* September 22 - Saint Thomas of Villanova (d.1555)  * The Mother of God, the height of holiness found in the Old Testament, and much, much more... --- r An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association  September 22 - Saint Thomas of Villanova (d.1555)  The Mother of God, the height of holiness found in the Old Testament, and much, much more... Eleusa Theotokos with scenes from the life of Mary, 18th century (Wikipedia) Like others such as John the Baptist whose conception and birth the Church also celebrates, the Holy Virgin—born under the law of original sin—shares with us all the same common responsibility for the fall. But sin could never gain a hold on her; the sinful legacy of the fall held no sway over her unswerving will. She represents the highest point of saintliness that could ever be achieved before the coming of Christ by a descendant of Adam against the background of the Old Testament. She was without sin in a world under the domination of sin, untainted by temptation among men enslaved by the prince of this world. She was not placed beyond the tide of human history in order to serve God’s particular purpose, but she played out her unique role within the events of history, in the common destiny of all men waiting to be saved. And yet, if we see in the person of the Mother of God the height of Old Testament saintliness, she has still not yet reached the limits of that sainthood, because she shall also exceed the highest levels of saintliness in the New Covenant, achieving the most sublime heights of sainthood that the Church can attain.  Vladimir Lossky, Orthodox Theologian Excerpt from: In the Image and Likeness of God (À l’Image et à la ressemblance de Dieu), Aubier-Montaigne, 1967 The Old Covenant: Mary's path The Blessed Mother Mary by Sosos of Pergamon (Wikipedia) Let’s pray together  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.