June 7, 2012 /  MariaNews.com

Masculine and Feminine

By Deacon Antonio Sandoval

God is neither male nor female; he is neither masculine nor feminine. These categories apply only to earthly creatures. God is a pure Spirit. Yet there is something in God that is imaged as feminine predominantly in women, and there is something in God that is imaged as masculine predominantly in men. For we read in Scripture concerning the creation of human beings: “Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness… So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

There are passages in Scripture that portray God as a Mother. For example, in Isaiah 49:15 God says, “Can a mother forget the infant at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will never forget you.” There are people who say that God is a Father who loves with the heart of a Mother. This idea is depicted in art in Rembrandt’s famous painting of the Prodigal Son having returned to the father, who represents God. It shows the son kneeling before the father, the father bending to the level of the son and placing his hands on the son’s back. One of the hands is slender and feminine and the other is broad and masculine.

Both masculinity and femininity are of divine origin and are equal in dignity. Men need to have a deep respect, understanding and appreciation of femininity, and women need to have a deep respect, understanding and appreciation of masculinity. In this way men and women discover their complementarity and both genders are enriched.

Leonardo Boff, a Brazilian author, in his book, “A Ave-Maria. O Feminino e o Espirito Santo” (The Hail Mary. The Feminine and the Holy Spirit) explains that the characteristics that are considered feminine do not belong exclusively to the woman, though they are more intense in women, and the characteristics that are considered masculine do not belong exclusively to the man, though they are more intense in men.

From a spiritual point of view it is very important for men to accept their feminine characteristics and for women to accept their masculine characteristics and use them for spiritual growth. The principal masculine characteristics are to lead, to protect, and to provide; those of women, according to Johnette Benkovic of Women of Grace EWTN Program, are to be receptive, to nurture, and to surrender. But both men and women need to be receptive to the word of God, nurture the word in their hearts until Christ is formed in us, and to surrender to God’s Will. To say to God like Mary at the Annunciation, “Fiat, may it be done to me according to your word”.

Men should be like God who led his people out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. He protected them from their enemies and provided for them in their journey with manna from Heaven and water from the Rock. Men likewise should lead those entrusted to their care out of their slavery to sin; protect them from their enemies in a world that does not acknowledge God, and provide for them so that they can be strong people of God. But sometimes women need to do this too. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Mother Angelica are good examples of women who lead, protect, and provide.

I recently heard the testimony of a woman who had to go against her maternal instincts in dealing with a grown son addicted to drugs. Apparently she was a single parent and after taking her son to treatment centers without success, she told him, “You are going to die from your addiction and I don’t want you to die in my home, you have to move out.” With much resistance the son moved out.

Let us accept with joy those characteristics that are not part of our predominant gender characteristics and use them to help others, as fathers who love with a heart of a mother or mothers who govern with the mind of a father.

Read more Reflections from Deacon Antonio: http://marianews.com/wordpress/category/readersblog/deacon-antonio/

Subscribe to MariaNews.com