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92. The Production of Woman

1. Woman is necessary to man for purposes of generationaccording to God's plan for the propagation of the human race.When the first man had been created, God said (Gen. 2:18): "Itis not good for man to be alone; let us make him a helper like tohimself."

2. It is entirely fitting that woman should be made fromman. This fact shows the likeness of man to God; for as one God isthe principle of the whole universe, so one man is the principle ofthe whole human race. Further, the fact that woman is derived fromman should make a man love his wife and cherish her as "boneof my bone, and flesh of my flesh." Again, this fact indicatesthe order of domestic life, with man as the natural head of thehousehold. Finally, the origin of woman from man has a holyallegorical meaning, and foreshadows the origin of the Church fromChrist.

3. The first woman was formed from a rib of the first man:"God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman"(Gen. 2:22). Woman was suitably taken from man's side, toindicate social equality and companionship; she was not taken fromman's head to rule him, nor from his feet to be his slave.

4. Only God can produce a man from the slime of the earthand a woman from the rib of a man. Therefore the woman, as well asthe man, was formed immediately by almighty God.

"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"God speaks to us without ceasing by his good inspirations."
The Cure D'Ars

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"God looks neither at long nor beautiful prayers, but at those that come from the heart."
The Cure D'Ars

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