It is greater to have been a disciple of Christ for Mary than to have been His mother.

Behold, pay more attention to this, my brothers; pay more attention to this, I beg you, which the Lord Christ said, extending His hand over His disciples: “These are my mother and my brothers; and whoever does the will of My Father who sent Me, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Did not the Virgin Mary do the will of the Father, who believed in faith, conceived in faith, was chosen from whom salvation would be born among men, was created by Christ before Christ was created in her?

Holy Mary indeed did the will of the Father; and for this reason, it is greater for Mary to have been a disciple of Christ than to have been the mother of Christ: it is greater, it is more blessed, to have been a disciple of Christ than to have been the mother of Christ. Therefore Mary was blessed because, even before giving birth, she carried the Master in her womb. See if it is not what I say. While the Lord was passing by with the following crowds and performing divine miracles, a certain woman said: “Blessed is the womb that carried you!” And the Lord, so that happiness would not be sought in the flesh, what did He reply? “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Hence, therefore, also Mary is blessed because she heard the word of God and kept it: she preserved the truth in her mind more than the flesh in her womb. Christ the truth, Christ the flesh: Christ the truth in Mary's mind, Christ the flesh in Mary's womb; greater is what is in the mind than what is carried in the womb.

Holy Mary, blessed Mary, but the Church is better than the Virgin Mary. Why? Because Mary is a portion of the Church, a holy member, an excellent member, an outstanding member, but still a member of the whole body. If of the whole body, surely the body is greater than the member. The Lord is the head, and the whole Christ is head and body. What shall I say? We have a divine head, we have God as the head. The Church, mother and virgin, similar to Mary.

Therefore, beloved, pay attention to yourselves: you are members of Christ, and you are the body of Christ. Watch how you are what He says: “Behold my mother and my brothers.” How will you be the mother of Christ? And whoever hears and whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, sister, and mother.

I understand brothers, I understand sisters: for there is one inheritance; and thus by the mercy of Christ, who, though He was the only one, did not wish to be alone, He wanted us to be heirs to the Father, co-heirs with Himself. For such is that inheritance, which cannot be constrained by the multitude of co-heirs. Therefore I understand we are brothers of Christ, holy and faithful women are sisters of Christ.

How can we understand ourselves to be mothers of Christ? What then? Do we dare to call ourselves mothers of Christ? Indeed we dare to call ourselves mothers of Christ. For I have called you all His brothers, and shall I not dare to call myself and you His mothers? Rather, I would much less dare to deny what Christ said.

Ah, beloved, observe how the Church is, which is manifestly the spouse of Christ; more difficult to understand, but it is nonetheless true, the mother of Christ. Mary the virgin preceded in type. How, I ask you, is Mary the mother of Christ, if not because she gave birth to the members of Christ? 

You, to whom I speak, are members of Christ: who gave birth to you? I hear the voice of your heart: “Mother Church.” This holy mother, honored, similar to Mary, both gives birth and is a virgin. Because she gives birth, I prove through you: you were born from her; and she gives birth to Christ, for you are the members of Christ. I have proved the birthing, I will prove the virginity: the divine testimony does not desert me, it does not desert me.

Proceed to the people, blessed Paul, be a witness of my assertion; cry out, and say what I wish to say: “I have betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Where is this virginity? Where is corruption feared? Let him who said virgin speak. “I have betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ; but I am afraid,” he says, “that as the serpent deceived Eve with its cunning, so your minds may be corrupted from the chastity which is in Christ.” Hold virginity in your minds: the virginity of the mind, the integrity of the catholic faith; where Eve was corrupted by the serpent's word, there must the Church be a virgin by the gift of the Almighty.

Therefore, in mind, bring forth the members of Christ, just as Mary the virgin brought forth Christ in her womb; and thus you will be mothers of Christ. It is not far from you, it is not beyond you, it does not repel you: you were children, be also mothers. Children of the mother, when you were baptised, then you were born as members of Christ: bring to the washing of Baptism those you can; so that, just as you were children when you were born, so also by bringing others to be born, you may be mothers of Christ.

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