An invitation for YOU....come and embark.....discover YOUR dignity...

(Kelsey Teran, a 23 year old participant in ENDOW studies in Boulder, CO...and my daughter ;) , was asked to share her thoughts about her participation in ENDOW studies at an upcoming event called "Date with Dignity." Below are Kelsey's thoughts.... )

One best comes to know an artist by examining his work. Who is an artist more worthy of examination than our God? Every beauty we can see with our eyes or imagine with our minds is the Art of our God, for he Himself is Beauty. The world as we know it, and far beyond what we know, is the wonder-full creation of The Creator. Should we not examine his work? And upon examining his work, should we not realize that we are his masterpiece? Are we - humans, that is - not the only creatures of this world given the prize of being made in His own image and likeness? We are his greatest work of art! St. Clement of Alexandria said, “To know ourselves has always been the greatest of all lessons. For, if we know ourselves, we will know God. And in knowing God, we will become like God.” Is it not our duty to examine ourselves, in order to know the Artist who formed us? So what are we, us humans? The most simple answer comes from The Beginning: Male and Female he created us (Genesis 1:27). And just as is the mystery of our faith and our existence, the most simple answer is also the most deep and awesome adventure. Endow is a journey of exploring what it means to be a human female - the perfect complement to a human male - the necessary component of the human race that allows us to exist in the image and likeness of our God. The human race is not complete as God’s artistic masterpiece without female, without woman. Women exist to humanize the world - to complete God’s image and likeness in this existence where “we cannot see him as we do an apple tree or a neon sign, that is, with no interior commitment” (Pope Benedict). We must look interiorly, look inside ourselves to know ourselves and thus to know our God, the perfect artist. Endow sets out to do just this. In our current world the idea of a female has become just that - an idea - and an idea does not have to be true to exist. We need to examine the human female on the level of Reality to know what she is, to know what she is as a human, body mind and soul. We deserve to be only exactly what we are. And this discovery of what we are and thus what we should be is in no way disappointing - it is as gazing upon the perfect work of the perfect Artist.

I will leave you now with two more things: first, a few lyrics from the song that has been playing repeatedly on my iTunes and also in my head which I find rather apropos when contemplating the beauty of male and female complementarity (from a song called January Wedding by the Avett Brothers):

“I hope that I don’t sound too

insane when I say there is darkness

all around us.

I don’t feel weak but I do

need sometimes for Her to protect me

and reconnect me

to the beauty

that I’m missin’ ”

and second, with a recommendation to seriously consider embarking on the journey of discovering what it means to be a woman, the woman you are intended to be, by walking the beautiful path Endow, through the work of the Holy Spirit, has put before you.

Thanks for listening :)

Kelsey Teran

To find our more about ENDOW and ENDOW studies which are beginning soon, please click here.

“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

Archbishop Charles Chaput calls for resistance to world’s intolerance of Christianity.......

In a recent address given by Archbishop Charles Chaput in Slovakia on Liberty and Mission titled “Living Within the Truth: Religious Liberty and Catholic Mission in the New Order of the World” the Archbishop says “Our societies in the West are Christian by birth, and their survival depends on the endurance of Christian values. Our core principles and political institutions are based, in large measure, on the morality of the Gospel and the Christian vision of man and government. We are talking here not only about Christian theology or religious ideas. We are talking about the moorings of our societies -- representative government and the separation of powers; freedom of religion and conscience; and most importantly, the dignity of the human person.......In practice, however, we see that without a belief in fixed moral principles and transcendent truths, our political institutions and language become instruments in the service of a new barbarism. In the name of tolerance we come to tolerate the cruelest intolerance; respect for other cultures comes to dictate disparagement of our own; the teaching of ‘live and let live’ justifies the strong living at the expense of the weak....... We live in a time when the Church is called to be a believing community of resistance. We need to call things by their true names. We need to fight the evils we see. And most importantly, we must not delude ourselves into thinking that by going along with the voices of secularism and de-Christianization we can somehow mitigate or change things. Only the Truth can set men free. We need to be apostles of Jesus Christ and the Truth he incarnates. So what does this mean for us as individual disciples? Let me offer a few suggestions.........” Please take the time to read Archbishop Chaput’s full address here.

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!

Happy Birthday to Bl. Mother Teresa...let us LOVE....

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

She would have turned 100 years old on Aug. 26

“‘By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.’ Small of stature, rocklike in faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was entrusted with the mission of proclaiming God’s thirsting love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. ‘God still loves the world and He sends you and me to be His love and His compassion to the poor.’ She was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him and burning with one desire: ‘to quench His thirst for love and for souls.’ (read more from the Vatican website here)

So, let’s get personal. How do we LOVE? How do we DO as Blessed Mother Teresa encourages “small things with great love?” Some excellent advice on living humbly and living true love can be found in an article written by Alice Von Hildebrand called “On True Love” found on Catholicity.com. Here are some words from the article : “A great sign of true love is the loving patience that one has toward the weaknesses of the beloved. It can be his idiosyncrasies, his temperament, his mannerisms (we all have them); it can be his physical frailties, his psychological oddities, his intellectual inability to follow a straight line of reasoning; his disorder, or his fanaticism for order. If a monk is constantly given occasions to ‘die to his own will’ (as St. Benedict says), the same is true of marriages. John Henry Cardinal Newman writes that even in the deepest human relationships, when love is authentic, life in common will give one plenty of opportunities to prove one's love by sacrificing one's preferences.........Mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, moods; physical, psychological, and intellectual weaknesses are either interpreted as positively as possible or are borne with patience. Benedict writes about monks striving for holiness who nevertheless almost inevitably cause irritation for those living close to them...” To read full article, click here.

Let us pray today for the intercession of Blessed Mother Teresa that with each thought, word and deed we may become more loving toward God, ourselves and our neighbors.

Happy Birthday Blessed Mother Teresa! Pray for us!