feminine-genius

For Advent -- patience

Week One, let us consider what has led us to this Holy Season and what it implies about the God Who will soon visit us:

He prepared for the possibility of my existence through the unthinkably long evolution of the world. He desired that the world find its meaning in me as in no other. He laid the foundations of the motives and capacities of my being through long series of generations. He created me with the cooperation of my parents, and surrounded me with watchful care. He bore with my follies. He made me free to choose between good and evil. With His quiet glance, unwavering judgement and divine regard for freedom, He looked on while I went astray. He heard my resolutions--countless, always broken, renewed, and eventually abandoned. He saw how I spent my time, my capacity for loving, my powers of action, on all kinds of things, restless, unstable, constant in one thing only--my avoidance of what was truly important ... This could be continued at length, and whoever once starts this train of thought would follow it through and carry it into the inmost recesses of his heart (Romano Guardini).

Keep this searing truth in mind this week, and thereby muster a similar patience towards those in our family, our workplaces, our communities--especially as we prepare the mundane and necessary details to celebrate the Holy Feast fast approaching. Women, as builders of culture and icons of the Church, have a balancing act, certainly! But if we're grounded in the truths about God and ourselves, our priorities should be in order and our charity more forthcoming. We're in this together!

Daughter Zion honoured

In a mysterious way that we cannot fully comprehend, Jerusalem matters. Still. From my book:

Jerusalem—the heart of the Israelite community chosen for special favour by God—had implications beyond the immediate community. Just as the Jews were entrusted with the Covenant, which prepared the world for the Bridegroom and Saviour, Jerusalem was the antecedent of the Church and heart of the Bride, wherein all who chose to follow the Lamb would gather. In the words of the Catechism,

The people descended from Abraham would be the trustees of the promise made to the patriarchs, the chosen people, called to prepare for that day when God would gather all his children into the unity of the Church. They would be the root onto which the Gentiles would be grafted, once they came to believe (CCC, 60).

Although the city of Jerusalem was trampled and the temple later destroyed, her spiritual destiny would not end, but would undergo a transformation made possible by the blood-sacrifice of her Spouse, and there her glory would shine forth before all nations in the end. The Book of Revelations emphasizes this:

I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, like a bride adorned in readiness for her husband (Rev 21:2).

This past week, a lovely icon of that reality was beatified in Jerusalem:

A Palestinian nun could serve as an inspiration for Christians who remain in the Holy Land, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said during her beatification.

The beatification on Sunday "breathes upon us a new spirit, renews our Church and invites us to the happy hope that we ourselves, too, can be saints like her", said Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal about Blessed Soultaneh Maria Ghattas, founder of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem.

"What the Church needs most is the witness of saints," he added in his homily. "Holiness is the sign of the Church's credibility."

Patriarch Twal beatified Mother Marie-Alphonsine, as she is known, during a Mass for more than 3,000 people in the Basilica of the Annunciation [snip].

Palestinians expressed their immense pride at the beatification. Slipping into the basilica just minutes before the Mass began, Habib Sabbara, 35, said he had come to Nazareth from East Jerusalem with his wife and two young children to honour a native of his own city.

"These footprints of Jesus Christ are still living. It gives a very big [incentive] to the local Christian community to go after those footsteps," he said. "Even though we [Christians] are less than one per cent of the population here, we are the most powerful because we are like salt. A little bit of salt makes a big difference. It gives meaning to this land. Without Christians here, there is no meaning to this land."

I'm not sure about the last statement, but with the Holy Land haemorrhaging Christians every year, it gives one pause about the possibility. Then what? Yes, God is everywhere and is not bound by time or place, but the Temple still has that mysterious meaning that is a part of our faith. Let's ask Mary-Alphonsine's intercession for the Bride of Christ, that she may grow in loveliness in the very place He offered himself for her.

Hillary, call your office

Feminists are an odd bunch, having conniptions about access to abortion, sex ed for children and equal rights for women -- but stories like this don't interest them much:

A girl of 16 was given 50 lashes after a judge ruled her knee length skirt was indecent. Silva Kashif was punished without her family being told after she was arrested while walking alone near her home in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Her mother, Jenty Doro, said: ‘I only heard about it after she was lashed. Later we all sat and cried. ‘She is just a young girl but the policeman pulled her along like she was a criminal. It was wrong.’

She was wearing the same sort of blouse and skirt that many women wear, but she seemed to be in a place where passing police wanted to make a point. The law fobids caning persons under 18 but being alone and unable to get help, she was beaten anyway. The law is also supposed to make exceptions for non-Muslims (this girl is a Christian) but that point was also ignored. Shari'a enforcers may bend the laws, no one else can.

Hillary Clinton did a grand tour of Africa in August, but may not have been briefed about how women are marginalised, abused and beaten because of just such legal constructs.

Clinton made it clear during her confirmation hearing that women’s rights would be at the center of her approach to foreign policy. “[O]f particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world's unhealthy, unschooled, unfed, and unpaid,” she said. “If half of the world's population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal, and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity will remain in serious jeopardy. We still have a long way to go, and the United States must remain an unambiguous and unequivocal voice in support of women's rights in every country, every region, on every continent.”

Well, a comment or two on what shari'a does to women would add a lot of punch to that "women's rights" schtick, but perhaps she's waiting for the right moment -- for impact. We're waiting, too.

Two fathers, three fine women

I think these two stories mesh well, and show both the complementarity in vocations and the gratitude that men have for the unexpected gifts that the women in their lives offer.

First, how lovely to hear about the "feminine genius" in Father Zuhlsdorf's dear mother. 

Coming home one evening at suppertime, ready to dig into the kitchen and make something to eat for us, I arrived at the door and was greeted with wondrous fragrances.The table was set and there was great golden brown bird and dishes with delights.

That it was Thanksgiving struck me like thunder.

Not your ordinary midwestern repast, but you must read the piece for the full effect. Secondly, a father discovers that his plans for his daughters differ somewhat from God's plans.

My little girl, now twenty-nine, lies prostrate while a priest intones the litany of the saints, calling each to witness and help her fulfill her vow—the Virgin Mary, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Thomas Aquinas, Padre Pio, Elizabeth Ann Seton, the angels, one by one, St. Teresa, St. Joseph, St. Francis, a divine roll call. Crowned with a wreath of flowers, she completes the mystical marriage by taking a ring on her right hand—my father’s wedding ring. My mother, kneeling behind me, weeps for joy to see their marital love thus renewed. At times it seems the thousand others in the grand cathedral fade away and there is no one else there but my daughters.

It is in giving that we receive, and it letting go that we find God's will. Thank you, Lord, for those in our lives whose total embrace of their vocation enhances our own. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Time to "womanup"

This is a fascinating interview with a powerhouse of a young woman, who admits that she's been mouthy and assertive since she was six. I don't think any other personality could pull this off:

One chilly morning in a group of 29 girls, we were mutilated. I was tied with a rope because I was screaming and begging them to stop. Some girls were considered brave for not crying aloud. But I know their heart cried out loud. I could hear their cry and still do.

It is so hard for me to talk about this. It’s so fresh. I am still so traumatized. They used the same knife on us, not caring about any infections. These are tradition mutilators and midwives that perform this savagery. My mom could not watch this. Up to now, I am scared of any human blood. I scream when I accidentally cut myself. A few days ago I passed out when I cut my finger and I hurt my back as I live by myself. No one could help me.

I have nightmares. I have never coped. I have very painful PMS. I have extra glands growing so I need surgery. I have scar tissues. That’s why my vagina muscles hurt. I will live with this for the rest of my life. I will never cope but one thing for sure I will never stop voicing out against FGM.

One day I will reach the World Court and criminalize globally FGM. I swear I am going to reach there. I am now building a very big network of very committed people. I aspire even to be a human rights movie documentary producer. I am going to get words out there and catch the attention of all kinds of good people. I will kick FGM ass out of this planet. And that makes me smile.

FGM, of course, is female genital mutilation, and the interesting thing about this in the case of Lucy is that she is a Christian, and was raised by Christians.

Yes my tribe is Christian and also full of traditional believers. I don’t know why they practice it because there is no single Bible verse that says to mutilate women. As I said earlier, it’s a way of controlling women. It has nothing to do with Christianity and they do not point to Christianity. They carried this tradition from Egypt in 16 AD (days of Pharoh). As Nilots, we immigrated to East Africa.

My experience with Islam on FGM is very sad. As you correctly point out, a majority of people who practice FGM on women are of the Islamic faith and in the Muslim countries that I have visited their women and children have encountered the worst form of it, and many reconstructive surgeons can testify to this. It is a form of control and manipulation in the name of religion.

The good news is that there many Muslims who are rising to end any form of torture against women.

She eviscerates not only the cultures that rely on this practice to keep their women silent and docile, but the modern leftists who only pay lip service to the authentic needs of women. Obviously her great hopes that Hillary Clinton will help her in this struggle may be misplaced but I commend her trying every avenue possible to get the word out.

Lucy was aptly named, for she's certainly drawing a spotlight to a very important topic. Her own website is here.

Policing the airwaves

This obituary just preceded the opening of this blog, so it's nice to read it now on the page where the Telegraph reminisces a little over past lives. Mary Whitehouse worked for years to keep smut off the television, and didn't seem to mind taking the national spotlight (and abuse) that it entailed.

The Clean Up Television campaign, which she founded in 1964 - a year later it became the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association - denounced "the propaganda of disbelief, doubt and dirt that the BBC projects into millions of homes through the television screens".

The determination with which Mrs Whitehouse pressed home her attack earned her vilification from all quarters of the permissive society. Students bellowed obscenities, intellectuals affected a lofty disdain, satirists pilloried her, lunatics sent death threats, and for four years the BBC (always her prime target) refused to allow her to appear on its programmes.

We're still familiar with the distain, as well as the one-sided censorship sanctioned by the champions of liberty and free speech. I was of two minds as I read the account, being impressed by her courage and thick skin while wondering why a woman had to do the heavy lifting in such an arena. Surely, a well-formed and loving woman is very aware of the harms of such undignified trash being shoveled into young minds, but ultimately -- where is the manhood of the nation. Chivalry has an ancient tradition of stepping to the plate and doing the hard work necessary to protect innocence those who are being harmed.

Simply a discouraging reminder that the home of the Round Table and its edifying tales of knighthood has fallen so far that it cannot recognise itself in the mirror.

Searing portraits

With advance warning that these photographs are difficult to see, I do recommend that you make the attempt. They are all women in Pakistan, although there are similar accounts from other parts of the world attesting to the fact that many men will bully women as a way of expressing their anger.

It wasn’t a government or a guerrilla insurgency that threw acid on this woman’s face in Pakistan. It was a young man whom she had rejected for marriage. As the United States ponders what to do in Afghanistan — and for that matter, in Pakistan — it is wise to understand both the political and the personal, that the very ignorance and illiteracy and misogyny that create the climate for these acid attacks can and does bleed over into the political realm. Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times op-ed columnist who traveled to Pakistan last year to write about acid attacks, put it this way in an essay at the time: “I’ve been investigating such acid attacks, which are commonly used to terrorize and subjugate women and girls in a swath of Asia from Afghanistan through Cambodia (men are almost never attacked with acid). Because women usually don’t matter in this part of the world, their attackers are rarely prosecuted and acid sales are usually not controlled. It’s a kind of terrorism that becomes accepted as part of the background noise in the region.

Supreme irony

No word yet on whether the dolls will be subjected to female genital mutilation or come with stoning pits in order to accurately represent their “diversity.”

Raising money for "Save the Children." Somewhere, heads are exploding.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin offers the mother of all comments --

No word yet on whether the dolls will be subjected to female genital mutilation or come with stoning pits in order to accurately represent their “diversity.”

A martyr in the Year for Priests

A Russion Orthodox priest was shot in his church yesterday.

A Russian Orthodox priest known for his missionary work among Muslims was gunned down in his Moscow church, Russian officials said Friday.

Thirty-four-year-old Daniil Sysoyev was shot at least four times at in the head and chest in the Church of St. Thomas by a masked gunman Thursday night, according to the Prosecutor General's Investigative Committee. The assailant also wounded the church's choirmaster, Vladimir Strelbitsky.

Sysoyev died on the way to the hospital. Strelbitsky is in critical condition.

"The main theory is that religious motives are behind the crime," a prosecutor's office spokesman told reporters.

Sysoyev routinely denounced Islam and actively reached out to Muslims and various religious sects to convert them. In a recent interview with a Russian newspaper, Sysoyev boasted that he had baptized 80 Muslims.

But with his ambitious missionary work came death threats.

"They've threatened to cut my head off 14 times," Sysoyev told Komsomolskaya Pravda in the interview. "The FSB [Federal Security Service] got in touch with me a year ago to say they had uncovered a murder plot against me."

He told a television interviewer in February 2008 that he considered it a sin not to preach to Muslims, according to the Interfax news agency.

Sysoyev was originally from the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, where a large majority of the population is Muslim. He published books titled "An Orthodox Response to Islam" and "Marrying a Muslim," which criticized the faith and drew fierce responses from Muslim organizations.

It seems evident that this Bridegroom cared deeply for his flock and worked intently for its increase. Prayers for his soul and that his mission may only grow through his heroic sacrifice.

Tremendous news

[Update below]

Two women arrested in March have been released from the infamous Evin prison in Iran. They were charged with apostasy, but have not recanted their faith in Christ.

During their detainment, the women suffered psychological abuse, including sleep deprivation and intense interrogation for hours at a time. They also had health problems but were denied medical attention. Amirizadeh suffered from a previous spinal condition, but received no medical attention. She also had an infected tooth but was only given painkillers.

“Maryam and Marzieh have greatly inspired us all,” said Sam Yeghnazar, director of Elam Ministries. “Their love for the Lord Jesus and their faithfulness to God has been an amazing testimony.”

Open Doors noted that Iranian authorities are prone to release detained Christians and then summon them to court hearings or force them to sign restricting documents. The ministry cautioned that though the women were freed from jail it does not mean they are “living in complete freedom.”

Christians are asked to pray for the women’s health to be fully restored and for their continual freedom.

I know you'll pray, dear readers.

UPDATE: I have just come across part of the dialogue that should edify you:

As WND reported, Rustampoor and Amirizadeh appeared before a court in Iran and were charged with "crimes of apostasy, and propagation of the Christian faith." In a display of raw courage, they told a government prosecutor that not only are they Christian, it is up to God, not a bureaucrat, to whom He talks.

According to Elam, a dramatic part of the hearing came when they refused to deny their Christian faith.

They explained that God had convicted them through the Holy Spirit.

"It is impossible for God to speak with humans," Haddad, a deputy prosecutor identified only by his surname, stated.

"Are you questioning whether God is Almighty?" Amirizadeh asked him.

To which Haddad then replied. "You are not worthy for God to speak to you."

"It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy," she said.

Haddad earlier had asked if the women were Christian.

"We love Jesus," they replied.

"You were Muslims and now you have become Christians," Haddad stated.

"We were born in Muslim families, but we were not Muslims," the women said.

The deputy prosecutor asked about their regrets, and they said, "We have no regrets."

"You should renounce your faith verbally and in written form," he warned.

They refused....

The chilling clashes between Christianity and Islam allows us "moderns" to witness examples of faith similar to those we read about in the chronicles of the early martyrs. Barbed wire and torture rooms have replaced the colosseum and the lions, but the net result is the same. God give us courage!