VIRTUES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Christ excelled the Blessed Virgin in this, that He was conceived and born 

without original sin, while the Blessed Virgin was conceived in original 

sin, but was not born in it. She exercised the works of all the virtues, 

whereas the Saints are conspicuous for the exercise of certain special 

virtues. Thus, one excelled in humility, another in chastity, another in 

mercy, to the extent that they are the special exemplars of these virtues - 

as, for example, St. Nicholas is an exemplar of the virtue of mercy. The 

Blessed Virgin is the exemplar of all the virtues.

In her is the fullness of the virtue of humility: "Behold the handmaid of 

the Lord." And again: "He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid." 

So she is also exemplar of the virtue of chastity: "Because I know not 

man." And thus it is with all the virtues, as is evident. Mary was full 

of grace not only in the performance of all good, but also in the avoidance 

of all evil. Again, the Blessed Virgin was full of grace in the overflowing 

effect of this grace upon her flesh or body. For while it is a great thing 

in the Saints that the abundance of grace sanctified their souls, yet, 

moreover, the soul of the holy Virgin was so filled with grace that from 

her soul grace poured into her flesh from which was conceived the Son of 

God. Hugh of St. Victor says of this: "Because the love of the Holy Spirit 

so inflamed her soul, He worked a wonder in her flesh, in that from it was 

born God made Man." "And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of 

thee shall be called the Son of God."