Introduction

Happy feast of the Epiphany and welcome to my blog!

I am a college student in my early twenties, and I am an aspiring consecrated virgin in the Roman Catholic Church.

Consecrated virginity in the world (as described in canon 604 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law) is the oldest form of consecrated life in the Church. It dates back to apostolic times, when Christian woman would freely renounce marriage in order to belong more completely to Christ, and to serve as a witness to the reality of a future life with God in heaven, where "no one is married or given in marriage".

A liturgical rite was developed early in the Church's history to bestow solemn consecration upon women who had this vocation. However, with the development of religious orders, this rite came to be restricted to women in cloistered monasteries.

This changed when the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium called for a revision of the rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity. After about 1,500 years, it was once again possible for a woman who lived "in the world" (i.e., apart from a religious community) to be consecrated. The renewed rite was promulgated in 1970, and the new Code of Canon Law, written in 1983, made a legal provision for the existence of this state in life.

So in my life today, I am trying to respond to a vocation which is an ancient Christian tradition, and at the same time also something of a modern development!

Due to the "newness" and relative rarity of this form of consecrated life, I have often felt frustrated in trying to find information and resources which could have provided support for me in my discernment.

I decided to start this blog in order to share both my personal reflections and experiences, as well as to publish some of the fruits of my research. My intention is to assist other people who could benefit from an honest, thoughtful discussion of consecrated virginity. I also hope encourage a more widespread appreciation for the beauty and value of this vocation.

My title, "Sponsa Christi" is Latin for "Spouse of Christ"--an expression which encapsulates the nature of a call to consecrated life for women.

I hope that my efforts help (in at least some small way) to make God better known and loved.