“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.

Sisterhood

(I am honored to be a part of this blog, discussing the joy of being a Catholic woman. I hope to add to the great conversation by bringing my perspective as a young single Catholic woman. I look forward to growing in Faith with you.)

Sisterhood
By Jamie Gruber

“How to Get Him to Dump Her.” This was one of the recent headlines of a tabloid I noticed while standing in the supermarket line. I was not shocked that the world was promoting boyfriends over sisterhood. But as I talked with my girlfriends in the local Catholic young adult community, I realized we were not exempt from this mentality. We too have chosen to concern ourselves more with the potential of a romantic relationship, than friendship with each other.

One friend put it this way, “When I walk into a party filled with our Catholic friends, I feel a heightened tension between all the ladies. We each have tagged certain men ‘mine’. And so, we are in competition with each other, instead of in communion.” It seems it is easier for women to love men, because we receive the instant gratification of affection we so desire. Our desire to love men is good and from God, but when it trumps our call to sisterhood, then we should re-evaluate the way we look at our relationships. Our effort to love our sisters now will only add to the Graces of our future marriages.

ENDOW study groups have brought new meaning to the idea of sisterhood for young women. It allows for GIRL ONLY time and it enables us to relearn the virtues of loving and building each other up. A wise friend once told me that friendship with other women is essential to our feminine spirituality. When we spend this time together as sisters, we grow in prayer and learn to see how God loves us.

While meditating on the Joyful Mystery of The Visitation, I realized the model that Mother Mary has set for women. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth shows us our vocation as women to support and love each other first! Women are a beautiful half of the Body of Christ, and by being good sisters to one another, we are honoring our brothers in Christ.