My childhood was surrounded with beautiful things because I grew up in a household of beautiful women. Eight daughters living on a dairy farm is a unique narrative. We all had to take our turn doing chores in the barn which often left us with limited time to get ourselves ready before we left the house. However, the farming lifestyle did not hinder our capacity to dress our best. It was a priority! I remember admiring my older sisters as they curled their hair or applied makeup. There was physical beauty everywhere which empowered me to feel beautiful!
It feels silly to admit I didn’t realize the difference between femininity and beauty until I married my husband. I always assumed that if I put effort into my appearance and threw on some perfume I was feminine.
According to Pope St. John Paul II, women possess unique spiritual qualities which he has labeled the ‘feminine genius’. These qualities include: receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity. St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) once said, “A woman's soul is so fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold.” Our true feminine heart will flourish when we actively receive life and love, have the ability to see and understand the needs of others, place value on the human person, and have the capacity for both spiritual and physical motherhood.
Through the gift of marriage and my husband's love and patience, I have learned how to embrace my femininity through the lens of the feminine genius. Our children are the fruit of our married vocation. Motherhood alone has opened my heart to the sensitivity and generosity required in raising a family. I learned how to receive without feeling indebted. It was challenging to let go of my self-reliant mindset and allow my husband to be the sole provider, especially after we made the decision for me to stay home from work to care for our daughter. I have always struggled with the need to take care of myself and to control the atmosphere around me. My husband knocked those protective walls down.
I was not designed to perform as an equal to my husband. Adam alone could not live out the mission of revealing God's love to the world and so God made Eve. Together they fulfilled God’s plan. I love this quote from the British minister, Matthew Henry, “The woman was made out of a rib of the side of Adam, not out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected and near his heart to beloved.” God has chosen to reveal His love through both masculinity and femininity. Married or single, it is up to us to respond to the call of who God designed us to be.
My dear sister Christ, as we dive into the feminine genius in the weeks to come, I pray that you have a deeper understanding of your feminine role. How is the Holy Spirit calling you into a deeper anointing of receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity?
Until next time, your sister in Christ,
Abby