Book excerpt: St. John Paul II propelled the Church into a new era of fruitful contemplation about the dignity and value of women, often reiterating how women — specifically as women — reveal the image of God in the world. But his final contribution to that topic may be his most profound. Just months before he passed into eternity, he summed up his decades of teaching on the topic: “To you, women, falls the task of being sentinels of the Invisible!” In these eye-opening pages, author Melissa Maleski shows how this final bold admonition succinctly embodies the Catholic Church's entire, consistent vision of women as powerful, vital agents for good. Drawing not only on the works of John Paul II and on those of the Church Fathers but also on the example of scores of holy women in the Bible plus the Blessed Virgin Mary and the many female saints of the Church, these pages offer profound and practical insights into the fundamental strengths and habits that distinguish womanhood as a particular way of being human, while giving authentic witness to the divine image of our Creator. Be warned: here you'll encounter no outdated, sentimental ode to “feminine genius.” On the contrary, reaching across time and space, Maleski's straightforward, engaging prose introduces you to the bracing, universal truths of the Church about the inherent strength and supreme vocation of womanhood, equipping you to counter forcefully our secular culture's distorted views of personhood, the human body, gender, sexuality, and the profound, God-ordained complementarity of men and women. Along the way, you'll come to learn: How women, specifically as women, reveal the image of God in the world The full truth about the vital place of womanhood in the Church and in the world “Sentinels of the Invisible”: what the phrase means and why it's so important How womanhood as a “supreme vocation” is part of every personal vocation Why the devil has a special fear of womanhood and a particular hatred of women Why the devil always seeks to promote an imbalance of power between the sexes How modern notions of sexuality and gender pervert God's image and His plan for creation How marriage and religious life empower women rather than oppress them Why St. John Paul II called women “Guardians of the Gospel Message” And much more, in our confused times, to show forth for you “the supreme vocation of women”!