How can an ordinary woman be “mystically espoused” to Jesus Christ? Season 3 will discuss elements in the Rite of Consecration.

In this episode, Karen, Hannah, Simi and Dawn discuss the first of the insignia of the Rite: the ring.

What does the ring mean as a tangible sign of a consecrated virgin’s mystical espousal and covenant with Christ? What is it like to wear the ring for the first time? And how do we choose our rings?

Scripture for this episode:

“You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;

but you shall be called My delight is in her,

and your land Married;

for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

For as a young man marries a virgin,

so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.

Isaiah 62: 4 - 5

What have been the blessings and the areas of growth as we come to the end of the year? In the final episode of 2025, Karen, Simi, Hannah and Dawn talk about the movements of the past year that they are pondering in their hearts. They share their joys, sorrows, and hopes of their lives embedded in a world of much turbulence and change over the past year. This is the last episode of season 2. (And we love our Bride of Christ hoodies sent by a listener!!) We will return on February 1, 2026 with season 3.

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Is it possible for consecrated virgins to live obedience if they do not have a religious superior? What does obedience look like when you are not in a convent with bells ringing?! Karen, Simi, Hannah and Dawn talk about how obedience is “holding onto every least intimation of the will of God” (Mother Mary Francis). It is important that we have concrete ways to live in obedience: following our plan of life and being attentive to the magisterium of our bishops and the Pope. But there are also more delicate calls to obedience: through those we live amongst in the world, through friendship, and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This is the last episode of 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

Key quote: “It is obedience to the Father that all good is accomplished. It is in knowing how to bow one’s head in suffering obedience that alone renders one radiant. Willfulness, worldliness, immaturity, infantilism all pretend to be strong because these characteristics are so weak. The truly strong never have to proclaim their strength.”

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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

Key quote: “Looking at the poor Christ in the radiance of your vow you discover that you must never have anywhere to lay your head except upon his heart. And the head of the bride laid upon the heart of the Beloved is close enough to see the radiance of his face. Poverty is the radiance of your mind wanting nothing but Christ.”

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Linktree https://www.linktr.ee/wildflowerreunion

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).

Key quote: “This is the vocation of the bride: to be full of love. …And you know that any vessel that is brimming full will always spill over. You cannot move it without it spilling over.”

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

Key quote: "When things seem wrong, it is only because my vision is limited and will never be corrected except in the trust of leaning back in his arms. This is what all contemplative prayer is meant to be."

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