In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Melissa Maleski and we’re talking about what Saint Pope John Paul II meant when he called women “sentinels of the invisible.”
I’ve spent a lot of time researching what Saint Pope John Paul II said and wrote about women and it wasn’t until I read Melissa’s new book that I even heard of the phrase “sentinels of the invisible.” I loved this conversation about the feminine genius in our daily life and the stories of women throughout the life and history of the Catholic Church.
If you’ve ever wondered how the Catholic Church has championed the dignity of women and you want to know more about what the feminine genius means for you today, sister, this letter is for you.
Topics we talked about in this episode:

 What Saint Pope John Paul II meant when he called women “sentinels of the invisible”


 Women’s three inclinations towards protection, illumination, and revelation


 Saints who inspire Melissa to live out the feminine genius in her daily life


 Having a disposition to maternity as physical and spiritual mothers



Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

  Melissa’s new book, “The Supreme Vocation of Women”


  Cardinal Sarah’s book, “God Or Nothing”


  Subscribe to the Letters to Women newsletter so you don’t miss updates about the new Letters to Women book, which is being published by TAN books in early 2021


A Letter to the Woman Discovering the Feminine Genius // Melissa Maleski

Join Chloe Langr as she explores how Catholic women embrace their unique feminine genius in their ordinary, daily life.

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In this fifth episode of the Letters to Mothers season, we’re talking about mothering our babies who we’ve lost in miscarriage, still birth, and infant loss. Losing a child is heartbreaking and devastating. For mothers who lose a child before or shortly after birth, this grief comes with distinct, sudden, and difficult questions about God, the Church, and who they are now as parents to the child they have lost. 
If you’re looking for a companion and guide through those har medical, theological, and practical questions, whether you’re a mother who has lost her baby or you’re a friend, family member, or medical professional who supports parents through that loss, this episode of the Letters to Women podcast with Dr. Abigail Jorgensen is for you. 
Topics we cover: 

 Abby’s story as as Catholic woman

 The origin story of Abby’s new book, A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss: Compassionate Answers to Difficult Questions

  A brief overview of miscarriage, still birth, and infant loss, and what the postpartum experiences can look like for mothers in each experience

  Abby’s favorite question to ask her clients as a bereavement doula 

  What the Catholic Church teaches us about our hope for Heaven for children we’ve lost through miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss

  How to grieve together and separately as loss parents 

  How to wrestle with the reality that God is all powerful, all good, and yet our babies still die

  Whether or not you can flush during a miscarriage

  How Abby lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary life as a mother


Resources for you:

  Pick up a copy of Abby’s new book, A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss

  If you want to learn more about Abby’s work as a sociologist, explore her website here

  If you want to learn more about Abby’s work as a Catholic bereavement doula, explore this website

  To discuss grief ministry training with Abby, reach out to her through Haven Bereavement Doulas 

  Today’s episode is sponsored by Monks Bread - use the code LETTERS10 to save 10% at checkout 

  Become a paid subscriber to Naptime Notes and get early, ad free access to all the Letters to Women episodes for just $5 a month


Discussion questions: 

  Have you lost a child through miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss? What has your experience of mothering your child or children who have died look like for you'?


  How has losing a child through miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss impacted your relationship with the Lord? What are some moments of desolation and consolation you’ve experienced during the grieving process? 


  Have you felt angry at God during your grieving process? Have you felt guilt for feeling anger? How did hearing Abby share about allowing ourselves to grieve and be angry impact you? 


  Today, how are you parenting the child or children you’ve lost? What are some ways you can honor the memory of their short life here on earth while looking forward with hope to


  What are some ways that you can support friends and family who are grieving the loss of their child? What does it look like as a Church and parish community to support grieving parents? 



A Letter to the Mother Grieving Her Baby Who Died // Dr. Abigail Jorgensen

In this fourth episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Johanna Seagren joins me to discuss emotional regulation, our interior life, and burnout in our motherhood. 
Parenting is hard work, and sometimes it’s louder, messier, more complicated, and packed with tantrums (yours included) than you expected. 
So many times, we end up exhausted and feeling like this can’t be the vision that God had for your family. We’re diving into a conversation about what it means to be an emotionally-healthy family without losing your mind. 
If you’re ready to understand your own emotional triggers, learn how to connect with your kids instead of reacting to their big feelings, and grow closer to each other and God, this episode is for you. 
Topics we cover:



 Johanna’s story as a Catholic woman

 Why Johanna created the Interior Kingdom as an emotional regulation program for her family and what Catholic families will find inside the program

  What the Catholic Church teaches about emotions and what it looks like to grow in our awareness of our emotions as adults

  The things that set Interior Kingdom apart from the calm kits and calm down spaces you’ve seen on Instagram

  How to become curious about the triggers (unmet needs!) in your parenting 

  The reason that Interior Kingdom is for every family, regardless of your kids’ ages, abilities, and temperaments 

  How Johanna lives out the feminine genius in her daily life as a Catholic mother 


Resources for you:

  Explore the Interior Kingdom program (and use the code LTW25 for $25 off the program now through April 10, 2024!)

  Today’s episode sponsor is Rooted for Good! Use the code Letters20 for 20% off your order at checkout

  Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes


Questions for discussion: 


  What have been some moments of disregulation in your motherhood? And on the flip side, what have been some moments of peace, regulation, and rest in your parenting journey?

  When you were a child, what did your parents teach you about emotions? Do you feel confident in your understanding of emotions or is there room for growth?

  What are some of your triggers (unmet needs) in your motherhood and how can you begin to meet those needs and invite the Lord into those unmet needs?

  Have you ever felt guilty for anger in your motherhood? How did Johanna’s explanation of anger impact your understanding of emotions you may have labeled as “bad” before? 

  How can learning more about your emotions as a mother impact the way that you parent and live out the feminine genius in your daily life?



A Letter to the Mother Who Is Trying to Make It to Bedtime without Yelling // Johanna Seagren

In this third episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Kimberly Henkel of Springs of Love joins me to discuss foster care and adoption. 
We’re talking about how Kimberly and her husband Greg discerned the call to foster care. We’re also busting myths around adoption that might be holding you back from discerning that call as a family, and both of us are sharing our experiences as adoptive mothers. 
Whether you’re exploring the possibility of adoption or foster care, you’re already an adoptive or foster mother, or you’re wondering how to better support adoptive and foster families in your community, this letter is for you. 
Topics we cover: 

 Kimberly’s story as a Catholic woman

 How Kimberly and Greg discerned the Lord’s call to foster care and adoption

  The origin story of Springs of Love, Kimberly and Greg’s ministry that  encourages, educates, and equips Catholics to discern and live out the call to foster and adopt

  The differences between foster care and adoption

  Spiritual maternity and the adoption triad

  Kimberly’s advice to couples hesitant to discern foster care or adoption because of the cost

  Why open adoptions can be healthy for everyone involved in the adoption triad


Resources for you:



  Find Springs of Love online

  Watch the Springs of Love video series

  Ten Myths about Adoption from the Springs of Love website

  Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes

Discussion questions:



  Have you felt called by the Lord to discern growing your family through adoption or fostering children? What has that discernment looked like for you both as an individual and in your marriage?

  What myth surrounding adoption that Kimberly mentioned in the show is something you’ve believed to be true before?

  Romans 8:15 says that “You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we call ‘Abba, Father!’” How does reflecting on this theological reality of adoption in all of our lives as children of God through baptism impact the way you think about adoption and foster care? 

  What are ways that you can accompany birth mothers and families in the adoption triad? 

  Does your parish community support adoptive and foster families well? What are things you can do to encourage a culture of life for families who are called to foster or adopt? 



A Letter to the Mother Wondering about Foster Care and Adoption

In this second episode of the Letters to Mothers series, Grace Stark from Natural Womanhood joins me to discuss fertility awareness and motherhood. 
This is a conversation about authentic womens’ healthcare, how to grow in an appreciation of your fertility as a gift, and discerning the size of family that the Lord wants to build with and for you—and what to do if you’re not on the same page as your spouse in that discernment. 
We also talk about what it means to be mothers to daughters, and how the conversations we have from a very young age shape the way our daughters see their bodies. 
If you’re ready to get to know and appreciate your cycle and fertility this letter is for you.

Topics we cover:

 Grace’s story as a Catholic woman

 The origin story of Natural Womanhood and their mission to help women work with their body, not against it

  What authentic women’s healthcare looks like and how we can grow as women in accepting our fertility as a gift

  What the Catholic Church teaches about using Natural Family Planning and family size

  Grace’s advice for couples in seasons of discerning adding another child to their family

  What to do when you’re not on the same page as your spouse about having more children

  How Natural Womanhood is helping mothers of pre-teen girls learn about ther bodies, cycles, and fertility

  How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother


Resources for you:

  Discover Natural Womanhood online 

  Natural Womanhood podcast 

  Charting Towards Intimacy podcast hosted by Ellen Holloway

  Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, Interior Kingdom! Use the code LTW15 for 15% off the full Interior Kingdom program. 

  Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes


Discussion questions: 

  Have you ever felt angry or ashamed of your cycle as a woman? What were some messages that you received about your body as a girl, especially around your fertility and cycles? 


  Do you feel pressure to have a certain number of kids as a Catholic woman? Or for your family to look a certain way? What are some ways you can grow in confidence about how the Lord is calling you specifically to mother?


  Are you and your spouse of one heart and mind when it comes to having children? What advice that Grace shared in this episode about discerning a family with your spouse struck you? 


  If you’re a mother to a daughter, how have you approached conversations with her about fertility and puberty? Are there things you want to change about how you talk about those subjects after listening to this episode? 


  What dreams do you have for your family and your motherhood? How can embracing your fertility as a gift impact those dreams? 



A Letter to the Mother Discerning Family Size with Her Spouse // Grace Stark



In this first episode of the Letters to Mothers season we’re talking about a topic that so many of us are familiar with—body image. It’s a topic we’ve talked about on the show, but I wanted to revisit it with a specific focus on that experience as mothers. 
Joining me on the show today is Shelby Hirschman. She’s a nutrition therapist who specializes in intuitive eating, body acceptance, and recovery from chronic dieting and disordered eating.
We’re talking about postpartum discomfort, the societal pressure to “bounce back” and why that isn’t helpful for us as women, and some actual practical behaviors and tools to put into place that I think can be a huge help. 
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt frustrated, uncomfortable, disappointed, or unattractive, this letter is for you. 

Topics we cover:

 Why so many of us feel at war with our bodies as mothers

 Defining the postpartum season

  The pressure women feel to “get their body back” or “bounce back” after giving birth

  What body checking is and why (and how!) to reduce that habit in your life

  Compassionate closets

  What is happening on a biological level to our bodies during the postpartum season

  How to prioritize consistent and adequate nutrition

  Habits to form in our lives as women during seasons of change to remind ourselves that our body is good

  How Shelby lives out the feminine genius as a mother



Resources for you:

  Tune into Shelby and I’s first conversation on the Letters to Women podcast, A Letter to the Woman Struggling to Believe Her Body Is Unconditionally Good

  Visit Shelby’s website to learn about her work as a nutrition therapist 

  Subscribe to Shelby’s substack, Good Body Notes

  Shop Good Body Nutrition on Etsy

  Learn more about Catholics Online, the sponsor for today’s episode

  Check out my monthly newsletter, Naptime Notes


Discussion questions:


  Have you ever felt at war with your body? What are some moments you’ve noticed postpartum discomfort in your own story as a woman?


  In what ways has motherhood impacted the way that you view your body? Do you feel a tension between being in awe of what your body is capable of and discomfort or frustration with your postpartum body? 


  As a mother, have you felt pressured to “bounce back” after giving birth? Where have you received those messages from and how have they impacted the way you view your body today?  


  Do the clothes in your closet honor the reality of your season of life? What would getting dressed in the morning look like if your closet had pieces in it that honored your postpartum experience as a mother?


  What are some practical ways you can begin to be more gentle and compassionate when it comes to the way you view and talk about your body as a mother? Make one resolution today to help you remember that your body is good. 







A Letter to the Woman Discovering the Feminine Genius // Melissa Maleski

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