It has come to my knowledge recently that many Catholic women (as well as those desiring to be Catholic) have the perception that there is a limited number of models for them to follow in their pursuit of holiness. In their walk with the Lord Jesus, they get the impression that, in order to be a saint, they must be home-schooling mothers of at least nine children, never leave the house, and wear nothing but oversized shirts and ankle-length skirts. Basically, their impression of the pious Catholic woman is one who is, at all times, pregnant, nursing, and cleaning the house. Although it is certainly laudable and necessary for a woman to realize and fulfill her domestic role, it is a shame that some women have the idea that the Church is telling them it is impossible to achieve sanctity while still being in the workplace, and keeping up with modern culture.
This topic comes to mind because of a conversation I had recently with a couple of female friends, one a Catholic, and the other in RCIA. I do not regularly attend the RCIA meetings at my home parish, but the friend in RCIA told me that all of the women who had spoken to class about living as a Catholic woman fit the above description. She seemed discouraged because she received the impression that, in order to live the life of a saint, a woman must be a housewife and not much of a socialite. My other friend (the Catholic) knew that that impression was false, but still expressed the same concerns that not enough is said by the Church or those in the Church about the many different ways in which women can be fervent disciples of the Lord Jesus.
I have only one thing to say to women in this situation: Trust in Jesus and do His will. Every Christian must go through periods of discernment throughout his or her life. The Lord knows our particular situations better than we ever could, and as long as a Catholic man or woman remains united to His Mystical Body, practicing the virtues, and fulfilling the duties of his or her state in life, why should there be any reason for concern?
Obviously, the duties of the Christian woman are always present. She must be modest in her dress, action, and speech. She must live chastely according to her state in life. If she is married, she must, as St. Paul says, submit to her husband, because he is her head as Christ is the head of the Church. His Holiness Pius XI explains this submission in his 1931 encyclical Casti Connubii:
"This subjection does not deny or take away the liberty which fully belongs to the woman both in view of her dignity as a human person, and in view of her most noble office as wife and mother and companion; nor does it bid her obey her husband's every request if not in harmony with right reason or with the dignity due to wife... But it forbids that exaggerated liberty which cares not for the good of the family; it forbids that in this body which is the family, the heart be separated from the head to the great detriment of the whole body and the proximate danger of ruin. For if the man is the head, the woman is the heart, and as he occupies the chief place in ruling, so she may and ought to claim for herself the chief place in love."
It is for this reason that it is the natural role of the Christian woman to care for the home and to raise and educate children. It is not that a woman cannot or should not have a career or a social life, but her duties of first sanctifying herself and her husband, and then raising Catholic children, must come before all else. Otherwise, she is not living as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and is endangering her own soul as well as those of her family.
If a woman wants a career, she must be sure that her children are receiving that Christian formation which is the bedrock of the domestic Church. They must be ready to face many challenges posed to them by modern society and popular culture that many young people fall prey to in public, private, and parochial schools. If a woman wants to remain stylish and continue in social scenes with those who do not share her values, she must use caution, lest she fall prey to the pride and self-indulgence which are the twin pillars of our culture. Most importantly, she must never be afraid to fulfill her baptismal call to preach the gospel in and out of season.
There is no need for any new official Church document concerning these issues. She has always taught that when Catholics engage the secular culture through work, school, or in any forum, they must proceed with caution for the occasion of sin, and with fortitude in being disciples of the Lord Jesus. No, it is not necessary for every Catholic woman to fit some cookie-cutter image, but there is a reason why these customs were so firmly established for so many years, and perhaps that should be kept in mind. St. Therese the Little Flower said that it is not what we do that sanctifies us, but the love with which we do it. Ultimately, as I stated previously, each person must discern the will of God in his or her life. This can be difficult at times, but that is why we have the Church and her priests for direction. To women struggling with this, I say: Be strong and realize your feminine dignity, but always be humble and ready to give up anything to follow the Lord Jesus.
This topic comes to mind because of a conversation I had recently with a couple of female friends, one a Catholic, and the other in RCIA. I do not regularly attend the RCIA meetings at my home parish, but the friend in RCIA told me that all of the women who had spoken to class about living as a Catholic woman fit the above description. She seemed discouraged because she received the impression that, in order to live the life of a saint, a woman must be a housewife and not much of a socialite. My other friend (the Catholic) knew that that impression was false, but still expressed the same concerns that not enough is said by the Church or those in the Church about the many different ways in which women can be fervent disciples of the Lord Jesus.
I have only one thing to say to women in this situation: Trust in Jesus and do His will. Every Christian must go through periods of discernment throughout his or her life. The Lord knows our particular situations better than we ever could, and as long as a Catholic man or woman remains united to His Mystical Body, practicing the virtues, and fulfilling the duties of his or her state in life, why should there be any reason for concern?
Obviously, the duties of the Christian woman are always present. She must be modest in her dress, action, and speech. She must live chastely according to her state in life. If she is married, she must, as St. Paul says, submit to her husband, because he is her head as Christ is the head of the Church. His Holiness Pius XI explains this submission in his 1931 encyclical Casti Connubii:
"This subjection does not deny or take away the liberty which fully belongs to the woman both in view of her dignity as a human person, and in view of her most noble office as wife and mother and companion; nor does it bid her obey her husband's every request if not in harmony with right reason or with the dignity due to wife... But it forbids that exaggerated liberty which cares not for the good of the family; it forbids that in this body which is the family, the heart be separated from the head to the great detriment of the whole body and the proximate danger of ruin. For if the man is the head, the woman is the heart, and as he occupies the chief place in ruling, so she may and ought to claim for herself the chief place in love."
It is for this reason that it is the natural role of the Christian woman to care for the home and to raise and educate children. It is not that a woman cannot or should not have a career or a social life, but her duties of first sanctifying herself and her husband, and then raising Catholic children, must come before all else. Otherwise, she is not living as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and is endangering her own soul as well as those of her family.
If a woman wants a career, she must be sure that her children are receiving that Christian formation which is the bedrock of the domestic Church. They must be ready to face many challenges posed to them by modern society and popular culture that many young people fall prey to in public, private, and parochial schools. If a woman wants to remain stylish and continue in social scenes with those who do not share her values, she must use caution, lest she fall prey to the pride and self-indulgence which are the twin pillars of our culture. Most importantly, she must never be afraid to fulfill her baptismal call to preach the gospel in and out of season.
There is no need for any new official Church document concerning these issues. She has always taught that when Catholics engage the secular culture through work, school, or in any forum, they must proceed with caution for the occasion of sin, and with fortitude in being disciples of the Lord Jesus. No, it is not necessary for every Catholic woman to fit some cookie-cutter image, but there is a reason why these customs were so firmly established for so many years, and perhaps that should be kept in mind. St. Therese the Little Flower said that it is not what we do that sanctifies us, but the love with which we do it. Ultimately, as I stated previously, each person must discern the will of God in his or her life. This can be difficult at times, but that is why we have the Church and her priests for direction. To women struggling with this, I say: Be strong and realize your feminine dignity, but always be humble and ready to give up anything to follow the Lord Jesus.
