My journey to this Women of Grace® ministry began some years ago at the first women's conference held at the Franciscan University of Steubenville where Johnnette Benkovic was one of the keynote speakers. I remember talking with her briefly after her presentation and sharing my appreciation for her spirituality.
In May 2009 Johnnette was again speaking at a local Magnificat breakfast. I was excited and hoped I would get a chance to share how she impacted my life and spiritual journey. During her testimony she spoke briefly about the Women of Grace® foundational study and my heart began to pound. After breakfast I was able to tell Johnnette how much her ministry had meant to me through the years and that I was attracted to the Women of Grace study. Johnnette encouraged me to attend the Benedicta Leadership and Women of Grace® Conference at the Malvern Retreat Center that July.
After speaking with her, I wandered over to the book table and asked Joanne Kane about the Women of Grace® kit and then immediately began to rationalize… “I don’t know if I can facilitate this study.” “My pastor might not even be open to having this study in our parish.” I stood frozen in place, my heart racing. Johnnette came over to where I stood immobilized. She smiled at me and I told her I thought I was supposed to buy the kit. She asked, “Can I pray with you?” She prayed, prophesying that the Lord was calling me to be the spiritual mother of many women. I was shocked because a week earlier my spiritual director had told me that the Lord wanted to use my “mother” heart. I bought the kit, and told Johnnette I'd see her in Pennsylvania.
I went to the Benedicta Leadership conference where many graces were poured out on me. Martha, one of the facilitators there said if I went home and my parish priest refused to allow the study, “Don't get discouraged. Have the study in your home if you have to.”
I went home full of enthusiasm, affirmed, and ready to begin the study. I went to my parish priest and he said no. God in His faithfulness had prepared me for that no.
A few days later a close friend and her husband came for dinner. I shared my excitement about the study and my disappointment that Fr. had said no. She said, “Why don't you come and give an information night at my parish for our women's Altar Society.” I wanted to get permission from her pastor so I made an appointment with him. All he could talk about was how much he loved watching Johnnette on EWTN and gave an enthusiastic yes.
I gave the information night and quickly the study and the participants came together. At the end of that study the women were eager to begin study number two at their parish. The Altar Society president agreed to facilitate the next study and continues to work diligently to continue study after study in the parish.
Out of that first study has come more facilitators with several other women volunteering for future studies to come. Not only are they continuing the study in their own parish, but have reached out to their cluster parishes now on their third study with new facilitators, like an elderly woman who went through the study twice and decided she had to become a facilitator herself.
I facilitated a study in my home for a group of women where several women then took the study back to their parishes. In one study a young woman who longed to become pregnant was introduced to the Infant of Prague and the Child Jesus' desire for her to conceive. We prayed over her and she is very pregnant right now awaiting the birth of her child.
The opportunities are many: a local retreat center where the director hopes to make the Women of Grace series a regular event with two more studies on their calendar for this year; plans for a study at a local Catholic College; and a local Catholic Mom's group leader desiring to bring the study to other moms.
One of my lovely sacred sisters in her late eighties said it best, “I have to confess, I only came to this study because my friend just kept after me. I thought, ‘What could I possibly learn that I don't already know at this point in my life?’ But I learned that I had forgotten so much that I once knew, and I learned so much that I never knew. I am grateful to have been part of this study.”
Our God desires to pour out His love on his daughters, to grow in intimacy with them.
I can only echo the words of Our Blessed Mother:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,My spirit rejoices in God my Savior;For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.”
Have you made good use of your time of Lenten preparation? NOW is the perfect time to reflect and prepare for the great paschal mystery which will soon be upon us. In the link below, I share some food for thought for these final hours of Lent. Please take a few moments to listen. Join me in making these last days, the very best days of our Lenten journey!
Drawn to the Cross - Women of Grace Live Audio
Just got home from a very busy two weeks. Father Edmund Sylvia, C.S.C., Tom Sullivan, and I myself were in production at EWTN for the next several weeks of programming for Women of Grace®. And those seven days of production put a big smile on my face. What a wonderful array of guests and topics! You will not want to miss them. They are (not in airing order):
Here at Women of Grace® we L-O-V-E Our Lady. She is the model whom we look to as THE woman of grace. In fact Mary is at the core of our Foundational Study Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life.
What is it about Our Mother Mary that makes her the exemplar of what it means to be a disciple AND a woman of grace? Today's Feast of the Annunciation highlights her greatest attribute, her complete and total "Yes" to God. A passage from the book Full of Grace briefly summarizes the greatness of Mary's fiat and how we as women are to follow her example:
During these first few weeks of Lent, Holy Mother Church directs us to ponder the reality of our mortality and to make a serious appraisal of how we are living our lives in light of it.
Today’s reading from Divine Intimacy (#95) by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD, brings spiritual perspective to this most important consideration. Following are a couple of nuggets that impacted me today in my time of prayer:
Yesterday on our radio program, Women of Grace® Live, I recommended two resources for Lent _-- In Conversation with God, Volume 2 by Francis Fernandez; and Divine Intimacy by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD. Today, I followed my own advice and prayerfully read the selections for Ash Wednesday. Both were excellent. But it was one line in Section 2 of In Conversation with God that grabbed me.
“Those who sow in sorrow, will reap with shouts of joy.” Psalm 126:5
1997, 1998, 1999—three years that broke my heart. The loss of my loved ones during that time devastated me. Looking for answers to the ultimate questions, I found my heart turning back to God in re-conversion. I sought Him through a women’s group at my church. My steps were tentative but see now that God was with me.
The women’s group reconnected me to Jesus yet there was a disturbance in my spirit. The group was gracious and spiritual but I longed for something more authentic and in alignment with the teaching of the Catholic Church.
The Holy Spirit prompted me—actually gently pushed me—into the way I should go. Through His inspiration and the words of a friend I began a group called FIAT which sought to be truly Catholic and Marian. I searched for resources that were in alignment with Catholic teaching—Bible studies, inspirational books, lives of the saints, encyclicals. These works were inspired and beautiful but our little group lacked direction and a consistent vision.
This morning, my somewhat precocious six year old granddaughter and I had a conversation over breakfast:
“Grandma,” she said gazing out of the kitchen window in our Florida home.
“Yes, Julia?” said I.
“Pretty soon Easter will be here because it is Spring outside.”
“Yes, you are right. Ash Wednesday is this week and that begins the season of Lent.”
“Oh,” said Julia. “I began Lent already. Remember when you told me not to climb on the chair?
Well, I stopped and I haven’t done it again.”
“Julia, that is wonderful! I am proud of you!” I replied with enthusiasm (always ready to reinforce obedience!). “I have been thinking about how I will spend Lent this year, too.”
“Grandma, I know what you can do!”
“Really, Julia? What is that?” I said hesitantly not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“You could donate things.”
“That’s true, Julia, I sure could,” I responded already ticking off the items in the garage that I’d just love to get rid of but realizing it would be a pleasure and not a sacrifice.
“You could give away some of my toys,” said Julia deep into the idea by now.
“They’re your toys, Honey. You should give them away.”
“Okay. I’m so good I’ll do that too!” and with that she finished her milk and bounded away.
I had the privilege of spending the weekend of February 11 in Appleton, Wisconsin at the The Dignity and Vocation of Women conference held at St. Pius X Church. It was an awesome event! Organized by Jody Lueck, over 100 women gathered together for this inaugural event. The Feminine Genius Women’s Conference is sure to have a long and lasting history if this first gathering is the standard of things to come.
For me personally it was yet another reminder of the great work God is about in the hearts and minds of His daughters. He is indeed pouring out graces for restoration, renewal, and revitalization. This was not lost on the women who attended. An attitude of receptivity marked their demeanor as well as that of the women who presented and the special guests who were invited.
I was delighted to see Mercedes Wilson (Families of the Americas) whose work I so greatly admire and whom I hadn’t seen in several years. And I was so pleased to meet Jeannie Hanneman (Elizabeth Ministry International), Judith Leonard (Diocese of Wichita), Vicki Thorn (Project Rachel), Margaret Hartshorn (Hearbeat, International), and Rosemary Sullivan (Exec. Dir. National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors). What powerful women in the Lord!
Following is an article written in The Compass News, the diocesan newspaper of Green Bay:
Typically, we are very careful about sending out requests like this one unless they come from reliable sources. This one has been confirmed by a friend of Women of Grace® and she writes the following:
"Hi Johnnette, Please unite in prayer for Stephen Maszczak who is a 7 year old boy that has been diagnosed a High Grade Diffuse Pontine Glioma which is a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer and is in much need of prayers for a miracle. If you could please share with your global prayer community it would be greatly appreciated.
I do know the family and they are also very good friends of Fr. Bill Halbing, who visited Stephen in the hospital last week and can verify it all.
Pete Maszczak, who is Stephen's grandfather, is the leader of the Refuge Music Ministry that I am a member of; and we play at the Charismatic Conferences and Tent Revivals in NJ. I am sure you have met him over the years and remember us. We are all devastated about this and are praying for a miracle. On top of everything else, we also lost one of our members Tricia DiMeglio, who was Stephen's aunt and is shown in this picture, back in November. She died suddenly of a seizure.
Please keep everyone in prayer. This little boy is just so precious, and it's hard to believe that he could be "taken" from us at so young an age.
This website provides all the details but basically what the doctors are saying is that this beautiful little boy only has two months to live. We believe in the miracle healing power of Our Lord Jesus Christ and are asking for everyone to storm Heaven in prayer for a miracle. Thanks so very much and blessings for your ministry.
Blessings always,
Mary Anne"
Friends, my heart aches for this family. I ask that you do pray for this precious little boy, Stephen, that if it is God's will, he may be healed. If they should be asked to continue to bear this cross, I ask that the Lord would provide them with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavens that it might be embraced with the peace and joy that is beyond our understanding.
My journey to this Women of Grace® ministry began some years ago at the first women's conference held at the Franciscan University of Steubenville where Johnnette Benkovic was one of the keynote speakers. I remember talking with her briefly after her presentation and sharing my appreciation for her spirituality.
In May 2009 Johnnette was again speaking at a local Magnificat breakfast. I was excited and hoped I would get a chance to share how she impacted my life and spiritual journey. During her testimony she spoke briefly about the Women of Grace® foundational study and my heart began to pound. After breakfast I was able to tell Johnnette how much her ministry had meant to me through the years and that I was attracted to the Women of Grace study. Johnnette encouraged me to attend the Benedicta Leadership and Women of Grace® Conference at the Malvern Retreat Center that July.
After speaking with her, I wandered over to the book table and asked Joanne Kane about the Women of Grace® kit and then immediately began to rationalize… “I don’t know if I can facilitate this study.” “My pastor might not even be open to having this study in our parish.” I stood frozen in place, my heart racing. Johnnette came over to where I stood immobilized. She smiled at me and I told her I thought I was supposed to buy the kit. She asked, “Can I pray with you?” She prayed, prophesying that the Lord was calling me to be the spiritual mother of many women. I was shocked because a week earlier my spiritual director had told me that the Lord wanted to use my “mother” heart. I bought the kit, and told Johnnette I'd see her in Pennsylvania.
I went to the Benedicta Leadership conference where many graces were poured out on me. Martha, one of the facilitators there said if I went home and my parish priest refused to allow the study, “Don't get discouraged. Have the study in your home if you have to.”
I went home full of enthusiasm, affirmed, and ready to begin the study. I went to my parish priest and he said no. God in His faithfulness had prepared me for that no.
A few days later a close friend and her husband came for dinner. I shared my excitement about the study and my disappointment that Fr. had said no. She said, “Why don't you come and give an information night at my parish for our women's Altar Society.” I wanted to get permission from her pastor so I made an appointment with him. All he could talk about was how much he loved watching Johnnette on EWTN and gave an enthusiastic yes.
I gave the information night and quickly the study and the participants came together. At the end of that study the women were eager to begin study number two at their parish. The Altar Society president agreed to facilitate the next study and continues to work diligently to continue study after study in the parish.
Out of that first study has come more facilitators with several other women volunteering for future studies to come. Not only are they continuing the study in their own parish, but have reached out to their cluster parishes now on their third study with new facilitators, like an elderly woman who went through the study twice and decided she had to become a facilitator herself.
I facilitated a study in my home for a group of women where several women then took the study back to their parishes. In one study a young woman who longed to become pregnant was introduced to the Infant of Prague and the Child Jesus' desire for her to conceive. We prayed over her and she is very pregnant right now awaiting the birth of her child.
The opportunities are many: a local retreat center where the director hopes to make the Women of Grace series a regular event with two more studies on their calendar for this year; plans for a study at a local Catholic College; and a local Catholic Mom's group leader desiring to bring the study to other moms.
One of my lovely sacred sisters in her late eighties said it best, “I have to confess, I only came to this study because my friend just kept after me. I thought, ‘What could I possibly learn that I don't already know at this point in my life?’ But I learned that I had forgotten so much that I once knew, and I learned so much that I never knew. I am grateful to have been part of this study.”
Our God desires to pour out His love on his daughters, to grow in intimacy with them.
I can only echo the words of Our Blessed Mother:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,My spirit rejoices in God my Savior;For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.”
