The last couple days, I’ve been wondering what makes a woman a feminist. In my mind, a feminist is a woman who believes that no woman should be forced to do something that she does not want to do.* A poster on FaceBook pointed out for women, the best example of feminism is the Blessed Mother.

Think about it for a minute: She was a young, unmarried human when an angel came to her and said that she was going to give birth to the Savior of the world.

I’ve had the song “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman” stuck in my head for a few days… especially the  verse that goes:

You were chosen by the Father

You were chosen for the Son

You were chosen from all women

And for woman, shining one

Over the past few weeks, it seems we have been bombarded with misogyny… from Rush Limbough’s comments about Sandra Fluke to the female member of a conservative christian church who was forbidden (with the other ladies) from praying in front of a man to the Georgia mom who was likened to a stripper for having the gall to breastfeed in church.

The one thing I can’t help but wonder, would these men speak that way to their own mothers, let alone the mother of our Savior? Then why is it OK to speak to and about other women that way??

Now I know that not all of you, my dear readers, are Catholic and the whole Mary thing is kind of hard to understand. “Do Catholics worship Mary?” (NO.) “Why does she figure so prominently in your Faith?” (Because she was the vessel that carried our Lord) “I’ve heard it’s a throwback to appease the Pagans and their goddess worship.” (I can’t speak to that. You’d have to ask a theologian.) If Catholics are so PRO-women, why are some Catholics ANTI-choice?” (Because we are pro-all women, not just the grown up ones, think that women deserve more choices and give women more credit than society thinks they deserve.) I could go on and on.

I guess it just takes a different mindset. Knowing that God created each of us in HIS image and that male and female are meant to be complementary… NOT the same. And that women, like men, deserve respect. Not because we are women, but because we are people.

I am proud to say that I became more fully ensconced in my faith BECAUSE of Mama Mary. She is the ideal that I try to strive for… a figure of grace, humility, and strength. After all, it was at the Wedding at Cana where she told the staff “Do whatever He tells you to do.” She was there watching her Son carry his cross through the town. Heard people call him names and spit on him and most likely wanted to gouge their eyes out for attacking her little boy, but she didn’t. She knew His role was bigger than all of ours. She watched him die on a cross and gently cradled his lifeless body when it was taken down. She rejoiced when He rose again.

Talk about a mother’s love and confidence. That’s the sort of woman I want to be.

Caravaggio’s Madonna dei Palafrenieri

*and this is where the abortion debate can get a bit sticky because I know that some will argue that some women willingly and 100% choose to have abortions and who are we to stand in their way. See, this ESTJ is learning nuance! Not saying it’s right but I can see the other side’s POV!

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