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Chapter OneThe Dignity Of A Woman

1. The Body

Sacred comes from the Latin 'sacer' meaning holy and consecrated. All holiness is derived from God Himself. He is the fountain of all that is sacred. We know that woman was derived from the rib of man. “And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam.” (Genesis 2:18) Man was made in the image of God 1 and therefore we can conclude a woman is as well.

We know that Adam and Eve were made to be adorers of the God (Father, Son, Holy Ghost). They were made to be adorers of God because they were to worship and honor God within themselves. For God is the source of all grace and sanctifying grace. “And they were both naked: to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25) They were not ashamed because they retained sanctifying grace. They had God dwelling inside of them. For their bodies, as well as ours, are churches. “Or know you not, that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost.” (I Corinthians 6:19) There is a reciprocal action between holiness and dignity. If holiness grows so does dignity. When a woman is in sanctifying grace she is infinitely holy for God is within her. We can finally conclude that she has an infinite dignity. This is the greatest eternal truth in the Christian faith.

1 “Let us make man to our image and likeness.” Genesis 1:26

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2. The Soul

St. Thomas Aquinas writes the soul is both incorporeal and subsistent. 2 St. Augustine writes that the soul has three parts, namely the will, the intellect, and the memory. 3 We know in the previous section that the soul is an image of God. Therefore the soul has an infinite value for God is of infinite value.

Now concerning the soul there is sanctifying grace and the dwelling of God in the soul. Sanctifying grace allows a woman to be a partaker of the divine nature. In addition, the whole Blessed Trinity dwells in the mind by sanctifying grace. 4

A woman derives all her value from the following:1) She is made in God's image and therefore is a

rational creature.2) She can possess sanctifying grace.3) Having God dwell within her.

We must realize that if God is lost through the commission of mortal sin, the woman still retains infinite value due to the fact she is made in His image.

2 Subsistent means: actually existingSt. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I Q. 75 A. 2

3 “Memory, understanding, and will are one mind.” St. Thomas Aquinas quoting St. Augustine, Summa Theologica, I Q. 79 A. 6

4 St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I Q. 43 A. 5

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Chapter TwoHoliness

We explained the simplicity of the soul. That the soul consists of the will, the intellect, and the memory. Now it is through the will that a person obtains eternal bliss or eternal torments.

The will of a person must obey the will of God to obtain eternal bliss. If a person does not conform to God's will they cannot enter into Heaven. “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

We must give a simple definition of holiness. “Holiness consists in the faithful and constant fulfillment of our everyday duties and responsibilities.” The only way we can fulfill our duties is by beginning to pray. For praying to God strengthens us with divine grace to fulfill our duties and responsibilities. For Christ stated: “we ought always to pray, and not to faint.” 5

We know that responsibilities will change over the course of a girl's life. There are three different stages in which each progressive state adds more responsibilities and keeps the responsibilities of the previous state. 1) A Girl 2) A Teenage Girl 3) A Woman

I am going to explain briefly the duties of each. 1) The duty of the girl who obtains reason at the age of seven must devote herself to acquiring virtues and learning how to pray to God. 2) The teenage girl must discern what her vocation is whether it is to the religious life or to the secular life. 3) The woman must persevere

5 Luke 18:1

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in her chosen vocation until death.Chapter Three

Choosing A Vocation

“If we make a mistake as to the state to which we are called, our whole life, as St. Gregory says, will be an error.” 6 There are three states normally to which a woman can be called to single state, married, or religious. It is my opinion that majority of women are called to the religious state for it is a safer and easier way to perfection and salvation. However, there are many women that do not take sufficient time to regard and think about their dignity and death. If women were to properly contemplate7 on death they would understand how great a danger it is to live in the world.

The religious life is a state to which more abundant graces are given to a woman to perfect herself. “And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” 8

In the married state a woman must think of the necessities both spiritual and corporeal for her husband, her children, and finally herself.

6 St. Alphonsus, The Religious State, Chapter 1.7 I use contemplate in the broad sense in Ascetical Theology.

We know contemplation is a higher and more perfect prayer than meditation.

8 I Corinthians 7:34

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Chapter FourDignity Of A Woman In Marriage

In the state of marriage one of the greatest dignity a woman can have is to bear children in her womb. We can properly say that she is more intimate with her children then her husband can ever reach. “Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb?” 9

The greatest dignity the woman will ever have is to raise her children in the true eternal saving Christian faith.10 “A certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.” 11 This is to show us that bearing children is very great dignity shown by Jesus Christ's response: “Yea.” However, a greater dignity is still to be had. And what is that? “Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

Let us examine the greatness of teaching children the Christian faith. “And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water...he shall not lose his reward.” 12 If we give a cup of cold water to a child there is a reward. Now if we give a child life everlasting by teaching them the Christian faith, is there not a greater incomparable reward? It is further

9 Isaias 49:1510 Those who do not hold to the One, Holy, Catholic, and

Apostolic Church's doctrine passed down from Christ, to the Apostles, to Our predecessors, and finally to Us, cannot claim to be Christian. The Church's current Vicar of Christ is Pope Michael.

11 Luke 11:27-2812 Matthew 10:42

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confirmed by Christ: “he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 13

The mother of St. Louis IX king of France used to say: “I would rather see you dead than know that you should live to commit a mortal sin.” The actions and words of a mother is great upon her children. Many mother sometimes think nothing of the smallest of their actions.

“St. Gregory also relates, that a child of five years, the son of a Roman nobleman, by listening to the blasphemies of servants, contracted a habit of blaspheming, and was not corrected for it by his father. One evening, after having been guilty of several blasphemies during the day, he was suddenly seized with terror in the presence of his father, and began to cry out, 'Ah. I see certain black men, who want to carry me away.' He threw himself in the arms of his father, and expired in the act of blaspheming. Woe to you, O fathers, who do not correct your children when they blaspheme; and still greater woe, if you give them bad example by blaspheming in their presence.” 14

If a five year old child is damned from contracting a habit of blaspheming God's holy and sacred Name what bad habits can a child pick up from her mother? A mother must realize she must be more perfect than the angels themselves. She must have an ardent desire for perfection greater than the highest seraphim.15 For she is holding a higher office than angels16.

13 Matthew 5:19 14 St. Alphonsus, On the Commandments and Sacraments15 The highest of the nine choirs or orders of angels.16 Angel: One of the heavenly spirits, creatures of God who are

employed by Him as His messengers in the governance of the world. Angels are pure spirits.

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Chapter FiveDignity Of A Woman In The Religious Life

According to the teaching of Ascetical Theology, a professed nun 17 or sister's 18 sole goal is a perfect union with God. It is actually a goal for every Christian, but these nuns and sisters must rise to a greater perfection. “Is it not that holy state in which a woman lives more purely, falls more rarely, rises more speedily, walks more cautiously, is bedewed with the waters of grace more frequently, rests more securely, dies more confidently, is cleansed more quickly, and rewarded more abundantly?”19

The religious state the greatest dignity a woman can ever attain in this life for she can espouse God when she reaches the seven mansion mention by St. Teresa of Avila.

“But in this Mansion everything is different. Our good God now desires to remove the scales from the eyes of the soul, that it may see and understand something of the favor which He is granting it. First of all the spirit becomes enkindled and is illumined, as it were, by a cloud of the greatest brightness. It sees these three Persons, individually, and yet, by a wonderful kind of knowledge which

17 A member of a religious order or congregation of women. Nuns are normally according to the spiritual life are contemplative not active.

18 A member of a religious order or congregation of women. Sisters are normally according to the spiritual life are active rather than contemplative.

19 St. Bernard quoted by St. Alphonsus in The True Spouse of Jesus Christ

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is given to it, the soul realizes that most certainly and truly all these three persons are one Substance and one Power and one Knowledge and one God alone; so that what we hold by faith the soul may be said to here to grasp by sight, although nothing is seen by the eyes, either of the body or of the soul, for it is no imaginary vision. Here all three Persons communicate Themselves to the soul and speak to the soul.” 20

Her children are spiritual from converted apostates, heretics, schismatics, sinners, and souls in purgatory. God and His spouse, the professed religious woman, can have a much larger family than any man or woman in the state of holy matrimony. “A single burning prayer of the seraphic St. Theresa converted ten thousand heretics. And her soul, all on fire for Christ, could not conceive of a contemplative life, an interior life, which would take no interest in the Saviour's intense anxiety for the redemption of souls. 'I would accept Purgatory until the Last Judgment, she said,to deliver but one of them.'” 21

20 St. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle21 The Soul Of The Apostolate

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Chapter SixDeath Of A Woman (Secular)

How precious is the death of a woman in the world! It is much harder to die a good death in the world than in the convent. That is from the writings and teachings of the Saints.

“St. Francis Jerome [† 1716] was preaching as was his wont, in the neighborhood of the city of Naples. He was speaking of hell and awful chastisements that await obstinate sinners. A brazen courtesan who lived there, trouble by a discourse which aroused her remorse, ought to hinder it by jests and shouts, accompanied by noisy instruments. As she was staining close to the window, the Saint cried out, 'beware, my daughter, of resisting grace. Before eight days God will punish you.' The unhappy creature grew only more boisterous. Eight days elapsed, and the holy preacher happened to be again before the same house. This time she was silent; the windows were shut. The hearers, with dismay on their faces, told the Saint that Catharine had a few hours before died suddenly. 'Died!' He repeated. 'Well, let her tell us now what she has gained by laughing at Hell. Let us ask her.' he uttered these words in an inspired tone, and everyone expected a miracle. Followed by an immense crowd, he went up to the death chamber, and there, after having prayed for an instant, he uncovered the face of the corpse, and said in

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a loud voice, 'Catharine, tell us where art thou now.' At this summons, the dead woman lifted her head, while opening her wild eyes; her face borrowed color, her features assumed an expression of horrible despair, and in a mournful voice, she pronounced these words, 'In hell. I am in Hell.' And immediately, she fell back again into the condition of a corpse.” 22

Let us then picture the death of a virtuous mother. The priest has given her the rites. Her children have come to their mother's aid. She takes them each aside giving them instructions on how to sanctify their lives and their children. For those that detach23 themselves from the world, must attach themselves to God. A mother is truly virtuous24 by how well she is detached from all worldly things, especially her children.

22 Fr. Schouppe S.J., The Dogma of Hell23 Then only is there a real detachment which sufficiently

mortifies the love of riches, cuts off luxury and vain glory, and frees from the care for worldly goods. (Catholic Encyclopedia, Poverty)

24 When you are completely detached from all earthly things and when, your conscience clear, you are at any moment ready in heart to leave this present life and to dwell with the Lord, then you may recognize that you have acquired true virtue.

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Chapter SevenDeath Of A Woman (Religious)

Moritur confidentius - “A religious dies more confidently.”

By her prayers, her fasts, her mortifications, and her self denials she, the Spouse of Christ, conceives many spiritual children over her lifetime. Her spiritual children are those apostates, sinners, heretics, schismatics, infidels, and lukewarm souls she brings back to the one true faith, the Catholic Faith. Does her heart cool after giving birth to those spiritual children? No, her love increases in proportion with the amount of children she bears with her spouse. All she thinks about is wishing to conceive with her holy spouse; she exclaims,“Our bed is flourishing.” 25

Those who have taken the Sacrament of Marriage may only receive a few children, some are blessed as many as sixteen.26 But the spouse of Christ could conceive as many as thousands or even millions of spiritual children.

After giving birth to many spiritual children over her lifetime and raising these spiritual children in the path of virtues, her time on earth has finally expired. She can finally go to rest. “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: Write: Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord. From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works

25 Canticles 1:1526 The greatest recorded number of children born to one mother

in the world, according to the Guinness 2004 world records is 69. In 27 pregnancies, the first wife of Feodor Vassilyev of Russia gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets.

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follow them.”27

“Imagine you see, on the one hand, a princess dying in a splendid palace, attended by a retinue of servants, surrounded by her husband, her children, and relatives, and represent to yourself, on the other, a religious expiring in her convent, in a poor cell, mortified, humble, far from her relatives, stripped of property and self will; and tell me, which of the two the rich princess or the poor nun, dies more contented? Ah! The enjoyment of riches, of honors, and pleasures in this life do not afford consolation at the hour death, but rather beget grief and diffidence of salvation. While poverty, humiliations, penitential austerities, and detachment from the world render death sweet and amiable, and give to a Christian increased hopes of attaining that true felicity which shall never terminate.”28

The hour of death for a Spouse of Christ is an hour of consolation. Finally at last she can quit the world that has tortured her from keeping her Beloved away from her very arms. Those few moments left is the only barrier that is keeping Jesus and His spouse separated. Is that not consolation for the soul that ardently loves Jesus?

27 Apocalypse 14:13 28 St. Alphonsus, The True Spouse Of Christ

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Chapter EightSummary Of Chapters 1-7

The first seven chapters we a very basic summary on the dignity of a woman. Volumes can be written on each chapter that I have presented to you. But I am writing this so the 'little ones' 29 can understand. We talked about the following:

• Adam, Eve, and their children were made to adorers of God (the Blessed Trinity).

• We can adore and worship God within our bodies when we are in sanctifying grace.

• Our bodies if in sanctifying grace are churches for the God. However, if they are not, they are desecrated churches.

• The woman is made in the image of God and therefore has an infinite dignity.

• If a woman loses sanctifying grace, by the commission of mortal sin and subsequently in the state of damnation, she still retains an infinite dignity because she was made in the image of God.

• Holiness consists in the faithful and constant fulfillment of our everyday duties and responsibilities.

• Our first duty is to pray unceasingly which is commanded by Our Lord. 30

• If we do not pray to Jesus we cannot acquire virtues and subsequently holiness. “For without Me you can do nothing” 31

• If we make a mistake in choosing our vocation, our life will be a complete error.

29 Luke 10:21 30 Luke 18:131 John 15:5

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• A mother in holy matrimony has a two fold dignity giving birth to children and to raise her children as saints for Heaven.

• A professed nun or sister has a higher dignity than the mother. If she reaches the unitive way according to Ascetical Theology she is espouses God. Consequently, she gives birth to spiritual children and responsible for the salvation of those under her care.

• A holy death of a mother in the world is precious for the few who obtain it because few desire to preserve till death asking for a holy death.

• A holy death of a nun and sister is obtained much easier. For her state of life prepares her for a holy death by means of the vows poverty, chastity, and obedience.

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Chapter NineSigns To The Vocation To The Marriage State

There are four simple signs to whether or not a woman has a vocation to the state of matrimony.

1. Love of children and desire to see them be Saints.2. Love of domestic duties.3. Love of spiritual duties.4. Desire not to be a perpetual virgin.

Section 1: Love of children and desire to see them to be Saints.

If we ourselves do not desire to become Saints destined for Heaven, then would it be the greatest evil to have children only to end up in Hell? The father and the mother would be the main cause of those children's eternal sufferings.

However, “he that shall receive one such little child in My Name, receiveth Me.” 32 To receive a child or children in God's name would mean that you are a steward over those children. These children are not wholly yours, but rather Gods. For they are made in His image, He desires to have the child be with Him forever in Heaven. Should we be so bold as to take away those divine rights from Him? “Even so it is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” 33

It is especially a duty for a mother to obtain a high degree of divine love for her children. For if she does not love her children in the proper way she may hinder or be

32 Matthew 18:5 33 Matthew 18:14

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a stumbling block for the child's salvation. “And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” 34

Section 1.1: How do I love my children as a mother ought to?

There are two kinds of love that exists in this world. There is worldly love, which is a false love, and that of christian love, which is true love. Christian love is divine love or what theologians define as the virtue of charity. If a mother does not have true love for her children, she does not desire them to reach their last end, which is God.

We live in a time where the “charity of many shall grow cold.” 35 To be more clearer we live in a period where the love of children are non existent. When a parent truly loves a child that child is filled with the love of God. For the parent bears the love of God within themselves. Just as an iron glows red from heat when stuck in the fire for a long time, so too are children become flamed with the love of God when their parents are consumed with fire of divine love. Children are filled with that holy fire which Jesus Christ ignited upon the earth. “I am come to cast fire on the earth.” (Luke 12:49) Parents resemble the office of angels. For parents are messengers of charity, ie divine love. But however with parents who do not practice virtue render themselves and their children as devils.

34 Mark 9:41 35 Matthew 24:12

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Cause: No fire of charity, ie divine love Affect: No love of purity

The picture above is a study done from the government about how few virgins there are in the United States. 36 The love of purity is to charity as wood is to fire. Without purity you cannot have charity, so too without wood the fire would cease to exist.

If parents do not have a pure intention for their children, that is the salvation of their souls, the children will miss their final destination. “You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss.” (James 4:3) Parents are

36 Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15–44 Years of Age, United States, 2002 by William D. Mosher, Ph.D.; Anjani Chandra, Ph.D.; and Jo Jones, Ph.D., Division of Vital Statistics

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infinitely (allegorically speaking) more concerned about temporal, worldly, and sinful things then obtaining the love of God.

This is the reason why children are so impure these days is due to parents who are impure in their own hearts. I am not just talking about the transgression of the sixth and ninth commandment.37 I am talking about the love of sin.

“Now, the will of God is the perfection of God Himself, holy, just, pure, merciful, true; and anything contrary to these perfections in thought, word, or deed is sin. The conformity of man to the will of God, to the perfections of God, is the sanctity or the perfection of the human soul; and the more he is conformed to the will of God, the holier and more perfect he is. Therefore, to be at variance with God is to be deformed; and the monstrous deformity of the human frame is not more humbling nor more hideous-nay, it is not humbling and hideous, compared with the deformity of the soul. When the soul is unlike to God, when it is departed from the perfection of God, when instead of purity there is impurity, instead of justice there is injustice, instead of truth there is falsehood, instead of mercy there is cruelty, instead of the perfections of God there is the direct contrary of those perfections; no deformity or hideousness that can strike the eye is so terrible.” 38

37 Fornication and desire of coveting another's spouse38 Sin and its Consequences

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“Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.” 39 The reason why so many children are lead astray is because these parents are not proper guides for they too are blind to the ways of salvation, sanctification, and perfection. As Sacred Scripture informs us that “both will fall into the pit.” 40

If parents were to teach their children only one motto, one standard, one maxim, let it be this, “Thy will be done.” 41 These are the words of Christ spoken to us in the prayer of the Our Father. Without this short little prayer we cannot obtain Heaven. We cannot without this prayer love God and subsequently mothers cannot love their children if they do not teach their children how to live the words, “Thy will be done.”

Section 1.2: How can I inspire my child to be a Saint?

Fr. Lekeux writes in his book The Art Of Prayer, “Love attracts love.” We can logically conclude, “Saints attract Saints.”

39 Matthew 5:8 40 Matthew 15:14 41 Matthew 6:10

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