“Then Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” - Luke 1:38
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From the Desk of Johnnette...
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What is the power of one person’s “yes” to God? |
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Consider Queen Esther. The genocide of her people was imminent when she was urged by the prophet Mordecai to approach her king and stand up to the evil threat: “For if you keep silence at such a time as this … you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” -Esther 4:14-15.
In fear and trepidation, Esther approached the king, willing to die on the spot but nonetheless trusting God that her desperate plea would stay his arm against the Jews.
And she was not disappointed – Queen Esther’s YES saved her people.
Fast forward to Our Blessed Mother, Mary. By all earthly measures, she was the humblest of creatures. When the angel Gabriel issued God’s invitation, she was filled with awe and wonder, not fully understanding God’s plan. Her answer: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” - Luke 1:38
And Mary’s “yes,” brought Salvation to the world.
No less now than then, God is urgently seeking those who will say “yes” to His plan for our time. He needs you. He needs me. He needs all of us to say “yes.” He is pleading with us to bring the saving message of His Son, Jesus Christ, to the misery of our contentious day and time. He is asking us to be a conduit of the hope, healing, and new life that comes through the Cross of His Son.
And, as He has in the past, God is looking toward His daughters.
He is looking for women who will follow the example of Our Lady and the many saintly women who gave their “yes” to help transform the world. Women who will have the boldness of Queen Esther, the zeal of Joan of Arc, the charity of Frances of Cabrini, the piety of Teresa of Avila, the purity of Maria Goretti, the humility of Therese of Lisieux, and the compassion of Teresa of Calcutta. Women of Grace seeks to raise up an army of such women who will bring new life to this desperately hurting world!
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Regional Coordinator, Martha Nicolli, is one such woman.
“I was brought up in a very dysfunctional family and had a very low self-image. In April of 2006 I saw a bulletin ad in my Parish announcing the Women of Grace foundational study. The words ‘find your purpose, feed your soul’ jumped right off the page at me. For years I had been seeking my purpose. After taking the study, I wanted ALL women from all walks of life to receive this life-changing program. I received permission to begin the study at my parish, St Joan of Arc. After saying yes, I was plagued with doubt, but I pressed forward. To this day over 700 women have gone through this life-changing program at my parish, and I have been blessed to help many other women to become facilitators and leaders.”
Martha was recently honored for her service by the facilitators and participants of her region during our South Florida Women of Grace Conference. Her “yes” has borne abundant fruit.
Because of your generous prayers and support, for nearly 20 years our mission has transformed the lives of countless Catholic women around the world just like Martha. These women – healed, transformed, and filled with zeal – have gone on to transform their own marriages, families, parishes, and communities.
Friend,, I invite YOU to say “yes” today by partnering again in our mission with your tax-deductible year-end gift. Your support will help us continue to “transform the world, one woman, at a time by affirming women in their dignity and vocation as daughters of God and in their gift of authentic femininity through ongoing spiritual formation.”
We’ve set a challenging but achievable goal of raising $50,000 by midnight on December 31, to maximize our impact in 2022. Your donation today will help us:
- Expand Benedicta Institute and Enrichment Seminars, in-person and online
- Grow our Women of Grace®, Young Women of Grace®, Morning of Grace® and other study programs around the world in print and online including translations to other languages
- Offer Women of Grace® and Young Women of Grace® conferences and retreats, in-person and online
- Make continued improvements and updates to the Women of Grace website, blog, APP, and social media outreaches
- Create and staff a Department of Mission Expansion and Growth to provide on-going spiritual formation and leadership skills to Regional Coordinators and facilitators, increase the number of Regional Coordinators and facilitators here and abroad by 25% with an emphasis on new geographic locations, raise the visibility of Women of Grace in local areas where Women of Grace is marginally and/or well-established.
My staff and I wish you the richest of God’s blessings and offer our prayers and Masses for you and your intentions during this Christmas season. We ask you to please remember us, the efforts of our apostolate, and our current needs in your times of prayer!
May the abundant life of Jesus Christ be yours and may God bless you!
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With gratitude and love in the Two Hearts, |
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Johnnette Benkovic Williams
Founder and President
P.S. Please be as generous as you can by making your year-end gift today. A Christmas Day Mass will be offered in gratitude for your support. This is one of your last opportunities to make a tax-deductible gift to us in 2021. Thank you once again for your friendship and support of Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace®.
P.P.S. As a small token of my gratitude for your donation, I will send you a link to our two-part online Advent Retreat, "Rejoice in the Lord Always." I hope it will be a blessing to you and your family.
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Thank you for your support of our mission!
Women of Grace® Mission Statement
Women of Grace® seeks to transform the world one woman at a time
by affirming women in their dignity and vocation as daughters of God and in their gift of authentic femininity™ through ongoing spiritual formation.
The vision of Women of Grace® is a civilization and culture imbued with the spirit of the Gospel renewed, revitalized, and healed through the love of God.
Women of Grace® and all of its outreaches are consecrated to
We are a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
1pm ET Monday - Friday on EWTN
Want to leave a legacy that promotes your Catholic values? Please prayerfully consider adding Women of Grace to your will. For more information email Isabelle Liberatore at iliberatore@womenofgrace.com or call 1-800-558-5452 ext. 2056.
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Women of Grace / Living His Life Abundantly Website
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