Made New: Inspiration and Hope for Catholic Women
“The Church is a hospital, and not a courtroom, for souls. She does not condemn on behalf of sins but grants remission of sins” ( St. John Chrysostom).
“Women Made New!: Reflections on Adversity, Transformation, and Healing,” compiled by Crystalina Evert, offers lively straight talk by Catholic writers including Mother Angelica, Lisa Cotter, Cameron Fradd, Sister Bethany Madonna, SV, and Sarah Swafford.
Don’t let the pink cotton candy cover fool you: This is not a light and fluffy book. Even so, over the course of 16 chapters, comfort and wisdom pour out as if a friend were sitting next to you for a couple hours in a cozy coffee shop.
Reflections, Solutions, and Hope
The subtitle “Reflections on Adversity, Transformation, and Healing” is an accurate description, not only for what the writers provide but also for the reader’s experience. After I finished the book, I realized I took pages and pages of notes.
Part of what is special about the book is that although there are numerous acknowledgements of the common hurts many of us have experienced and the serious mistakes many of us have made, the reader is not left alone in shame to reflect upon them. Rather, each writer provides a path forward through her storytelling—a path that she has seen firsthand, and a path that leads to hope.
Words That Moved
Here is a sampling of lines that caught my attention:
From Mother Angelica, to whom the book is dedicated:
“Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”
“Sorrow closes you in like a turtle.”
“I don’t think we should question God at all, because it’s like putting the ocean in a capsule. You can’t.”
From Sister Bethany Madonna:
“Your love changes the course of history.
“The world needs you to be the woman Christ made you to be.”
From Catherine Hadro: “Your state in life should provide razor-sharp clarity as to what your priorities should be today.”
From Joy Pinto: “I thought I always wanted what God wanted for my life until I knew the cost and the change it would require of me.”
From Lisa Cotter: “Women … have the unique ability to ‘acknowledge the person because they see persons with their hearts’” (quoting Pope St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Women”).
From Leila Miller: “Emotions can lead us astray, so they should never ‘lead’ at all.”
From the Curé of Ars (Saint John Vianney) to a celebrity arriving in a carriage and finery, as recounted by Mother Angelica: “Madam, excuse me, but the stench of your soul makes me vomit.”
From Crystalina Evert:
“Ignoring Him seemed much easier than responding to Him.”
“Over time, I became someone I never wanted to be.”
“Heaven is watching, praying, cheering you on. You have a whole army of angels and saints wanting you to succeed in your battle.”
Lastly—although I wrote down pages of more quotes—from the late Father Louis M. Solcia, in the brief but hearty foreword: “It comes down to not giving up.”
Why Read This Book?
With all of the moving online content we see and hear daily, this book is nonetheless a worthy read for a few reasons.
Firstly, the back-to-back reflections by the 15 contributors offer a one-two punch that emphasizes that our common adversities have a common solution. The experience of reading this book is much different than scrolling through reels. While taking in the passages noted in these pages, our memories provide clear images of relatable circumstances we’ve encountered. Some of them remain heavy weights we carry year after year. The writers share from a place of knowing about this experience and encourage the reader to embrace the steps that will lead to healing.
The material features of the book are particularly enjoyable. It’s a handy size that fits in a tote bag, and its thickness and weight make it comfortable to hold. Each chapter is separated by a dark green page with a quote by Mother Angelica on one side and the writer’s name and photo on the other. The individually written chapters make it easy to come back to, especially with its bookmark ribbon, and it concludes with inspiration from Scripture and the St. Michael’s Prayer, providing even more stepping stones that lead down the path of hope.
A Gift for Yourself and Others
“Women Made New!” would be a meaningful gift, especially with a personal note saying something like, “Let’s be made new together.” Evert’s compilation provides a service to all of us. By sharing the Word and the life-changing impacts it had and continues to have on the writers, the book extends hope—hope even through adversity, hope that is transformative, and hope that is healing.
Linda A. Burrows is an attorney specializing in trust and estate law in southern California. She is the founder of Soul Soda, a non-profit with the mission of refreshing faith in those, particularly Catholics, who are feeling disconnected from their religious roots. She is a wife and mother of three teens. Linda’s Confirmation name was that of St. Gabriel the Archangel.