The Women of Grace® Benedicta Institute for Women® is offering an innovative new certification program designed to train Catholic women to be leaders and mentors in contemporary culture through in-person and online learning opportunities.
The saints were very aware of the shortness of life and how quickly it passes by. As we get older, time seems to pass even more quickly. That is why striving to live in the present moment is so important. It allows us to focus on the opportunity at hand. Whether it is a time of work or play, a time with friends or co-workers, taking advantage of the present moment is a key to living the fullness of the gift of our lives.
Mixed into the ordinary daily events of life are Kairos moments. These are the instances of great opportunity, when God’s grace and chronological time intersect. Often, the hustle and bustle of our modern culture, obscures our ability to recognize them. If we don’t take time to examine our lives, we can completely miss them. As the Greek philosopher Socrates stated, “The life that is unexamined is not worth living.” But, how do we recollect and ponder?
Our Lady provides us the way through her own example. St Luke tells us that she spent daily moments of recollection by pondering the events of her day, especially those regarding her Son, in the confines of her heart. This is a most fruitful practice. It is the perfect opportunity to hear with the ears of our heart and to see with the eyes of our soul. Following is an abbreviated version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. It is one good method to use:
1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow. (https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/)
If you don’t already do something like this, I highly recommend you try incorporating it into your nightly routine. Give it a whirl and see what an impact it can have in your life. And, may I share with you my gratitude for the impact you are having in the lives of others? Your support to our mission enables us to share with God’s daughters the gift of their feminine genius, as well as to help them recognize the Kairos moments in their lives. As a result, they are empowered to bring God’s love and healing into their marriages, families, homes, parishes, schools and communities – Kairos moments in action, you might say.
And, speaking of Kairos moments in action, we often witness this very reality at our Women of Grace events. Here are just a couple of such moments from this summer’s Women of Grace events. They include the installation ceremony of our newest Regional Coordinator, Alicia McDermott, and the presentation of completion certificates to Benedicta Institute graduates, Deanna Williston and Lauren Ghasten.
Given the challenges of this our day and time and considering the recent carnage we have experienced, the light of God’s love and His presence in the life of man is more critical than ever. The genius of authentic femininity can do much to aid humanity in not falling. Please continue to make a difference in the world today through the work of Women of Grace. We are truly grateful for your partnership!
Keep recollecting! Keep pondering. Keep praying!
May the abundant life of Jesus Christ be yours and may God bless you
With gratitude and blessings,
Founder and President
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) once said that women are, “God’s special weapon against evil.”
The Foundation of Prayer for Priests and Women of Grace® and the Benedicta Leadership Institute for Women® are announcing a new partnership which will unite these apostolates in a coordinated movement of spiritual formation, enrollment, and education to deepen the understanding of spiritual motherhood of souls, especially of priests.
If you’re frustrated by the direction the world is taking, and believe women’s leadership can make a difference, Catholic Women’s Leadership Studies may be just what you’re looking for!
Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, PAThis year’s Women of Grace retreat, scheduled for July 13-15 at the Malvern Retreat House in Malvern, PA, will delve into the mysterious union of Mary and the Holy Spirit and how the fruits of this union can empower today’s woman to meet the complex challenges of our day.
The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council said that the hour has come when women who are impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel will achieve an influence and power in the world that has never been seen before. This is our time! And this is why Catholic women interested in honing their feminine genius into the kind of leadership skills needed to affect real change in the world are flocking to the new Catholic Women’s Leadership Studies Program of the Benedicta Leadership Institute for Women.
When Carmen Schattner moved from Michigan to upstate Pennsylvania four years ago, she left everything behind – her job, extended family, an active parish life – and suddenly found herself lost and alone in a strange new place. Until one day she heard a voice on the radio telling her “If you want to know why God created you, what it means to be a daughter of God, here’s what you need to do!” Her life would never be the same again.
