How did the Virgin "merit" to bear Christ?

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Friends,

The Regina caeli is one of the four antiphons mandated for use by the Church in the hours of prayer. Why does it say “Quia quem meruisti portare resurrexit, sicut dixit - He whom thou didst merit to bear in your womb has risen, as He promised”?

Following Franciscan theology, I personally believe the Incarnation was planned by God regardless of the Fall of Man, so this makes little sense to me. How did the blessed Virgin merit to receive the Redeemer if He was promised from endless ages before her birth? How could she merit that which was promised before her very existence?
 
Classicist said:
Friends,

The Regina caeli is one of the four antiphons mandated for use by the Church in the hours of prayer. Why does it say “Quia quem meruisti portare resurrexit, sicut dixit - He whom thou didst merit to bear in your womb has risen, as He promised”?

Following Franciscan theology, I personally believe the Incarnation was planned by God regardless of the Fall of Man, so this makes little sense to me. How did the blessed Virgin merit to receive the Redeemer if He was promised from endless ages before her birth? How could she merit that which was promised before her very existence?
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The problem only arises if you limit the meaning of “merit” to something a person does to earn a reward. Merit also can mean “quality of being particularly good or worthy”. Thus “merit” in the Regina Caeli would mean that Mary is the one whom God deemed “worthy/fit” to bear His Son.

If you google definitions for “merit”, you’ll see it has other meanings. The Regina caeli is an old prayer, so pay attention to obsolete meanings also.
 
Classicist said:
Friends,

The Regina caeli is one of the four antiphons mandated for use by the Church in the hours of prayer. Why does it say “Quia quem meruisti portare resurrexit, sicut dixit - He whom thou didst merit to bear in your womb has risen, as He promised”?

Following Franciscan theology, I personally believe the Incarnation was planned by God regardless of the Fall of Man, so this makes little sense to me. How did the blessed Virgin merit to receive the Redeemer if He was promised from endless ages before her birth? How could she merit that which was promised before her very existence?
Click to expand...
Do creatures ever really merit anything? I don’t think so at least in the way that we understand merit these days. If we do actually merit anything it is only through the action and mercy of our Creator. In thinking about past present and future events we have to remember that God does not exist in nor is bound by time and space. He is eternally present.
 
Very good answers, both. 🙂 I’m just afraid of according more power or strength to the blessed Virgin than would be naturally possible, even for a sinless human person.

Taken in the possible context of older meanings for “meruisti”, it is less worrisome. 😉
 
Classicist said:
How could she merit that which was promised before her very existence?
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She could not, if we only look at linear time. God however is outside of time and see’s all of existence in a single moment. Could it not also be possible that God, having seen Mary’s “yes” and her love for Christ, awards her the merit of being the Mother of God because of what she will do?
 
TheDoctor said:
She could not, if we only look at linear time. God however is outside of time and see’s all of existence in a single moment. Could it not also be possible that God, having seen Mary’s “yes” and her love for Christ, awards her the merit of being the Mother of God because of what she will do?
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Doesn’t that upset the fact that God is the initiator in every interaction of grace? I mean, if God makes His choices based on what we will do, it’s all centered on us. The alternative isn’t necessarily destruction of our free will, but I’m not seeing how Mary could merit so great & universal a Saviour in that sense of the word “merit”.

By the way, Mary never actually said “yes” - it was told her that this would come to pass, and she only asked how. Eventually she said “let it happen to me according to your word”, but this was after the annunciation had begun.
 
Classicist said:
Doesn’t that upset the fact that God is the initiator in every interaction of grace? I mean, if God makes His choices based on what we will do, it’s all centered on us. The alternative isn’t necessarily destruction of our free will, but I’m not seeing how Mary could merit so great & universal a Saviour in that sense of the word “merit”.

By the way, Mary never actually said “yes” - it was told her that this would come to pass, and she only asked how. Eventually she said “let it happen to me according to your word”, but this was after the annunciation had begun.
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As was said elsewhere the word “merit” is confusing. In the Regina Coeli it is meant as worthy. If we keep in mind Mary’s sublime humility, we will understand where this merit originates. She always kept before her, her own unworthiness of God’s infinite graces that He bestowed freely upon her, as His chosen tabernacle. This sublime humility is her response to these enormous graces received. This is what God found so pleasing, and meritorious. This merit earned for Mary still greater and more sublime gifts and graces, whereupon she abased herself before God AND MAN, as most unworthy of such favors.

This was the merit that made her fit to be the Mother of God.

As Jesus said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
 
Classicist said:
Friends,

The Regina caeli is one of the four antiphons mandated for use by the Church in the hours of prayer. Why does it say “Quia quem meruisti portare resurrexit, sicut dixit - He whom thou didst merit to bear in your womb has risen, as He promised”?

Following Franciscan theology, I personally believe the Incarnation was planned by God regardless of the Fall of Man, so this makes little sense to me. How did the blessed Virgin merit to receive the Redeemer if He was promised from endless ages before her birth? How could she merit that which was promised before her very existence?
Click to expand...
Who ele would or could be worthy? Mary concieved without sin. Who else was born into this world , besides Jesus, without sin.
 
Classicist said:
Friends,

The Regina caeli is one of the four antiphons mandated for use by the Church in the hours of prayer. Why does it say “Quia quem meruisti portare resurrexit, sicut dixit - He whom thou didst merit to bear in your womb has risen, as He promised”?

Following Franciscan theology, I personally believe the Incarnation was planned by God regardless of the Fall of Man, so this makes little sense to me. How did the blessed Virgin merit to receive the Redeemer if He was promised from endless ages before her birth? How could she merit that which was promised before her very existence?
Click to expand...
Why would the Incarnation have occured, if Man had remained sinless?
 
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