Danielle Dyann Abril
I am very blessed to be the mother of four young daughters who range in age from 18 months to 10-years-old. I can vividly remember that from the time I first knew I would be the mother of daughters I desired to instill in them the value and appreciation of authentic womanhood. Unfortunately, there are segments of our modern culture which are very confused about the nature of true womanhood. One of the errors I sometimes observe is that our culture tends to reduce women to what they can do, make, or contribute rather than value them for who they intrinsically were created to be. However, it was never meant to be that way.
The Catholic Church has a very rich tradition of highlighting the special gifts that women offer to the world. In Chapter 1 of Genesis we read, “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them.” Here, we can clearly see that God created both man and woman in his image and each has something unique to offer the world.
St. Pope John Paul II clearly expressed his appreciation and admiration for women when he declared, in his Letter to Women, that women have a particular “feminine genius”. He further encourages all women in their call to the feminine genius when he says, “ordinary women…reveal the gift of their womanhood by placing themselves at the service of others in their everyday lives. For in giving themselves to others each day women fulfil their deepest vocation.” (Letter to Women 12).
Also noteworthy is a new understanding of the dignity of woman and her place in society.
Humanae Vitae 2
It is in this very beautiful tradition that I wish to raise my daughters. But as every parent knows it takes a village to raise a healthy, happy, and holy child. At times, I have struggled to find resources to teach my children about authentic womanhood. Blessedly, I recently had the opportunity to participate in the new program, The Wonder of Eve produced by the Office of Natural Family Planning for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
The Wonder of Eve is an hour-long program specially created and fine-tuned for high school age girls. The program will help young ladies to understand the inner workings of their female bodies and introduces them to 3 female superpowers. One of the treasures of this program is that it speaks of the female body as a gift and women as the “crown of creation” and “daughters of God”. The Wonder of Eve allows girls to see past menstruation as “the monthly curse” and see how it plays into God’s plan for their life. As a woman, who has struggled with menstrual pain and infertility, I truly appreciate that it encourages girls who are experiencing pain or trouble with their cycles to seek medical help knowing that these are often symptoms of a deeper physical problem – and usually one that can be cured. Additionally, the Wonder of Eve shares some introductory information about the process of charting and Natural Family Planning to give young ladies the tools to live a happy, and healthy life.
One of the things that has often been said about this program is, “why haven’t I heard this sooner?” and I cannot but echo that sentiment. I am simply ecstatic that such a program exists and am very excited to introduce my dear daughters to this life-changing content (in a few years) as I continue encourage them to be strong, holy, Catholic women who embrace their call to live out authentic womanhood!
If you are interested in booking an in-person or virtual presentation of the new and updated Wonder of Eve, please contact The Office of NFP at stlnfp@archstl.org or visit our website. You can also view trailers () for the Beauty of Eve program on YouTube and hear Erin Herdler discuss NFP and Teens.
We offer a similar program called Beauty of Eve for women aged 18+ which delves deeper into the beautiful workings of a woman’s body and helps women understand the wisdom and benefits of using Natural Family Planning. Contact us at stlnfp@archstl.org for more details.
Danielle Dyann Abril is the mother of many children through adoption, foster care, and biological motherhood. She home-schools her crew and in her spare time works with the Archdiocese of St. Louis Office of Natural Family Planning to share the good news about NFP with the world.