“To heal our languors, God descended into us through the Crucified Word”

But by which way does grace descend into men? Job asks this saying: Through which way is light scattered, and heat distributed over the earth? I respond and say, that grace descends over rational minds through the Incarnate Word, through the Crucified Word, and through the Inspired Word. It is said in the Canonical Letter of James:

He has voluntarily begotten us in the Word of truth, so that we be a certain beginning of His creation.

It is certain that the original Principle, which is God, when He created man in accord with His image and similitude in the state of innocence, did so near create him to Himself, that through the Uncreated Word man was informable in accord with grace. But after man fell through sin, the Divine Wisdom provided a manner of condescension through the Incarnate Word, through which man was to be adapted to grace. And because that was done in the womb of the glorious Virgin, for that reason it was said to Her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Thus, therefore, prima facie there occurs to us the Father of mercies and the Mother of mercies and the Son, who is the Light of mercies. Thus is clear the first origination of grace in us, which happens through the Incarnate Word. O most unhappy ones! who do not know how they can have that beginning of grace.

Second, grace descends into us through the Crucified Word. We were not only inept to take up grace on account of our ignorance of the divine precepts, yes indeed, also on account of our infirmity and impotence and concupiscence for earthly things: for that reason the Lord wanted to prop us up. To heal our languors, He descended into us through the Crucified Word. Whence the Apostle to the Ephesians:

God, who is rich in mercy, on account of His exceeding charity, with which He has loved us; when we had died with sins, vivified us together with Christ, by whose grace we have been saved.

We have been vivified by Christ through Christ, because Christ has triumphed from death; whence death could not absorb Him, rather the Fount of life absorbed death, according to that which is written: I will be thy death, O Death! Otherwise we could not be healed and saved. Whence the Apostle to the Galatians:

I do not throw away the grace of God; for if justice is through the Law, therefore Christ died without recompense.

However Christ has died, to resuscitate the dead for the taking up of life and grace; therefore grace is flowed into us through the Incarnate Word and through the Crucified Word. And the Blessed Virgin took up that Word that is full of grace; and the stream of graces has come forth from the side of Him, who has the efficacy to heal us.

Third, grace rises in us through the Inspired Word. However much God has sent His Son into flesh, unless you believe that He was crucified, you will not have grace. Whence the Apostle to Titus:

Not out of the works of justice, which we have done, but according to His mercy has He saved us through the laver of regeneration and the renovation of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured forth abundantly into us through Jesus Christ, Our Savior.

Dear ones! It is the Holy Spirit, who is the giver of graces and the Love proceeding from the Father and the Son. Whatever therefore the Father does and the Son suffers, it is nothing without the Holy Spirit. For He joins us to the Father and the Son. Whence the Apostle:

The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in regard to the Second Person, and the charity of God, in regard to the First, and the communication of the Holy Spirit, in regard to the Third, be with all of you. Amen.

Therefore, if you want to have the love of the Son and of the original Principle and of the Gift, the Holy Spirit, dispose yourself to grace. Whence therefore does grace rise? I say, that it rises from the Father of lights through the Incarnate Word, through the Crucified Word and through the Inspired Word.

St Bonaventure