I am beautiful because my God is beautiful

Apr 22, 2015

By Joanne Adriana Augustine
The Women’s Desk of the Chapel of Christ the King recently organised its first activity for the year. It was facilitated by Sr Mary David. Girls as young as 11 years old participated in this event which was targeted at young and growing ladies. It was an eye-opener when Sister shared her own experience of her girlhood and growing into womanhood. She urged the girls to “first appreciate ourselves before we expect others to appreciate us. Every morning when you wake up, with your hair all over your face, look into the mirror and say to yourself, ‘I am beautiful because my God is beautiful.’ ”

The topics ranged from personal hygiene, to courting, sexual relationships, marriage and divorce. She started by referring to the time when we were dependent on our mothers for when “mummy needs to comb my hair” to when “mummy does not need to comb my hair.”

Sr Mary also shared a lot of real life experiences and the not-so-pleasant stories of people suffering due to the lack of family love. She re-emphasized the importance of women in the family and the community. A teenager who is slowly growing into a mature and beautiful adult has to be well equipped to handle the challenges of life.

“I found the session very informative and also a sort of eye-opener, especially the topics on relationships and marriage. It was a very useful session for the young girls of our community. They must learn to take pride in themselves and preserve their bodies according to the will of God. I would strongly encourage having more such sessions.” said Marylyn Patricia, a participant.

“I’m lucky and blessed as God has given me the chance to attend this talk by Sr Mary. I really didn’t have any expectations but when it was over, I felt much lighter. I feel that I now know how to control my emotions and hope to relate better to the people around me. This talk was a true gift from God, our Father. He knew what this child of His needed. My life will never be the same. It also provided a great opportunity to develop a closer relationship with Sister Mary and the other ladies. This talk was precise and thoroughly thought out. Everyone was so caring and thoughtful. Sincere thanks to the organizer, and I’m looking forward to the next session. Amen.” was the feedback from Prabha Krish after attending the session.

“I learned about the power of prayer and the need to understand each other well before committing to marriage. Even in a relationship of 7-10 years, there still will be important issues which you may not have understood or refrained from asking about. These will be some of the issues that may contribute towards a breakdown and divorce later,” said Shireen Sharmala Anne. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your partner during your courting years” was Sister’s advice to all.

It was indeed a very fruitful session and discussions are being held as to when the next session should be.