Does being consecrated mean owning few possessions? What does poverty look like in the world, compared to religious life? How can consecrated virgins live in such a way that material poverty lived in freedom leads to true spiritual poverty? Karen, Simi, Hannah and Dawn also discuss the risk of living in material poverty without authentic groundedness and human integration. They also share about their splurge items…!

We continue our book study of “My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His: Meditations on Brideship” - by Mother Mary Francis PCC, particularly the section on the Vow of Chastity. 

Buy the book here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Mine-His-Meditations-Brideship/dp/1685951597⁠ or download here: ⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hAdD_WW1xNglsgWHR90HDlUme2Rs4H1y/view?usp=share_link⁠ 

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Why would consecrated virgins deprive themselves of a fulfilling and lifegiving human marriage? Isn’t a life of chastity just a life of deprivation? Karen, Simi, Hannah and Dawn talk about how chastity is feasting as well as fasting. Being dependent only on Christ’s love is not to be empty or lacking, but to be full. They talk about how chastity is a deep integration within ourselves, so as to be able to make a complete self-gift. Chastity allows for a life where, “He will have your heart for himself alone, and he will sit a King upon his own throne” (The Imitation of Christ).

What do we do when we experience big emotions, crises or overwhelming fear? How do we stay in the ‘sacrament of the present moment’? Karen, Simi, Hannah and Dawn talk about how we walk steadily forward as brides of Jesus Christ. They discuss being vigilant and attentiveness to signs that we are ‘declining’ from our vocation as brides. 

We continue our book study of “My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His: Meditations on Brideship” - by Mother Mary Francis PCC, particularly the sections Walking on in Faith, Non Declinare, Inclinare, and Reclinare. 

Buy the book here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Mine-His-Meditations-Brideship/dp/1685951597⁠ or download here: ⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hAdD_WW1xNglsgWHR90HDlUme2Rs4H1y/view?usp=share_link⁠ 

Are we not vulnerable as brides of Christ? In this episode, we talk about how, living with Christ as our "Head," we rightly have tremendous bridal confidence. St. Therese's Little Way teaches us the confidence that complete surrender and reliance on Christ gives us. In Mother Mary Francis' words, "A bride who is confident puts down the anchor of her soul, and then she was ready for all that God would send her."

We continue our book study of “My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His: Meditations on Brideship” - by Mother Mary Francis PCC, particularly the sections Eternal Values and Churchliness.

Buy the book here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Mine-His-Meditations-Brideship/dp/1685951597⁠ or download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hAdD_WW1xNglsgWHR90HDlUme2Rs4H1y/view?usp=share_link 

Key quote: “No one who is not willing to suffer at times the great loneliness of soul Christ our Lord himself suffered should try to live as a consecrated person.” 

"To be a woman is to love and to suffer."  Is this not a demeaning statement to make about the vocation of woman? Karen, Simi, Hannah and Dawn talk about discovering the fullness of life and of womanhood. They talk about the risks of the opposite of bridal surrender: pettiness and self-absorption. The bride of Christ is completely surrendered when she is "totally occupied with what we are supposed to be doing" (p27).

We continue our book study of “My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His: Meditations on Brideship” - by Mother Mary Francis PCC, particularly the sections All the Days of Her Life, Nurturing, and Complete Surrender.

Buy the book here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Mine-His-Meditations-Brideship/dp/1685951597⁠ or download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hAdD_WW1xNglsgWHR90HDlUme2Rs4H1y/view?usp=share_link 

Key quote: "A woman is most a woman when she is giving: giving her service, giving herself. A nun [or consecrated virgin] is most a nun when the fullness of her surrender to God is evidenced in her consuming desire to give her energies to souls." p33

The spirituality of brideship is at the heart of consecrated virginity, but isn't it sentimental, sugary, or even spiritual eroticism? Karen, Hannah, Simi and Dawn talk about the true and all-demanding reality of brideship. It is the vocation of allowing Jesus to provide everything. It is the strongest force there is. 

We begin our book study of “My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His: Meditations on Brideship” - by Mother Mary Francis PCC.

Buy the book here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Mine-His-Meditations-Brideship/dp/1685951597⁠ or download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hAdD_WW1xNglsgWHR90HDlUme2Rs4H1y/view?usp=share_link 

Key quote: “[A bride] has a woman’s security of being greatly loved and cherished by a Lover. And when a woman has this security of being loved, there is really nothing that she cannot do. There is nothing that she cannot bear; there is nothing that she cannot find courage to face.” p66

What does it mean to live a “public” vocation? How do you discern public consecration, versus taking a private vow? And what does this look like in different aspects of our lives, including our online lives? In this final episode of season 1, Karen, Hannah, Simi and Dawn share their experiences of living their witness as consecrated virgins publicly. 

How can we as brides of Christ live radically guided by the Holy Spirit? What are the practical ways that we respond daily to the promptings of the Counsellor and Comforter? How do we experience him as the greatest Formator of our lives? In the days leading up to Pentecost, Karen, Hannah, Simi and Dawn talk about the profound and unique relationship between virginity and life in the Spirit. 

What is it like to tell your family and friends for the very first time you are discerning consecrated virginity? How do you navigate your family not understanding or rejecting your vocation? What are the best ways to approach your diocese? Karen, Simi, Dawn and Hannah share their own experiences, and offer advice for broaching the subject with family and friends. 

How can consecrated virgins be spiritual mothers? In this month of May dedicated to Mary, we explore the topic of spiritual motherhood. What does it mean to foster a hospitable interiority to receive others? How can our motherhood be both tenderly soft and fiercely protective? And is spiritual motherhood is fulfilling as biological motherhood?