Imagine.....God’s promises are always greater than our expectations! .....

JOY!

Be expectant!

How blessed are we to live in the certainty that we are loved by God and are protected by His perfect Providence? Pope Benedict XVI continues to highlight women saints in his weekly audiences. He says that St. Julian speaks about God’s love as being like maternal love: tender, sweet and full of goodness. Pope Benedict says “Only when we open ourselves totally to this love, only when we allow it to become the one guide to our existence, does everything become transfigured and do we find true peace and joy which we can pass on to others.” Read more about St. Julian of Norwich in a recent CNA article here.

Open the biggest gift of all today! Invite and expect Infinite Love Himself!

Let us open our hearts to fully receive the gift of God who is Love.

Come Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful, enkindle in them the fire of YOUR LOVE!

Come Lord Jesus!

Be educated in order to educate....the responsibility of family......

Have you ever spoken with an adult who said “Oh, I learned all about my faith in grade school and high school.”....YIKES! Can you imagine if the level of education in other areas of our lives was left at that level? If we assumed that we “learned it all” from the perspective of that young age? Would that be adequate to live life to the fullest? Absolutely not. We have an immense personal responsibility to learn our faith anew, in a deeper and deeper way, on a regular basis as we grow in age and maturity. I have always loved pondering the way Jesus, the divine Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, had to grow in wisdom in his human nature. Luke 2:52 tells us “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”

How do we take personal responsibility for our growth in wisdom and stature, and increase in favor with God and man?

First and foremost, we grow through receiving grace and blessing in the Living Body of Christ, the Eucharist. As we encounter Jesus, our Living God in His Word and in Sacrament we grow in holiness and wisdom. In reflection of the very Trinity, as we so fully receive, we must pour forth all we receive back to God and to our neighbor. In a recent article from the Vatican Information Service titled “The Family Has Special Responsibility For Education,” Pope Benedict XVI is quoted as saying “St. Francis' evangelical life and his vocation to follow the path of the crucified Christ arose from his participation in Mass and his devoted reception of Holy Communion.......the sacred nature of the Eucharist means that it must be celebrated and adored with an awareness of the greatness, importance and effectiveness it has for Christian life...... Yet it also requires purity, coherence and sanctity of life from each one of us, that we may become living witnesses of Christ's unique sacrifice of love".

How can we be most cooperative in being the instruments in our Lord’s hands? How can we best become the living witnesses of Christ’s unique sacrifice of love? The “how” is to obey Our Father, to receive his Son in the Eucharist and to be open to learn more so that can more love our Beloved and draw others to the love we have for Him. ENDOW offers many classes which help women come to know the beauty and graces of this very holy calling, the calling for each and every soul. Here is a very nice summary of the studies offered by ENDOW.....say your YES to God’s invitation to grow in wisdom and stature, be drawn......come, be educated in a dynamic and blessed way through ENDOW studies.

Let us pray for grace for all souls to have this desire and to take responsibility to receive the Eucharist with “an awareness of the greatness, importance and effectiveness it has for Christian life” and to be educated so that we may live responsibly in providing what is most needed for our selves, our families and for building the Culture of Life.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful!

Terry Polakovic, ENDOW’s co-foundress and executive director, to receive Papal Award: Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice....

CONGRATULATIONS to TERRY!

The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and Pontiff) is a special award from our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI - given for exceptional service to the Church. Archbishop Chaput describes the award this way: "This is a uniquely important recognition. It comes directly from the Holy See. It is one of the highest honors the Holy Father can bestow on an individual. Pope Benedict, in his authority as Pontiff, grants the Cross in gratitude for sustained and exemplary witness to the Catholic faith and service to the Church."

“A devoted wife, mother and leader, Ms. Polakovic has served Catholic causes for many years,” the archbishop wrote.

“(The award) represents the work of so many different people who have dedicated themselves to the ENDOW program,” Polakovic said. “Countless people have spent thousands and thousands of hours on this project, so this award is really for them.”

Terry will be joined by others as she receives her award from Archbishop Chaput on November 7 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. (See full article from the Denver Catholic Register here).

Please pray in thanksgiving for all that Terry has worked so hard for in our Church and especially in ENDOW. Praise be to God for all she has done and for this very special recognition!

We sing our song of love within the cosmic symphony.....

At a recent concert in his honor, Pope Benedict XI delivered an address called "The Masterpiece of the Human Being Is His Every Act of Genuine Love"

Our Holy Father said “......human genius competes in creativity with nature, gives life to varied and manifold harmonies, where the human voice also takes part in this language, which is as a reflection of the great cosmic symphony........”

Pope Benedict invites us to reflect upon music and silence by analyzing how this particular musical interpretation “seems to represent the place and task of faith in the universe: In the midst of the vital forces of nature, which are around man and also within him, faith is a different force, which responds to a profound word, ‘arising from the silence,’ as St. Ignatius of Antioch would say. The word of faith needs great interior silence, to hear and obey a voice that goes beyond the visible and tangible. This voice also speaks through the phenomena of nature, because it is the power that has created and governs the universe; but to recognize it, a humble and obedient heart is necessary -- as the saint teaches, whose memorial we celebrate today: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Faith follows this profound voice where art on its own cannot reach: It follows it on the path of witness, of selfless giving of oneself out of love, as Cecilia did. Then the most beautiful work of art, the masterpiece of the human being is his every act of genuine love, from the smallest -- in the daily martyrdom -- to the extreme sacrifice. Here life itself becomes a song: an anticipation of this symphony that we will sing together in Paradise.” (read full article in Zenit here).

Let us beg God for this interior silence and for a humble and obedient heart so that we, like St. Therese of the Child Jesus, can confidently walk in selfless giving of oneself out of love. Let us prepare our souls to hear God’s voice and to shout our response of “Yes!” in joy, singing our new song to the Lord in all we think, say and do!

Praying together.....Pope Benedict's requests......

Each month, Our Holy Father asks that we join in praying for his intentions....let us raise our eyes and hearts to heaven as we pray together in the beautiful month of October.

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for October is:

"That Catholic universities may more and more be places where, in the light of the Gospel, it is possible to experience the harmonious unity existing between faith and reason".

His mission intention is:

"That World Mission Day may afford an occasion for understanding that the task of proclaiming Christ is an absolutely necessary service to which the Church is called for the benefit of humanity".

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful!

Blessed John Henry Newman’s love of Our Mother Mary..........

Before praying Wednesday’s midday Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the deep and filial devotion held by the newly Blessed John Henry Newman for Our Blessed Mother Mary. Our Pope spoke about how Blessed Cardinal Newman named his fist home in Birmingham “Maryvale” and how he dedicated his Oratory to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. Let us join our Church’s new Blessed in meditating upon Mary’s holiness and perfection and her role in being chosen to be the Mother of God. Let us seek intimacy with Mary through the intercession of Blessed John Henry Newman as we join him reflection and prayer. He was moved to exclaim: “"Who can estimate the holiness and perfection of her, who was chosen to be the Mother of Christ? What must have been her gifts, who was chosen to be the only near earthly relative of the Son of God, the only one whom He was bound by nature to revere and look up to; the one appointed to train and educate Him, to instruct Him day by day, as He grew in wisdom and in stature?" (read full Zenit.org article here)

Blessed John Henry Newman, please pray that all the women of ENDOW, their families, friends and all souls may be drawn deep into the heart of Our Blessed Mother Mary, The Immaculate Conception. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

“The Whole Church Is Indebted to Courageous Women"...it is time to become the saint God intends you to be!

It is Saints who change the world! What an example of using God-given feminine genius! Our Holy Father spoke about one of our Church’s most beloved saints, St. Clare of Assisi, in his Wednesday audience. St. Clare was a courageous woman who was rich in faith and capable of giving decisive impetus to the renewal of the Church. St. Clare had in her relationship with St. Francis of Assisi not only a teacher but also a very beloved friend. The friendship between these two illustrate that when two souls are inflamed by the same love of God, they draw from their friendship the stimulus to undertake the way of perfection. These two saints, like many others, have experiences profound friendship on the same path toward Christian perfection. Read the Zenit news article translation of Pope Benedict XVI’s address here.

ENDOW studies offer women the opportunity to come together to learn, build friendships and to live the Catholic faith. Imagine growing in holiness and walking the path toward holiness with other like minded women! ENDOW studies are starting up all over the country! Please check for here for studies near you.

Yet another way to experience a great opportunity of making new friendships while increasing in knowledge and holiness it to attend the ENDOW Conference! This year the title is “Called to Be Saints. Living in the world but not of the world.” The Conference is on October 15 & 16 in Centennial, CO. Come and deepen your faith and rejuvenate your soul at the ENDOW Conference. Experience anew the JOY of living the fullness of God’s grace. Hurry to find out more and to register here.

Yes....we can all be the saints that God calls us to become! Come Holy Spirit! Renew the face of the earth.

“Women Make a Special Contribution to Theology...........”

As reported from the Vatican Information Service-Holy See Press Office:

VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2010 (VIS) - In his general audience, held this morning in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Pope dedicated his catechesis to a subject he began last week, that of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a twelfth-century German Benedictine religious "who distinguished herself for her spiritual wisdom and the sanctity of her life".

Referring to the mystical visions the saint received throughout her life, the Holy Father highlighted how "they were rich in theological content. They referred to the main events of the history of salvation and use a Mainly poetic and symbolic language. For example, in her best known work entitled 'Scivias' ('Know the Ways') she summarised (sic) the events of the history of salvation in thirty-five visions, from the creation of the world to the end of time. ... In the central part of her work she develops the theme of the mystical marriage between God and humankind which came about in the Incarnation".

"Even in this brief outline", Benedict XVI went on, "we see how theology can receive a special contribution from women, because they are capable of speaking of God and of the mysteries of the faith with their specific intelligence and sensitivity". In this context he encouraged all women "who undertake this service to do so with a profound ecclesial spirit, nourishing their reflections with prayer and looking to the great riches - still partly unexplored - of the mediaeval mystical tradition, especially as represented by such shining examples as Hildegard of Bingen".

Turning his attention to other writings by the saint, the Pope recalled how "two are particularly important because, like 'Scivias', they contain her mystical visions. They are the 'Liber vitae meritorum' (Book of Life's Merits) and the 'Liber divinorum operum' (Book of Divine Works) which is also known by the name of 'De operatione Dei'. The former ... underscores the profound relationship between man and God and reminds us that all creation, of which man is the apex, receives life from the Trinity. ... In the second work, considered by many to be her masterpiece, she again describes creation in its relationship with God and the centrality of man, revealing a powerful biblical-patristic kind of Christocentrism".

Hildegard was also interested in "medicine and the natural sciences, as well as music", said the Holy Father. "For her, all of creation was a symphony of the Holy Spirit, Who is in Himself joy and contentment".

"Hildegard's popularity led many people to consult her. ... Monastic communities, both male and female, as well as bishops and abbots all sought her guidance. And many of her answers remain valid, even for us", said the Pope.

"With the spiritual authority she possessed, in the last years of her life Hildegard began to travel. ... She was considered to be a messenger sent by God, in particular calling monastic communities and clergy to a life in conformity with their vocation. Hildegard especially opposed the German Cathar movement. The Cathars - their name literally means 'pure' - supported radical reform of the Church, principally to combat clerical abuses. She reprimanded them fiercely, accusing them of wanting to subvert the very nature of the Church and reminding them that the true renewal of the ecclesial community is not obtained by changing structures so much as by a sincere spirit of penance and a fruitful journey of conversion. This is a message we must never forget".

The Pope concluded: "Let us always invoke the Holy Spirit that He may bring saintly and courageous women to the Church, like St. Hildegard of Bingen, who using the gifts received from God, may make their precious and specific contribution to the spiritual growth of our communities".

AG/ VIS 20100908 (630)

COME HOLY SPIRIT! Please bring saintly and courageous women to the Church! Empower us to use the gifts we have received from God for the spiritual growth of our communities! St. Hildegard of Bingen, pray for us!

Happy Birthday Mother Mary!

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our life does not exist by accident, it is not an accident. My life is willed by God from eternity. I am loved, I am necessary. God has a plan specifically for me. Eternal love has created me in profundity and awaits me.

Pope Benedict XVI

What does “feminine genius” look like? Pope Benedict XVI speaks of Hildegard of Bingen...and of Mulieris Dignitatem.....

How blessed we are to have such beautiful Church teachings! This week, Our Holy Father spoke about the role of women in the life of the Church. He referred to John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter “Mulieris Dignitatem” (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women). Our Holy Father expressed his thanksgiving for all the manifestations of the feminine ‘genius’ which have appeared in the course of history, focusing on one saintly woman in particular: Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard was a mystic who was the recipient of many visions and supernatural gifts. Hildegard is put forth as an example of those who used great discernment and who rightfully respected Church authority to guide them in using what they received from God.

The Catholic News Agency reports “‘Benedict XVI also recalled her mystic visions which she first shared with people in confidence, including her spiritual director, a fellow sister and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. ‘As always happens in the lives of the true mystics,’ said the Pope, ‘Hildegard also wished to submit herself to the authority of wise people to discern the origin of her visions.’........’This,’ taught the Pope, ‘is the seal of an authentic experience of the Holy Spirit, source of every charism: the person (who is the) repository of supernatural gifts never boasts, does not flaunt them and, especially, shows total obedience to the ecclesiastical authorities.......

Every gift distributed by the Holy Spirit, in fact, is destined for the edification of the Church, and the Church, through its pastors, recognizes their authenticity.’” (read the CNA article here).

It is the time of year when many ENDOW studies are beginning for the fall semester. Studying the beautiful Apostolic Letter mentioned, Mulieris Dignitatem, is sure to be a great blessing in the lives of many women. This Letter sheds light upon the beauty of our God given feminine genius. How are we called to use our God given feminine gifts in humanizing our culture? Come find out in an ENDOW study of this Apostolic Letter written by John Paul II in the Marian Year of 1988. This document is written in the form of a meditation. In a meditation, we ponder the truths of the faith and the role faith plays in our own lives. In Mulieris Dignitatem, John Paul II meditates on the anthropology of man and woman, God's intention for their relationship, and the result of original sin. He also explores the relationship that Jesus had with women and the reason for the all-male priesthood. Please click here for more information about an ENDOW study of Mulieris Dignitatem.

Growing in “God’s style”....Pope Benedict XVI directs us......

How do we women of ENDOW see ourselves? Do we live according to the “style of pagans” or to the “style of God?” In speaking to a group of his former students about this past Sunday’s gospel, Pope Benedict teaches the about the divine style. As reported in an article in Zenit The Pope says “ ‘The style of God is different....He invites us to his table, we who are lame, blind and deaf; he invites us who have nothing to give him.’" (read full article)

The Pope explains how we experience the divine style....”above all in the Eucharist, during which we are called to allow ourselves to be touched by gratitude to God, who invites us to his table even though we are full of faults.”

Might this be a nudge to encourage adding daily mass (or an additional mass or two a week) into our weekly worship of God? Arise and GO.....to experience divine style...at mass when we ask for forgiveness.... “a forgiveness that changes us, that makes us more similar to God, in his image and likeness." Come Holy Spirit!

We are called to build a civilization of love.......The Pope asks for Our Blessed Mother’s intercession......

In the past two weeks the Church as celebrated two feasts of our Blessed Mother. The Assumption and the Queenship of Mary. Who better do we have as an example of perfect obedience to God’s will than our Mother Mary? Pope Benedict had this to say as reported in a recent article from the Catholic News Agency: “The ‘sovereignty of Mary’ is ‘completely relative to that of Christ,’ who was exalted by the Father above every creature, the Pope explained. ‘(B)y the design of grace, the Immaculate Mother was fully associated with the mystery of the Son … (She) shared with the Son not only the human aspects of this mystery, but, through the work of the Holy Spirit in her, also the profound intention, the divine will, in a way that all her existence, poor and humble, was elevated, transformed, glorified, passing through the 'narrow gate' that is Jesus himself.’ ‘Yes,’ said the Pope, ‘Mary was the first to pass through the open 'way' of Christ to enter into the Kingdom of God, a way accessible to all men.....’” ..read more.

Our Blessed Mother intercedes for us and helps us, God’s beloved children, pass through the narrow gate, the “open ‘way’ of Christ.” Find out about a terrific way to become more familiar with the role for Our Blessed Mother in God’s plan for his Kingdom by participating in ENDOW's study titled “Redemptoris Mater (Mary, Mother of the Redeemer)" click here for more information. This encyclical was written by Pope John Paul II in 1987. In this study, we come to see how Our Blessed Mother is surely a model for all of us today. Presently, Our Blessed Mother is active in loving us right into heaven. In this encyclical, Pope John Paul II says “‘She cooperated, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, with a maternal love. Here we perceive the real value of the words spoken by Jesus to his Mother at the hour of the Cross: ‘Woman, behold your son’ and to the disciple: ‘Behold your mother’ (Jn. 19:26-27). They are words which determine Mary's place in the life of Christ's disciples and they express-as I have already said-the new motherhood of the Mother of the Redeemer: a spiritual motherhood, born from the heart of the Paschal Mystery of the Redeemer of the world. It is a motherhood in the order of grace, for it implores the gift of the Spirit, who raises up the new children of God, redeems through the sacrifice of Christ that Spirit whom Mary too, together with the Church, received on the day of Pentecost.”

Let us pray today for Our Mother to intercede that we each come to know exactly how to help build a civilization of love and to do our parts in transforming society. On this day, the feast day of the faithful Apostle and martyr St. Bartholomew, let us also ask his intercession in bringing all of God's children into unity of mind and heart in building a culture of love.

Holiness Never Goes Out of Style

The Holy Father has some good fashion advice for all of us ENDOW women: Holiness never goes out of style.

Catholic News Agency explains: "The Holy Father dedicated his Sunday homily to reflections on the life of St. Celestine as he visited the Italian city where the relics of the 13th century saint and Pope are kept. In a message filled with lessons on life, the Pope especially highlighted the importance of silence to finding God, the fact that faith is a gift and the lasting power of holiness." Click here for the full article.

Lenten Message from the Pope

Lent is just around the corner! As we prepare our hearts and minds for this cleansing time in our Church. Take a minute to reflect on the Pope's message to us in preparation of lent. --Jamie Gruber, Endow Advisory Board

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Each year, on the occasion of Lent, the Church invites us to a sincere review of our life in light of the teachings of the Gospel. This year, I would like to offer you some reflections on the great theme of justice, beginning from the Pauline affirmation: “The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ” (cf. Rm 3, 21-22).

Justice: “dare cuique suum”

First of all, I want to consider the meaning of the term “justice,” which in common usage implies “to render to every man his due,” according to the famous expression of Ulpian, a Roman jurist of the third century. In reality, however, this classical definition does not specify what “due” is to be rendered to each person. What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him by law. In order to live life to the full, something more intimate is necessary that can be granted only as a gift: we could say that man lives by that love which only God can communicate since He created the human person in His image and likeness. Material goods are certainly useful and required – indeed Jesus Himself was concerned to heal the sick, feed the crowds that followed Him and surely condemns the indifference that even today forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine – yet “distributive” justice does not render to the human being the totality of his “due.” Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God. Saint Augustine notes: if “justice is that virtue which gives every one his due ... where, then, is the justice of man, when he deserts the true God?” (De civitate Dei, XIX, 21).

Read the rest at the Vatican's website. Click here.

Birthdays!

By Mercy Gutierrez

Liturgically, we just celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th) and this feast day left me with many thoughts. As you might know, Catholics don’t usually celebrate saints’ birthdays in the Church. Pope Benedict remarked that “the Church always argued that it was premature to celebrate a birthday because the rest of the life of the person born on that day was subject to such ambiguity.” Obviously, the Blessed Mother is exempt from this norm because of her Immaculate Conception and grace-filled purity throughout life. However, Catholics typically celebrate the end of a saint’s life, usually marked by their date of death, knowing that is when the saint encountered the full splendor of Christ and entered into eternal life with Him. So, with our eyes fixed on eternity, it makes sense to celebrate the beginning of eternity rather than the beginning of our earthly life.

As women, God has entrusted us in a special way to celebrate life. The question remains, “how can we celebrate life while still reminding our children (biological or spiritual children) about our journey toward everlasting life?” This summer, I was impressed that my daughter received a special call from her Godfather on the date of her baptism, June 23rd. Every year, he has made a point to celebrate her “birth in Christ” more so than her natural birthday eight weeks earlier. Likewise, I hear of families who celebrate the feast days of all saints who carry their children’s namesake. Similarly, other families celebrate feasts of each child’s patron saint selected during their sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. A friend of mine, upon entering religious life, was given a new name by her Superior and a new “birthday,” namely the feast of the saint given. No matter the tradition, the point remains the same. We must always orient our lives and that of our families toward heaven. Persevering in holiness is no easy task! So, any reminder of our heavenly destination and those who have successfully gone before us is a welcomed birthday gift in my mind!