Advice for women

[Brighid]

I am a catechumen and I have some questions which are specific to marriage and women's issues. I have searched the internet for answers and have found some vague answers but for the most part, it seems hard to find the advice I'm looking for. Everything I'm willing to ask my priest or his wife (or other ladies at church), has been covered. Where do women go to find answers to these sorts of questions?

 

[Hermit76]

I am a catechumen and I have some questions which are specific to marriage and women's issues. I have searched the internet for answers and have found some vague answers but for the most part, it seems hard to find the advice I'm looking for. Everything I'm willing to ask my priest or his wife (or other ladies at church), has been covered. Where do women go to find answers to these sorts of questions?

Honestly we talk to our Priest and Matushka about everything. No need to be embarrassed at all. That is pretty normal since your priest is usually your confessor and you tell them everything anyway

 

[Brighid]

Honestly we talk to our Priest and Matushka about everything. No need to be embarrassed at all. That is pretty normal since your priest is usually your confessor and you tell them everything anyway

Ok, thank you!

 

[archer75]

Make friends, or get friendly, with an Orthodox woman online? If there's stuff you can't talk to your priest and matushka about for whatever reason...try that?

 

[ChristianGirl_96]

Seek out other women online?

 

[ArmyMatt]

this might sound odd, but talk to an abbess as well.

 

[Brighid]

this might sound odd, but talk to an abbess as well.

I was thinking of this. It would be a good reason to go and visit.

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

I second the opinions to just ask your priest. I used to be quite shy about asking certain things until I realized he's truly heard and seen it all, the problems that make me nervous are so not a big deal to him.

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

If you are looking for websites, podcasts, books etc about Orthodoxy from women's POV's, I will say it does seem few and far between. If I'm wrong, hopefully someone will provide us both with materials... so far, I've leaned heavily on studying the lives of female saints.

 

[Brighid]

I second the opinions to just ask your priest. I used to be quite shy about asking certain things until I realized he's truly heard and seen it all, the problems that make me nervous are so not a big deal to him.

Yeah, I'm thinking if I don't have answers by the time I'm ready for my life confession, I might as well go for it then, since I'm going to be talking about things I don't want to talk about anyway.

 

[Brighid]

If you are looking for websites, podcasts, books etc about Orthodoxy from women's POV's, I will say it does seem few and far between. If I'm wrong, hopefully someone will provide us both with materials... so far, I've leaned heavily on studying the lives of female saints.

It really is surprising how much less material there is from women. I have started listening to some of the recordings from the nun Macrina. Frederica Matthewes Green has also been a great source!

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

I have started listening to some of the recordings from the nun Macrina.

Do you have a link or two that I could check out? I'm not sure who this is.

 

[Brighid]

Do you have a link or two that I could check out? I'm not sure who this is.

Homilies based on talks by Gerondissa Macrina:
Gerondissa Makrina - YouTube
I'm not sure if the story of her life is on this playlist. I heard it once and can't find it. Saint Ephraim of Arizona... said that she had the clearest nous of anyone he had ever met!

 

[Brighid]

Homilies based on talks by Gerondissa Macrina:
Gerondissa Makrina - YouTube
I'm not sure if the story of her life is on this playlist. I heard it once and can't find it. Saint Ephraim of Arizona... said that she had the clearest nous of anyone he had ever met!

I just found this link:
https://orthochristian.com/104089.html

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

Homilies based on talks by Gerondissa Macrina:
Gerondissa Makrina - YouTube
I'm not sure if the story of her life is on this playlist. I heard it once and can't find it. Saint Ephraim of Arizona... said that she had the clearest nous of anyone he had ever met!

Awesome! Thanks much, I've never heard of either of these ladies but I'll definitely learn!

An Orthodox priest on YouTube I really like said in one of his videos that we (worldly Orthodox, including catechumens presumably) should try to read the lives of modern day saints more than ancient ones so that's what I've been trying to do lately. FWIW I'm learning a lot about Blessed Olga Michael of Alaska (not yet a saint but most likely she will be, eventually) at the moment; a modern, contemporary Orthodox wife and mother. Maybe her life can help you if you're not familiar with her yet?

ETA: wife and mother, not wife and priest as i accidentally wrote. Lol

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

 

[Brighid]

Awesome! Thanks much, I've never heard of either of these ladies but I'll definitely learn!

An Orthodox priest on YouTube I really like said in one of his videos that we (worldly Orthodox, including catechumens presumably) should try to read the lives of modern day saints more than ancient ones so that's what I've been trying to do lately. FWIW I'm learning a lot about Blessed Olga Michael of Alaska (not yet a saint but most likely she will be, eventually) at the moment; a modern, contemporary Orthodox wife and priest. Maybe her life can help you if you're not familiar with her yet?

I hadn't heard of her, thanks! The modern saints are certainly more relatable for me!

 

[Brighid]

Not that I can relate to being at all saintly, lol...you know what I mean!
Here is an interview with Frederica Matthews Greene, she is wonderful!

 

[OrthodoxWanderer]

Someone gifted this to me during my catechumenate

https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Orthodox-Church-Introduction-Christianity/dp/1557259216

Which, if you haven't read yet, is well worth it.

 

[Brighid]

Great story about Matushka Olga!