There are many members of the Body of Christ and there is a certain spiritual equality among them; but “all members have not the same office.”  In the Holy Spirit’s distribution of functions within the Body there is a difference.  Some functions, by the allotment of God, women are not called to exercise:  these are sacramental and ruling functions.  Others, as prophecy (the daughters of S. Philip), and ministry (the deaconess), are given them.  For centuries she recognised this allotment and gave her best energies to her appointed works.  She showed herself a true daughter of Mary in her loyal acceptance of the divine will and her zeal in its accomplishment.  And what was the result?  The Calendar of Saints, filled with the names of women, is the answer.  There are no more wonderful works of God than the women whose names are commemorated at the altars of the Church and whose intercession is constantly asked throughout Catholic Christendom.  There can be no thought of narrowness of opportunity or limitations in life as we study that wonderful series of women who have illumined the history of the Church from the day of S. Gabriel’s message to this very moment when there are many many women who are faithfully following their vocation and doing God’s will, and who will one day be our intercessors about the throne of God and of the Lamb, as they are our intercessors in the Church on earth to-day.  Why any woman should complain of lack of opportunity and of the narrowness of the Church—­the Church that has nourished S. Mary and S. Monica, S. Catherine of Genoa and S. Theresa; the foundresses of so many and so varied Religious Orders, so many who have devoted their lives to teaching, nursing, conducting works of charity, I am at a loss to understand.  To-day we are witnessing all over the world a revolt of women against the Church; we hear not infrequent threats of what is to be done to the Church by those revolted members.  I am afraid that woman is on the edge of another tragedy.  She is once more looking fascinated at the fruit which “is good for food, and pleasant to the eyes and to be desired to make one wise,” and listening to a voice that whispers:  “Thou shalt be as God.”

The question which is becoming more urgent everywhere is, What are the women of the future to be,—­the daughters of Eve, or the daughters of Mary?  It is not a question for declamation, but a question that calls for immediate action:  and the action must be the action of women.  If women clamour for work in the Church of God, here it is, and here it is abundantly; and to accomplish it there is no need that they “seek the priesthood also.”  The work in the Church of God is in the first place a work that God has given mothers to do; it is the primary duty of a mother to bring up her children, and especially her daughters, in fear of the Lord.  That she can always succeed I do not for a moment claim; there are many adverse factors in the situation that she has to deal with.  But she is inexcusable if she does not give her effort to the work as the most important work of her life.  She is utterly inexcusable and must answer to God for the result if she turn her children over to the care of maids and teachers while she occupies herself with society or any exterior work.