Alberti Magni Opera Omnia, Vol. XXXVII

4. Item, John was announced at midday, who bore the office of the morning star: therefore much more so Christ, who was the true sun.

5. Item, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb when it was yet dark original: "1". The Gloss says: "Mary is said to come in the darkness, because she was still in infidelity when she came to the Angels:" therefore by opposition, the Angel ought to have come to her in light, because Mary was full of faith and love.

§ III.

It seems, however, that this annunciation ought to have been done in the evening: because when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son original: "2", etc.: therefore this annunciation happened in the evening, when it is the fullness of the day.

§ IV.

On the contrary, it seems that it was in the middle of the night: because when quiet silence contained all things, and night in its course held the middle way, your almighty word came from heaven, from royal thrones original: "3".

2. Item, Isa. 9:2: The people who walked in darkness, etc.: therefore it was night when this light arose, because in the day one did not walk in darkness.

§ V.

Response.

To this we say, according to the authority of Dionysius placed above, that the circumstances of the announcer ought to express the properties of the announced. Whence, since this Angel did not announce the time of incarnating, nor the state or properties of those for whom it was done, but only the incarnation itself with its properties, and since that incarnation is the rising of the true sun over the earth, which is the beginning of the day, we believe without any brow of superstition that this annunciation was at the dawn of the day, and not in the evening, because it did not announce the time of incarnating: nor in the night, because it did not announce the state of those for whom the incarnation was done: therefore that authority, When the middle silence, etc., touches upon the state of man who was in the Incarnation of the Word.

To that which is objected about Abraham, that he was sitting in the door, we say that by Abraham and the heat of the day is signified the fervor of desire which the holy fathers had for the Incarnation.

That which is objected about the hour of the passion is more to the point: because just as when the sun of the world was tending toward sunset, it was fitting for the true sun to leave the world, so it was fitting that as the material sun was rising, the Sun of justice would rise simultaneously.

To that which is objected, that here charity was shown at its summit, and therefore it was fitting to be conceived at midday, we say that in the work of Redemption, that is, in the passion, charity was shown at its summit: but the Incarnation without the passion was not the work of Redemption. Whence although the Incarnation in itself was greater than the passion, nevertheless the highest charity was shown in the passion, with the Lord himself saying: Greater love no one has original: "5", etc. Whence there was not the highest increase that charity can receive in the Incarnation, because an increase, as the Philosopher says, is an addition to a pre-existing magnitude. Whence to the magnitude of charity which is shown in the Incarnation, an addition was made of charity, which is in the passion, through which charity is final in the showing of its perfection: but this was fitting to be done at midday. And thus it is clear that one time was fitting for the passion, another for the annunciation.

1 John 20, 1.
2 Gal. 4, 4.
3 Wisd. 18, 14 and 15.
4 Otherwise presumption.
5 John 15, 13.