God-Given Virtues
'Virtues are tools we have been given by God to help us find happiness.....a kind of happiness that stamps our lives with two unmistakable hallmarks, even in the face of suffering: peace and joy....the definition of a virtue: an innate potential in a person that through repeated use becomes a habit, freeing her to do what she knows is good, true and beautiful while bringing out the best of her character....the pain we experience when straining for virtue is from the vice leaving our character.....all vice darkens the intellect and the ability to see, know, and love God.....virtue makes us more of who we really are, pulling out our own interior genius, revealing that unique spark that each person has.... they unearth the real you.....virtue is alive, creative, and unique....they help us to draw closer to God and His will in our lives....the virtues are the habits of mind and soul that help you to be the best you in any given situation. 'The Ultimate Makeover, the Transforming Power of Motherhood', Gress, pgs. 54-60)
God, in His infinite wisdom, has bestowed beautiful virtues upon women. Women need to understand the great power these virtues have. And it's not an earthly power. It's a reflection of divine power. The means by which we may glorify God in the world, effect change, and energize, enhance, bring joy, and cultivate life-giving, positive, God-fearing relationships between women, men, children, families, and society.
Catherine Tkacz, a theology professor at the Ukranian Catholic University, '....has explained that not only is much lost theologically when we give up our devotion to Our Lady, but it leads to the dramatic confusion we see now about the role of women and even what it means to be a woman.' .....women benefit significantly when the Church emphasizes the ideal woman, [the Blessed Virgin] because she provides a clear image of holiness for us to follow.' ('The Ultimate Makeover, the Transforming Power of Motherhood', Gress, pgs. 126-127). '...the Church, in her wisdom, has said that men and women each have unique gifts---let's honor those instead of trying to pretend differences don't exist. ('The Ultimate Makeover, the Transforming Power of Motherhood', Gress, pg. 19).
God, Jesus Christ Himself, has given to us His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is our model for all women to follow. The Blessed Virgin Mary is a warm and tender Mother to us all; she plants the gifts of peace, order, guidance, hope strength, goodness, creativity; she loves us with the perfect love of a perfect mother; her virtues are obedience, humility, submissiveness, meekness; she has feminine gifts of love, receptivity, sensitivity, understanding, caring, compassion, beauty, generosity. We ARE her children. She loves us very much. She is there for us. All we need to do is ask and she will help us. She is our model. She will show us the way.
