It’s Mother’s Day this Sunday, 9 May, and in the hope of reaching out to the beautiful women who read The Record, this interview below is to inspire you in your day-to-day life.
Our newest Record journalist, BRIDGET SPINKS, interviewed Sr Mary Madeline OP, a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St Cecilia, which has been based in Sydney since 2007. This Sydney convent base for the Nashville Dominicans is their first permanent mission established outside the US and was organised around World Youth Day 2008. Sr Mary Madeline holds her Masters in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.
Sister, you recently gave a talk on “Life to the Full” at a Sydney University ‘Life Week’ mission. This is an interesting phrase; what does that phrase “life to the full” mean?
“Life to the full is ultimately life in Christ, and what we see in Christ is self-giving love. This is true for all people, men and women. Pope John Paul II often spoke of the fact that we only discover ourselves through a sincere gift of ourselves.”
How can we, especially as women, have life to the full?
“Since life to the full flows from receiving and giving love, we must first let ourselves be loved. This love originates in God, and although all of life is His gift to us, sometimes we must listen to hear God’s love in prayer. If we realise that we are loved deeply and unconditionally, we experience inner freedom. If we listen to God in prayer, in the Scriptures, in the events of daily living, we discover the unique gifts we have been given to share with the world. In giving those gifts, we find great joy.
Is there anything wrong with just surviving?
“The problem with mere survival is that the mission of Jesus and, therefore, God’s plan for us is not yet realised. He said, “I came that you might have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). God is a God of abundance, not of stinginess. If we reflect on the miracle at Cana and the multiplication of the loaves and fish, we see that God gives much more than is needed for survival. Perhaps wounds of our hearts keep us from thriving, but Jesus was a healer, One Who came to set us free. If we receive the freedom Christ brings, we discover that we have hearts made for praise and thanksgiving. A grateful person is not just surviving but thriving.
So how can we thrive both humanly and spiritually?
“The human person is a beautiful creation. Our bodies need balanced nutrition and rest. Surprisingly few people take the rest they need to thrive. We also have minds, intelligence that longs for truth. We live in an information-saturated world, but we need more than facts. We need truth. We also have wills that are fulfilled when we choose what is good and embrace it in love. We must not let false ideologies convince us that we have no freedom – that we are determined by our genetics or our environment. We are free, and this freedom is essential to love. In addition to truth and goodness, we long for beauty. We thrive when we see, hear, and experience the beautiful. Women tend to have a particular sense of this need and a gift for attention to detail that enables us to touch others by beautifying the settings around us. As humans, we are social and we long for communion with others. We cannot thrive in isolation. Theologically, this flows from our creation in the image of God, who exists as a unity of three Persons sharing one divine nature. Experientially, we know that we need to receive the gifts of others and share ourselves with them in order to thrive.”
It’s Mother’s Day this weekend on 9 May. In this context, how can mothers, especially ‘stay-at-home’ mums, thrive in their day-to-day duties of motherhood? I’m sure you’re aware there are some mums out there who struggle with leaving the workforce to bring up their children because of pressure they feel to ‘contribute to society’ in the workplace. Could you provide some comment on this?
“Mothers are among those most ready to thrive! This is because by welcoming the gift of life they have already shown a capacity to receive love and give it. Only a false materialism could lead us to de-value the contribution of mothers. What contributes more richly to society than welcoming life and shaping the minds and hearts of the next generation? Sadly, we often are deceived into thinking that the worth of our service is measured by the money we are paid or the recognition we receive.Actually, some of the best paid people in the world are not only not building a better society, but are actually working against society. Of all women in history, Mary of Nazareth gave the world the greatest Gift. Her life was hidden, simple and poor. When we accept God’s plan for us, we bring life to the world in whatever vocation, career, or path God chooses.”
Let’s recognise that life comes in both male and female form. In light of this, what is the gift of femininity? What can women offer the world simply by being ‘woman’?
“Among the many gifts the Church recognises as key to the “feminine genius” is that of being person-centered. Pope John Paul II spoke of the reality that it is to woman that the human person has been entrusted. This is a gift needed in every aspect of our society. Business, education, politics – really every field – can be transformed when human dignity is respected and promoted. Women are also notably courageous in suffering and persevering. This is evident at the foot of the cross. We have much to teach our world about commitment and the value of true compassion, which stands by the one who suffers rather than disposes of him or her. Women are capable of great generosity and other-centeredness. In Scripture we hear Jesus’ account of the widow’s mite. In more recent history, we see the examples of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and Blessed Mary MacKillop, so ready to reach out to those in need and give selflessly. Women are, on every level, the guardians of life. When we see the beauty of St Gianna Molla, the Italian wife, mother, and physician who gave up her life to save her daughter, we see that women can show the world that life is the most precious gift of all. This is not only the physical welcoming of the lives of their own children, but the overall attitude of women toward every human life. In his remarkable encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), Pope John Paul II wrote, “Women first learn and then teach others that human relations are authentic if they are open to accepting the other person: a person who is recognised and loved because of the dignity which comes from being a person and not from other considerations such as usefulness, strength, intelligence, beauty or health” (par 99).Thus, women have a decisive role in shaping the culture of life and the civilisation of love that allows all people to thrive.”
For our brothers, fathers and sons, uncles and nephews out there, what is the gift of masculinity that men can give to the world? I mean, when their sisters, mothers and daughters, aunties and nieces are seeking to live ‘life to the full’ or begin to soon, how can men respond effectively?
“The ultimate model for men is Christ Himself. Masculinity is perfected when strength is used not for selfish ends but for self-sacrificing service to others. Men are called to protect and defend the family (within the home and the Church), and if they do so, all of society benefits. It takes great strength to lead by serving, to uphold ideals, to be self-disciplined, and to be true to one’s word.
“A man who finds his identity in relation to God affirms women in their growth and success. A man who listens to women, who values their insights, and who respects their dignity is following Christ, who loved the Samaritan woman at the well, Martha and Mary, the women who sought healing, and especially His Mother. Women and men must help each other.
“Pope John Paul II reminded us that we are called to complete one another, not compete against each other. This complementarity calls us to respect the differences between men and women, seeking to receive the other with gratitude and to give of ourselves in freedom. This mutual self-giving relies on grace.”
Want to listen to Sr Mary Madeline’s Life Week talk, "Life to the Full’? Then head to www.Xt3.com
The talk is in a folder of ‘Life Week’ talks here: http://tinyurl.com/2az36nz