Week 3 - What it means to be a woman

Week 3 - True Womanhood

“God gave Eve a beautiful form and a beautiful spirit. She expresses beauty in both…Even speaks something different to the world than Adam. Through her beauty. Beauty is powerful. It may be the most powerful thing on earth. It is dangerous. Because it matters.”
Stasi Eldredge, Captivating

“The hour…has come when the vocation of women is being acknowledged in its fullness, the hour in which women acquire in the world an influence, an effect and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is undergoing so steep a transformation, women imbued with the spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid humanity in not falling.”
Pope John Paul II

In the beginning…
1. God created men and women in His image and likeness. God is Love, and we are made to reflect and point to His Love.
2. However, our calling to love one another is often warped by sin
3. Instead of giving, men resort to taking. Instead of receiving the gift of life from a man, many women take relationships into their own hands, fear their own fertility, or not even believe they deserve to be loved
4. Women: we are made for relationships. We possess a great beauty. We have a deep element of mystery.
5. By looking at the way God designed our body and desires, we can learn who we are as women and how we should live

Why do women need TOB?
1. Every fiber of a woman’s being cries out for connection and relationship. (Heck, this is why we can’t even go to the bathroom alone!)
2. Throughout history, women have done whatever they can to obtain relationship with others – altered their body, sacrificed their femininity, and, like Eve, taking things into their own hands
3. However, God’s plan for and design of women is nothing like we’ve ever heard described before
4. Women need TOB to rediscover her “feminine genius”

A Mystery to be Revealed
1. Woman is one of God’s greatest mysteries
2. By our very nature we possess mystery
a. “…her intimate organs are hidden from sight; they are inside her body. What is hidden usually refers to something deep and mysterious: we hide secrets; we hide what is personal and intimate.” Dr. Alice Von Hildebrand
3. In the Bible, the presence of God is often enshrouded in mystery - The Holy of Holies: The Ark of the Covenant
4. The Bible speaks with the same awe about a woman’s body. In Song of Songs the author refers to the woman’s body as an enclosed garden. Read Song of Songs 4:9-10,12
5. The purpose of it being shut is to keep away those who do not have a right to be present
6. A woman’s body, like the Holy of Holies, is not unapproachable, but rather she is opened only to the one who is worthy to enter
7. The Bridegroom should be reminded that God’s permission is required in order for Him to enter into this sacred enclosure, and that he should do so with reverence and gratitude
8. Mysteries are to be revealed, not exposed
9. As JP II says, you must be “the master of your own mystery”
10. The modern culture tells women: “If you body’s so great, show yourself!”
11. We must reply: “Because of my value, I veil myself. If I show too much I’d be distracting you from what matters most. Only a worthy spouse deserves to experience the glory of my unveiled mystery.”
12. “Men are talented at reading women’s body language, and they are not likely to risk being humiliated when a refusal is certain. Perceiving women’s modesty, they would take their cue and, in return approach the female sex with reverence.” Dr. Alice Von Hildebrand

A Mystery to be Pursued
1. There is a reason why girls long for the thrill of being wanted, pursued and cherished. There is a reason why men long to win the heart of a woman
2. While many women want romance and love, they often spend way too much time looking for their “knight in shining armor”
3. Girls: instead of looking for the right man, become the ideal woman and let him look for you. This means spend your precious time building you faith, your confidence, your talents, and in discernment of who God wants you to be
4. How you treat and carry yourself will be how others do the same
5. Know that you are worthy enough to be valued, respected, honored, cherished, and fought for
6. Jesus fought to the death for His bride, and deep down this is what women long for – to be able to trust their fragile and beautiful hearts to a man like they can trust it with Christ.

A woman should hide her heart in God, and a man must go there to find it. A woman should be so hidden in Christ that a man has to see Christ just to see her

Woman: God’s Masterpiece
1. Webster: A masterpiece is “The greatest work made or done by a person or group.”
2. Women, you are the pinnacle of creation, the greatest work of the Trinity
Why?
3. In both the first and second creation accounts humanity is created last, as the crown of creation. However, woman in a very special way culminates creation by becoming the very climax of all creation.
4. ”Jesus, wishing to become incarnate and enter our human history willed to have a Mother, Mary, and thus raised woman to the highest and most wonderful peak of dignity…” JP II April 29, 1979
5. Who is the highest creature in heaven? MARY
6. Who was the most perfect angel ever created? LUCIFER
7. Lucifer means light. Since he was the most perfect creation of the spiritual realm, he was radiant with God’s love.
8. Do you know why Lucifer fell away form the light and love of God? PRIDE and ENVY
9. CCC 391 says that Satan fell into death out of envy. WHY?
10. Satan was envious of the place of humanity, especially women
11. Since angels would eventually serve humans, he knew that a woman would hold a place above him in Heaven for all eternity…MARY! Wow…

The Most Important Question for Women…
1. What does it mean to be a woman?
2. Men, too, have a lot to learn from this question (!) because masculinity and femininity are complimentary. Thus, man cannot fully and truly understand his masculinity until he understands the vocation of femininity.
3. So, let us ask this question! And let us dive deeper into the Truth 

Archetype of Humanity
1. Pope John Paul II beautifully defined the gift and dignity of womanhood by saying: “…woman is the representative and the archetype of the whole human race: she represents the humanity which belongs to all human beings, both men and women.”
2. Do you know what this means? Women have something very distinct to teach all mankind about what it means to be human!
3. What is an archetype? A Model/Blueprint
4. This is why women are God’s masterpiece – they are a model, a plan for all humanity
What is it that women teach all of humanity?
5. Women teach all of humanity that God’s plan it to marry us and that all of mankind is called to become the bride of Christ!
6. WOMEN, YOU LITERALLY EMBODY THE PLAN OF GOD!
7. This is your great dignity! A woman’s body was created to remind us all that we are called to receive the love of God
8. This is why the Church is called the Bride of Christ
9. Again, women’s bodies speak volumes about the meaning of life because in and through the body we see God’s plan for humanity. This is why JPII said: “the meaning of the body is the fundamental element of human existence in the world…” which is to receive the love of God and then conceive its fruit in our lives
10. A woman’s body was created to remind us of this call.
11. And this is exactly why Satan hates women… :(

Satan’s ongoing attack against women
1. If you were an enemy of God and wanted to twist and distort His plan for salvation, where would you go?
2. Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity (hostility) between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
3. Satan hates women because his goal is to prevent humanity from receiving divine life.
4. Women are a physical reminder for God’s plan of salvation – to get us to Heaven, which is the last place Satan wants us to go
5. How is his attack focused on women?
6. Satan’s temptation caused Eve to doubt God’s love, to deny her dignity and calling as a woman 7. They both saw that Eve was biologically created to receive the gift of a bridegroom, however Satan convinced her that this was not a gift but a curse and that if she ever wanted to get anywhere she needed to deny her receptivity and take for herself.
8. After Adam and Eve ate of the tree, their consequences began to unfold…

9. First effect: SHAME. Woman covered her body because she was uncomfortable and ashamed.
a. There is now a false glorification and objectification of the female body
b. Pornography, contraception, and competition among women are major culprits because through these women feel like objects
c. The devil wants you to think you are not beautiful or, if he can’t convince you of this, he will tempt her to make an idol out of her beauty

10. Second effect: “I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing.” Genesis 3:16
a. The very beauty and dignity of a woman’s specific gift has become her “curse” because her calling to bring new life into the world is filled with pain
b. Look at the world around you: are children and the act of birth valued?

11. Third effect: “Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall be your master.” Genesis 3:16
a. Women, as they should, have longed to be loved (they have an innate desire to receive) since the beginning of time – but society doesn’t like “receptivity”
b. This has resulted in the abuse and domination of women throughout time
c. Women are also taught to pursue men and toss aside her mysterious nature – her special genius (receptivity to the gift) is seen as “less than”
d. Girls often use their bodies to receive affirmation
e. Satan urges women to make relationships the essence of her life – the guy replaces God

12. Women have suffered greatly from original sin…
13. A body that was created in the image of God has been so tainted that it has almost been ruined
14. But, death will never prevail and there is hope through the receptivity of one woman, the handmaid of the Lord, the Mother of God, the eternal Bride, the highest of all creation, the queen of Heaven and earth…

The New Eve: Restoring Womanhood in Mary
1. Mary is the eternal bride of the Holy Trinity through her YES in being receptive to God’s love – a Love that was born of her womb
2. Lucifer fell out of pride. Mary was raised out of humility.
3. Mary refused to doubt the love of God and she believed with complete faith in her role to be open and receptive to His plan.

”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to thy word.” Luke 1:38

4. PRAISE GOD for Mary’s acceptance of motherhood! Through her yes she literally received the love of God and conceived life to the entire world.
5. Mary is the new Eve:
a. Mary and Eve were both virgins, filled with grace, were without sin, and were approached by an angel with a message
b. However, Mary responded very differently than Eve did, regarding her call to be receptive to God’s love regarding her call to be a mother and a wife

Thus, the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosened by the obedience of Mary. What the virgin of Eve bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened through faith.”
St. Irenaeus, 180 AD

6. Mary restored the gift of womanhood through her faith in God. She believed that God did love her and opened herself fully to RECEIVE that love.
What happened when Mary received the love of God as she was called to?
7. She bore life to the entire world!!! Where Eve brought death, Mary brought life!

“The fullness of grace that was granted to Mary signifies the fullness of perfection of what is characteristic of woman, of what is feminine. Here we find ourselves at t culminating point of the personal dignity of women.” John Paul II

The Power of Beauty
1. “Beauty will save the world…”
2. More than ever, the world needs a renewal of women who understand the power of their beauty and who will use it to draw the hearts of men toward God. God created women beautiful to remind others of the beauty of Heaven!

“The beauty of the soul reflects itself onto the face”
Archbishop Fulton Sheen

3. As a woman opens herself to receiving the love of God, she will be more able to receive love as she deserves
4. Women, you deserve to be revered! You deserve to be pursued!
5. Imagine how a world would be transformed if women, like Mary, embraced their calling from God…The mystery of His intimate love would shine through his beautiful daughters…

“Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful…You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes…”
Song of Songs