Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities. // Luke 8:2
Every time we as women have felt badly treated by our society, within our work environments, or even amongst our peers, we need to re-hear the words of today’s Gospel.
The life and teaching of Jesus was meant for all of us. But not only did Jesus preach to everyone, He also included women amongst His closest disciples. In the time and culture of Jesus, the roles of women were very narrow, and their class within society very much second to that of men. But Jesus eradicates these human constructions by healing women, casting out evil spirits from them, and even relying upon them to sustain His ministry as He traveled preaching and healing.
The reality of the Gospel and Christ’s love for women is a healthy reminder for me. I may live in the twenty-first century and suffer from far fewer instances of discrimination and ill treatment because I am a woman than previous generations, but I still need the truth of my personhood as a woman being dearly loved and valued by Jesus spoken to my heart.
Women closely followed Christ as His disciples while He was alive, and were the first to intimately see His Body resurrected. Saint Paul’s emphasis on the importance of the bodily resurrection is vital to our faith, and in turn vital to how we as women both receive and reveal God to the world. Our identity as women is more than just our equality to men, but each of us have a special and beautiful vocation to bring Christ to the world.
How can you bring Christ to the world today, in your life, work, and relationships?