“They are not few in number who say that the God-man was born from the Virgin’s womb, which the Spirit of the great God formed, constructing a pure temple to house the Temple. For the Mother is the temple of Christ, while Christ is the Temple of the Word. For, just as the venomous serpent held our nature under the yoke of wicked transgression, it was then so arranged that, through the nature of a more divine Man, the evil might be mended and the horrible power of the lying dragon beaten down.
For this reason, he entered the womb; he honored one half of our lineage, but left the other half, because he was born of an intact Virgin. She, after having conceived in her inmost parts, illuminated by divinity, brought him to light when her time came. Then, the sovereign Word put on our heavy flesh and filled the temple with pure divinity. For me, in both natures, he remained one single God.”
Gregory Nazianzen, Poems about Others 7, 180-94; PG 37, 156s D-1566 A.
How does this apply to us? It is the Christian doctrine that Jesus is a God-man who took human nature from Virgin Mary. As Christians, we are temples of God; we need to work with Him to restore, keep and grow in the original image He created us to be. It starts with His initiative, and we respond.
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 in 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.
