Motherhood as the image of God and the way to salvation. Can this image appeal to 21st century women?

This work attempts to outline the image of motherhood hidden in the Holy Scriptures. It is based on the assumption that the maternal principle is an image of God Himself, and is therefore present in God. The image of motherhood is constructed on the basis of specific stories of mothers from the Old and New Testaments, culminating in the exceptional motherhood of the Virgin Mary. It raises the question of the extent to which Mary's motherhood is inspiring on a human level. Although women-mothers-are depicted less often in the Bible than men- fathers-their importance cannot be denied. This work seeks to bring their maternal stories to light. The second part compares this image with the image of motherhood present in today's Western society and asks to what extent the biblical image is legible, understandable, and inspiring for contemporary women. Here, motherhood is viewed more from a psychological and sociological perspective. The work uses a theological-narrative method with comparative reflection, linking biblical stories of mothers with current norms of motherhood to reveal their spiritual depth as an inspirational potential for women of the 21st century. Keywords motherhood, fertility, woman-mother, salvation