Friday, October 06, 2006
Male and female He made them
Tonight I went to the talk by Fr. Tom Loya - Who is man for woman and who is woman for man? It was great!
Fr. Tom began by discussing women and their particular "genius," which is that they are created to be receptive. This receptivity is built right into a woman's body - every woman has an empty space inside her which is waiting to be filled. This bodily receptivity points to a mystical receptivity as well. Women are the arch-type of the human race - all are called to be receptive before God. Woman are also signs of God's imminence and loving care.
While women are ordered toward bringing things toward themselves, men are ordered toward pushing, propelling, giving away. Their bodies are built to protect, to guard. Mystically, man reflects God's transcendence.
Together, men and women reflect two dimensions of God. Imminence and transcendence. As Fr. remarked, children learn that God is exciting, frightning, scary from their father. Children learn of God's love from their mothers.
Here's another great take on the masculine gift from Marybeth Bonacci.
Men and women's natural gifts are, of course, vulnerable to being twisted in this world of sin. That's where women's natural relational gifts can be reduced to manipulation, and men's natural strength can be reduced to domination and control. We need the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts, and to lead our inclinations in the right direction.
But there's a big difference between purifying and controlling those gifts and denying their existence. Harvey Mansfield, author of Manliness, says that "A gentleman is a man who is gentle out of policy, not weakness." Strength voluntarily withheld is completely different than strength denied or abandoned.
I like men's natural gifts. I like their strength. I like their confidence. I like how their gifts complement my own. I like the thought of being with someone who would be capable of protecting me if I were really, truly threatened.
So sure, it's nice when a man is deeply in touch with his feelings. But given a choice between that man and a man who could confidently throw a punch if a situation truly called for it, I'll take the guy who can throw the punch any day.
Amen to that!
h/t to AM at Fumare
Fr. Tom began by discussing women and their particular "genius," which is that they are created to be receptive. This receptivity is built right into a woman's body - every woman has an empty space inside her which is waiting to be filled. This bodily receptivity points to a mystical receptivity as well. Women are the arch-type of the human race - all are called to be receptive before God. Woman are also signs of God's imminence and loving care.
While women are ordered toward bringing things toward themselves, men are ordered toward pushing, propelling, giving away. Their bodies are built to protect, to guard. Mystically, man reflects God's transcendence.
Together, men and women reflect two dimensions of God. Imminence and transcendence. As Fr. remarked, children learn that God is exciting, frightning, scary from their father. Children learn of God's love from their mothers.
Here's another great take on the masculine gift from Marybeth Bonacci.
Men and women's natural gifts are, of course, vulnerable to being twisted in this world of sin. That's where women's natural relational gifts can be reduced to manipulation, and men's natural strength can be reduced to domination and control. We need the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts, and to lead our inclinations in the right direction.
But there's a big difference between purifying and controlling those gifts and denying their existence. Harvey Mansfield, author of Manliness, says that "A gentleman is a man who is gentle out of policy, not weakness." Strength voluntarily withheld is completely different than strength denied or abandoned.
I like men's natural gifts. I like their strength. I like their confidence. I like how their gifts complement my own. I like the thought of being with someone who would be capable of protecting me if I were really, truly threatened.
So sure, it's nice when a man is deeply in touch with his feelings. But given a choice between that man and a man who could confidently throw a punch if a situation truly called for it, I'll take the guy who can throw the punch any day.
Amen to that!
h/t to AM at Fumare
