Alberti Magni Opera Omnia, Vol. XXXVII

mediatrix reconciled the whole world to herself, and through whom, as through a medium most closely joined to Him, every good flowed, and introduced the whole human race through herself, as through the gates of heaven, into the highest familiarity of God the Father, and through this, she joined God Himself with man most familiarly into one person. All these things are announced in this annunciation. Therefore, it ought most appropriately to have been done through the Thrones.

§ IX.

However, it seems that it ought to have been done through the Cherubim, as is evident:

1. Through the properties posited by blessed Bernard, who says: "Let us think of the Cherubim as drawing from the very fountain of wisdom from the mouth of the Most High, and pouring back the streams of knowledge to all their citizens." St. Bernard, On Consideration, Book V, Chapter 4. Since, therefore, the first filling of the fountain is announced here, which grew into a great and most great river, whose rush makes glad the city of God, inasmuch as He is full of grace and truth, from whose fullness we all have received John 1:14 and 16—nay, the very Son of God, who is the power and wisdom of God, in whom all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God are hidden—it is manifest, therefore, that this annunciation pertains to the Cherubim.

2. Item, it is seen through the properties posited by Blessed Dionysius St. Dionysius, On the Celestial Hierarchy, Chapter 7., which are: being in a circuit, reductive, active, and exemplary. "In a circuit," because they enter into the whole that is [present]; "reductive," so that they may tend toward the Lord; "active," so that they may advance toward Him; "exemplary," so that they may do this according to their example. In this annunciation, the most blessed Virgin was so "in a circuit" that she could not be more joined to God unless she were made God. She was also "reductive," for she leads and reduces every creature that fell through sin back to its pristine state. And in this she was "active," because she bore Him who regenerated and reduced all things. Item, she was "active" because from her and through her and in her, God recreated whatever He had created, since she is the mother of all good things. She is also "exemplary," for she is the mirror of all beauty and innocence, directing [all] toward the first beauty, and, as the star of the sea, she reduces all those wandering back to the port. All these things were announced here. Therefore, it seems that it pertained to the Cherubim.

§ X.

It also seems that it should have been through the Seraphim:

1. Through the properties posited by blessed Bernard, who says: "Let us think of the Seraphim as spirits totally inflamed by divine fire, inflaming all things." St. Bernard, On Consideration, Book V, Chapter 4. The blessed Virgin, however, was so totally inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit that the flame of that fire extinguished even every tinder of lust, and, containing the Sun of Justice within herself, she illuminated the whole world and ignited it toward the love of God. Since, therefore, this was the property of the Seraphim, it seems that this annunciation pertains to the Seraphim.

2. Item, this is seen through the properties assigned by blessed Dionysius, who says: "The first, therefore, of the celestial hierarchies is sanctified by the most excellent essences, having an order higher than all others, that is, it is placed immediately around God: and the theophanies and perfections are first carried into it, as into the one nearest to the Principle. And so their movement is always around the divine, and incessant, and warm, and sharp, and super-fervid, intended, and perhaps intimate and inflexible always in motion..."