A couple of weeks ago I was on a high
school mission, where we finished our final liturgy with a short time of
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards the Franciscan friar who had
brought Jesus out had to take the Blessed Sacrament back to the school chapel
from the main hall, which meant carrying it through the rest of the school.
Because by that point it was break time, I realised that I would need to go
with him to make sure Jesus was protected from the crowds in the corridors.
It only occurred to me half way through our
journey just how big a job that was! I was physically standing guard in front
of Jesus! I may have only gone because I was the closest to the door, but God
already knew that I’d be there. He knew I’d be the one to walk with Him and
protect Him. He knew it would be me, and most importantly He knew that it would
be a woman.
In The Lord of the Rings there’s a scene
where Eowyn takes on the Nazgul, who claims ‘no living man’ can kill him. She
cunningly, and movingly, responds with “But
no living man am I. You look upon a woman.” She fought not with the weapons
and tactics of men, but instead brought her own gifts to the battle field.
As women, we have a unique role to play in
the battle to defend our faith, and we’re called to strengthen ourselves
spiritually to play that role. We can stand guard for Christ not despite our
femininity, but through our
femininity. We fight with strength and dignity. We arm ourselves with truth and
compassion.
One of my favourite saints is St. Faustina,
and in her diary she writes that “When… my soul began to experience deep
recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul:
"Strengthen
yourself for combat."
Physical
muscles get stronger and stronger the more you train them, meaning that, although
they hurt at the time, they will have the capacity to lift more weight or cover
a greater distance the next time you train. The same is true in our spiritual
lives. Though maintaining a prayer life takes effort, and often God reveals
things or asks things of us that hurt, learning to depend on Him and deepen our
relationship with Him means that over time we become more able to fight
spiritual battles.
God gave you your own gifts and strengths
for a purpose. He made you a woman for a purpose. He knows where you fit into His army – whether that be fighting
on the front lines, nursing the wounded or determinedly maintaining order back
home. He wants you to fight with what you have, not with what you think you
should have. He has a place for you. Ask Him to show you where it is…
