A Letter from WINE Founder, Kelly Wahlquist

 

Dear Friends,

Thank you for journeying with us into Holy Week in this unique time in the history of the world. Though we are indeed living in an unprecedented time, for us Christians, this time is truly a beautiful opportunity to walk closely with our Lord and to enter into his Passion like NEVER before. 

At WINE: Women In the New Evangelization, we enter into each Lent with the intention to relate to Jesus in the way in which we were created to—as women. We focus on the beautiful gifts we have been given in our womanhood; the gifts St. John Paul II referred to as the feminine genius. We embrace our gifts of receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity, and thus uniquely experience Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection together. That experience, my friends, is the result of reading the book Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing Christ’s Passion through the Eyes of Women with women in our homes or parishes, with women around the country in our Virtual Vineyard, and thanks to our many military WINE groups, with women around the world.

As I prayed this past week about our final week together in the Walk in Her Sandals online book club, the Lord spoke to my heart, showing me how through two major aspects of WINE, he has been preparing all of us for such a time as this. First, as women, we relate to Jesus in a beautifully feminine way. Second, as women, we are radically relational, and we need our sisters in Christ supporting us, nurturing us, praying for us.

For the past month, the words of a famous song from High School Musical have been echoing loudly every time we turn on the news. And while “we’re all in this together,” as Christians that natural sentiment is taken to a supernatural level, because we are all in this together as the body of Christ. We have each been given gifts, or charisms, to help heal and build the body of Christ for such a time as this! (Esther 4:14)

With this in mind, I invited three of my dear friends to join me in a Virtual Vineyard webinar entitled “ Walk in Her Sandals: Entering Holy Week Like NEVER Before.” Yesterday, Dr. Mary Healy, Teresa Tomeo, and Kitty Cleveland shared their wisdom, their stories, and their hearts with over 1,600 attendees, and gave us new and beautiful ways in which we can truly walk with Jesus and with one another this week. If you were unable to attend, I invite you to watch the video and download the interactive Guide to Holy Week 2020. 

So, even though the COVID-19 virus may be keeping us isolated in our homes—we don’t need to enter into Holy Week alone. We can enter into Jesus’ Passion and death with him and with each other like never before. But, most importantly, our sorrow will turn to joy; we will also enter into his Resurrection like NEVER before. As our Lord tells us, though we have sorrow now, he will see us again, and our hearts will rejoice, and no one will take that joy from us! (John 16:22)

Thank you for walking with us into Holy Week 2020! Together may we abide in peace and joy in the heart of Jesus!

Your Sister in Christ,
Kelly Wahlquist

 

About the author:

Kelly Wahlquist is a wife, mother of three, inspiring Catholic author and speaker residing in Minnesota. She is the founder of WINE: Women In the New Evangelization, Assistant Director for the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute, and contributing writer for Catholicmom.com. Her book Created to Relate: God’s Design for Peace & Joy encourages and inspires women to live fully their beautiful God-given gifts for building relationships. She is the creator and editor of  Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing Christ’s Passion through the Eyes of Women. Kelly travels the country speaking to all on topics that inspire us to live the New Evangelization, but has a special love for speaking at Catholic women’s events.