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The Dignity of Women and the First Christian
MOSAIC, Fall 2008
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Very Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton
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"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
These words from Mary, the Mother of God, in the Gospel According to Luke (1:46, 47) testifies to the salvific role the mother of Jesus has in salvation history. Mary's fiat is a striking reminder how each Christian is called to imitate the first Christian by embracing God's will without exception.
Mary further acknowledges God's extraordinary role in her life in her visit with Elizabeth, her kindswoman: "He who is mighty has done great things for me." These words of Mary underscore the importance of Mary's conception of her son, the Son of the Most High.
The apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women), by Pope John Paul II, instructs how Mary may be delving deeper into her own feminine humanity, thereby discovering "all the richness in personal resources of humanity . . . by means of a sincere gift of self."
Mary in her motherhood recognizes the sacredness of God's gift, "of his generosity" (MD, no. 11). Anyone familiar with Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospel narratives, should recognize that salvation history, beginning with the Word becoming man, begins with Mary, a woman. The death and resurrection of Jesus is witnessed again by women at the foot of his cross as well as in the testimony of the empty tomb (MD, no. 16).
The personal and integral involvement of women in the Gospel stories provide witness to the extraordinary dignity of women, especially as Mary is elevated in a supernatural union with God as the mother of God (MD, no. 4). The fall, 2008 edition of the Mosaic hopefully provides the reader the opportunity to delve deeper into the dignity of women, especially through the freely given gift by God, namely, the Christian vocation.
At Sacred Heart, we continue to address topics relevant to our culture, and I am grateful for the depth and academic prowess the faculty provides in each Mosaic. We are blessed with a solid faculty and staff, not to mention the nearly ninety seminarians who are in priestly formation here, as well as an additional 350 lay commuter students who matriculate at Sacred Heart to be better informed co-workers in the vineyard.
We each have a role in salvation history, and may we never take this gift of God for granted. With prayerful best wishes for you and your loved ones, I remain,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Very Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton
Rector/President
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