A Daughter of God

This is the kind of adornment God looks for; a soul dressed in this way is what he desires. Remember that you are called the daughter of God, as he says, “Listen, daughter, and consider.” And you yourself, every time you call God your Father, bear witness that you are the daughter of God. So if you are the daughter of God, take care to do none of the things that are unworthy of God your Father, but do everything as a daughter of God. Think how the daughters of noble families in this world conduct themselves, what habits they are used to, and by what exercises they train themselves. In some of them there is such modesty, such dignity, such self-restraint, that they surpass the habits of other people in human nobility; and so as not to bring any mark of disgrace on their honorable parents by falling short, they strive to acquire a second nature for themselves by the way they act in the world. [a]

You, then, have regard for your origin, consider your descent, pay attention to the glory of your nobility. Recognize that you are the daughter not merely of a man but of God, and adorned with the nobility of a divine birth. So present yourself to the world that your heavenly birth may be seen in you and your divine nobility may shine out clearly. Let there be in you a new dignity, an admirable virtue, a remarkable modesty, a marvelous patience; a way of walking fitting for a virgin, with a bearing of true modesty; speech always modest, and spoken only at the proper time. Then whoever sees you may exclaim in admiration: “What is this display of a new dignity among men? What is this striking modesty, this well-balanced excellence, this ripeness of wisdom? This does not come from human training or from mere human discipline. Something heavenly breathes its fragrance on me from that earthly body. I really believe that God does live in some human beings.” And when he comes to know that you are a handmaid of Christ, he will be seized with all the greater amazement, and will reflect how marvelous the Master must be, when his handmaid shows such excellence.