"Let Us Be Elegant or Die..."

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."

~Audrey Hepburn~

Femininity is a semi-lost virtue in today's society.   Today, women think that to be attractive, they must be scantily-clad, harsh, and independent of men and their help and reliance.  Not so!  A feminine woman doesn't have to wear jean jumpers to be Godly, but she also doesn't have to wear her PJ's to the grocery store.  But, more than dress, a true woman is beautiful inside as well as out.  A true woman possess many qualities and virtues that are most becoming.  Not only should women strive to look modestly attractive, but they should also work on inward virtue.  A French Proverb I read once said that beauty without virtue is like a rose without a scent. 

Women should strive to develop and maintain many graces.  

Here are a couple of thoughts on femininity: 

Femininity is important.  A man needs the gentle, strong personality of a woman to make him see his role as protector and supporter.  When a woman is "independent" and makes the man feel as if he isn't needed, roles become confused. Colleen Hammond, from Dressing With Dignity, says that "...Genuine, God-given, inner femininity appeals to men.  It stirs up in them their genuine, innate masculinity and the desire to protect, revere, and defend the gentle sex."

To me, that sounds pretty nice.  I would gladly accept the help of a man and his desire to "protect, revere, and defend" me! How flattering! :)

Colleen Hammond further states that "...men with character are attracted to the virtuous qualities in a woman.  They admire her joy, her inner happiness, her femininity, her playful spunk."  Ladies, you are beautiful creatures!  God made you to be attractive in a modest and moral way.  Use your feminine charms.  Follow the example of the Blessed Mother in attaining virtue.  She is our guide and model in humility, charity, obedience and a thousand other virtues! 

Don't be afraid to be yourself, either.  You have a beautiful, developing, and feminine personality all your own!  As a woman, you have so many unique features that are yours only.  Your kindness to the elderly or disabled, your charity towards your neighbor; helping that elderly lady in the parking lot unload her groceries or talking to an aging man who lives on your street -- all of these small things show your femininity and your beauty! Strive for God's love and mercy and you will be your true self.  I leave you with this quote from one of my favorite speakers: Fulton Sheen.

"The level of any civilization is the level of its womanhood.  When man loves woman, it follows that the nobler the woman, the nobler the love; the higher the demands made by the woman, the more worthy a man must be.  That is why woman is the measure of our civilization."

God bless!

Education is a Blessing

"I have never let schooling interfere with my education" 
Mark Twain.

This quote by Twain makes me laugh every time.  But, although I laugh at him, I do feel strongly about an education.  When I was younger, I never appreciated my schooling.  To be honest, it wasn't until the last year or two that I really became inspired to further my education and to broaden my learning.  Being homeschooled, I was able to learn so much more than just the basic schooling and lessons taught from a text book.  I have learned life lessons, humility, charity, how to work and talk with people of all ages, and how to appreciate the life God gave me.  Because I wasn't subjected to the pressure of school and it's society and cliques, I was able to relax and devote time to my studies and life lessons.  There were days I didn't do school, but went out to visit the sick or dying, to pray and gain graces at Mass, to enjoy a day at the park, and I doubled up on school the next day to catch up.  That was one of the perks of a home education.  But, although I know my education is important, I feel that the valuable lessons I've learned; the personality I've developed; and the strong faith I've formed have been just as - or perhaps more - beneficial than I ever could have expected.  

Recently, I reread the work from Cardinal Newman on The Purpose of a Liberal Education.  As usual, I enjoyed his straight and denotative point view, but certain things really struck me as particularly true.  Especially when he says, "Today I have confined myself to saying that that training of the intellect, which is best for the individual himself, best enables him to discharge his duties to society." Newman explains that it's not necessarily about the education and how much you learn, but, rather, on forming the person and his soul.  He says that education "...gives a man a clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, and eloquence in expressing them, and a force in urging them."  He further claims education "...teaches a person to see things as they are, to go right to the point, to disentangle a skein of thought, to detect what is sophistical, and to discard what is irrelevant."  Newman is trying to explain how important an education is! Not only for learning purposes, but for the development of character, of moral discernment, and for following God's will on earth.  Newman says that, because of a Liberal Education, a person knows how to hold himself in the presence of others.  He says some of the virtues of this education are:  "...being at home in society," knowing how to influence others, knowing when to speak and when to keep silent, how to converse, how to listen, how to ask pertinent questions, and  always being ready to learn something knew. I love Cardinal Newman's points in this essay, and I highly recommend reading the entire thing for more insight. 

I once read a quote that said, “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”  How true this is.  For a girl who wants to be a teacher, this quote particularly has a special place in my heart.  Although I am not yet an employed teacher, I have taught children before.   Of course, they don't realize how hard their studies will become, but at this moment they are so eager to learn and hungry for knowledge.  But, as the quote says, not only do they learn, but the teacher learns, too.  And not just the studies they have been through before.  They learn virtue.  They learn patience, humility, perseverance. They learn kindness.  A teacher is an important person.  They take young minds and develop them into a personality - the character they will develop later in life hinges a good deal on a good and moral teacher.  An ethical teacher is vital in society, especially if the teacher is a parent and the student is their child.  That's another reason I am so eager to finish my entire education.  I want to be there for my children and educate them through homeschooling, I want to help them when they have a question, or when they want to learn, and I want them to be inspired to learn, because education is a gift from God.  We should thank Him that He's given us the mind and intellect to learn about the many blessings and mysteries He has put here on earth.  "Wonder is the desire for knowledge." (St. Thomas Aquinas)

There is always time to learn.  Whether it be studies in Catholic Law, English, History, Literature, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or even hobbies that interest you.  Always study.  Always learn -- because God gives us this opportunity!  Will you embrace it?

“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”

"You seek Jesus ... He is not here, for he has risen..."

Happy Belated Easter. 

Isn't it funny to think that Easter is already almost four weeks behind us? It's so easy to get caught up in the buzz of the season, the family functions, food preparation.  The beauty of Easter Sunday is felt, but do we really experience its fullness?  Every year, I tell myself I will slow Easter down - really make it count - but every year it whizzes past without even a glance back.  I feel as if I've totally missed the holiday. But then I realized that Easter is for 40 days.  I have until Pentecost to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ! Everyday is another chance to celebrate Easter! So, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite quotes and thoughts about Jesus rising gloriously from the sepulcher.  

I always love to ponder what the Blessed Virgin was experiencing and feeling.  Consider the joy that filled Mary's Heart when she met the risen Christ on Easter morning!  It's so beautiful to see Mary and Jesus as one.  They are so close - while Jesus was in her womb, their heartbeats were beating as one! George de Rhodes says, "Do you want to know God? Read Mary as you would a book; look at her as you would a mirror; reflect on her as you would a picture."  Every time I read this, I have to stop and ponder it.  We should love Mary, follow her example.  Think of the suffering she endured! Think of the help she can give us! The mother of our God and Savior!

St. Alphonsus Liguori profoundly states that 

"Only an infinite love for man - not nails - could fasten a God to the cross."  

Wow.  Just let that sink in.  God's love for us kept him nailed to the cross.  Even if there had only been one person who needed to be saved, God would have endured it all for only him.  How great His love is.  Do we love him with equal fervor?  Do we give Him time during the day? I like to try and thank Him when I'm especially touched by something beautiful.  The sun peeking through the clouds after a thunderstorm? Thank Him for it! The pair of shoes you wanted and ended up getting on sale? Thank Him! That joy you feel at living? Thank Him! He bestows upon us so much, and we, like the nine lepers, forget to go back and thank Him for the many joys he gives us daily.  "When you receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, thank Him from the bottom of your heart for being so good as to be with you."  (St. JoseMaria Escriva.)

And, last, I want to quote a passage from St. Gregory's Homily on Pascha...

"Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us— you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died."

Need I say more? I didn't think so! 

So, once again, I want to wish everyone a blessed Easter, because, as we discussed before, we're still in the Paschal Season! Let us celebrate its beauty! :)

God bless!