feminine-genius

Eternity Entered Time

"You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened to your aid. You would have perished, had he not come.

"Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the festive day on which he who is the great and eternal day came from the great and endless day of eternity into our own short day of time" (From a sermon by Saint Augustine).

Remembering our sister, Asia

Another Christmas in jail for a Christian woman in Pakistan who has been charged with blasphemy:

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Her only hope for the future is to return to her family, to embrace her daughters, so she asks for our prayers while praying that other "brothers and sisters" will not go to prison on false charges of blasphemy. It will be another Christmas in jail, away from her loved ones, for Asia Bibi, the Christian mother of five children, locked in the women's prison Sheikpura (Punjab), sentenced to death by the " black law" pending appeal, still awaiting for the High Court of Lahore to set a date. Yesterday a delegation of the International Masihi Foundation, an NGO that deals with the legal protection of women, visited her to exchange greetings on the eve of the festive season. And for the first time since the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, who was killed by his bodyguard in January last year, Asia has found herself before a large group of people so far, in fact, she could only speak with her husband and the lawyer during the weekly interview with relatives.

In her isolation cell, looking tired and aged, beyond her 46 years, fragile and very weak, she can barely stand up. Entering the room reserved for meetings escorted by two guards, she appears confused and her eyes run from right to left for the duration of the meeting, about 2 hours and 20 minutes, with alternating emotions ranging from tears to laughter, as well as long periods of silence. Her voice is weak, for the first 10 minutes she can not figure out if the members of the delegation are "friends or enemies." She stops talking when a prison guard enters the room and when they ask how she is treated by the prison authorities she looks away, as if she had not heard the question and closes in a stubborn silence.

Please visit AsiaNews for details of an interview with Asia Bibi, and remember to pray for those who will not be agonising over dinner menus, where to put extra guests, and whether or not there are enough presents under the tree. Also keep in mind those who will not drag themselves to another overcrowded Christmas Mass (where the C&E crowd takes all the good seats) because they must worship in secret, fearing police brutality, mob violence or hidden explosives.

And when you kneel before the creche this weekend, ask for the prayers of the abundant recent martyrs to inflame your faith to endure whatever comes. Although we may feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the myriad expectations of those around us, remember that God is what they need, just as He is what we need to fill us so that we can radiate His Divine Love to a confused world.

"Join me in magnifying the Lord"

Today's Office carries a most lovely reflection by Saint Anselm on Mary's visit to Elizabeth:

The angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God.

  When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.

  Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays. And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children.

  The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced. For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come. “Blessed are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed.”

  You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.

  Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God. According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.

  The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.

  The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us. Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made. And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.

Great news about Hildegard of Bingen

From Rome Reports:

December 16, 2011. (Romereports.com) Benedict XVI is set to appoint Hildegard of Bingen as a Doctor of the Church in October of 2012. She was a German Benedictine nun and was known for her visions and prophecies.

Hildegard of Bingen lived in the twelfth century. In addition to being a nun, she was a composer, philosopher, physicist and ecologist. A multi-talented woman, and a pioneer for many of these fields during the Middle Ages.

She came from a wealthy family and when she was only eight years old was sent to study in a monastery. She eventually decided to become a nun and later became an abbess.

Her visions and prophecies were recognized by the pope during that time, allowing her to speak about them publicly.

Since she has not been officially canonized, the ceremony is likely to take place before the pope names her as a Doctor of the Church in October.

Benedict XVI dedicated several of his general audiences to this German nun, saying that she “served the Church in an age in which it was wounded by the sins of priests and laity”.
 
“She brought a woman’s insight to the mysteries of the faith. In her many works she contemplated the mystic marriage between God and humanity accomplished in the Incarnation, as well as the spousal union of Christ and the Church. She also explored the vital relationship between God and creation, and our human calling to give glory to God by a life of holiness and virtue.”

So far there are 33 doctors of the Church, only 3 of whom are women. During World Youth Day, Benedict XVI also announced that the Spanish San Juan de Avila would also be appointed as a Doctor of the Church.

With this appointment, the Church recognizes a person's contribution to Catholic theology, which is still felt despite the passage of time.

More can be learned about this brilliant, talented woman here. It sounds like a timely announcement, and one which shows that the questions about man's relationship to nature and the immanence of God are nothing remotely new. It also shows what those who really know the Church understand: that the education of women and appreciation of their myriad gifts has always been important.

I also purchased a lovely CD based on her writings here, but as you can see, there are many others. This woman's feminine genius has long been evident to the world -- even outside the Church.

 

Interesting study on obesity

If you think about it, there are abundant contributing factors to weight problems, from genetics to behaviour, but this is an interesting study.

An Australian study has found that girls in single-parent families are more at risk of obesity than children in two-parent families. “This fits with recent research findings from the United States showing that children in single-parent households are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese than those from households with two parents,” says the author, Linda Byrne.

One must also factor in mild depression and stress, which lead to eating disorders in some, though I find this intriguing: women in lower income neighbourhoods are simply afraid to let their daughters out to play. There would be few organised sports, no dad to take them out for walks or other physical activities, mum is stressed and tired, and what's left but screens and food?

I like Ms Byrne's sensitivity over the mothers' predicament, for blaming isn't helpful. Whenever we see such things manifest in our children, we are eaten with guilt. This is simply another indicator of the harms of broken families, but not a reason to point fingers. Children need two parents for a variety of reasons, but for those who are anguished over the absence of a parent, take comfort:

Children of Zion, delight and rejoice in the LORD, your God!For he has faithfully given you the early rain, sending rain down on you, the early and the late rains as before. The threshing floors will be full of grain, the vats spilling over with new wine and oil. I will repay you double what the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the consuming locust, and the cutter, my great army I sent against you (Joel 2: 23-25).

The years of loss and neglect -- the years destroyed by locusts -- will be restored, and the wounds will be bound and healed. All things are possible with our God, who is faithful to his promises.

Susan G. Komen -- FTR

Although Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) is over, there are pink symbols everywhere -- even on items of food at the grocery store. I would caution you to beware, because the symbols aren't always obvious, and sometimes there are few options. This reminder is offered to tell you that money to Susan G. Komen = money to Planned Parenthood:

Annually, Komen Affiliates fund programs that provide breast health education and breast screenings for hundreds of thousands of low-income, uninsured, or medically under-served women via nearly 2,000 local organizations, including 19 Planned Parenthood programs.

The decision to fund any breast health and screening program is based on a thorough assessment of a community’s breast health needs and resources. In some areas of the U.S., our affiliates have determined a Planned Parenthood clinic to be the best or only local place where women can receive breast health care.

Problem is, Planned Parenthood makes no bones about the fact that they don't offer mammograms. So what do they offer? Well, abortions and contraceptives, both of which are proven contributing factors in breast cancer.

Twice each year, Komen affiliates conduct a thorough review of their community health grant programs to ensure that funds are being used only for breast health services. Under no circumstances are Komen funds used to fund abortions or other non-breast services, and any service provider shown to violate those rules would be immediately terminated from the Komen grant program.

Except that they aren't terminated from the grant program. And the claim that SGK dollars are earmarked in some way is absurd, because it only frees other dollars to promote abortion. Money should be withheld in principle from an organisation that provides abortions but not mammograms. Thus, the principles of SGK are muddied indeed -- and not conducive to women's health.

The Glorious Immaculata

A portion of today's Office, from Saint Anselm:

To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.

  God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Saviour of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.

  Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.

Imagine that, Mary is not only the Mother of God (Theotokos) but the mother of the re-created world. It's presented in such a fresh way that we're taken aback. We cannot praise her enough, short of making her God (heaven forfend!) 

Fancy that!

I just found out that I'm on Kindle. Sort of a cheap thrill, actually. For those looking for a present for the Catholic woman on your list, there's always the Dead Tree version -- appropriate for all ages (single, married, widowed, and consecrated). And if you like it, I'll visit your parish and do the Warm Body version in either conference or retreat style. Now that's fancy!