MPF 277: Girl Power! An interview with the Given Institute

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

“Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world's understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.” ~ John Paul II, Letter to Women

Summary

Women have particular gifts to bring to the world which were identified by John Paul II as the “genius of women”. The Given Institute was created by religious superiors of the major orders in the United States and works with young women in all states of life to help them realize that they are gift, work to discover their unique giftedness and then make a plan to bring those gifts to the world. In this podcast, we discuss these topics with Michelle Hilleart, their Executive Director who is passionate about the need for women to know their own dignity and worth. There are so many lies and confusing messages being given to young women today and these messages are preventing them from not just being who they were created to be, but also preventing them from knowing how they were created. Listen in to hear about what REAL “girl power” is!

Key Takeaways

• John Paul II identified the “genius of women” as receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity.

• Every woman is called to be a spiritual mother - whether she is a natural mother, single woman, or consecrated woman.

• Every woman is called and gifted and those gifts begin to grow when a woman knows who she is as a daughter of God.

• Once we know what those gifts are we should then create an “action plan” to bring those unique gifts to the world.

Couple Discussion Questions

• Do I recognize my dignity as a daughter of God?

• What are the gifts that are uniquely mine?

• How can I develop those gifts and bring them to the people around me?