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By: Nancy Escalante
Her sons stand up and proclaim her blessed, her husband, too, sings her praises: “Many women have done admirable things, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceitful, and beauty empty; the woman who is wise is the one to paraise. (Proverbs 31:28 - 30)
Today everybody talks about women’s fulfillment, but unfortunately this fulfillment refers to trivial and ephemeral aspects that are far from the true and complete fulfillment of a woman. Many women who search human fulfillment are trapped in marketing lies, and the social crisis of values, without knowing that the answer to her search can be found in the Christian message. Women themselves have a spiritual richness that involves their calling to moral and human education as well as the formation of their homes where the main column is human virtues.
“Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honor, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. (Philippians 4,8)
Based upon gospel, we can see how Christ recognized all woman’s value and in this same way we can recognize the characteristics of a woman that cultivates virtue in her life.
A virtuous woman is:
• That who works and is not lazy “Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed (in) with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened." And prepares bread for the family. (See Lk 13: 20,21).
• That who has a spirit of sacrifice and service, therefore her characteristics are to be helpful and generous: Martha and some good women who were following him, served Jesus with kindness and love, giving their goods to the service of Christ “In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking (See Lk 10, 38-42; Lk 8, 1-3). Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. (See Jn 12, 1-8).
• She is humble (See Mk 12, 41-44; Lk 21, 1-4). Many times women do a lot of little things at home that apparently nobody sees, but they do it for love, with humility and they know God will reward them for that.
• Faithful in difficult moments: Women at the Calvary when Jesus was dying (see Jn 19,25) When a woman really loves, she loves to the point of sacrifice.
A virtuous woman has control of herself, which helps her to make a free choice of moral values as a base for her actions, orienting towards the good, structuring and strengthening her identity.
So women are called to live virtues due to their role as mothers, spouses, educators, workers and members of society, defining in that way their mission in this world.
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