Week 10 Questions

Question 1

1.  It had been established that Dona Lucilia was known in her own family setting as a pillar of kindness, sound advice and solace.

Though it was a time when a lady would have to be somewhat guarded as to how she presented herself to others, still, her wisdom, warmth and kindness were so obvious that many felt free to approach her, feeling safe to confide their fears, disappointments and defects: the distressed Russian Princess and Dona Lucilia’s valuable advice to her; the young hotel doctor – both he and Dona Lucilia knew there was no solution to his predicament, but he assumed simply from her appearance and manner that she would extend a meaningful, sympathetic word to him; the touching gratitude of Tito’s mother. She, of course, loved her son dearly but would need the patient, generous attention Dona Lucilia was so willing, when needed, to provide for him.

What can we do to show our openness to the needs of others, while at the same time protecting our privacy and our family?

Question 2

The incident of Dona Gabriela rejecting the artist’s offer to embellish her portrait with some expensive jewellery; her desire to be painted, “. . . just as she was, without jewels or adornments that she did not in fact possess,” says so much about her character – the genuineness of her nature.

In light of this information, does her interest in Princess Isabel seem to represent a sort of shallow ” social climbing” or her true admiration and desire to be in the presence of such a noble personage in order to develop a meaningful friendship between the two families?

Question 3

Dona Lucilia’s life – different from ours in many ways, contained so many of the same elements that we are faced with. Like so many young mothers, finding the best possible care for her young children was a pressing concern. Or, we may be faced, later in life, with providing a pleasant and stimulating atmosphere for parents in our care.

The life of a Catholic lady is filled with responsibilities even to our friends and co-workers, at every stage.

It is difficult to avoid finding ourselves in a constant turmoil of rushing and worrying. Our goal must be to achieve and maintain the serenity of Dona Lucilia. To achieve this, what are some basic truths we must keep in mind?