International Day of Women

Today we celebrate and highlight the role of women in our world and the real need to continue to defend their rights in many places in our societies and cultures. From an Augustinian point of view, I thought it good and worthy to clarify or set aside certain misconceptions about St. Augustine as a misogynist.

Our Holy Father Augustine lived in a time and culture that still saw women as property of their fathers or husbands, and saw marriage as simply a means to a societal ends. And from a spiritual point, often celibacy was seen as the only real good in the Christian state, and marriage as a necessary evil.

Augustine advances the dignity of women in his time in two ways. First, he advances the sacramental notion of marriage as a spiritual good, and second he advances the notion of the equality of men and women in the marital state.

Augustine said in The City of God (XIV, 22) that: "increasing, multiplying, and filling the earth in accordance with the blessing of God is a gift of marriage, which God instituted from the very beginning, prior to sin." Thus marriage is a sacred blessing instituted by God. He further warns those in the celibate state not to regard marriage as evil (De sancta virg. 12,12).

St. Augustine also defended the beauty and divine design of our sexes and gender particularly the feminine when he writes, "Risen bodies will be freed of defects, but their nature will be preserved. Female sexuality, however, is not a defect but belongs to nature." (De vic.Dei XXii,17)
Finally, Augustine holds accountable for fidelity, equally, both men and women, "both partners observe mutual fidelity and respect the sacramental union." (De sancta virg. 12,12)

Thus, on this Day of Women, let us hear Augustine's preaching of the Truth of our Faith that the dignity of men and women are untied and equal. If the dignity of one is wounded, then the dignity of both are wounded. In prayer and good works seeking truth and justice let us root out of ourselves attitudes of sexism and let us work to help women in other countries and cultures find their rightful voice and rightful place of dignity at the side of men, not at their feet.

Below are some links for action and thought for this important day:

www.internationalwomensday.com

www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd

www.womensday.org