When fire trees burst with bright red flowers, you know that March has come and the hot dry season in the Philippines has begun. On the 8th of this month every year, the world honors women and the special role they play in today’s world. Indeed, there is so much to celebrate, or better – to be grateful about – for the so-called “feminine genius,” for the gift it has been to humanity. Notwithstanding their having been recognized and granted rights only in the 20th century, several women have made their mark on history.
The phrase “feminine genius” is attributed to St. John Paul II, but this concept had already appeared in some writings of Pope Pius XII and in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Many articles, books, essays, editorials have been written about the “feminine genius” especially to celebrate International Women’s Day, and this piece is no exception.
Much can be said about this, and here, we would like to highlight the four aspects of that “genius” expounded by John Paul II in Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women): “receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity,” all of them linked to the culture of life that woman – also often called the “bearer of new life – has inherent in her DNA and which distinguishes her femininity even as both man and woman possess inherent characteristics that complement one another.
A woman’s body is prepared to receive the gift of new life, and even when she is with child, a mother is already sensitive to that little heartbeat of the child she is carrying; she generously gives her body as a home to new life for nine months and exercises the breadth and depth of her maternity when the child is born and grows into adulthood. Nothing is more beautiful and more sacred than this.
In the 2021 TV movie “Chiara Lubich – L’Amore vince tutto” (Love conquers all), this “feminine genius” is wonderfully presented in all its simplicity, depth, and naturalness, deeply rooted in the Gospel lived out – the origin and source of the fecundity of Chiara’s life and charism.
This “genius” is also quite visible in Amanda Gorman – the young African-American poet laureate who gave a powerful statement of strength and hope with her poem “The Hill We Climb” at US President Joe Biden’s inauguration. And we cannot ignore the immense legacy that Angela Merkel has left to Germany and the world. As the first woman politician from former East Germany to become Chancellor, she was heavily criticized in the beginning and was referred to as “das Mädchen” (the girl), but when she stepped down after 15 years, she was lovingly called “die Mutti,” “a mother figure and symbol of stability.” She was the only European head of state who opened her country’s borders during the refugee crisis of 2015. “It was a humanistic thing to do and it was the right thing to do,” she said. That is “feminine genius.”
In these extraordinary times of the pandemic, we truly need, more than ever, people with these attributes – men and women alike – receptive to change and flexible to accommodate new ways of helping the less fortunate, sensitive to the needs of others, generous with their time, talents, material wealth and possessions to serve the underprivileged, and with a maternal heart that loves everyone unconditionally, even to the point of giving the last kilo of rice to a family who has nothing more to eat for the day.If we hope to safely and surely navigate our way through what is in store for us in 2021, it would be of great help to keep in mind and strive to emulate the genius, the noble qualities of women. In truth, men have much to learn from them. Inspired by their example, let us also be open to the gifts of life and love (receptivity). Like them, may we see and understand the needs of the human heart (sensitivity) and give value to every person by our wholehearted service (generosity). Lastly, everyone (even men) can be spiritual mothers who guide and sustain others in their journey to maturity and holiness (maternity).)
