The Feminine Genius

Mary and the Wedding Feast of Cana

Overview• Discussion:

• Contemporary Women• Contemporary Society• Contemporary Challenges

• Information:• Feminine Genius• Mary as a Model

• Formation• Aspects• Examples• Practical Steps

Women – The Church’s Thoughts

• We must “acknowledge the indispensable contribution of women to the building up of

the Church and the development of society.”

(From “Christifideles Laici” - On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful)

Opening Discussion:

• And yet we must ask the questions:

• Can we have it all?• Can we do it all?

Sheryl Sandberg - Sheryl Sandberg - Chief Operating Officer, Chief Operating Officer,

FacebookFacebook

Opening Discussion:

• And yet we must ask the questions:

• Should we have it all?

• Should we do it all? Lisa Brenninkmeyer - Lisa Brenninkmeyer - Founder and Co-chairman of Founder and Co-chairman of

Walking with Purpose Walking with Purpose

The Feminine GeniusWhat do you think?

Thoughts According to Catholic Tradition

• Accompanying (Luke 8:2-3)

• Compassion: • From “Cum – Passio”

• (Luke 23:49 and 55)

• Prophetic Voice - Receive and transmit the message (Luke 24:1-10)

• Praying, waiting, discerning (In the Cenacle in Acts 1:14)

• Re-evangelizing and Humanizing (John Paul II)

Women in the Sacred

Scripture

• 188 named (and numerous unnamed) women mentioned in the Bible

• 355 biblical references with the word, “woman.”

• Found at “Topical Bible:”

• Woman, Woman At The Well, Woman Pastors, Woman Preachers, Woman Preaching, Woman

Wearing Make Up, Working Woman, Womanhood, Womanizer, Woman’s Hair, Womb, Women And

Men, Women As Pastors, Women Baptizing, Women’s Body, Women Cutting Their Hair,

Women Dressing, Women In Church, Women In Ministry, Women Of Virtue, Women Teachers, Women Wearing Pants, A Women’s Beauty,

Women’s Dress, Women’s Rights

• Women’s Thoughts Women’s Thoughts According to Sacred According to Sacred

ScriptureScripture

Getting it Together

Formation and Transformationvs.

Education and Information

Getting it Together

“Kinda” Integrated Formation for Living a

“Somewhat” Integrated Life (John Paul II)

Formation – What and Why

• John Paul II, “Pastores Dabo Vobis” • (“I Will Give You Shepherds”)• You can’t do it all.• You can’t do it all time time.• You can’t do it perfectly....(ever)

• A continual process of maturation.

• Discover vocation and mission.

Resources:

• Overcommitted? Podcast by Michael Hayatt from “Intentional Leadership.”

• Boundaries, When to Say Yes – When to Say No (Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)

• Boundaries for Leaders, Results Relationships and Being Ridiculously In Charge (Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)

Formation – What and Why

• Stress and Commitment:• Not sustainable • Takes toll on what is really most important

• Balance in culture that:• Ministry (church) and business• Worships busy-ness as sign of success• Looks down at balance as laziness

• Leaders:• Focus on changing culture “below” them• Measure results and not time invested• Change their own behavior.

The Feminine Genius

John 2:1-11Mary as a Model

Feminine Genius

Stealth Weapon in the 21 Century?

“Known but forgotten truth.”“Vocation, influence, power and effect not yet realized”

(Vatican II)

Feminine Genius

Unique - not compared to men.Collaborative and complementary.

Not about power sharing.

Feminine Genius

Keeping world from falling over the cliff.“Receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and

maternity.”

Still, work to be done...

• ”Situations where women are prevented from developing their full potential and from offering the wealth of their gifts should therefore be considered profoundly unjust, not only to women themselves but to society as a whole" (Angelus message of July 23, 1995, John Paul II).

Still, work to be done...

• Eucharist +

• Formation =

• Redemption

Formation, Getting

Concrete

Two Examples

Discovery – Vocation and

Mission

• Legionaries of Christ:

• Personal Prayer• Communal Prayer• Vocation• “Apostolate"

Discovery - Vocation and

Mission

• “I Will give You Shepherds”

• Human (You)• Intellectual (You)• Spiritual (You)• Pastoral (Them)

8 Strategies

• Accept Responsibility for Your Calendar• Decline• Negotiate• Move deadline

• Confront Fears• Disappoint• Miss opportunity• Getting fired

• Reduce Drama• Need for

significance

• Keep it in Perspective• A “season”• This too will pass• “All will be well”

8 Strategies

• Triage the Calendar• Build in “white space”• Negotiate• Ask for extension• Delegate

• Do “next – important” task

• Matthew 6:34• Don’t worry about

tomorrow• Sufficient for today

are the concerns of the day

• Get Sufficient Rest• Chose rest over other

priorities• You are not being

lazy

• Decide to change• Everyone want more

of you• You build margin into

life• Establish, and

enforce, boundaries.

The Feminine GeniusEnd of Presentation