Influence of Women

It is the nature of women to be influential, not powerful. What is the difference between "power" and "influence"? Influence comes from the Latin "in-flow" and indicates a gentle, imperceptible, invisible but profound and significant causality, as was attributed to the stars. By contrast, power from the Latin "posse" or "to be able" indicates an ability to effect a change but in a more extrinsic, oppositional manner. So, power suggests "control over" or "force against" as in the case of an army that overwhelms or a strong man that exerts force against inert or hostile objects. Influence suggests an interior, gentle, spiritual force that seduces, enchants or otherwise transforms the interior, the heart and soul and intellect. Influence creates a bond, a communion, a covenant or a collaboration between two free, decisive agents. Ours is a de-feminized and hyper-masculinized culture in which "feminism" is reactive against and imitative of a deficient, insecure, abusive "machismo" masculinity. Understandably, a wounded, violated femininity is defensive and rallies to be "empowered." It was not meant to be so! Rather, when women are reverenced by men, they effortlessly and fluidly exercise influence in the hearts and minds and souls of those they love. Women are influential because they are mothers and form our hearts, minds and souls from conception to natural death. They are influential because they are beautiful, within and without, and they attract, fascinate, charm and delight us. They are influential because they have a vast superiority, over men, in regard to sensitivity, empathy, intuition, and emotional and spiritual intelligence. Women are influential because they are temples of loveliness, goodness and innocence...and their presence efficaciously transforms the man who is open and welcoming. Women are influential because effortlessly, by virtue of who they are, not what they do, they arouse in the virile heart and soul a tenderness, a delight, a nobility, and a gentle strength. In large part, the drama of salvation can be summarized as the rivalry between two women: the anxious, controlling, envious, suspicious Eve...and the trusting, joyous, surrendered Mary. The good man...the pure, courageous, generous, noble man...is the one who has been under the influence of Mary and women like Mary. Jesus is our best example.