“Holy virgins ought not to be disappointed that, keeping their virginity, they cannot become mothers in the physical sense. The only case in which it was fitting for a virgin to give birth was the case of him who, in his birth, can have no equal. Further, the birth from that one holy Virgin is a glory shared by all holy virgins; together with Mary, they are mothers of Christ, as long as they do the will of his Father.
Augustine of Hippo, De sancta virginitate s; PL 40, 399; CSEL 41, 239.
Moreover, every faithful soul is a mother of Christ, and by doing the will of his Father through charity, which is a most fruitful virtue, every faithful soul transmits life to all those imprinted with the image of Christ. As for Mary, she fulfilled the Father’s will, in this way, while physically she was only the Mother of Christ, spiritually she was both sister and Mother to him. ”
The same as Icons reflect the image of the saint, so we are called to reflect the image of Christ.
If you are interested in more quotes on Virgin Mary, you can find them in Mary and the Fathers of the Church on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats.
References:
Gambero, L., 1999. Mary and the Fathers of the Church 1st ed. Translated by Buffer, T., San Francisco: Ignatius Press.
