3. Conclusion

Behind the exegesis of Rupert, there lies a strong historical sense. He constantly, though not explicitly, applied his notion of predestination very concretely to sacred history. From the very beginning God had a plan (propositum) whereby those whom He had called He would also save and exalt (Rm 8:29-30) by way of the Son's incarnation. The Devil sought to frustrate God's plan but without success. God's plan remains unchanged but the Incarnation of the Word had to assume a fallen humanity. To prepare this incarnation God the Father chose the "girl born nude in the dirt of blood" (Ez 16) to be His bride. Thus the conceptio in mente began to take place in the chosen people, and in particular, among the prophets. Just as all Scriptures tend towards Christ the Word, so also alt prophecies converge upon Mary, the "physical" bearer of that Word. In her the plan (propositum) was to be brought to fullness. Thus she became the sponsa Patris. par excellence and at the same time the sacrarium Spiritus sancti.

The use of sacrarium reminds us that the Word, who as the most precious seed is kept in the innermost and heart of the Father Creator, reaches out to humanity through Divine Love, the Holy Spirit. Since humanity was corrupted by sin, the Word goes deep down to its depth (kenosis) in order to renew it completely with the power of the Spirit. In accordance with the saving design of the Father, He took up the human flesh from the virginal immaculate womb. Thus the Virgin Mary becomes an abode in which dwells the divine fecundity, that is, the seed of the Father and the love of the Holy Spirit. From the virgin this fecundity will extend itself to the entire Church, namely, humanity, that she may generate spiritual sons in the Son. The whole incarnation process has still to take place in the Church and in her very heart, namely, the sacrarium spiritus Sancti.

Right at the beginning of the twelfth-century, the Church because of the political situation tended to take up a juridical countenance and the devotion to Mary tended to be isolated from an ecclesial context. Rupert, instead, by way of his lectio divina. following tradition, reminds us that Mary is in the Church, and Church in Mary by virtue of the incarnation of the Word. Her dignity as Mother and Virgin becomes object of our filial veneration and her virtue becomes that of our imitation.