A Closer Look at Titus 2: 5 ("Domestic") | Biblical Womanhood Series #2

Viggo Pedderson, 1888

 ...to be discreet, chaste, domestic, gentle, obedient to their husbands, so that the word of God be not reviled. Titus 2: 5, Catholic Confraternity Version, emphasis mine

Before I proceed with this series, a few housekeeping (pun sort of intended!) notes:

1.  My intention is to be inclusive of all Christians. To that end, I will be using a variety of Bible translations, both Catholic and non-Catholic. My choice will depend upon which translation offers the best clarity in tandem with my theme. Keep in mind that Catholic Bibles contain 7 Old Testament books (as do Orthodox Christian versions) that are omitted in Protestant Bibles. Rest assured that "apocryphal" verses used from Catholic Bibles are in harmony with the message on these topics found in our shared books. I offer them to further elucidate and strengthen the argument for biblical womanhood. (I do hope that non-Christians will also benefit from this guidance.)

2.  Being that I am Catholic and therefore am not a "Bible only" Christian, I will additionally be offering wisdom from Church Tradition, to include such resources as Catholic catechisms, apostolic letters, writings of the Church Fathers, etc. Again, I assure you that these writings will support and help to interpret the biblical texts. 

3.  My goal is to support all women in their endeavors to be good Christian disciples, wives and mothers. This includes mothers who work outside the home, single mothers, married and unmarried women, full-time homemakers, and wives without children. Guidance will also be given to unmarried, childless women. All women are called to be spiritual mothers. I condemn no one for their choices and circumstances, but rather wish to encourage all women, in whatever their situations, to seek to align their wills and lives to God's design. Some may be offended, and feelings may be hurt, but please believe that I'm here to help, and I care about your happiness.  

So let's take a look at this word, domestic. I chose this particular translation for the notes, as it comes from the St. Joseph Textbook Edition of 1963, which is an excellent study Bible, with references to original sources. This one tells us that in the translation into English rendered as "domestic," variants in the original Greek text give us two words very similar in form, meaning "home worker" and "stayer at home." 

I will add that in my research I've learned there is also the sense in the original Greek of women being the guardians of the home, and this nuance is well reflected in the King James Version as "keepers at home."  Other translations use "homemakers," "busy at home," and "workers at home." 

I have seen the emphasis on guardianship being used to argue that the Bible is not referring to domestic work in Titus, such as housekeeping, but rather to a spiritual care of the home. I would argue that it's all tied together, and the variety of translations make clear that the vocation of a wife and mother is carried out explicitly in the home. Of course, we will look at many other Bible passages that affirm the roles of men and women; but as this admonition to be full-time homemakers is a sticking point even for many Christian women, I thought it wise to rip off the band-aid and get it out of the way. No invisible elephants welcome in the room here! 

Let this serve to encourage, first of all, the full-time wife and mother who is busy at home, for whom the care and guardianship of her home and those in it are her top priorities. You sacrifice much and take a lot of heat for embracing this traditional lifestyle in a modern world dominated by radical feminism. A huge pile of guilt can fall on you for "being able" to stay home with your children, for "not working," for betraying the dogma of women's "liberation." 

But your obedience to God comes first, so please be affirmed in your choice, sacrifice, dedication, and courage. Be a light on the hilltop. Other women need to see your perseverance, conviction, joy, and yes, submission. Whether you have one child or ten, or even if you are a wife with no children, your place really is in the home. The home is your place of power. Have you ever thought of that before? Listen to this:

I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule their households, and give the adversary no occasion for abusing us. For already some have turned aside to Satan.  (1 Timothy 5: 14-15, Catholic Confraternity Version, emphasis mine)

While this passage is contained in St. Paul's directions for the care of widows, obviously the same message applies to non-widows. We see again that the young women are to take great care in their work in the home, which is their overriding purpose, in order to safeguard the word of God. Their physical presence in the home, nurturing husband and children, is necessary to the spiritual guardianship of the home and serves to guard their feminine power. I would argue that when women choose or are forced by circumstances to leave the home for many long hours in the workforce, it disempowers them. It emasculates the husbands as well, which is a topic for the future.

For now, take pride, in the best sense of the word, in your role as homemaker--guardian, ruler, and keeper of your domestic sphere. 

 

Hitting Pause

Despite my natural setting of hopefulness and my attempt to see the silver lining regarding Pope Francis' decision to practically abrogate the Latin Mass, I find myself feeling profoundly saddened. No matter how you look at it, it's a loss to the Catholic Church. I almost titled this post, "The Burden of Being Catholic." I feel overwhelmed, drained, confused, not peaceful. 

Today is Sunday, a day of rest. I didn't sleep well last night, or enough. But the day ahead will be sunny, and the sun always revives me. We've had enough of rain. 

It's time now to shut off the noise and retreat into prayer and contemplation. Adagio. Play the music slowly. 

Why the Abrogation of the Traditional Latin Mass Might Be a Good Thing | My Thoughts As a Catholic Convert

 

So Pope Francis dropped a bomb today with his motu proprio, "Traditionis Custodes," which effectively abrogates the "Traditional Latin Mass" (TLM), or Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Here is a summary of the situation without all the hysterics attached to it: https://catholic-link.org/pope-francis-new-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes/.

Basically, the sweeping restrictions of the new motu proprio make null and void Pope Benedict XVI's "Summorum Pontificum" of 2007. After consulting with bishops all over the world, Francis decided that this change was necessary for the good of the unity of the Church. 

I started attending Mass in the fall of 2011, and my conversion to the Catholic Faith became official with my confirmation in March of 2013, which was the same month and year that the Francis pontificate began. I was aware of the TLM, but I went through RCIA and attended Mass at "Novus Ordo" churches, where only the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite was celebrated. I was converted through this form and was perfectly happy with it. I was glad that the Mass, though different in significant ways from my former experiences as a Protestant, was not entirely foreign. 

However, as I was a religious seeker prone to much research on the subject, I encountered the detractors of the "Novus Ordo" Mass and Vatican Counsel II early on, and their messages did instill doubt and engender criticism on my part of the Masses I attended. Traditionalists will insist, for example, that receiving Communion in the hand is a desecration of the Eucharist, that the TLM is the more reverent form of the Mass, and that there should not be female altar servers, among many other "liturgical abuses" that they point to. 

In a county adjacent to mine there is a church that has offered the TLM once a month, and I took the opportunity to attend it twice.  I enjoyed the Gregorian Chant, and admittedly the quality of music in Ordinary Form Masses is often, though not always, mediocre. I did think receiving the Eucharist kneeling rather than standing was more reverent, but otherwise, I didn't feel that the TLM was really more reverent in general. I also did not understand why only the host and not the wine was offered. Both are offered in the Ordinary Form. 

I couldn't follow what was going on in the TLM. I suppose that would eventually not be an issue once one got used to it, but nevertheless I felt discouraged. And because this Mass was only offered once a month and was not even at one of my sister parishes, I didn't feel like it could really offer me a sense of community. Now it seems that this Mass will no longer be held at that church, because according to the new motu proprio, the TLM can't be celebrated at parochial churches anymore. No mention is made as to where it can be celebrated, just that the bishops will have to work that out. 

While the TLM has not been categorically banned from the face of the earth, it seems clear that the intention is to eventually phase it out completely. There will be a time of transition leading to the integration of all the faithful into one expression of the Roman Rite. Additionally, care will be taken to ensure that no liturgical abuses exist, which has been a concern with the implementation of the "Novus Ordo." As a side note, nothing has been said regarding the Eastern Rites of the Church, and I imagine they may become a more popular option for those attached to the TLM. 

While I personally have nothing against the TLM, and my heart goes out to those who love it so much and are utterly committed to it as a lifestyle, I feel a sense not of relief exactly, but of peace that in the end this is not a bad call on the part of Pope Francis. 

The division in the Church that concerns him is quite real. I've personally had it shake my faith. I've observed the rhetoric against Vatican II, the "Novus Ordo" Mass (which is, after all, no longer new), and Pope Francis himself escalate to a fever pitch. Even the traditionalists are fighting amongst themselves. Conservative but not radical traditionalist Catholics like myself feel torn and somewhat homeless. It's a struggle to discern who is telling the truth. 

A whole Catholic subculture has developed around the TLM. What began as an aesthetic preference has morphed into folks insisting that theirs is the "true Church." They have lost the way of obedience to the Church Magisterium that characterizes Catholicism in the first place. They go so far as to say that there is an entirely different theology inherent in the TLM, and that the Ordinary Form is quite inferior. 

While there will surely be an uprising against "Traditionis Custodes" and an even greater sense of division in the Church will ensue, this may be what is needed for the future of Catholic unity. The schismatics will basically declare themselves as such by their actions, even if they continue to insist that they are the true followers of Christ. Catholics like me can let go of our doubts and stop thinking that maybe we should try to get to the TLM, even move to a place where it's offered every week in order to fully engage in the lifestyle. We can stop listening to the traditionalist commentators who seem to become more and more radical as time goes on. We can put our faith in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and stop being conspiratorial and suspicious of Vatican II and the development of doctrine since. We can reject the pronouncements of those who scandalize the church by defaming the character of our pope. 

Sure, there are serious problems in the Catholic Church, but probably no more than there are in other branches of Christianity, and in certain ways there are less. So let's not panic. Practice detachment instead of being reactionary. The sky is not falling, I promise. On this her feast day, may Our Lady of Mt. Carmel pray for us. 

Loving my Homemaker Life | Biblical Womanhood Series #1

 

For some time I've wanted to write a series on biblical womanhood, but I have hesitated for various reasons. Where to begin? Am I qualified? What if what I say hurts or offends people? Questions such as these kept the idea tucked in the back of my mind. 

Recently, on a sunny day while I was enjoying being outdoors, I had an epiphany. I love my life. The feeling of true contentment I experienced may have come after weeding my brick patio, of all things. It hit me out of nowhere, and I was filled with gratitude. I was also relieved to recognize the truth that I really do take joy in my life, because I was not always feeling that way. Homemaking is repetitious, can seem not that important, and can be extremely frustrating when one feels she never gets ahead, when her hard, faithful work is constantly unraveled. 

The internal knowledge that I love my simple life, that quiet wellspring of joy, came just before a crisis hit, and everything seemed to spiral out of control. I slid into fear, anger, resentment, and insecurity. The peace of my life was shattered, and I felt like I had reached an impasse in which I could not stay in my marriage. I thought my lovely homemaker days might have to come to an end. And while I have hope, I don't feel entirely confident that it will all work out. This is, of course, because I've been leaning on my own understanding and have not truly given the wheel over to Christ. 

How could I write about biblical womanhood under such uncertain conditions? Perhaps this is exactly the reason. It is clear to me today that biblical womanhood, sometimes also called authentic femininity, is the only way out. It's the only chance my family has of staying together and being happy. I believe that the Holy Spirit allowed me that window into true repose of the soul that day, right before the bottom dropped out, to sustain me through the storm. This life is worth fighting for. 

One thing I've learned is that I have to let go of perfectionism. No family is perfect, and I don't have to be perfect to teach on this subject. In fact, it's the reality of my shortcomings and what I have learned through the experience of 19 years of marriage and 17 years of motherhood that qualify me to teach on authentic Christian womanhood and family life. You will not find a June Cleaver here, though I suppose she can teach us a thing or two. 

Hmm... I just viewed images of June online, and I do find myself wanting to be her. I might just even search the library catalog for "Leave It to Beaver" on DVD! Trust me, you will never find me vacuuming in high heels. Even if I wanted to, my back and knees couldn't handle it. But otherwise, I mean, she was pretty awesome. 

The point here isn't whether or not I'm qualified, but that biblically I'm required, as an "older woman," to instruct the younger women in godliness. Titus 2: 1-5 (NKJV) says,

1But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Biblical womanhood grates against feminism and our modern conceptions of femininity. It's controversial, even among Christians. But what is at stake is that the word of God be not blasphemed. That's pretty serious stuff, and we see evidence of blasphemy against God prevalent all around us. Women even older than me need this message. 

Here's the other thing I've determined. The restoration of traditional families and gender roles is the only way out of the predicament society is in. America is on the brink of collapse, and I believe that everything we have seen during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the surge of Marxism and mob rule by domestic terrorists like BLM and Antifa, and the insanity of the woke leftist agenda, can be traced to the destruction of the nuclear family and the erosion of Judeo-Christian values. 

The good news is that it's not too late for a cultural revolution in the right direction, and each of us has control over how we respond to outside events and how we live our lives. The powers that be would love to remove our unalienable, God-given freedom and the constitutional liberty based upon faith in our Creator, so we must fight for it. We give our lives back to God, or we lose it all. 

In his 1995 "Letter to Women," John Paul II called on us, on the feminine genius, to save the world. What I plan to share with you in this series on biblical womanhood is exactly how we do it. 

Read the above passage from Titus carefully. Meditate upon it and hold it in your heart. Submit to the word of God. We must humble ourselves if we want to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We must believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, that where we follow God's will, there is always a way. It's time for Christian women to return to the home, to be full-time wives and mothers, to embrace being the guardians and keepers of our homes as our true vocation. Our rebellious spirits may recoil at this idea, and you might think that even if you wanted to quit your job, you simply can't. It just isn't a possibility in your circumstances. Try to still your soul and listen. Your feeling of discomfort, maybe even anger, is evidence of being convicted of the truth in your heart. If you are already home but are struggling, please also come along on this journey. In every case, acknowledge the fear and doubt you are feeling, and then lay it at Jesus's feet.