A Woman’s Role

Sr. Miskenta Mariam

There is much talk these days about what it really means to be a woman. Being in a public setting, I hear a lot of complaints about women not having enough responsibility in the Church. As a religious sister, I simply tell them jokingly, “believe me, I have a lot on my plate!” One day, after telling my professor those exact words she said, “well, you can’t celebrate the Mass!” I was shocked at such a response, but that day I realized something very interesting. Many feminists, as they would call themselves, believe that being a woman means that she should be able to do the things that man is able to do. However, that is unfair to men because they are not able to do things that women are able to do. For instance, men are not gifted with the ability to bear children, nor are they able to be the bride of Christ, a symbol of the Church (a female figure).

Women have many privileges, some of which are hidden behind a veil. Things that are hidden are usually most beautiful and mysterious and sometimes we won’t understand them right away. The first privilege women have is the gift to bear children. We do not know when or how, but it is seems as though God has touched a woman in a mystifying way when she conceives, for he places a soul within her womb. It is not surprising that women have a natural tendency to nurture their young and be so close to them. What a privilege it is to naturally know how to nurture God’s creature. God willed for a child to be conceived in a woman’s womb and he willed for her to know how to take care of it perfectly. God has created us as a mystery and woman is able to carry that mystery within her, just like Mother Mary carried the greatest of Mysteries within her womb. Just as Jesus is in all of the baptized, God is also present in the child carried in the womb; therefore, woman is carrying the image of God.

It comes more naturally for a woman to be submissive, than it does for a man. Some may see this as a disadvantage rather than a privilege, for it seems as if being submissive means that one is good at taking orders right away. However, if we look at submission from a Biblical point of view, it is quiet the opposite. Let us consider our greatest model of submission, the Blessed Virgin Mary. When the angel Gabriel came to her, she did not immediately accept his offer; rather the Bible states “she was greatly troubled and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.” She not only questioned herself, she also questioned the angel after he proposed God’s plan. Many people think that submission is a disadvantage because it places women lower than men, but that is not what submission is meant to do. It is a form of inner contemplation and acceptance of God’s will. One must remember that submission is an act of humility. When asked to do something for another, we are gaining by our submission. Therefore, if women are more submissive by nature, this is truly a privilege.

            Women are known as the “weaker sex.” Yes, this may be touching some sore spots, but it is undeniable that women are physically weaker than men. Unfortunately, many people consider the term “weaker” to mean less intelligent, less consistent, less gifted, etc. However, this word that is so misunderstood has some good and bad descriptions behind it. Women are indeed delicate, vulnerable, breakable and sensitive and sometimes this isn’t a good thing. All the tears of women from the beginning of the world could fill up a sea, whereas men’s tears would fill up a pond. Women are much more likely to be wounded because they have more of a capacity to be hurt; for they are more in tune with their emotions. For example, in the Bible, we are told to take care of widows but widowers are never mentioned. Nevertheless, women must be honored because of their frailty, for the very frailty of women can turn out to be their strength. Like Saint Augustine, when realizing after many years what a terrible sinner he was, women can shed countless tears for their sins and feel much sorrow for them.  Not only this, men and women are complements of each other; women help men perceive the sensitive and emotional. Because women are so emotional, they are ready to love and when one has strong love she also has strong power.

            Looking at the different aspects of women’s privileges, a connection can be made. By a woman being who she is meant to be, she is representing the Blessed Mother. The Blessed Mother has a huge role and that is to lead others to Christ. She leads others to Christ by conceiving him through her submission to God’s will and giving her son back to the Father for the salvation of the world. Her sign of weakness was his sign of weakness, which was represented on the cross. Therefore, women should follow the example of Mary by submitting to the will of God and giving Christ back to the world. In humility, it is fit for women to accept their roles, even if it means being called the “weaker sex.”