Assumption And Incarnation

In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et in haereditate Domini morabor... De hodierna solemnitate, id est, beatae semper Virginis Assumptione, quid proprie dici queat, difficule invenitur. Patrum namque inclusi limitibus, quos praetergredi probitum est, nihil aliud definire audemus, nisi quod hodierna die, sive cum corpore, sive sine corpore, nescio, Deus scit, non ad tempus rapta, nec ad tertium tantum coelum, si plures sunt coeli; sed ad pepetuam et felicem mansionem, ad summum coelorum coelum assumpta sit. Assumpta quidem ab eo qui de ea carnem susmpsit in terris, cui soli eam subordinaret in coelis. Post ipsum etenim ventris sui fructum sic eam credimus ordinatam in coelis, et locatam, vel si nondum adhuc surrexit, locandam, ut proxime post illius dilectam animam, et ipsius anima disponatur ad sapientiam; et post illius corpus, ipsius quoque corpus ad gloriam. Ipsa ergo jure in generationibus justorum prima residet: quae primogenitum omnium proprie generavit. Ipse quippe primogenitus est in multis fratribus, qui cum esset natura unicus, gratia conciliavit sibi plures, qui cum eo sunt unus. Dedit, enim, potestatem filios Dei fieri, his qui recipiunt eum. O amabilis et admirabilis potestas! O si liceret, et potis esset pauper et ignobilis, locupletem et generosam sibi pro voluntate eligere genitorem; quis non curreret, quis non festinaret ad reges et principes hominum? Et quidam filii Dei fieri possunt, quotquot volunt. Et quare hoc, rogo, nisi quia Filius Dei, fieri pauperis filius voluit, ut sua pauperate multos ditaret? Sed et hoc quis faceret Filius Regis et divitis, ut gratis semetipsum exinaniret; et fieret ipse propter alios filius egeni et ignobilis? Factus autem egenus, quomodo posset alios ditare? Factus ignobilis, quomodo nobilitare? Manens igitur nobilis nollet descendere, factus ignobilis non posset sublimare. Dei vero charitas incomparabilis, et postestas inaestimabilis, quasi et hoc sicut voluit, potuit. Sicut enim, quod stultum est Dei, et quod infirmum est Dei, fortius est hominibus; sic quod egenum est Dei, locupletius est hominibus; et quod ignobile est Dei, nobilius est hominibus. Factus igitur filius pauperis, multos fecit filios divitis; factus filius ancillae, multos fecit filios nobilis; factus denique hominis filius, multos Dei filios. Multos igitur conciliavit sibi, ut dictum est, sua charitate, et potestate unicus, qui cum carnali generatione in seipsis sint plures, divina tamen regenratione cum ipso sunt unus. Unus enim totus ac solus Christi caput et corpus: unus autem is unius Dei in coelis, et unius matris in terris; et multi filii, et unus filius. Sicut namque caput ac membra, unus filius, et plures filii, sic Maria et Ecclesia una mater, et plures; una virgo, et plures. Utraque mater, utraque virgo; utraque de eodem Spiritu sine libidine concipit; utraque Deo Patri sine peccato prolem fundit. Illa absque omni peccato corpori caput peperit; ista in omnium peccatorum remissione capiti corpus edidit. Utraque Christi mater, sed neutra sine altera totum parit. Unde in Scripturis divinitus inspiratis, quod de virgine matre Ecclesia universaliter, hoc de virgine Maria singulariter; et quod de virgine matre Maria specialiter, id de Vigrine matre Ecclesia generaliter jure intelligitur, et cum de alterutra sermo texitur, fere premistim et indifferenter de utraque sententia intelligitur. Unaquaeque etiam fidelis anima, Verbi Dei sponsa, Christi mater, filia, et soror, virgo et fecunda suapte ratione intelligitur. Dicitur ergo universaliter pro Ecclesia, et specialiter pro Maria, singulariter quoque pro fideli anima, ab ipsa Dei sapientia, quod Patris est Verbum. Issac Stellae Sermo LI, In Assumptione Beatae Mariae Source: Migne PL 194.1862a-1863b

In all things I sought rest, and in the inheritance of the Lord I shall dwell... 1 On this solemnity today, that is, on the Assumption of the Blessed virgin Mary, what one is able to say that is fitting, is difficult to discover. For enclosed by the limits set by the Fathers, beyond which to go is prohibited, we do not dare at all to speak, unless that this day, whether in the body, or without the body, God knows, is not a matter of temporary rapture, or of the third heaven only, if there be many heavens, 2 but of assumption to the eternal and blessed mansion in the highest heaven of the heavens. Certainly the Assumption is by Him who from her took up flesh on the earth, Him to whom alone she shall be subordinate in heaven. For after, we believe, that same fruit of her womb established her in heaven, and placed her so, and if not immediately arising to be placed, then near enough after her beloved soul, and His soul, were disposed so in His wisdom, and after her body, as His body in glory. She, therefore, rightly resides in first place among the generations of the righteous, she who gave birth to the first born of all. He is certainly first born of many brothers, He who with his singular nature, by grace conciliated many, who with Him are one. For 'He gave power to be sons of God to those who received Him.' 3 O loveable and admirable power! O, if it were possible and you were able to to choose at your own preference for yourself to be of a poor and ignoble, or of a rich and honourable parent, who would not run, who would not make haste, to the kings and princes of men? And yet they are able to become sons of God, as many who wish it. And why, I ask, unless because the son of God chose to be the son of a poor woman and to enrich many with His poverty? And He who has done this, a son of a king and one who is rich, freely emptied Himself, that he make Himself, for others, poor and ignorable? Made poor, how is he able to make others rich? Made ignoble how does He ennoble? Because if He had remained noble and had been unwilling to descend, He would not have been able to lift up the ignoble. But the incomparable love of God and His inestimable power, did wish this and did do it. So indeed the foolishness of God and the weakness of God is stronger than men, so the poverty of God is more rich than men, and the ignobility of God is more noble than men. 4 So He was made a son of a poor woman, and He made many sons of one who is rich. He was made the son of handmaid, and He made many sons of one who is noble. Finally being made the Son of Man he made many the sons of God. Thus He conciliated many to Himself, as said, with His love, and singular power; those who many in themselves by the generation of the flesh, He with divine regeneration made one with Him. For one and whole and singular is the head and body of Christ; one of the one God of heaven, and of one mother on earth; many sons and yet one Son. Head and members are one Son, and many sons, and so Mary and the Church are one Mother, and many, one Virgin and many. There is both mother and virgin, for both by the Holy Spirt conceive without lust, and both without sin bring forth the child of God the Father. Mary without sin bore the head of the body, The Church by the forgiveness of sins brings forth the body of the head. Both are the mother of Christ, but neither without the other bears at all. Whence in the divinely inspired Scriptures what is said about the virgin mother Church universally is said of the Virgin Mary singularly; and what specifically is understood of the Virgin Mary is rightly undersood of the virgin mother Church wholly, and when the words may refer to one or the other, the meaning is understood to refer to both. And indeed whatever soul is faithful is understood with reason as the bride of the Word Of God, the mother of Christ, as daughter, and sister, virgin and fruitful. What is said, therefore, universally of the Church, specifically of Mary, is singularly also of a faithful soul, by the wisdom of God, which is the Word of the Father. Isaac of Stella, from Sermon 51, On The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 1 Sirach 24.11 2 2 Cor 12.2 3 Jn 1.12 4 1 Cor 1.25