Growth in Tenderness The feminine heart is gifted by God to manifest His tenderness. Men learn it mostly from women. Therefore, when mothers have lost their tenderness, it creates deep wounds in their husbands and children. The home becomes cold and sterile The Love Crucified Community. The Simple Path to Union with God (p. 281). Kindle Edition. ------------------ When I was young, I needed armor to protect me, not only from others, but even from God. I lifted weights, got strong, was a bit of a loose cannon, and can still be if I am not aware of how I am feeling. Those are masculine traits that the majority of men carry; women can too, but are fewer in number. Our bodies dictate how masculine or feminine we are. The tragedy is when men and women do not integrate both qualities. As I age, I find that I am developing more feminine qualities that give me inner balance and help me in my relationships with both men and women. I still have a long way to go. The most attractive are the ones who can integrate both qualities, and it is not an easy journey. As a Christian, Jesus for me is the one who manifested both qualities, and it showed it in how he treated each person he met. His greatest suffering was that vulnerability. He did not see others through the fog of projections and transferences, which leads to stereotyping. He did not have that escape. We, as Christians, are called to embrace as Jesus did, to see as He did. In this, we bear the cross with Jesus. Compassion grows, which means, to suffer with, without becoming bitter or angry. The feminine shows up in prayer when it becomes more universal in scope, and we see the suffering Christ in all those who are suffering from disease, injustice, poverty, and prejudice. It is a long journey to arrive at this place; grace works in secret and is in no hurry. Part of the journey is to grow in self-knowledge that comes through prayer. Prayer, because we are connected to infinite love, allows us to see ourselves more clearly. In this, we understand the command to love ourselves, because it takes a great deal of death to self to achieve this. Only then can we truly love ourselves and others. Before we reach this stage, we love, but some hooks will dilute our ability to bring full life to the beloved. Our sins, faults, and weaknesses lead us to embrace the truth of the human situation. There is a deep peace in this, even joy, even when in deep suffering for and with others. -Br.MD In Christian tradition, blessing (benedictio) literally means “to speak well of.” To bless someone is to: affirm their belovedness entrust them to God rather than bind them to your wisdom release them from your need to be effective Jesus himself increasingly blesses as the Gospel progresses: children the poor the suffering even those he cannot heal Blessing is what remains when power is laid down.
I was always kind of fascinated that the Japanese Samurai Warriors also loved poetry. These fierce professional warriors that could be reflective enough to take part inactivities like the tea ceremony. In Zen Buddhism ,deep truths are often communicated in terms of poetry. The Spartans who were probably the most accomplished warriors were also part of a very heavily homosexual culture. One thing they did before battle was to groom each others hair. I find myself as I get older in viewing the differences between men and women with wonder. We are so astonishingly different yet complimentary. Does progress in the Spiritual Life bring out more feminine qualities in men and masculine in women? While still each being fully male and female? mmmm
I kind of think how I regard Our Blessed Lady very much as a man and so I kind of appreciate very much the virtues which men appreciate very highly. She was very,very brave. Very courageous. Very,very strong. She could bear incredible suffering. Yet still be so very, very feminine too. This quality comes out so well in so many of the female saints.
I would tend to think of it as when we pray we become more fully and truly male or female as the case may be. We go back to what we were always meant to be.
I remember some years ago I was going through a hard time and was asking Our Lady for help. I received an image of her up to her knees in muck and with her shoulder to the equally mucky wheel of a horse drawn wagon and pushing it out of swampy ground.
Yes we become more authentically male or female as the case may be. We don't conform to outside standards that say a man or woman must be like this or this we become what we were actually meant to be. Not what other people tell us what they think we should be/ This is the exact opposite of the diabolical Woke Movement that sows confusion.
I think all Spiritual growth is growing in authenticity. Of becoming who you were always meant to be. In a real way a return to childhood.
