Femininity & Film

At our last event, Femininity & Film, we explored true femininity embodied by some of our favorite leading ladies in movies such as Pocahontas, Maria von Trapp, Belle, Katniss, Tiana, Eowyn, and Elizabeth Bennet. 
We put to rest the stereotype and lie that womanhood and femininity is a sign of weakness. Many of the characters we explored were all women who were willing to risk their lives and give up their freedom to save someone they loved. 
We also discussed the feminine genius: the woman's receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity. In their own way, each of the women from film embodied these qualities in the way they lived their vocation of radical love.
True femininity, as expressed by these women in the movies, is a real and radical way to love.  And the the good news is that it is livable for all of us with God's grace!

Check out these quotes that team chose to describe their favorite leading ladies in film:

• Maria Von Trapp from The Sound of Music: "Perhaps more than men, women acknowledge the person, because they see persons with their hearts.  They see them independently of various ideological or political systems. They see others in their greatness and limitations; they try to go out to them and help them.  In this way the basic plan of the Creator takes flesh in the history of humanity and there is constantly revealed, in the variety of vocations, that beauty –not merely physical, but above all spiritual – which God bestowed from the very beginning on all, and in a particular way on women." - JPII Letter to Women, 12
• Belle from Beauty & the Beast: "In [the] moment of danger, those who love much succeed in overcoming their fear." -John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem
• Eowyn from Lord of the Rings: "To be a mother, to feel maternally, means to turn especially to the helpless, to incline lovingly and helpfully toward everything on earth that is small and weak." - Gertrude von le Fort in The Eternal Woman
• Tiana from The Princess & the Frog: "Woman is created in the image of God. Like man, she is created for the purpose of knowing, ultimately knowing God. True feminism, therefore, respects woman's essential identity as an image of God. Where she differs from man, a true feminism understands that these differences are constructive and complementary." -Dr. Pia de Solenni, "Christian Feminism: A Fuller View of Woman"
• Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice: "The soul of a woman must therefore be expansive and open to all human beings; it must be quiet so that no small weak flame will be extinguished by stormy winds; warm so as not to benumb fragile buds; clear so that no vermin will settle in dark corners and recesses; self-contained, so that no invasions from without can imperil the inner life; empty of self, in order that extraneous life may have room in it; finally, mistress of itself and also of its body, so that the entire person is readily at the disposal of every call." - St. Edith Stein, Essays on Woman pg 133

Proverbs Says

Poem On The Woman Of Worth

Who can find a woman of worth?

Far beyond jewels is her value.

Her husband trusts her judgment;

he does not lack income.

She brings him profit, not loss,

all the days of her life.

She seeks out wool and flax

and weaves with skillful hands.

Like a merchant fleet,

she secures her provisions from afar.

She rises while it is still night,

and distributes food to her household,

a portion to her maidservants.

She picks out a field and acquires it;

from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength;

she exerts her arms with vigor.

She enjoys the profit from her dealings;

her lamp is never extinguished at night.

She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her fingers ply the spindle.

She reaches out her hands to the poor,

and extends her arms to the needy.

She is not concerned for her household when it snows—

all her charges are doubly clothed.

She makes her own coverlets;

fine linen and purple are her clothing.

Her husband is prominent at the city gates

as he sits with the elders of the land.

She makes garments and sells them,

and stocks the merchants with belts.

She is clothed with strength and dignity,

and laughs at the days to come.

She opens her mouth in wisdom;

kindly instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household,

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband, too, praises her:

“Many are the women of proven worth,

but you have excelled them all.”

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;

the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Acclaim her for the work of her hands,

and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.

Proverbs 31:10-31

My little sister in household shared something simple, yet mind-blowing with me today.  We were talking about this passage, the Poem on the Woman of Worth.  She explained to me, as she had learned earlier in class, that the author of Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman – “lady wisdom”.  The word Sophia actually means “wisdom”, and it suits then that Sophia is a girl’s name. 

The first nine chapters of Proverbs are about lady wisdom.  As the introduction to the Book of Proverbs says in the Bible, “The chapters personify wisdom as a woman and draw an extended analogy between finding a wife, or founding and maintaining a household, and finding wisdom.”

My little sister then continued, saying that the author concluded with the Poem on the Woman of Worth for a reason.  The author was looking for the perfect example of wisdom; he searched the towns for the wisdom of the scribes and the elders.  Yet, in the end, he recognized wisdom in the woman, the wife. 

My sisters in Christ, let us rid ourselves of self-criticism, insecurity, and self-pity.  And let us move into strength, dignity, fear of the Lord, and laughter. This poem on the Woman of Worth is Christ’s praise to us.  This doesn’t come without exercising virtue but with Mary as our perfect model and teacher, quickly we will learn.  Our value is far beyond jewels…

May Mary’s Heart guide you,

Sierra

"Give me a drink"

A little while ago I was praying with the scripture passage about the woman at the well. It has always been one of my favorites, but I never really thought about why. So when we learned about lectio divina in our Women’s Ministry meeting, I decided this was as good an opportunity as any to really dive into this passage and see what about it struck me so positively. 

I had read a commentary once on this passage that explains that the Samaritan woman was ostracized from the rest of the women in her town.  All the other women go to the well together in the mornings.  This is one of the great duties and honors in being a woman.  They create a community together of support and intimacy.  They converse over the latest gossip in the town.  However, the Samaritan woman is shamed because of her sins - 5 husbands? and currently living with a man who is not her husband? I can only imagine the things being whispered about her throughout the town.  I’m sure much of the shallow gossip being talked about among the other town wives was about the samaritan woman. 

How well she must have understood how it felt to be excluded.  Should she attempt to go to the well while the other women were there, what do you expect she’d find? I imagine there is great chatter that ceases when she approaches.  Those looks of being “caught-in-the-act” plastered over the women’s faces.  All eyes look at her and then quickly avert their gaze. The silence speaks volumes.  

Then as she draws water there are hushed whispers and dirty looks.  She leaves, realizing she isn’t welcome, and as she walks away, the chatter grows louder.  Most likely she hears a few thrown out insults that the speaker hasn’t cared to keep low enough to go unheard.  

It’s no wonder she goes to the well alone after all the other women have left.  But! If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have encountered Christ in such a beautiful and unique way!  This thought brings me so much hope!  It is exactly by and through our sufferings and our trials that we are brought to meet Christ face to face.  Without them, we might live our whole lives in ignorance to His presence.  He could wait at the well forever, and we wouldn’t notice He was there.   

One thing that really struck me was what Christ was asking the woman. He says to her, "Give me some water."  Rather than a demand, which I had always pictured it, I realized it is actually an invitation - an invitation to perform those very acts of womanhood that she has been denied.  Providing life-sustaining nourishment (water) is a great honor to women, especially at this historical time.   

This nourishing spirit and maternal heart are constant in every woman - yes they are manifested in different ways, yet every woman has these dispositions within her.  By being denied the task of drawing water from the well with the other women and providing nourishment for her home, the samaritan woman’s very dignity and identity as a woman is denied as well.  

Christ’s invites her to re-establish her feminine role, and in doing so, he gives attention to the dignity and worth she has as a woman - He is implying that she is worthy of providing nourishment to Him.  This is why the woman becomes confused as to why He, a Jew, is asking her, a samaritan, for water.  If this was simply a task to satisfy His own needs, Christ’s request of her drawing water would be almost degrading - treating her like a servant sent to do His bidding, but that’s not what He is saying at all.  He is honoring her by asking her the favor of living out her femininity and giving nourishment to His life.

Check this video out:


Despite her sins and shortcomings, Christ shows her that she still possesses this innate value of being woman, because that is how He created her.  She does not make her own worth, He has given it to her as a gift, just as He does with each of us.  What a comfort this Truth is. 


Carrie 

Don't Wait

Alright ladies, moment of truth. How many times were you distracted by your dream wedding pinterest board during class today? In general, how many times have you begged the question “When?! When will it happen to me, God?”

Whatever that “it” is, I think sometimes (or in my case oftentimes) we fall into the discrete trap of not simply waiting, but waiting in vain. That is, waiting with the wrong mentality, the wrong intentions.

Here is an article specific to living as a single woman called “Single and Not Waiting” by Rachael Selinger. 

My challenge to all those reading this – single or not – is to ask yourself what areas of your life have you fallen prey to the temptation of this waiting mentality? Where does this mentality rob you of your joy? In what ways do you use God?

Let us seek fulfillment in Him first.

“What we can and must do is open ourselves to grace; that means to renounce our own will completely and to give it captive to the divine will, to lay our whole soul, ready for reception and formation into God’s hands.” –Edith Stein 

Spe Salvi – Saved in Hope

Have you read this document by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI? If not, it is definitely worth picking up! Saved. In. Hope. HOPE! Who doesn’t need HOPE in their lives?!

I could probably go on FOREVER about this encyclical because it’s pretty much awesome, but I’ll focus on 4 main points.

Point 1 - FAITH IS HOPE

Ok great. Faith = Hope. Papa B writes that Christians have a distinguishing mark about them in that they KNOW they have a future… maybe the details ABOUT this future aren’t all there, but the fact remains that their lives won’t end in emptiness. (Spe Salvi 2) We can have HOPE that there is more than just this world that we currently live in - the constant ups and downs, heartaches and losses, even the joys and successes we encounter – there’s something even GREATER yet to come. Papa B encourages that this Christian understanding of a life after death isn’t just information for you to store away as happy thoughts, but rather it is PERFORMATIVE. This is a hope that makes things happen and is LIFE CHANGING. The one who lives with hope lives differently! (2) “To come to know God – the true God – means to receive hope.” (3) Papa B talks about the great faith that St. Josephine Bakhita had without even really being taught who God was. She had heard there was one Master greater than all the other “masters” she had, and came to know His love and presence in her life. She gained hope. “I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me – I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good.” (3) To grasp that you are known, loved, and created good by the ultimate Master… to believe that He has a plan for your life now and for the future no matter what happens…that, my sisters, is Hope.

Point 2 – CHRISTIAN HOPE IS RELATIONAL

What can we hope in? What can we not hope in? Science is good. Reason is good. But both of these cannot be void of Love. “It is not science that redeems man - man is redeemed by Love.” (26) This love is relational – with God and with those around us.Jesus, who died for you, for me, and for Susie down the hall, won redemption for US out of LOVE. “Christ died for all. To live for Him means allowing oneself to be drawn into His being for others.” (28) Jesus wants a relationship with you. He wants to tell you how good you are, how much He loves you, and how you were and still are worth dying for. This relationship = HOPE. “Man’s great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God – God who has loved us, and who continues to love us ‘to the end’…” (27) It is only by being in this communion with Jesus that we can truly be there for others. Papa B hits this relational point home again further in the document, but I’ll come back to that.

Point 3 – HOPE REMAINS

Basically. Papa B knew how to target a young audience when he wrote paragraphs 30 and 31. Hope is something that is infinite. We might have the hope of finding our one true love or the hope of getting that dream job… but once those things are fulfilled, then what? Hope for the everlasting is what remains. I’m just going to let Papa B speak:

“This great hope can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain…God is the foundation of hope: not any god, but the God who has a human face and who has loved us to the end, each one of us and humanity in its entirety. His Kingdom is not an imaginary hereafter, situated in a future that will never arrive; His Kingdom is present wherever He is loved and wherever His love reaches us. His love alone gives us the possibility of soberly persevering day by day…His love is at the same time our guarantee of the existence of what we only vaguely sense and which nevertheless, in our deepest self, we await: a life that is ‘truly’ life.” (31)

Point 4 – PRAYER TEACHES US HOW TO HOPE – FOR ME AND FOR OTHERS

“When no one listens to me anymore, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, He can help me.” (32)

Remember how Papa B said that a relationship with Jesus, with Love Incarnate is hope? Prayer, my sisters, is how we build that relationship with Him who loves us. He is always there, ready to hear what your heart has to say, and is ready to respond to you with Love. Papa B says that when we pray, we undergo an inner purification which opens our hearts up to God and thus to our fellow human beings as well. (33) Hope is always a hope for others. We pray for others, we interact with others, we LOVE each other. Especially when we suffer, we suffer with and for others.

“…No man is an island, entire of itself… no one sins alone. No one is saved alone… So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death. In the interconnectedness of Being, my gratitude to the other – my prayer for him – can play a small part in his purification…It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor it is ever in vain.” (48)

Papa B ends the encyclical on Mary, the Star of Hope. Really. She’s the true model of what it means to have hope for something more in this world. Look to her, who will lead you to Him. And for real, PICK UP THIS DOCUMENT! It’s so good! 

Mary, Mother of Hope and Mother of Christ, lead us your daughters to His Heart, to have hope in all He has planned for our lives, and to know that we are truly good, loved, and enough. Amen. 

My HOPE and prayer remain with you in His Heart,

Caty

"The cross means there is no shipwreck without hope; there is no dark without dawn; nor storm without haven." ~ Blessed Pope John Paul II

I Shall Not Want

For the past several weeks Audrey Assad's song, "I shall not want," has constantly played on repeat in my mind or from my computer. When I find a song that I really like or am moved by, I tend to play it over and over and over again, to the point that I will drive people who are frequently around me crazy. For whatever reason, this song absolutely captivated me the first time I heard it, and in taking time to listen and think about the lyrics, I wanted to share some of the beauty I have found in the song with all of you.

"From the love of my own comfort
From the fear of having nothing
From a life of worldly passions
Deliver me O God"

This song starts by beautifully quoting from the litany of humility. I don't know about you all, but this is one of the most difficult prayers for me to pray. In the prayer, I feel as though I am asking Christ to completely strip me of my wants and my desires and to replace them with His will; it leaves me raw before God. It is a huge act of surrender and trust before God, truly believing that He will take care of me.

"From the need to be understood
From the need to be accepted
From the fear of being lonely
Deliver me O God
Deliver me O God"

I want to be comfortable and have possessions in the world to make me more comfortable; I want to be understood and accepted; I don't want to be lonely. To be stripped of these "possessions" leaves me empty before the Lord.

We should not fear this emptiness before the Lord, for He finds great beauty in this emptiness which has the capacity to be receptive. This is one of the special traits a woman has that makes her truly beautiful. Beauty is so incredibly fragile and vulnerable, yet this openness that is in a woman is a gift to humanity. There is a beautiful book titled, "The Reed of God," written by Caryll Houselander, and in this book Caryll talks about an empty hollowness that the Virgin Mary had within her. Each woman has a special emptiness within her similar to Mary; women have both a physical and spiritual emptiness in which she is able to accept life into her (either God or a child). This capacity is what allows her to bear life to the world.

So may we as women be unified in being open to those around us and to the Lord, to bring His goodness to the world rather than taking it for ourselves.

"And I shall not want, I shall not want
When I taste your goodness I shall not want
When I taste your goodness I shall not want"

In Christ's Peace,
Ali

Alice Says

Alice Says

The Privilege of Being A Woman by Alice von Hildebrand

   1.       Alice says:  Behind every great man is an even greater woman.

When writing about Gandhi, Louis Fisher shares “Gandhi feared neither man nor government, neither prison, nor poverty nor death.  But he did fear his wife.”  As women, when we live out our calling, men notice.  Not only do they notice, but it brings about change.  Alice writes, “The influence that she can exercise over her male partner is great indeed when it manifests itself…by example and gentle persuasion.” So what exactly is our calling, this calling that is so great, it even inspires men?  To love.  To love, with our uniquely feminine hearts. 

   2.      Alice says:  Contemporary feminists are “women’s great enemy.”

It seems modern culture has exchange all that is truly feminine and exceptionally beautiful for what is masculine.  Do I have to say this? No, Kierkegaard will for me: “No base seducer could think out a more dangerous doctrine for woman, for once he has made her believe this she is entirely in his power, at the mercy of his will, she can be nothing for him except a prey to his whims.”  Cardinal Josef Ratzinger calls feminism one of the greatest threats of the Church.  Ouch.  How do we return to who we really are as women?  Scripture and Mama Mary.  Alice writes, “But it is in the New Testament that the full glory of the female mission and vocation shines in the person of the Holy Virgin of Nazareth.” 

 3.      Alice says:  To serve is not to be degraded.

Today, power and fame are esteemed.  Alice writes, “In our society to be a “self-made man” calls for awe.  A Bill Gates, an Oprah Winfrey, or even a Bill Clinton inspire people with a totally illegitimate feeling of admiration.  But success does not guarantee authentic greatness.”  We only have to look at our Holy Father, servus servorum Dei (the servant of the servants of God) Pope Francis to see a living example of true greatness.  So why is it that modern feminism has such a kink in the neck with serving one another? After all, Christ Himself says, “I have not come to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).  Alice writes, “How can anyone meditating on these words come to the conclusion that to serve, which is a form of love, is degrading?” 

 4.      Alice says:  Being a woman rocks.

The role of a woman is of special dignity in relation to God and to everyone else.  For who else but woman can bear a child?  Alice writes, “One thing is certain: when the time has come, nothing which is man-made will subsist. One day, all human accomplishments will be reduced to a pile of ashes. But every single child to whom a woman has given birth will live forever, for he has been given an immortal soul made to God's image and likeness.”

My sisters, there is no greater dignity than to be God’s very crown of Creation.  So let us not run away from what we are and who we are, as society will try to persuade us.  But let us run to the Living Word, to Christ Himself, through the perfect Woman, Mary.   It is there that we will learn how to love in our uniquely feminine way.

May you see yourself as God sees you,

Sierra

A Crucifixion type Love

A Crucifixion type Love

It's beautiful to desire to love someone so deeply and to want to carry their crosses for them daily, but we should not reserve this desire only for the person we're in a relationship with; this is the way that we should love all of our brothers and sisters, everyone we encounter. We should always be willing to sacrifice anything and carry their crosses for them. But, most importantly, we should crucify ourselves with Christ daily, stretch out our arms to leave our hearts completely unguarded with Him, and give Him our sacrifices in the hope of entering into a deeper relationship with Him.

I thought this youtube video expressed that in a beautiful way.


-Angel

Gratitude

Gratitude

This morning was a perfect fall morning; after the usual struggle to get up early in the morning, I was able to grab a cup of coffee, sit outside on a bench, and enjoy the beautiful fall weather while doing some Theology reading. It was such a simple way to spend an hour of my morning, enjoying clear, sunny skies, and it gently reminded me of the beauty in life in the nature around me.


This gift led me to reflect on how frequently I ignore or take the beautiful moments each day in my life for granted . It is much too easy to get caught up in my own worries about school or maintaining friendships or the unnecessary list of day-to-day worries. How many of these peaceful moments, like this morning, do I miss?

Something I have learned more with every passing day is the importance of gratitude. Not to be cheesy, but in a VeggieTales episode there was a little song sung that said, "for a thankful heart is a happy heart..." This little song always pops into my head (and no I'm not ashamed of it!). For there is such truth in these words. The more I am able to pause throughout my day and notice the little blessings all around me, and turn my heart to God in gratitude, the happier I am. 

Each one of us, unique as we are, is affected differently by the simple things of life, which can bring us great joy. I really enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or friendly greetings from people I don't know or those surprising moments in a day that make you burst out in laughter. All of these little, simple moments fill my heart with gratitude and give me the stamina to persevere through the difficult moments in life.

There are no coincidences in life. God allows everything to happen and works through all things, good or bad. If this is the truth, then it also means that all the simple and beautiful things in each day of our lives is a gift from God. Don't be afraid to focus on the good that is in your life; allow the song of your heart to be a song of gratitude and watch the change that takes place. 

'Learn, too, to be grateful.
May all the wealth of Christ's inspiration have its shrine among you; now you will have instruction and advice for one another, full of wisdom, now there will be psalms, and hymns, and spiritual music, as you sing with gratitude in your hearts to God. Whatever you are about, in word and action alike, invoke always the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, offering your thanks to God the Father through him.' 
                                                                                        Colossians 3:16-17

"O my children, how great is Divine Providence! How generous God is to us! How much He loves us! Let us always be grateful and good! Let us love Him and never offend Him! In turn He will always provide for our needs."
                                                                                         Don Bosco

Your sister in Christ,
                 Ali