#286 – “She is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands all our pain. As Mother of all, She is a sign of hope for peoples who suffer the pains of giving birth to justice. She is the missionary who approaches us and accompanies us throughout our lives, opening our hearts to faith with her maternal love. As a true mother, she walks alongside us, shares our efforts and constantly surrounds us with the love of God." When I read this and remember during the papal transition we were experiencing a young girl in one of my fifth grade faith formation classes, who asked me why girls can't be leaders in the Church. My co-catechist's face paled and I took a deep breath. What came next was truly the Holy Spirit. I asked her a question: “What is the most powerful human weapon that God uses to defeat us and protect us from evil?” She responded to Jesus. I continued by telling her that God has chosen a young girl as his most powerful weapon against evil and her name is Mary. Mary our Mother is the Queen. The most important thing she did was say “yes” to God. Girls are blessings that God uses in the church in many ways. Mary is the greatest example of a human leader in our faith, and yes, she's a girl. Our Popes ask her for prayers and guidance, so you see we have female leadership in our Church. The young woman smiled. I am grateful to our Mother for her love and strength. She exemplifies the feminine genius of God