Our Lady is often referred to as the ‘New Eve’; where Eve disobeyed God, the Blessed Virgin Mary was open and obedient to His call to be the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
On Saturday 15 November, women from across the Diocese gathered at Leeds Trinity University for the ‘New Eve’ Retreat: promoting Feminine Genius – in other words, women’s unique Call to Holiness. The day was organised by our new Adult Faith Formation Officer, Sophie Taylor and attended by around 20 young Catholic women.
Chaplain Fr Michael Hall celebrated Mass for the retreat and reflects on the day … :
‘..the sun of righteousness rising…’
All through my priesthood, I have felt the call to help lay people in the Church to enter into their baptismal dignity of being ‘Prophets, Priests and Kings’ in union with Jesus.
For the last few years, I have found this being narrowed down even further – God has seemed to use me to encourage and support a number of gifted and talented women in my parish and diocese, and, indeed, across the country. So when I heard of the ‘New Eve’ retreat, promoting ‘Feminine Genius’, I rushed to offer my services as a priest!
I take coincidences very seriously. So, when travelling to Horsforth in the car with Emily and Abby of ‘New Eve’, I was amazed that I was able to engage with Emily about the football chant used by her University of Alabama team – the ‘Crimson Tide’. (Long story, but just a coincidence?)
The group of young women who had gathered listened to talks uniting their bodies and souls – talks about feminine biology, and how that affected mood and spirit; and the particular ‘feminine genius’ that means that women often work with virtues and charisms very different from men’s.
I was due to celebrate Mass for them, and the first reading from the prophet Malachi spoke about fire, and the ‘sun of righteousness rising with healing in [her] wings’. I felt inspired to build on the teaching they had received, and to talk (in a very orthodox way!) about the feminine aspects of God in the Old Testament.
When God creates humanity in his image, we are told ‘Male and female he created them’. I hope that not just my homily, but the whole day of fellowship and teaching, would encourage those young women to see themselves as true images of God in their femininity.
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