St. Alphonsus, the Glories of Mary: “Now, let us consider how much more holy she was at her birth, coming to the light after the acquisition of those merits which she made during the nine months that she remained in her mother’s womb. Let us now go on to consider the second point, namely: how great was the fidelity with which Mary at once corresponded with the divine grace.

　Second Point. — It is not now an individual opinion of some few divines, says a learned author, (Father La Colombiere. Sera. 81.) it is the opinion of the whole world, that the holy infant, when she received sanctifying grace in the womb of St. Anna, received at the same time the perfect use of reason, with a great divine light corresponding to the grace with which she was enriched. Hence we may believe, that from the first moment when her pure soul was united to her most pure body, she was enlightened with divine wisdom to comprehend eternal truths, the beauty of virtue, above all, the infinite goodness of her God, and how much he deserves to be loved by all men, but especially by her, on account of the peculiar graces with which he had adorned her...

　Hence Mary, from that moment grateful to her God, began to effect all that she could, using faith fully all that great treasure of grace that she had received ; and wholly applying herself to please and love the divine goodness. From that moment she loved him with all her strength, and thus continued to love him through all those nine months that she lived before her birth, in which she did not cease for a moment to unite herself to God by fervent acts of love...

　Let us rejoice, then, with our infant, who was born so holy, so dear to God, and so full of grace ; and let us rejoice not only for her, but also for ourselves, since she came into the world full of grace, not only for her own glory, but for our good.” (DISCOURSE II. ON THE BIRTH OF MARY.)