Mary's virtues: a model for the Church

The Second Vatican Council already drew a parallel between the Virgin Mary and the Church from the perspective of virginity and motherhood, and completed this parallel from the standpoint of Mary's holiness, a reflection of the Church's holiness. Because of this, Marian devotion constitutes a path to holiness for the faithful.

The dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, states (LG 65) that Mary is the archetype of the holiness of the Church: “In the most holy Virgin the Church has already reached that perfection whereby she is without spot or wrinkle” (Cf. Eph 5:27).

The “perfection” referred to is not so much about the holiness of the Church in the glory of the future Resurrection, but about the holiness that Christ communicates to the Church through his paschal mystery, made present by baptism: “Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5: 25 - 27)

Finally, Mary is described as the model of all virtues: “The followers of Christ still strive to increase in holiness by conquering sin. And so they turn their eyes to Mary who shines forth to the whole community of the elect as the model of virtues.” (Lumen Gentium 65).

F. Breynaert

Marian Enciclopedia