~June 10
The value of a worthy woman is far beyond pearls. She
obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful
hands. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food
to her household. She picks out a field to purchase; out
of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is girt about
with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the
success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers to ply
the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and
extends her arms to the needy. She fears not the snow for
her household; everyone is warmly clothed;. She makes
her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs
at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom,
and on her tongue is kindly counsel.
—Proverbs 31:10-31
In the Christian calendar, this is the feast of a queenly woman, Margaret. Born in Hungary, she became queen of Scotland, known for her beneficence and gracious generosity. On her feast day, this praise-song for womanly prudence and economy is read to the congregation. It recalls how, in times past, the industry of women was clearly necessary to the wealth of a family. A hard-working and careful woman made her family comfortable—not through monetary exchange, but through her own visible efforts.
Women’s efforts at sustaining hearth and home are less rewarded now. When money is the measure of a task’s worth, unpaid labor is devalued and even derided. Yet the sustaining tasks of homemaking of making a home—are still valuable and praiseworthy. On this day that traditionally recognized women’s industry, let us lift our voices in praise of our own work and that of others who make our lives possible.
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