Mother's Day and the Feminine Genius

May 12, 2023
Author: Hannah DeVivo

Peace be with you!

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and today’s blog post is dedicated to all mothers. I will be reflecting on the message of Saint John Paul II in his world-changing Letter to Women throughout this article.

All Kinds of Mothers

I want to begin this article by including all different types of mothers. Biological mothers are the ones who give birth to their children. Foster mothers are the mothers who open their hearts and homes to give a loving, protective place to children whose current home situation is unsafe, with the ultimate hope of a biological family reunification. Adoptive mothers are those who adopt a child that is not their biological son or daughter. Other women who have stepped into the role of a mother include aunts, cousins, sisters, and grandmothers.

All of the above categories of mothers are, at the end of the day, simply mothers. We are women who have a special role in the life of each unique human being entrusted to us. We are each doing our best with what we have, trying to do right by our children while still healing from our own wounds and brokenness. Our ultimate role is to lead these souls to the love and acceptance of God on earth, and eternal communion with Him in Heaven.

The Feminine Genius

All mothers have this in common: we are women. These days, some people are confused as to what exactly a woman is. We as Christians do not need to fear or be confused. We know that women are adult human females who were created in God’s image as His daughters and endowed with a feminine dignity. Our deepest identity is that each of us is a beloved daughter of God, created to love and give. Through our womanhood, we enrich the world in a way that a man never could.

In his Letter to Women, Saint Pope John Paul II wrote, “It is thus my hope, dear sisters, that you will reflect carefully on what it means to speak of the “genius of women,” not only in order to be able to see in this phrase a specific part of God’s plan which needs to be accepted and appreciated, but also in order to let this genius be more fully expressed in the life of society as a whole, as well as in the life of the Church.”

When examining how women should be treated, the Holy Father reminded us that “Jesus treated women with openness, respect, acceptance and tenderness. In this way he honored the dignity which women have always possessed according to God’s plan and in his love.” It is our duty to do the same.

Womanhood has nothing to do with liking the color pink, wearing makeup, dresses, and heels. It is not a “feeling” or something that a man can identify as. Women are intrinsically different than men, and that is a good thing. God, in His infinite wisdom and goodness, created us all in His image and for a unique purpose. Though this earthly life will leave none unscathed with deep wounds and disabilities, we will not find true comfort or peace in trying to be something we are not.

Every Mother Is a Working Woman

Saint John Paul II wrote, “What shall we say of the obstacles which in so many parts of the world still keep women from being fully integrated into social, political and economic life? We need only think of how the gift of motherhood is often penalized rather than rewarded, even though humanity owes its very survival to this gift.”

The gift of a mother present to her children is among the most precious of them all. There are those who may try to belittle, make fun of, or denounce your decision to give your time and talents to your children. Remember that Jesus was also rebuked. He endured ridicule and could have, at any point, fought back. Instead He chose to remain gentle and firm in who He was and what He was on earth to do. It is not always easy to be courageous when so many are against you, but you can take comfort and solace in Jesus, who knows how you are feeling. Our Lord promises us ultimate vindication: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1: 5).

Her Children Rise Up and Call Her Blessed

Proverbs 31 has a poem “On the Woman of Worth”: She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom; kindly instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, too, praises her: “Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all” (Proverbs 31:25-29, emphasis added).

Mamas, I know that this vocation is not easy. I know there are times you have felt alone, not enough, confused, disappointed and more. It can be tempting to run from these negative emotions, but your children will model the behavior that you show them. Emotionally intelligent people are those who do not project, deflect, or blame others when they are upset. Emotionally intelligent people know how to sit with their negative emotions and regulate themselves. Let’s model regulation for our children. You are human and you will make mistakes. Your worth is not dependent on what you do right or well. You are worthy because you exist.

If you are a mother reading this, I would love for you to soak up this list of words that describe you—maybe not every minute of your day, but undoubtedly in what you do each day. These are truths that I would love your heart to rest in. You are:

• Sensitive
• Intuitive
• Generous
• Faithful
• Gentle
• Empathetic
• Courageous
• Strong
• Wise
• Sacrificial
• Heroic
• Affective
• Irreplaceable

Mary, Our Mother

Saint John Paul II declared, “The Church sees in Mary the highest expression of the “feminine genius” and she finds in her a source of constant inspiration. Mary called herself the “handmaid of the Lord” (Luke1:38). Through obedience to the Word of God she accepted her lofty yet not easy vocation as wife and mother in the family of Nazareth. Putting herself at God’s service, she also put herself at the service of others: a service of love. Precisely through this service Mary was able to experience in her life a mysterious, but authentic “reign.” It is not by chance that she is invoked as “Queen of heaven and earth.” The entire community of believers thus invokes her; many nations and peoples call upon her as their “Queen.” For her, “to reign” is to serve! Her service is “to reign”!

I encourage you this Mother’s Day to connect with Mary, your spiritual mother, who loves and cherishes you. None of God’s children are orphans. Regardless of our relationship with our biological mother or the mother who raised us, Jesus gave us the gift of His own mother before He died on the cross. She is always here for you.

I leave you with one last excerpt from Saint John Paul II’s Letter to Women: Necessary emphasis should be placed on the “genius of women,” not only by considering great and famous women of the past or present, but also those ordinary women who reveal the gift of their womanhood by placing themselves at the service of others in their everyday lives. For in giving themselves to others each day women fulfil their deepest vocation. Perhaps more than men, women acknowledge the person, because they see persons with their hearts. They see them independently of various ideological or political systems. They see others in their greatness and limitations; they try to go out to them and help them. In this way the basic plan of the Creator takes flesh in the history of humanity and there is constantly revealed, in the variety of vocations, that beauty—not merely physical, but above all spiritual—which God bestowed from the very beginning on all, and in a particular way on women.

Have a blessed Mother’s Day weekend. You are worthy and God loves you!

Before You Go

Have you read Saint Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Women?

What does your ideal Mother’s Day look like?

Did you learn anything new in this article?

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