A Great Mystery And Sign

Magnum mysterium, dilectissimi fratres, magnum divinae dilectionis indicium. Homo Deum contemnens a Deo discessit, Deus hominem diligens ad homines venit. Dilexit impium, ut faceret justum; dilexit infirmum, ut faceret sanum; dilexit perversum, ut faceret rectum; dilexit mortuum, ut faceret vivum. Et quid amplius dicam? quandoquidem Deus unigenitus humanam naturam tantum dilexit, ut eam non solum a potestate mali angeli liberaret, verum etiam in seipso super omnes bonos angelos in Patris dextera collocaret. Natura enim quae in primo homine a malo angelo captivata fuerat, ipsa nunc in secundo homine super omnes bonos angelos regnat. Natura quae in primo homine mundum peccato polluit, ipsa in secundo homine mundum a peccato mundavit. Primus homo de terra terrenus, secundus homo de coelo coelestis. Primum hominem mulier corrupta mente decepit, secundum hominem virgo incorrupta virginitate concepit. In primi hominis conjuge nequitia diaboli seductam depravavit mentem, in secundi autem hominis matre gratia Dei et mentem integram servavit et carnem: menti contulit firmissimam fidem, carni abstulit omnino libidinem. Quoniam igitur miserabiliter pro peccato damnatus est homo, ideo sine peccato mirabiliter natus est Deus homo. Sanctus Fulgentius Ruspensis, Sermo II, De duplici Nativitate Christi , una aeterna ex Patre, altera temporali ex Virgine Source: Migne PL 65.728b-c

It is a great mystery, brothers, it is a great sign of Divine love. Man scorning God is cut off from God, God loving men comes to men. God loved the wicked man so that he might make him righteous, He loved the sick man so that He might make him well, He loved the depraved man so that He might make him upright, he loved the dead man so that He might make him live. What more shall I say? The only begotten God loved human nature so much that not only did He liberate it from the power of the evil angel, but truly in Himself He gathered it to the right hand of the Father above all the angels. For the nature that was in the first man was made captive by the wicked angel, now by the second men rules over all the angels. The nature in the first man that befouled the world with sin, was that which in the second man cleansed the world of sin. 'The first man from earth, earthly, the second man from heaven, heavenly.' 1 The woman deceived the first man with a corrupted mind, an uncorrupted virgin conceived the second with her virginity. The wickedness of the devil depraved a seduced mind with the erring spouse of the first man, the grace of God guarded the mind and flesh of the mother of the second man, bringing firm faith to the mind and casting off all carnal desire. Because, then, man was wretchedly damned for sin, thus the God man was wonderfully born without sin. Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, from Sermon 2, On The Twofold Nativity of Christ, One Eternal from the Father, and One Temporal from the Virgin 1 1 Cor 15.47