Keep the Faith: A dialogue with 5 College aged +/- women.
How do you gather 5 women together? Off them Free FroYo, Yo.
It was the summer of ‘99 at a Catholic retreat when I was the lone teen boy in a small group with seven other girls. It. Was. Awesome.
We named our group, “7 girls, a boy, and a Lake” after the then popular TV show “2 Guys, a girl and a pizza place”.
Sisterhood is an awful thing to lack. Community is essential when maintaining a strong relationship with the Lord.
Other than at most of my former Diocesan Directors of Religious Education gatherings, I hadn’t talked exclusively with a small group of women in a while. And when I say talk it’s essentially listen, empathize, affirm, and nod.
Sisterhood is an awful thing to lack. Community is essential when maintaining a strong relationship with the Lord. Here are some Biblical Examples:
Sisterhood is an awful thing to lack. Community is essential when maintaining a strong relationship with the Lord. Here are some Biblical Examples:
- Mary ran to her relative Elizabeth in times of distress. (1:39-35)
- Naomi and Ruth rely on each other when all they have each is other to get through famine and loss. (Ruth 1:2)
- Martha, although she gets a bad rap comparing her to her sister Mary for not “choosing the better part” (Luke 10:42), Martha is the one who runs to Jesus when her brother Lazarus has died and implores his help. Martha acts while Mary stays at home (John 11:20)
So how could I not help connect these women that I know from various ministries with each other?
“FAB 5” BIOS:
“FAB 5” BIOS:
- College student from a state university who lives in a Catholic household.
- College student from a Catholic university who finished serving as a summer missionary.
- Recent college graduate from a state university who was involved in a college ministry and is beginning a year of mission at another university.
- Catholic university graduate who is serving in a parish as a paid staff minister and is discerning religious life
- Catholic university graduate who recently served internationally and is discerning religious life.
THE QUESTIONS:
If you could go back to your 15 year old self and tell her something, what would it be?
If you could go back to your 15 year old self and tell her something, what would it be?
- There are men who want to push you to Heaven, find them!
- God has a plan, don’t hyperventilate.
- God is not a feeling. God wants a personal relationship with you.
- God is mercy. I wish I could have understood more about His mercy.
- I feel that I “knew” everything to do but wouldn’t have followed what I believe. Now I’d say, it’s worth the doing what I instinctively knew.
- Always keep the perspective that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It will get better.
- These girls (and guys) are so luck to have a retreat like Echoes of Worth. I wish I had it when I was a teen, it would have changed my life.
How does social media influence your life? What are ways to work with it?
- Detach from it.
- The more you use it the more you care about it til all you care about is it. Don’t do that.
- I do a media fast every Friday to not let it control me.
- It kept increasing negative thoughts within me especially after college as everyone was showing off their new successes and achievements and I was still unsure and discerning what to do. We can get caught up on the cycle of comparison like, “oh my job isn’t good enough”, or “why am I living back at my parents house”, or “it looks like their salary is higher than mine”.
- Most of what people post are shallow. Which is fine but be sure to speak and connect with others not only on shallow platforms.
- I found myself having to “up my game” for each post making it wittier, funnier, or more liked. I was longing for Godly satisfaction but seeking it on social media and I came up empty.
- Social media can be a great tool to stay connected to friends but only use it as a connection not as a lifeline.
How do you make time for silence?
- I journal, a lot!
- I do a daily holy hour in front of the blessed Sacrament. What was required of me because of “my job” has now become something I can’t live without.
- Find or create a reading plan and stick to it. Most of us don’t complete books when there is no plan to it.
- Offer more adoration availabilities (3x)
- Have more daily Mass in the evenings. One place I know has it at 10pm each night! That's when college students start going out (2x)
All of these sisters in Christ have come to know the Lord and are open to Jesus’ path for their life. They’re constantly praying about their Vocations from God to the consecrated, religious, or married life. The Lord’s grace has moved within each of them differently yet each places herself in an environment to receive that grace. They “put in the time” to work on their relationship with the Lord, the Church, and those outside of the Church. Some of these women have lost parents, have parents who are divorced, or who have parents who don’t understand their faith and call to ministry. These women find comfort and deep assurance that they are daughters of God.
Teens: If you aspire to be close the Lord when you’re their age follow their advice.
College Students [Ladies]: Find community or make community with face-to-face other women and grow in holiness together.
College Students [Guys]: Find ways in which you can push ladies into Heaven.
Parents: Pray for your children and perhaps share this short article with them. As always, turn to the Sacred Scriptures for some advice on how women responded in faith.
Additional Resources:
- St. Pope John Paul II’s works on the “Dignity & Vocation of Women”.
- Blessed Is She ministry for women: www.blessedisshe.com
- Life Teen Catholic youth ministry blog and videos: www.lifeteen.com
by Andrew Brown
I write when I have free time. However, working for the Lord and His Church makes it nearly impossible to have free time.
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