith is a sin. Therefore the Blessed Virgin
was not preserved from all actual sin.

Obj. 3: Further, Chrysostom (Hom. xlv in Matth.) expounding the text:
"Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee,"
says: "It is clear that they did this from mere vain glory." Again,
on John 2:3: "They have no wine," the same Chrysostom says that "she
wished to do them a favor, and raise herself in their esteem, by
means of her Son: and perchance she succumbed to human frailty, just
as did His brethren when they said: 'Manifest Thyself to the world.'"
And a little further on he says: "For as yet she did not believe in
Him as she ought." Now it is quite clear that all this was sinful.
Therefore the Blessed Virgin was not preserved from all sin.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Nat. et Grat. xxxvi): "In the
matter of sin, it is my wish to exclude absolutely all questions
concerning the holy Virgin Mary, on account of the honor due to
Christ. For since she conceived and brought forth Him who most
certainly was guilty of no sin, we know that an abundance of grace
was given her that she might be in every way the conqueror of sin."

_I answer that,_ God so prepares and endows those, whom He chooses
for some particular office, that they are rendered capable of
fulfilling it, according to 2 Cor. 3:6: "(Who) hath made us fit
ministers of the New Testament." Now the Blessed Virgin was chosen by
God to be His Mother. Therefore there can be no do