Please Note, Cute, Fragile And Nervous Are Not Attributes

I recently stumbled across an article that offered advice on how to be cute so that boys will be attracted to you. The author asserted that “cute is fragile and nervous,” and encouraged ladies to be gentle and delicate. The article gave 25 tips on how a woman can change her behavior in order to seem more attractive to a guy.

This article really frustrated because it promoted the importance of women changing the way they act and the way they are in order to be more appealing to men. Our behavior and our lives should not be centered around what men think of us. We are so much more than that.

Here are four amazing stories of Catholic women who dared to be more than what a man and what society wants.

When Saint Clare of Assisi was 18 years old, she heard the message of Saint Francis. Though she was born into a very rich family, she easily turned her back on the wealth of the world; she cut her hair and ran away with Francis to live his way of poverty. There was one occasion when there were a group of soldiers attacking the monastery of nuns founded by Clare. Though she was sick, she brought the Blessed Sacrament to the wall where the soldiers could see it and she prayed in front of it. She begged God to protect her dear nuns and her prayers were answered when the soldiers suddenly ran away.  

    When Saint Catherine of Siena was 16, her parents tried to marry her off to a rich man. In response to this, Catherine fasted and cut her hair in hopes of making herself less attractive. As a young woman, she was a catalyst to reform in the Church and she traveled frequently with the message of spreading love and returning to God. She also became quite involved in politics which was very rare for a woman in the fourteenth century. She played an influential role in restoring the Papacy to Rome and quieting conflict between the Italian city states. She also founded a monastery for women when she was only thirty years old.

    When Saint Joan of Arc was 16, she led an army of men in defense of her homeland of France in multiple battles. She dressed as a man and was wounded occasionally but continued to fight. She emerged victorious and was an incredible leader. She gave all her glory to God and fought only for Him. She was put to trial in England and ultimately martyred by being burned at the stake.

    When Saint Maria Goretti was 12, her neighbor made sexual advances toward her. When Maria refused, telling him it was a sin, he began to choke her and then pulled out a knife and stabbed her almost 15 times. Maria was rushed to the hospital, but they could do nothing to save her. On her deathbed, she repeatedly forgave her attacker and said she would pray for him in paradise.

    These are only a few incredible women from our history of faith. There are many more stories of courage, strength and nonconformity against the ways of the world. Had these women stayed “cute and delicate and fragile,” they wouldn’t have abundantly fulfilled God’s will for them in their lives. They weren’t at all concerned with how their behavior affected men or if they were attractive enough. By not conforming to the way society told them they should be, God could work through them in mysterious and amazing ways. Dare to be more than what the world wants you to be. Dare to be more than cute, and amazing things will happen.