St. John Paul II called it “the feminine genius.” The genius of the woman who either cares for her family with the love only a wife and mother can give. The genius of a woman like Mrs. Barrett who was recently appointed to the United States Supreme Court, balancing her demanding work, her Catholic faith, raising seven children including two adopted from Haiti, being a devoted wife to her husband. And for good measure, handling with total grace and patience some of the dumbest and crudest questions she’s ever been asked by Senators who were anything but graceful. Her value is far beyond pearls, as the writer of Proverbs expresses so nicely today. And Mrs. Barrett’s value far beyond pearls will reach its limit in the legal profession if one day she’s the deciding vote in the overturning of the horror called Roe vs. Wade, allowing all the children to live. The feminine genius, understood from the genius teaching of St. John Paul II who raised the dignity of the woman to her highest measure. A value that is far beyond pearls. And far beyond the parable of talents too. In the Gospel parable that Jesus teaches, let’s pretend the 3 servants, instead of being men which Jesus calls them, let’s assume for the sake of a Sunday homily the 3 servants are women. This would match up best with the reading from Proverbs. They’re called in by the Boss who knows the gifts and talent ability of each one. One servant receives 5 precious pearls owned by the Boss, and she’s told to go and increase the number of pearls. Another woman receives three, and the third receives one. Each according to their ability. We can’t all be a St. Teresa of Calcutta, or a St. John Paul II (even though I look like him). We can’t all be a St. Therese of the Child Jesus, or a St. Francis of Assisi. That’s the 5-talent crowd. Or more like the 500-talent group. Each of us is given the responsibility in our Baptism to return to the Lord what we’re capable of increasing through being open to his grace. And God, the Boss, is satisfied with each respective investment. The problem here that may arise is allowing our pride to get in the way because we may think, “I belong in the 5-talent group.” Anyone who believes this, you best be ready to ready to lay down your life for Christ. Literally, spill your blood for Jesus. It’s more like, “No, you belong in the three-talent group.” Back to the women servants, beginning with the one talent, the one precious pearl worth much less than a worthy wife. The one who goes out and buries the pearl because she was too afraid that her husband would be angry if she showed she was smarter than him. A more profitable Christian investor than him. We thank God that Mrs. Barrett’s husband doesn’t think this way. He was mighty fine with her becoming a Supreme Court Justice. And women, like men, at times make the wrong decision with the placement of one precious pearl, and what to do with the joy of the Baptism entrusted to us by the Boss upstairs. All this servant had to do was to go out and make another disciple for the Lord. With all her friends, one would think the possibility was easy. But hiding her Baptism, and burying her Baptism in the ground happened for two reasons: fear and selfishness. Fear, for not trusting that God would provide all she needed to make another disciple, another pearl. And the selfishness of keeping one’s faith to oneself, when faith is a virtue to be spread like mayonnaise on a tuna fish sandwich. The woman servant entrusted with the 3 talents and makes 3 more for the Boss, is most of the holy woman I’m blessed to know and love. To add three more pearls to God’s account requires a long list of goodies: a devoted wife; a caring mother; a single woman who loves God and neighbor (one need not be married); a woman devoted to daily prayer; one who builds up her intellectual feminine genius in a thousand different fields for the good of those who benefit from her genius….women doctors, nurses, counselors, judges, and teachers. All called to care for and build up others in truth and dignity. And do so as a joyful Christian woman embracing the fullness of her faith. There’s a lasting genius in such faithfulness. And so many other areas of life. My own mother would be in this group of 3 talents. And the women with 5 pearls who go on to make 5 more, or 500 more. Like men, they’re fewer in number. These are the worthy wives, mothers, and single women whom God called to have a direct role in salvation history, alongside all the other great women in the Communion of Saints. There is no one above Mary of Nazareth. The theotokos, the Mother of God. She is the premiere 5-talent holder who said “yes” to Gabriel. She’s the woman servant entrusted to carry within her the five great talents of her Son: life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return to raise our bodies. For 14-plus years of priesthood I’ve been trying to convince young ladies who seek a female model in their lives to avoid Hollywood and New York and look to the small village of Nazareth where the perfect female role model is found. After Blessed Mary, the 5-talent servants are St. Mary Magdalene and her conversion; St. Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus as he carried his Cross; the mothers of Peter & Andrew, James & John; the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well where Jesus thirsted for her faith; the Syro-Phoenician woman who convinced Jesus to heal her daughter. And all the great women Saints over 20 centuries of the Church. They brought many souls to the Savior of the world. Burying their 5 pearls was never a thought. So, for all the women servants of the Boss, all that feminine genius - and all us men servants too – we don’t want to be the number one talent. The three and five talents are the ones who produce for Christ, who is Lord forever and ever.