Thirty-Three Days of Affirmation for Women | Journey of Spirituality and Empowerment

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Reference: Code of Canon Law and https://www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/publications/upload/permission-to-publish.pdf

Introduction

These 33 affirmations are specifically for women. Your spiritual journey is of the feminine genius of God. I sit in silent wonder and amazement of the love of God that comes from women. However, I fall short of recognizing your person, your dignity and your autonomy.

These reflections are a sort of list. A catalog, if you will, of the qualities that set you as glorious expressions of the Lord. Read them, in sequence, one each day for 33 days.

The reality is ordinary life and life events may be weighing you down. There is a need to be reminded of your amazing personhood. You know these things. I want to affirm them about you. It helps us both. For you realizing all joy and potential. For me proper awe of you.

Take this 33 day journey of affirmation. I am but a man but not without senses and appreciation. Allow this male voice to affirm your true interior voice about the wonder of your person.

Day 1

Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth (PS 128:8).

Affirmation: I affirm you are not alone. You are most precious to the Lord. Your help has come, is coming, and will always come from the Lord. I affirm you are worthy of all gifts from God because you are made of the image and likeness of God and he desires it so.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 2

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know (PS 139:13-14).

Affirmation: I affirm you are known. At times you may feel invisible or tangential or unimportant. But that is not the case. The Lord is delighted in you and in your person.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 3

You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing (PS 145:16).

Affirmation: I affirm that you have the open hand of the Lord presented to you. He knows your deepest desires. He offers all for you. All is for you.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 4

My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” (Song of Songs 2:14).

Affirmation: I affirm you deserve a love coo from all of us. No harshness, no demands, no threats, and no judgement. Only encouragement to trust and allow yourself to be seen and heard. No more oppressive secrets!

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 5

Yet your desire and longing will be for your husband, And he will rule [with authority] over you and be responsible for you (Amplified version). Eve gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. “God has granted me another offspring in place of Abel,” she said, “because Cain killed him.” (Gen 3:16, 4:25b).

Affirmation: I affirm the deep attribute of the genius of woman is peace, harmony and family. We may poo poo these things but it is a gift directly from the hand of God. Remember the last words of Adam was to accuse his wife. The last words of Eve was gratitude for Seth. Adam betrayed. Cain slayed. Seth, through Eve, was the hope of the future.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 6

But Ruth said, “Do not press me to go back and abandon you! Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God (Ruth 1:16).

Affirmation: I affirm you are loved by many and they want to help. We walk with you. We will not abandon you. Accept this love.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 7

May the favor of the Lord our God be ours. Prosper the work of our hands! Prosper the work of our hands! (PS 90:17).

Affirmation: I affirm your efforts to be good and make good things happen for your family. Know, with certainty, the Lord desires to prosper the work of your hands!

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 8

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear (1 Jn 4:18).

Affirmation: When traumatized by others, fear is a natural result. Fear can invade every part of your psyche and even sink into your bones. But fear is powerless by the effects of love. I affirm, the Love of God, given for you, drives out – literally pushes fear away and out of every crevice and crevasse where it hides within you. Let perfect love remove this trauma.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 9

May your mercy, LORD, be upon us; as we put our hope in you (PS 33:22).

Affirmation: The world would like nothing more than to weigh you down with doubt and self-loathing. It is in the mercy of God that this is not our future. Our hope is in the Lord and his mercy soothes our hearts. I affirm this loving balm is yours, mercy and hope. Let your dreams flow!

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 10

Blessed be the LORD, who has heard the sound of my pleading. The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusts. I am helped, so my heart rejoices; with my song I praise him (PS 28:6-7).

Affirmation: I affirm, when you look closely, the Lord has heard your prayers, the Lord has strengthened you and shields you from all manner of harm. Courage, daughter, courage!

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 11

Like a merchant fleet, she secures her provisions from afar (Pv 31:14).

Affirmation: I affirm you work so hard to provide for your family. You seek, high and low, far and wide, for the soothing remedies and joyful moments.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 12

She picks out a field and acquires it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard (pv 31:16).

Affirmation: I affirm your choices. We must make choices all the time. You picked, you acquired and you make fruitful from that which you have. You are self-directed, as you should be.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 13

She girds herself with strength; she exerts her arms with vigor (Pv 31:17).

Affirmation: I affirm as you self-direct, you strengthen yourself, build confidence in yourself and work with renewed vigor and strength. You are girt, surrounded, secure and prepared to master your life.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 14

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs at the days to come (Pv 31:25).

Affirmation: I affirm your dignity comes from God and in that strength you build strength. Soon, if not already, difficulties recede as the joy and laughter of life becomes your constant companion.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 15

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, too, praises her (Pv 31:28).

Affirmation: Children often delay their thanksgiving until later in life. I’m sorry that happens. But you rest assured, in the final analysis, you will be praised for your love and hard work. I affirm your children, spouse and all who know you will express awe in your personhood and praise you.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 16

She opens her mouth in wisdom; kindly instruction is on her tongue (Pv 31:26).

Affirmation: How often you bite your lip! So many things could have been said, even ‘should’ have been said but you chose wisdom, kindness. Your speaking-tongue is not a lash of punishment but a source of renewal.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 17

When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your mercy, LORD, holds me up. When cares increase within me, your comfort gives me joy (PS 94:18-19).

Affirmation: I affirm the Lord is present for you, helps you when you slip, and His comfort seems more real when the times are more difficult. His mercy is always present but we are more aware under duress.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 18

When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you (Jn 16:21-22).

Affirmation: My favorite. I reflect on this so much in awe. Pain becomes an echo without sound in the presence of new life. I affirm your joy of Motherhood shall never pass from you and always be present for you.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 19

Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Gen 1:26a-27).

Affirmation: This Old Testament passage expressed the worth of human beings who have value in themselves (NABRE commentary). There is no separation of you from God. Life may feel that way but there is no distance between you and God.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 20

Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a pure heart (1 PTR 1:22).

Affirmation: I affirm love is strong in you. The obedience of truth and love is mocked by the world. You go right on loving! Intensely. Purely. Allow the gravitas of love to overcome the world.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 21

To the LORD who spoke to her she gave a name, saying, “You are God who sees me”; she meant, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after he saw me?” (Gen 16:13).

Affirmation: I affirm in you the twin message of this sacred Scripture. God sees me as God is my protection – he understands all my needs. It also means I live in the presence of God. Hagar was the first to name God: El-ro’i at the place of Beer-lahai-roi (the well of the living sight).

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 22

So she put the child down under one of the bushes, and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away; for she said to herself, “I cannot watch the child die.” As she sat opposite him, she wept aloud. God heard the boy’s voice, and God’s angel called to Hagar from heaven: “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear; God has heard the boy’s voice in this plight of his. Get up, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink (Gen 21:15-19).

Affirmation: I affirm you are like Hagar, wise to hand over your child to the Lord. However the difficulty comes, the solution is surrender. Let the boy drink of life. Be at peace.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 23

Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home (Jn 19:27).

Affirmation: I affirm, Mother, your person has the attention of the entire Church. Jesus himself will not leave his Mother, any Mother, alone and without aid. Yet, even more deeply, done so in the unity of family. Do not fear for your children. You will always have a beautify place in the home of the heart of your children. Behold, your Son. Behold, you are Mother.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 24

With all vigilance guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life (Pv 4:23).

Affirmation: Even as you progress in these affirmations the temptation to return to Stinkin’ Thinkin’ is very strong. It takes effort to reject the negative echoes bouncing around in the mind and bruising the heart. No to all that. I affirm your efforts to guard your heart. Flee from the devil and this enticement. Instead restore the natural creation of your hormones from healthy sources of thought and actions. Pray and stay.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 25

Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.” (Jas 4:15).

Affirmation: Plan, consider options and make decisions. This is your right. In all this planning and consideration, conditio Jacobaea, ‘If the Lord wills it’, is not a statement of resignation and futility but of fruitfulness and abundance. I affirm you plan, consider and make the best decisions you can. Now rest in these decisions. Especially in regards to children. Allow the will of the Lord to bless your fruitfulness and abundance.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 26

“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Saint Francis of Assisi.

Affirmation: Saint Francis of Assisi took the commandment of love to degrees I can only imagine. But I affirm in you that you are on a path similar to his. The Salting of Fire, which Jesus promised, is working in you. Francis gives you today this simple advice. “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 27

Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who  spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered (Jas 5:10-11a). After he had prayed for his friends… Thus the LORD blessed the later days of Job more than his earlier ones. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; and he saw his children, his grandchildren, and even his great-grandchildren. Then Job died, old and full of years. (Job 42:10b, 12a, 16-17).

Affirmation: I affirm you have experienced many hardships and need to be very patient with so many in your life. Pray for them. The Lord knows and will restore to you all that is good.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 28

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Ptr 4:8).

Affirmation: I affirm your loving heart for all those in your life. It is clear you have allowed your love to be intense even as others bruise and harm. Your love is not wasted! Forgiveness comes and reconciliation is an eventuality. Don’t seek bruises but if they come, love through them.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 29

Sisters: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:14-16)

Affirmation: Be freed from all fear. I affirm you are favored by the Lord.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 30

Jesus, looking at him, loved him. For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God. (MK 10:21, 27).

Affirmation: I affirm you attempt the impossible every day. Managing a household and children day in and day out is not easy. From the gospel message remember, Jesus looks at you, loves you, and calls you into the divine-human friendship. In that friendship all things are possible.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 31

Live your life in mutual charity … for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. Aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands. (1 Thes 4:9-11)

Affirmation: Being triggered is an instinctive response. I affirm you try to live your life in mutual charity even when some attempt to trigger you as if for amusement.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 32

Behold, you desire true sincerity; and secretly you teach me wisdom (PS 51:8)

Affirmation: I affirm your sincerity. Sincerity is the beginning of wisdom. Continue to ask your questions and wisdom will blossom within you.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 33

But the LORD said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

Affirmation: Empowered by grace and healed with mercy, I affirm your future and your right to look in the heart of all you have business with or personal relationships. Choose wisely.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Concluding Reflection and Prayer

These thirty-three days are similar to the thirty-three years of Jesus incarnate. Each day brings a new awareness and trust that you matter, your efforts are remembered and your personhood is restored in the life of Christ.

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy (LK 1:44). Like the Blessed Mother, when the sound of your greetings reach my ears, the ‘infant’ in me leaps for Joy. Have confidence in your feminine genius, a whole gift of God.

Let us pray.

Almighty everlasting God, who by means of the blessed Virgin Mary’s childbearing has given every Christian mother joy, even in her pains of bringing forth her child; look kindly on this servant of yours who has come in gladness to your holy dwelling to offer her thanks. And grant that after this life, through the merits and prayers of that same blessed Mary, she and her child may be deemed worthy of attaining the happiness of everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

(Source: https://latinmassbaptism.com/churching-of-women/ )

Peace be with you,

Deacon Gerry