It’s pretty common to hear people comment on how it is harder than ever, in many ways, to grow up as a good Catholic girl in today’s world. The values that we need to hold true to in order to reach everlasting life with Our Lord are the complete opposite or twisted version of the ones our society praises. As young Catholic women it can be hard to know which voice to listen to when so many are yelling and screaming, and none of them seem to be the fullness of Truth. The vital elements of life as a faithful Catholic have been trampled underfoot and hidden from view. But they haven’t quite been destroyed, and the situation isn’t hopeless. Throughout human history we see the struggle between good and evil, and we have the wisdom of the Church and of those who have lived before us to guide us on this journey, whether that’s the saints of the third century or the people living faithfully today. They’re all there, willing to share the things that they’ve learned about themselves, about life, and about Our Lord, if only we’re willing to listen.
Bid the older women likewise… to teach what is good, and so train the young women.
Titus 2:3-4 RSV
So in this series, you will find advice for young Catholic women (hence the title ;) ) given by some of the older women - ranging in age from around 25-50 years old - that I view as role models of our faith. After prefacing it with a little explanation of my idea for this post, I asked them each a very open-ended question: What is something you wish you could go back and tell your 16-20 year old self? They responded with whatever God put on their hearts as important for young Catholic women to hear, and their nuggets of wisdom will be compiled here for you to read and grow from. I hope you enjoy!
PS: Anyone over the age of 25 who is reading this and has advice that you would like to share, please click over to the contact form and let me know!