Father Nathan walks the monstrance through Christ the King chapel during the Women’s Ministry holy hour Thursday.
BY ERIN MADDEN
Staff Writer
The women of Franciscan University came together Thursday night for a Eucharistic holy hour in Christ the King Chapel to look upon the Lord and embrace their femininity.
The whole event was sponsored by the FUS Women’s Ministry and was entitled “His Gaze: Discovering Our Femininity.” The Rev. Nathan Malavolti, TOR, was the featured speaker for the night.
Approximately 300 women attended the holy hour, filling Christ the King and overflowing into the attached Eucharistic chapel. Even more women had to stand in the back along the wall.
Malavolti focused on a particular passage of Scripture to guide the women, using Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 to help us find joy in our femininity, much like the Samaritan woman found joy and grace after meeting Jesus.
“For each of us, our meeting with the eternal may happen at a moment when we least expect it,” Malavolti said. “Like a flash, Jesus can light up our lives – illuminate the depths of our souls.”
Jesus then offered a gift of generosity to the Samaritan woman, asking her for a drink of water. She was able to grant Jesus the small gift of water, and in turn she gave him the gift of herself as an authentic woman.
“Often, a first step out of darkness, or any type of space of self-pity, starts with a deed of generosity,” Malavolti said. “What is crucial is that she does allow herself to open up to Jesus – goes beyond herself – creating that space in her soul for generosity.”
Sophomore Rosemary Harris thought the event was “an amazing, peaceful evening of growing deeper in my own personal femininity. I loved that there was such a great turnout last night, and I really hope they have more events planned for this semester.”
Learn more about the ministry on their Facebook page here: FUS Women’s Ministry