feminine-genius

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I have a new piece up on Catholic Exchange, comparing God and Allah:

After two weeks of plunging into the waters of the Koran, I can finally come up for air — fresh air. After taking time to plow through the repetitive and garbled "revelations" given to Muhammad in the name of Allah, I can now proceed to rejoice in my Christian faith knowing with metaphysical certainty that Allah is not God. In fact, if Allah were truly God, I would be led to despair and self-destruction, for he is a tyrant and marauder of goodness, no matter what his "ninety-nine names" are. Praised be Jesus Christ! [continue reading...]

Another black eye for Susan G. Komen

Long-time readers know of my antipathy for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer because of that group's refusal to consider the impact that abortion has on cancer rates. Numerous studies have shown an undeniable link, but because of the politicisation of "choice," the medical information is not given to the women who are most affected by it: those procuring abortions. (This is similar to HIV/AIDS education that peddles "safe sex" instead of offering realistic data about transmission of the disease.) Surely, not all women who have breast cancer have had abortions but the breast cancer rates could be positively impacted by a reduction of abortions, esp. in the "at risk" categorie

(IsraelNN.com) A United States-based organization's conference on breast cancer awareness, to be hosted in Egypt, has been touted by international news networks as an example of “unprecedented cooperation” in the region. However, according to Channel 2 news, the celebration of unity may be premature, as Israeli doctors were told at the last minute that their invitations to participate had been rescinded.

The conference will be held in Alexandria, Egypt this week, under the auspices of the American group Susan G. Komen for the Cure – the world's largest breast cancer advocacy organization. It is to include meetings between leading researchers from the U.S. and several Mideast countries.

Israeli doctors were invited to the event as well, and several had planned to attend. However, on Sunday night, the doctors received brief notices telling them that they were no longer invited to the conference, by order of Egyptian Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali.

The notices did not include an explanation of Gabali's decision.

Despite the cancellation of the Israeli presence at the event, Egyptian officials continued to praise the event as an example of regional cooperation. “The week's events are a demonstration of the cooperation between countries, governments, civil society, advocates, survivors, and the global community as a whole,” Dr. Mohammed Shaalan of Egypt's Breast Cancer Foundation told Reuters on Monday. “It shows that breast cancer has no boundaries and reveals the beauty of the world's unity in its fight against breast cancer.”

Um, really. No boundaries, only prejudices. Not only against particular contributing factors but some nationalities. No protest from Komen, only assurances that they'll hold a separate conference in Israel.

UPDATE: according to the latest Susan G. Komen announcement, the Israeli doctors will now be welcome at the envent:

There have been reports that some of the invited participants would not be allowed to attend these events. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has now received confirmation that all advocates, regardless of their country of origin, are invited to fully participate in events to bring breast cancer to the forefront of public discussion in the Middle East.
 
After we received the initial report on the situation, we launched a diplomatic effort to ensure they would be able to participate. I am pleased to report that our efforts led to confirmation that all advocates would be welcome to participate in the events.  

It's anyone's guess as to why a "diplomatic effort" would succeed without financial pressure applied somewhere. Could have been Komen pressuring Egypt, or could have been donors pressuring Komen -- perhaps we'll never know. In the end, Egypt will host the visiting participants which is as it should be. Now about the abortion link...? Will that data be welcome also?

The oldest Marian feast

"The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the oldest Marian Feast, returns every year in the heart of summer. It is an opportunity to rise with Mary to the heights of the spirit where one breathes the pure air of supernatural life and contemplates the most authentic beauty, the beauty of holiness. The atmosphere of today’s celebration is steeped in paschal joy. 'Today,' the antiphon of the Magnificat says, 'the Virgin Mary was taken up to Heaven. Rejoice, for she reigns with Christ for ever. Alleluia.' This proclamation speaks to us of an event that is utterly unique and extraordinary, yet destined to fill the heart of every human being with hope and happiness. Mary is indeed the first fruit of the new humanity, the creature in whom the mystery of Christ - his Incarnation, death, Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven - has already fully taken effect, redeeming her from death and conveying her, body and soul, to the Kingdom of immortal life. For this reason, as the Second Vatican Council recalls, the Virgin Mary is a sign of certain hope and comfort to us (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 68). Today’s feast impels us to lift our gaze to Heaven; not to a heaven consisting of abstract ideas or even an imaginary heaven created by art, but the Heaven of true reality which is God himself. God is Heaven. He is our destination, the destination and the eternal dwelling place from which we come and for which we are striving" (Benedict XVI, Homily from 15 August, 2008).

Voice of the Bridegroom II

This week's snippet comes from one of the most profound essays on the priesthood I have ever read, found here. It should really be read, savoured, prayed over and saved for rereading later. Here, Father John Cihak gives an excellent template for the relationship between women and priests.

"When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said..." (Jn. 19:26). It begins with a gaze from our Lord seeing His Mother and His priest...She hears, "Woman, behold your son" (Jn. 19:26). He calls her "Woman", not "Mom". Feel the distancing. These words must have been especially painful for her. As mother all she wants is to be close to Him and even to die with Him so that she can be close to Him. "Woman" isolates her from Him. He pushes her away, not in cruelty, but so that she can become the New Eve, the mother of all those who would live eternally. Her agony is the labor pains giving birth to the Church. Here the distinction between Our Lady and the Church, which should never be a separation, is perhaps a little more pronounced. Here she is giving birth to the Church, acting as Mother of the Church, through her interior agony.

St. John is at her side. It is no coincidence that a priest of the new covenant stands at the Cross with Jesus. St. John also is undergoing his own interior crucifixion, being conformed as priest to the Cross of the eternal High Priest. Perhaps we can sense St. John's helplessness. There is no worse feeling for a man than that of helplessness. What words could he utter seeing her in such agony? The sword piercing her Immaculate Heart is going through his priestly heart as well. This is not some heroic charge to victory. It is blackness, loneliness, a dark night; it is the whole messed-up incongruity of the collision between love and sin. It feels like and is death.

"Then Jesus says to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!'" (Jn. 19:27). At this moment, Jesus asks the Apostle in the depth of his own pain to attune himself to her. As priest, he must decide to put her first, attune himself to her heart. He must put her suffering ahead of his own. I imagine St. John turning toward Our Lady, and looking at her with such tenderness and reverence. Jesus sends His command deep into the heart of his priest, "Look at her...receive her...take care of her." As a man, he must feel helpless and inadequate, but now he has been given a manly task. St. John is commanded to care for her, to comfort her, to hold her, to protect her because she is so alone and vulnerable at that moment. Such a command would resonate deeply in the heart of such a man: he must look beyond his pain and accommodate himself to her, and have all that is best about being a man rise up within him in a great act of celibate agape. The choice to be attentive to her pain brings him to the threshold of entering into his spousal love and paternity as a celibate, as the Church is coming to birth.

I like to meditate on that scene, pondering the eyes of Our Lady and St. John as they meet in their mutual agony. Neither of them seems to have Jesus anymore. At that moment she needs St. John; she also allows him to help her. She is so alone at that moment. She who is sinless allows her great poverty of spirit to need this man and priest beside her. Her feminine complementarity draws out the best in St. John's masculine heart. The need for his support and protection must have connected to something deep within him as a man. How does he help her? St. John says that he then took her "into his own" (in Greek, eis ta idia). What does this mean? "His house," as many translations read? "His things"? What about "everything that he is"? Perhaps it indicates that he takes her into his life as a priest.

She also is supporting him. He is depending on her in that moment for he too is so alone. I wonder if he felt abandoned by the other apostles. She leads the way in sacrificing herself, for her feminine heart is more receptive and more attuned to Jesus'. She is not only present but leads the way for him, helping the priest to have his own heart pierced as well. There is much here to ponder as she engages his masculine love. He gives himself over to her, to cherish her and console her. At this moment she needs him and needs him to be strong, even if she is the one really supporting him.

The Blessed Virgin Mary's role is to call out of the priest this celibate agape to help him become a husband to the Church and a spiritual father—a strong father, even in his weakness. She does this at the Cross by drawing the priest out of his own pain to offer pure masculine love in the midst of her own pure feminine love. This scene becomes an icon of the relationship between the priest and the Church. The priest hands himself over to the Church in her suffering and need – to have his life shaped by hers. At the foot of the Cross the Church agonizes in labor to give birth to the members of the mystical body. I am struck by the next verse in this passage from the Gospel of St. John: "After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said... 'I thirst'" (Jn. 19:28). It was after this exchange of love at the foot of the Cross that "all was now finished".

UPDATES

My able webmaster has kindly updated my site with most of my recent columns and articles. Please note that I offer a 600 word column every other week, which is available for your Catholic papers and newsletters. (You can even use what's already there with attribution.)

More importantly, though, we've posted an excellent paper by Dale O'Leary which is all you need to know to understand the issue of AIDS and Africa. This would be an excellent tool to discuss the situation coherently with friends and family, and also as a reference for high school and college students who would like to explain and defend the Church's position (which is the only truly loving position!)

When one understands the motivation behind those who are behind the condom campaign, it all, sadly, begins to make more sense.

Attention all cellarers

Mary Kochan, editor of Catholic Exchange has begun a four-part series on food, from the standpoint of exercising frugality in the coming months/years. She begins by explaining a few concepts for our hand-to-mouth, fast-food generation.

To function in an economical and well-organized manner a home should have both cupboard and pantry storage. Many people also have long-term food storage and there is some overlap between pantry items and long-term food storage, but not much. What goes where is based on the shelf-life and turnover of various foods. Foods whose shelf-life or turnover is less than a year are not suitable for long-term storage. Those foods probably make up the bulk of the foods in your kitchen cupboards and are candidates to be stored in a pantry. Shelf-life refers to the “use by” or “best by” or “expiration” date stamped on the package. Turnover refers to how often you have to replace the product because it has been used up.

It's quite reminiscent of the Benedictine Rule, which gives careful instructions for the monk or sister who takes care of the food for the community.

As cellarer of the monastery
let there be chosen from the community
one who is wise, of mature character, sober,
not a great eater, not haughty, not excitable,
not offensive, not slow, not wasteful,
but a God-fearing man
who may be like a father to the whole community.

Let him keep qua rd over his own soul,
mindful always of the Apostle's saying
that "he who has ministered well
will acquire for himself a good standing" (1 Tim. 3:13).

Let him take the greatest care
of the sick, of children, of guests and of the poor,
knowing without doubt
that he will have to render an account for all these
on the Day of Judgment.

Let him regard all the utensils of the monastery
and its whole property
as if they were the sacred vessels of the altar.
Let him not think that he may neglect anything.
He should be neither a miser
nor a prodigal and squanderer of the monastery's substance,
but should do all things with measure
and in accordance with the Abbot's instructions.

I'm looking forward to the rest -- because in our domestic churches this is our God-given duty, for which we will answer one day. [Time to go clean my cell!]

A most excellent anniversary

In his comments at the close of the International Congress marking the 20^th anniversary of Mulieris Dignitatem, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko noted that this is a prophetic moment for women. The head of the Pontifical Council for the Laity was clearly pleased at what had transpired over the course of the three-day event, in which the document was discussed from almost every academic angle possible.

Having heard from philosophers, sociologists, historians, and theologians, from political figures to mothers, it was clear to all that humanity is at a crossroads. Trends in all corners of the globe show the family being deconstructed, traditional structures dismantled, relationships undermined by technology and the truth and meaning of human sexuality widely misunderstood.

With children, who are the most vulnerable among us, clearly prey to dire harms, marriage in disarray, and the poor being handed stones instead of bread, why should this aging Polish Cardinal have been so pleased? Why were all the women present energized and inspired?

The message of John Paul II to women, indicating their importance at this historical juncture, was not a call to arms, nor was it a call to rattle cages of international power brokers. It was a reiteration of the basic Christian message that has always been a sign of contradiction—only in this age it is a message that must be crafted to women, who must “keep mankind from falling.”

The irony of faith has always been that the mighty of this world hold no sway with God. It is humility that prevails, and barrenness on earth often brings in abundant harvests in the world to come. Thus, the Church has no fear in the present age as long as the seed of truth finds a home in the hearts of women, who will nurture it according to their nature.

Near the end of Mulieris Dignitatem, we are reminded that love is the answer and that in the inscrutable plan of God, it is precisely women who are to reveal this to the world (cf. MD, 29). There is an order to creation, and in the order of love, woman comes first. Love—being the essence of the woman’s vocation because of the way that the human person is entrusted to her—has been foundational to the feminine genius manifest throughout history. Now more than ever, woman is called simply to love, to rediscover her own vocation as balm to the suffering world.

This document outlines the fall from grace, the promise of the Savior, and the way that our restoration to God depended on the free collaboration of a woman. That collaboration is still needed today, as men and women must refrain from antagonism and seek ways in which their complementarity can bear lasting fruit.

Realizing that the family is the cornerstone of every culture, the greater beauty is in the discovery that the very Trinity is reflected in that most intimate little society. This call to image God is a privilege, a solemn duty and a comfort—yet it cannot be done without the joyful response of women. If women seek recognition and esteem, what greater worth could be imagined than to live as icons of the bride, so cherished by Christ and for whom He shed His blood.

The chaos surrounding us is no cause for alarm, but simply an invitation to love. Granted, the request is urgent and the response overdue, but restoration begins when women say yes. God once entrusted so much to one lowly handmaiden and all of humanity was redeemed. Women today need only look to Mary, and all things are possible.

"Reasonable man" translation

After some bruising rows at the WDTPRS blog on openness to life (traditionalists insist that Humanae Vitae has sketchy foundation and grave reasons for spacing children are almost always sinful) I was delighted to find that a more accurate translation of the document has been explained in a recent issue of Homiletic and Pastoral Review. Here is the "hot potato" passage:

Imagine a concerned Catholic couple that picks up Humanae Vitae to see when it is permissible to use periodic abstinence. They would never use contraceptives but struggle with discerning their motives for spacing births because they do not want to use it with a “contraceptive intent.” Periodic abstinence only for grave reasons seems completely accurate according to a sentence in paragraph ten in the Pauline edition:

In relation to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised, either by the deliberate and generous decision to raise a numerous family, or by the decision, made for grave motives and with due respect for the moral law, to avoid for the time being, or even for an indeterminate period, a new birth. (Italics added to words to be discussed).

Conscientious Catholic couples that take this sentence literally as a moral obligation would conclude that there are only two options. Either a couple can make a deliberate and generous decision to raise a numerous family, or, if they have grave motives they can avoid a new birth for the time being or for an indeterminate period. From this it is easy to infer that in the absence of grave motives spouses should not avoid a new birth, even for the time being. [2] In fact, a casual reader might even guess that raising a numerous family is the default requirement for all couples unless the presence of grave motives exempts them.

Now, what if they read the Vatican translation of that sentence? It says:

With regard to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised by those who prudently and generously decide to have more children, and by those who, for serious reasons and with due respect to moral precepts, decide not to have additional children for either a certain or an indefinite period of time. (Italics added) [3]

This sentence cannot be reduced, like the first one can, to a moral statement about when periodic abstinence is permitted, because the words “prudently” and “certain…time” rightly appear in the second translation. Prudently having a larger family, after all, will likely require that couples use periodic abstinence from time to time while serious reasons may require it for certain or indefinite periods. This sentence also implies that imprudently raising a numerous family is outside the definition of responsible parenthood, whereas the Pauline edition does not.

I have no expertise in linguistics, theology or philosophy -- but this resonates with me and with all sincere Catholic couples I've ever known. Please read the entire piece for more context and spread the good word. This woman's face radiates truth and joy -- because our Church does as well. Thank you, Angela--a feminine genius, indeed!

Annoyances

From today's Moment with Mary:

One day Father Oblat was trekking across the high mountains of Lesotho, with a rosary in his hand, visiting the Christians spread here and there scattered throughout the villages. Suddenly, a clap of thunder threw him to the ground. He got up painfully, with the help of his catechist who begged him to turn back. "The demon is annoyed because there is a soul to save," replied the priest. And they continued their route in prayer.

After a good deal of walking on mountain paths, they heard cries coming from a remote village. The good father stopped, "Someone is calling us, let us go there!" he said. The catechist replied, "No, that village is full of witches, it's a trap." But the priest answered, "Perhaps there is a soul to save there. I must go and find out." And the priest set off to the village, followed by his reluctant assistant who seemed to be more dead than alive.

When they arrived, several women surrounded the priest and took him into a hut where a girl about 17 years of age was dying. The women said, "She has been calling for you. She wants to be baptized by a Catholic priest so she can be with the beautiful lady." The father knelt down close to the dying girl who said with great effort, "Are you a Catholic priest?" He replied, "Yes, I am." - "Then baptize me quickly. Please hurry..."

Testimony of a missionary of Lesotho
Published in the magazine "Our Lady of New Time" #6 1982
Told in the Marian Collection 1986 by Brother Albert Pfleger, Marist

Pray for guidance. Sometimes obstacles are to be respected. Sometimes, they indicate that more resolve is needed.

The key to the culture

The key to a restoration of culture, a culture of life, lies with women. Mary Jo Anderson has a very good essay on the feminine vocation as outlined in Mulieris Dignitatem.

It is women who must re-learn the truth about the feminine nature and to then insist that our social structures respect that truth. A world where the true feminine is marginalized or even erased (transgenderism, androgyny) is a world where human beings are thrown back into a lonely existence devoid of authentic relationships. There is no loneliness on earth worse that the alienation of being surrounded by many bodies, even having “encounters” with other bodies, and yet, having no relationship.

This modern alienation is cataloged in art, sociology, psychology and philosophy. It is why nihilism is rampant in our times. it is why our young cut and pierce themselves so that they can “feel alive,” the pain is preferable to being overlooked, of not belonging.

The Woman is the key to recovery of the culture gone cold from the loss of an authentic femininity.

So much news around us is dark and forboding. It is not a time for despair, but for resolve. So much lies within our realm of grace -- not by doing, but simply by being who we're called to be. Take courage, friends. And take time to understand your feminine vocation. Much depends on it.