Lent with St Edith Stein Day 13: A Shelter in Which Other Souls May Unfold
“A woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold.”
St Edith Stein, Fundamental Principles of Women’s Education
I attended the Oklahoma Catholic Women’s Conference a few weeks ago with three women from my family. We each got t-shirts from my store and three out of four of us got the same one: with St Edith Stein’s quote, “A woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold.” I switched mine out so we weren’t so matchy, but it’s a popular t-shirt! Then while we were at the conference, that quote came up a few times throughout the day.
Once again, it is a really great quote, but it’s taken from a larger piece and she was really building up to a bigger thesis. So, I’m excited to be able to dive in deeper and discuss what St Edith meant by that. What it means to be a shelter for other souls. When a woman’s soul is formed in accordance with its natural gifts and the divine life, it has certain qualities. It is expansive, quiet, empty of self, self-contained, warm, and clear. We’ll go through each of these one by one.
Expansive
Women have a natural inclination toward others and a natural empathy. This can be corrupted in nosiness and gossip or atrophied in just getting to know people. But the soul becomes expansive when it seeks out the hidden treasure in other souls. Furthermore, when it seeks to find and ease the hidden burden in another soul. That is when our empathy and care can be used to provide comfort and bring others to Christ.
Quiet
I feel like the opposite is true of a lot of women (myself included) and St Edith agrees. She notes that “Women’s souls are in commotion so much and so strongly; commotion itself makes so much noise; and, in addition, the soul is urged to express its agitation.” While we do see turmoil in our own souls and those of other women, we see this quietness practiced in women of spiritual depth and maturity. Once we can achieve this quiet in our souls, we can hear the voices of others who are in need more clearly.
Empty of Self
In order to make room for others, we have to get out of the way. Everything can’t be about ourselves. We have to empty ourselves out every day so we can be open to others.
Self-Contained
In order to be a shelter, we have to be self-contained. We must be filled with the divine life so that we are not looking for outside validation. We have all we need and can open up to those in need, serving as handmaid.
Warm
A woman’s natural warmth can be inconstant. Too hot at times, too cold at others. We can end up consuming rather than warming. When we are filled with the divine love, it burns off our impurities and burns gently, warming us and those around us.
Clear
By nature, men and women both tend to be muddied. However, when our impurities have been burned off by the divine light, we have clarity.
So how do we become this amazing shelter that serves as a refuge for others? St Edith writes that “everything points to this conclusion: woman can become what she should be in conformity with her primary vocation only when formation through grace accompanies the natural inner formation. Because of this, religious education must be the core of all women’s education.”
In conclusion, we must continue to develop ourselves spiritually, to continue our religious education, so that we can become our highest and best selves.