Saint Edith Stein Crewneck Sweatshirt

Designs made to inspire us in the faith - a daily reminder that our true home is heaven.

Excerpt from Fundamental Principles of Women's Education - Saint Edith Stein:

"Woman's nature is determined by her original vocation of spouse and mother. One depends on the other. The body of woman is fashioned "to be one flesh" with another and to nurse new human life in itself. A well-disciplined body is an accommodating instrument for the mind which animates it; at the same time, it is a source of power and a habitat for the mind. Just so, woman's soul is designed to be subordinate to man in obedience and support; 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒅. Both spiritual companionship and spiritual motherliness are not limited to the physical spouse and mother relationships, but they extend to all people with whom woman comes into contact.

The soul of woman must therefore be expansive and open to all human beings; it must be quiet so that no small weak flame will be extinguished by stormy winds; warm so as not to benumb fragile buds; clear, so that no vermin will settle in dark corners and recesses; self-contained, so that no invasions from without can peril the inner life; empty of itself, in order that extraneous life may have room in it; finally, mistress of itself and also of its body, so that the entire person is readily at the disposal of every call.

That is an ideal image of the gestalt of the feminine soul. The soul of the first woman was formed for this purpose, and so, too, was the soul of the Mother of God. In all other women since the Fall, there is an embryo of such development, but it needs particular cultivation if it is not to be suffocated among weeds rankly shooting up around it.

Woman's soul should be expansive; nothing human should be alien to it. Evidently, it has a natural predisposition to such an end: on average, its principal interest is directed to people and human relations. But, if one leaves the natural instinct to itself, this is expressed in a manner apart from its objective. Often the interest is chiefly mere curiosity, mere desire to get to know people and their circumstances; sometimes it is real avidity to penetrate alien areas. If this instinct is simply indulged in, then nothing is won either for the soul itself or for other souls. It goes out of itself, so to speak, and remains standing outside of itself. It loses itself, without giving anything to others. This is unfruitful, indeed, even detrimental. Woman's soul will profit only if it goes abroad to search and to bring home the hidden treasure which rests in every human soul, and which can enrich not only her soul but also others; and it will profit only if it searches and bears home the well-known or hidden burden which is laid on every human soul. Only the one who stands with wholesome awe before human souls will search in such a manner, one who knows that human souls are the kingdom of God, who knows that one may approach them only if one is sent to them. But whoever is sent will find that which she is seeking, and whoever is so sought will be found and saved. Then the soul does not remain standing on the outside but, on the contrary, carries its booty home; and its expanses must widen in order to be able to take in what it carries.

The soul has to be quiet, for the life which it must protect is timid and speaks only faintly; if the soul itself is in tumult, it will not hear this life which will soon be completely silenced and will disappear from the soul. I wonder whether one can say that the feminine soul is fashioned by nature for this? At first sight, the contrary seems to be true. Women's souls are in commotion so much and so strongly; commotion itself makes much noise; and, in addition, the soul is urged to express its agitation. Nevertheless, the faculty for this quiet must be there; otherwise, it could not be so profoundly practiced as it is, after all, by many women: those women in whom one takes refuge in order to find peace, and who have ears for the softest and most imperceptible little voices."

Saint Edith Stein, pray for us!

Product Description:
- Elevate your look with the Soft-style Crewneck Sweatshirt. Crafted from 80% USA-grown cotton and 20% polyester.

Features:
- Soft-style Crewneck Sweatshirt
- 80% ring-spun US cotton, 20% polyester

Shipping and Returns:
- Made to order in 3-5 business days
- Free Returns within 14 days
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