On Thursday, Jan. 29, more than 100 Benedictine College women gathered in the Guadalupe Chapel in the Abbey Crypt for a candlelight Mass, hosted by Benedictine Women’s Formation.
Their voices joined together in prayer and song throughout the evening, surrounded by the soft glow of candles lining the pews and surrounding the altar.
Anneke Langedyk, a senior at Benedictine College, reflected on the evening saying, “even though you couldn’t see anyone, you heard the beautiful voices of us all singing together and being present with God. I think it’s important that we have Masses specifically for women because there are certain things that we struggle more with and it’s a good opportunity to celebrate our uniqueness and come together to be a part of something beautiful.”
The Rev. Ryan Richardson, a chaplain at Benedictine College, focused his homily on how today’s culture puts pressure on young women and feeds them lies about their self-worth, especially online and on social media.
While social media is not inherently bad, he emphasized how there is a certain “bait” or tendency that women are encouraged to buy into that they must look or live a certain way. These unrealistic standards distort the truth about our God-given beauty.
During the Mass, each candle gave off its own light and had a distinct glimmer. Richardson used this image to illustrate how there is a distinct beauty in each of us, and a beauty in seeing them all together.
“There’s no other soul like yours. … You are beautiful, and you don’t have to measure up to some kind of standard people put up online or on a billboard — that’s the lie,” Richardson said.
Richardson concluded his homily with a reminder that the Lord doesn’t make mistakes. He called us to pray for the grace to see the truth and to help each other radiate the light of Christ.
This Mass was the first of a series of Benedictine Women’s Formation events hosted by the female RAs and RDs of Benedictine College this semester.
