Ah, yes, "Jane the Virgin." The popular TV show on Netflix at the moment. To keep it brief, Jane is a young woman who comes from a Venezuelan family. The show's main kicker is that Jane is a pregnant virgin (she was accidentally artificially inseminated by her child's father's sister... yes it's confusing). Basically, the story follows Jane and her family, child, love life, friends, you name it. Once you start watching, trust me, you can't stop. However, one of Jane's (and her family's) main identities is being Catholic.
Here are some times that "Jane the Virgin" is all too relatable for a Catholic girl.
Having a grandmother who is the most holy person you know.
GiphyYour grandmother is one of the best people you know, and one of the holiest people you know as well. She goes to church about once every single day and will always pray for you, your friends and your family no matter what is going on in her life. She is your faith life aspiration. Jane's grandmother is the holy figure in her life that keeps her on the right track. Without her abuela, Jane would not be who she is. I think all of us can relate to that.
You are taught you have to save yourself for marriage.
GiphyWell, this is one of the major plots of the TV show, as can be told by the title of it. Jane promises her grandma that she will wait until marriage after her grandma gifts her a flower that represents her virginity. To the day she gets married, Jane keeps that promise to herself and her grandmother. This is something that most Catholic girls live with. Many of us have chosen to wait until marriage and are forced to face the consequences of that decision. More on that in just a second.
Having to deal with the reaction from the guy when you tell them you are saving yourself.
GiphyThis .gif embodies how many guys in the show reacted to when Jane explained that she was waiting until marriage. Sure, guys should be considerate and not overreact to this news. But often this was a deal breaker in many of Jane's relationships. And if that's not a mood, I don't know what is. Note to guys out there, please be considerate of a woman's choice!
Knowing real far in advance that you are going to raise your family Catholic.
GiphyJane knew she would bring up her child Catholic and bring him to church with her. However, this was often not what the father of her child wanted. But yet, she persisted. This is something that many girls who are Catholic know to be true. Let's face it, we know that we are going to want our kids to be Catholic, too. So here we are, trying to find a Catholic boy so that we can just both raise our kids the way we both want. *Sigh.* That's easier said than done.
When Jane said that Catholic school was the worst time of her life.
GiphyOK, maybe I wouldn't say it was the ~worst~ time of my life, but I wouldn't say it was my shining moment. I think all of us who went to Catholic school can relate to Jane when she says that Catholic school was pretty bad. The girls were petty, the skirts had to be to our knees (come on, that's just not how most of us prefer our skirts), the lunches were bad and overall it was just the longest 10 years of our lives. But hey, at least we had some values instilled in us!
Knowing that we can always lean on God.
GiphyThis is a huge part of our identity as it is for Jane. In times of hardship, Jane often finds herself falling on her relationship with the Lord. I often find myself doing this, too. Like Jane, I would not be as strongly rooted as I am without God.
The pre-marriage counseling
Jane and Michael (Jane's husband) had to go through many rounds of this one. In the Catholic church, it is advised to always do pre-marriage counseling with a priest. This helps you to grow closer to your spouse while also growing in the Church. Naturally, Jane's husband did not understand the importance as much as Jane, but he still went. Any Catholic bride knows the struggle of marriage counseling but also the roaring benefits!
Even though "Jane the Virgin" is a relatable TV show for all types of people, it is simply extra relatable for all of us Catholic women out there. If you haven't watched it yet, please do! You will not be disappointed. I have honestly never been more hooked onto a TV show in my life.
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