Roughly ten years into his pontificate, John Paul II penned an apostolic letter, Mulieris Dignitatem ("On the Dignity and Vocation of Women"). The letter indicated not only that he took women and their call to holiness seriously, but that he had profound insights into the feminine essence. Twenty years later, as we stand ready to honor the anniversary of the document, we are still unpacking those insights and following his courageous leadership.
Of course, the premise is that there is such a thing as a "feminine vocation." John Paul II spent much of his priestly life considering such ideas as masculinity, femininity, and complementarity.
Indeed, at the very heart of his "theology of the body" is the premise that male and female he created them (Gen 1:27) has a more profound implication on our personhood than we ever imagined.
The feminine vocation is rich, pivotal, and revitalizing, giving flesh to the Marian Church in even the most mundane details of everyday life.
John Paul II, while encouraging women to give a complete gift of themselves in response to the needs of the other, simultaneously warns that "women must not appropriate to themselves male characteristics contrary to their own feminine ‘originality."
There is a well-founded fear that if they take this path, women will not "reach fulfillment," but instead will deform and lose what constitutes their essential richness (MD 10)."
So with this in mind, what is that "originality" or "genius" that women are called to introduce into a modern world saturated with technology and materialism? Simply, it is none other than themselves, their feminine presence so love-struck by the Bridegroom that they bear themselves as torches, sharing the salve of grace and nurturing the very mustard seeds of hope.
Where she goes and what she does is not so important as who she is.
Her spiritual maternity calls her to engage in a "receiving and bringing forth" at all times, and it must be the backdrop to all her pursuits. This is not a compilation of virtue so much as it is a quality of soul, and essential to her fruitfulness will be her joyful collaboration with the Bridegroom wherever he is manifest in her life.
Thus, it is incumbent on every woman to pray over her distinct vocation—given her circumstances, her responsibilities, and her gifts. If love is the seed and she is its sanctuary, then every day will be a proving ground, for "the dignity of women is measured by the order of love" (MD,29).
Her resolve to nourish and promote it will engage her in countless arenas—beginning with the home and ending in the farthest outpost to which the Bridegroom calls her.
She will not engage in battle in the classic sense—for one cannot fight and be a sanctuary at the same time. This is part of the "feminine genius," for surely, just as the enemy prowls about seeking destruction, she must harbor love, as authentic peace halts his progress.
In this realm, women often forget themselves and engage in the masculine struggle. Each time they do, their essence is compromised, and the men who are called to wage their battle for the Bride are emasculated. That is their vocation, not ours.
This quality of soul will allow the woman to discern how and where technology and materialism may take effect in her realm. Each decision will be based on whether it fosters love and growth among persons—or hinders it.
Not all comfort is healthy; not all pain is destructive. Christ, who entrusts much to the maternal care of women, counts on authentic femininity to distinguish what will bear fruit and what will not.
By now, we should know the difference between the tree in Eden and the Tree of Life. On this anniversary, we’re called to share that wisdom with the wider world.
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