feminine-genius

"Walking With Mary" by Dr Edward Sri

After decades of distracted catechesis on the faith, many contemporary Catholics have discerned two pressing needs: to learn why Marian devotion is such an integral element in the life of the Church, and to find a comprehensive (but accessible!) written work to offer to others who believe that there is no need to include Mary in their journey towards God. In this entirely readable text, Walking With Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross, Dr. Edward Sri provides just such a tool to reintroduce Catholics to the Mother of God, and to lead them to an appreciation for the particular beauty of Mary.

One of the delightful attributes of this book is its wonderful balance that operates on many levels. Dr. Sri explains the overarching reverence in which Mary has been held by the faithful over the centuries while showing that her witness as Jesus’ first disciple is a model for all Christians. He reveals how her singular role in salvation history was foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament while at the same time her fiat provided the means for an entirely unexpected event. Moreover, there is an explanation of how her spotless soul shows the magnanimity of God while simultaneously explaining that her humility is an essential component in putting on Christ. Finally, the author shows how Mary can be both mother and queen while living as apostle and witness to generation after generation of her spiritual children.

One might think that little can be known of Mary because of her quietness throughout the Gospels—she speaks so rarely!—but reliable Biblical scholarship shows us how both the setting in the events of her life and the particular phrasing of the scriptural texts provide magnificent details that would otherwise be missed. Even words that we may regularly gloss over, such as “on the third day,” “hour,” and "woman” are themselves charged with meaning, providing more essential clues.

Dr. Sri synthesises the original Greek texts, related Biblical passages, and sentence structure, as he reminds the reader of the virtues being revealed and Divine promises kept. While it is a truism that “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ,” the very same can be said about our knowledge of Mary, the first fruit and most perfect image of the Church.

Every faithful child of the Church is a child of Mary (whether or not he or she is aware of the relationship) but readers will discover how Mary’s maternity is particularly instructive for a world that rejects both motherhood and fatherhood. In the end, her fiat—which was renewed as events unfolded—included the call to nurture each of us, who are thereby enfolded in her mantle of mercy. Her fidelity to her children, her concern for our joys and sorrows should encourage and console us. In fact, her fiat is a warm, motherly invitation to persevere in the demands of love, no matter the cost.

This book is a delight, and would make a wonderful gift for any serious Christian. If we can see our way to Mary, the rest of the journey will be a road of familial joy and fortifying communion. I heartily recommend Walking With Mary!

God bless the babushkas!

The Vatican Insider offers an interesting piece by Elena Zhosul, who explains that almost no time is spent wondering about the "role" of women in her church:

Why aren’t we talking about it? It’s simple. Because there is no need to. Orthodox women today do not feel the need to be given some kind of rank or additional rights or powers within the Church. Orthodox women already have a wide range of possibilities open to them, in terms of spiritual life, creative work and social fulfilment. Russian Orthodox women are strangers to the feminism phenomenon. This does not mean they are against it; it simply means it is not an issue in our lives. Thank God the plague of feminism has not reached us…

 Women have played a special role in the modern and contemporary history of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the years of the Socviet Union’s militant State atheism, the few Orthodox parishes that existed were made up mainly of lay women. In the 20^th century, faith in Russia was saved by church-going little old grannies  who continued to attend liturgies, keep icons and Bibles safely tucked away in chests and baptise their grandchildren in secret, despite all the atheist propaganda. Patriarch Kirill never misses a chance to emphasise the heroism of these women who remained faithful to God and to the Church.

She explains that Orthodox women have every avenue open to them except the priesthood, which they would find unthinkable. Straining for something that they do not have would only be brought about by an existing inadequacy with what they do have: 

I will simply express my opinion from a practical point of view, from a woman’s perspective. Feminist organisations have tried to convince me and other women that there are certain supposed natural rights we should be laying claim to publicly. The world’s harmony depends on its variety and existing order. A woman’s wisdom is shown in her ability to recognise the many gifts God has given her as a woman in the created universe and to use these wisely, to get the best out of them.

Those who seek a certain position or additional rights are usually those who feel they are lacking in some way, people who feel their dignity has been offended. The feminist ballet before the altar of the Moscow’s most important Orthodox Church is indicative of a deep inner dissatisfaction with the surrounding world and an inability to find one’s place in the world. In the Russian Orthodox Church, women have no reason to feel inferior. If they were concerned about this, it would show an incapacity to enjoy what has been given to them, by the Church as well.

I agree whole-heartedly, and would only add that feminism hasn't invaded the Orthodox church because their faith wasn't previously undermined by protestantism. In fact, Catholic countries that had little truck with the protestant revolt subsequently have had far fewer problems with feminism. It is the deformity of the faith through protestantism that left Christian women with severely proscribed options, and made them want something more. They intuited that the Christianity they inherited was oppressive to women, and since they lived outside the fullness of faith, they were right. 

Imagine a faith with no Blessed Mother, no feminine saints, no theology of sacrifice, no appreciation for spiritual motherhood, and no options beyond marriage and spinsterhood (think: 17th-19th centuries). Women's gifts were little appreciated, and education for girls wasn't as important as in Catholic countries. There was no consecrated life, and thus all the Religious options were taken from them as well.

While today, the thought of offering feminists the Blessed Mother as the means of fulfillment is laughable, it's only because of their extremely corroded view of personhood and liberty. They know they are deeply unhappy, and yet they insist on following the corrupted world's prescription for contentment, which is always a dead end. The idea of "finding oneself though a complete gift of self" is gibberish to them at this point, and yet that is one of the most primary goals of the Church: to bring them along this reliable path of self-discovery. 

God bless the babushka's who never lost the Pearl of great price. May we be just as steadfast amidst the gloom of our own darkened world, so that one day they can say that we, too, held to the faith in the breach. 

[image source: http://fatherdavidbirdosb.blogspot.com/]

Diversity metrics

This is a code word in the "women in combat" debacle. Just as I noted in this series of articles (scroll down), the worst possible outcome is right around the corner. Despite the fact that 77% of existing female troops have no desire for combat, the wider tragedy has yet to surface:

Secretary Hagel and the Obama administration nevertheless are pushing forward with incremental plans to revoke all of women’s combat exemptions by January 2016. Once women are eligible for direct ground combat, federal courts are likely to force women into Selective Service registration and a possible future draft.

Drafting your sisters, your daughters, your young wives. Seriously, didn't women see this coming? Feminists did, and have rejoices at their success. Women in trenches, women in fox holes, women in body bags -- aren't these the ultimate equality indicators? 

To get the ball rolling, advancement through merit in the field will be replaced by quotas, standards will be lowered (in order to allow women to pass physical tests), and morale will suffer -- what are men to think when their lives are in the hands of women, who cannot offer reciprocate aid if they are injured?

Defense Department leaders say that training programs deemed “invalid” will be eliminated, modified, or scored differently. The goal is not better training; it is “gender diversity.” President Obama will choose new military leaders who will advance the women-in-combat agenda by adjusting tough infantry-training standards. Elite forces will make them “equal” for men and women by lowering them for everyone, or accepting a few token women along with men who otherwise would have washed out.  

The argument that combat assignments will reduce sexual assaults is something of a cruel joke. Twenty-two years after the Navy’s Tailhook scandal, women are much closer to the fight, but rates of sexual assault are soaring. Confirmed incidents have increased by 129 percent since 2004, from 1,275 to 2,949. Feminists are making an ironic argument: Violence against women is wrong, they suggest, unless it happens at the hands of the enemy. 

Toughen up, sister. We'll pour on the sensitivity training for men, and in the meantime, lace up your combat boots. Irony isn't the half of it.

Holy Name of Mary

Richard Miller explains the genesis of the feast day: 

The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV in Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.

    “Lord our God, when your Son was dying on the altar of the cross, he gave us as our mother the one he had chosen to be his own mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that we who call upon the holy name of Mary, our mother, with confidence in her protection may receive strength and comfort in all our needs” (Marian Sacramentary, Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

In the words of Saint Bonaventure:

Blessed is the man who loves thy name, O Mary! 

Yes, truly blessed is he who loves thy sweet name, O Mother of God! 

for, thy name is so glorious and admirable, 

that no one who remembers it has any fears at the hour of death....

I ask thee, O Mary, for the glory of thy name, 

to come and meet my soul when it is departing from this world, 

and to take it in thine arms.

Other saints agree:

Thomas a Kempis affirms "that the devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that only on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire." The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget "that there is not on earth a sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the devil is not obliged immediately to fly, if he invokes her holy name with a determination to repent." On another occasion she repeated the same thing to the saint, saying, "that all the devils venerate and fear her name to such a degree, that on hearing it they immediately loosen the claws with which they hold the soul captive." Our Blessed Lady also told St. Bridget, "that in the same way as the rebel angels fly from sinners who invoke the name of Mary, so also do the good angels approach nearer to just souls who pronounce her name with devotion."

A prayer to Mary, and an triple invocation:

O dearest Lady, Sweet Mother mine, watch the hour when my departing soul shall lose its hold on all earthly things, and stand unveiled in the presence of its Creator.  Show thyself as my tender Mother then, and offer to the Eternal Father the precious Blood of thy Son Jesus for my poor soul, that it may, thus purified, be pleasing in His sight.  Plead for thy poor child at the moment of his (or her) departure from this world, and say to the Heavenly Father: Receive him (or her) this day into Thy Kingdom! Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

Imprimatur:  +John Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept 19, 1908.

Relevant Radio

I'll be chatting with Sean Herriott tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 9am (EST). Topic will be my latest book, the annotated 25th anniversary edition of Mulieris Dignitatem (published by the Daughters of Saint Paul).

UPDATE: here is the link to the show.

The power of prayer

It is entirely possible that the proposed American attack on Syria may be shelved, and the intense prayers led by Pope Francis cannot be discounted as a prime reason. To that end, I would remind readers that today marks a dark anniversary: it has been seven months since the kidnapping of two priests in that country.

Fathers Michel Kayyal (Armenian Catholic) and Maher Mahfouz (Greek Orthodox) were kidnapped on 9 February by armed rebels on a road between Damascus and Aleppo.

Fr Kayyal is being held for ransom ($250K and an exchange for 15 Syrian rebels).

On February 20, 2013 the rebels allowed Fr Michael to contact his mother for only one minute to prove that he is still alive.

Kindly remember these men--and so many others who are missing--in your prayers. Sacrifices on their behalf will also help. No doubt, they struggle with physical, psycological, and spiritual challenges, but imagine also the distress of their families. Saints Nunilo and Alodia, pray for these beleaguered souls!

Cowardly policy

I have written extensively on why placing women in combat is gravely wrong, but I didn't consider the angle embedded in this title: Deadly Consequences: How Cowards Are Pushing Women into Combat (written by Robert Maginnis, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and West Point graduate). While sometimes women do best critiquing women, men have the right to call out other men, and to posit that it's cowardly for men to be pressured into changing military policy is an interesting charge. More so, because if it's cowardice that makes men back down in the face of a relentless radical feminist attack, then what are we to say about their chances with a real enemy?

This entire piece is excellent, pointing out the compelling reasons to keep women out of combat, for instance:

The necessity for imposing diversity metrics/gender norming was revealed at a September 2011 briefing before the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Armed Services. A Marine colonel revealed the sobering statistics the diversity mavens are determined to ignore, noting that “on average, women have 47% lower lifting strength, 40% lower muscle strength, 20% lower aerobic capacity (important for endurance), and 26% slower road march speed.” He further noted that “both female attrition/injury rates during entry level training and discharge (break) rates were twice those of men, and non-deployability rates were three times higher.”

The CMR further reveals that 30 years of studies conducted by Great Britain and America, “have repeatedly confirmed physiological differences that would put women at a severe disadvantage in the combat arms,” and that there is no study they can find indicating training can overcome such differences. Thus, the study concludes that attempting to train women like men will either lead to a lowering of standards, or high attrition rate among female trainees.

Ah well, water under the bridge now. Pray for peace, and this monstrously deficient plan won't be tested.

New book published

I was invited by the Daughters of Saint Paul to offer commentary for their 25th anniversary edition of Mulieris Dignitatem, and the title has just become available. From their website:

Features & Benefits: 

• Commentary written by a lay woman who addressed the Vatican Congress marking the 20th anniversary of the document in 2008
• Brings themes from the original document into a modern context, making them relevant for women today
• Highlights the essential points of the encyclical
• Encourages active engagement in reading
• Serves as a springboard into prayer
• Provides conversation starters for group use

   About the Commentator:

 Genevieve Kineke is a convert to the faith who was immediately drawn to the question of what it means to be a woman in the image and likeness of God. In 1992, she founded Canticle, a magazine dedicated to that question, which she edited for twelve years. In 2006, she wrote The Authentic Catholic Woman (Servant Books), followed by Set Free: The Authentic Catholic Woman's Guide to Forgiveness (Servant Books, 2012). She has spoken widely on the topic and was invited to address the Vatican Congress marking the 20th anniversary of Mulieris Dignitatem in 2008. She is married and the mother of five children.

What Are People Saying about this Title?

"Blessed John Paul II's landmark apostolic letter for women,Mulieris Dignatatem brought the feminine genius to our lexicon, beginning a quiet revolution of a new feminism characterized by an integration of gospel values. Twenty-five years later, this Anniversary Edition of Mulieris Dignatatem in the Year of Faith is the right occasion to reintroduce this document to the next generation. Genevieve Kineke's thoughtful commentary after each of the document's nine chapters offers readers a contemplative unpacking of the pontiff's words, plus guides for them to ponder, pray, and act. This is a marvelous keepsake book, as well as a learning tool." 
-Pat Gohn, author, Blessed Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood (Ave Maria Press, 2013)

It almost goes without saying that I'd love to address your book club, women's guild, or retreat in the coming months. This message is too beautiful not to share!