Recently, I have been inundated with reminders of the instinctive and essential role women play in carrying out the work of the Church in the monotony of daily life. The PTO president calls, wondering where they can distribute extra donations from the school food drive. A friend coordinates rides within the community to ensure that all children make it to school safely. A neighbor shovels the driveway of her elderly neighbors every time it snows. And a dear woman coordinates a meal train for the family who has been in the hospital, while another offers her basement to a struggling single mom.
This will surprise no one: These acts of service form the fabric of community among women.
One of the things I love most about Jesus is His particular tenderness toward the hearts of women. It is evident in the natural inclusion of women in stories scattered throughout Scripture and the life of the Church. Jesus knew, of course, that women would be integral in growing and sustaining the Christian community.
We see this in the woman at the well who made it her business to communicate to all she knew the identity of the One she met (see John 4:1-42), and in the widow who anonymously gave of her sustenance, yet Jesus took notice (see Mark 12:41-44). Or there is the woman who was misunderstood as brazen and forward when she anointed Jesus’ feet with her hair at Bethany, but the Lord recognized her lavish gift and proclaimed that she would always be remembered for her generosity (see Mark 14:3-9).
Domestic Work as the Work of the Church
Historically, domestic tasks like cooking and cleaning have fallen under the purview of women. But I wonder if these mundane responsibilities are actually a greater invitation.
In the times of Jesus, the cyclical bleeding of women would have made them (regularly) ritually unclean for temple worship, but perhaps this put them in greater contact with the vulnerable and ailing, growing their compassion. As a result, while their creativity and savviness kept their families clothed and fed, they were also in a unique position to serve and minister in places where men would not, could not have gone.
How interesting that as we look deeper into the life of the universal Church as well as the domestic church, the tasks of nourishing and cleansing are at the heart of Christ’s mission, mirroring the corporal works of mercy and the sacramental life. For instance, nourishing people could include offering hospitality to travelers, caring for the poor, or feeding an infant at the breast. Cleaning could look like any number of tasks, from keeping house and bathing children to caring for the ill and burying the dead.
Especially as Easter approaches, it is a timely opportunity to consider the particular role that women played in Jesus’ journey to the Cross. The Stations of the Cross devote three stations to Jesus’ interaction with women:
4. Jesus meets His mother
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
In addition, the evangelists of all four Gospels put women at the Foot of the Cross, and we should not be surprised to find them there. For it is clear that women had a significant presence in the life of Christ, especially at the moment of His greatest suffering, His Crucifixion.
The Myrrhbearers
Tradition holds that among Jesus’ disciples was a group of women so devoted to Jesus that they were named for being prepared to anoint His body for burial after the Crucifixion. These women, referred to as Myrrhbearers, or the ones carrying myrrh, are present at Jesus’ death with faithful intention of anointing Jesus’ body after Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea lay Him to rest in the tomb (see Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-3, and Luke 24:1).
The Myrrbearers’ feast day is celebrated on the third Sunday of Easter in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, and includes the following eight women:
Mary Magdalene //
Her presence at the Crucifixion is noted in all four Gospel accounts. She was a loyal follower of Jesus during His life and ministry. She has the unique distinction of being the Apostle to the Apostles, as she was the first to whom Jesus appeared after the Resurrection.
Mary, Mother of James the Less and Joses //
Found throughout the Gospels, this Mary is thought to be the wife of Clopas, an aunt of Jesus, and the mother of Saint James the Less.
Joanna //
She was the wife of Chuza, also a devoted follower of Jesus. Her financial support of Jesus’ ministry was essential during His life. But even more so, her presence at the Foot of the Cross demonstrated her loyalty to Jesus, even as His Apostles hid in despair.
Salome //
The mother of Saints James and John (sons of Zebedee) was intimately familiar with Jesus, given her sons’ proximity to the Messiah.
The Blessed Mother //
Jesus’ mother was present simply because there was nowhere else she would have been. We can only imagine how Simeon’s words must have flooded back to her: “a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35). Yet Mary does not abandon Jesus as He is handed over and crucified as a criminal. In John’s Gospel, we hear Jesus entrust Mary to the care of Saint John and vice versa (see John 19:26-27).
Susanna //
She is among the women who financially supported Jesus (see Luke 8:3). This noteworthy reference at a time when women would traditionally not have had the means to contribute suggests her great generosity toward Jesus’ ministry.
Mary and Martha of Bethany //
Close friends of Jesus, these two sisters witnessed the raising of their brother Lazarus and often hosted Jesus and His Apostles in their home.
The Blessing of Being Among Women
Throughout the Triduum and the entire year, it is an honor to be among the women invited to follow the Lord. We are uniquely poised to serve the Lord in our everyday circumstances, as we find companionship among these Biblical women whose generosity and compassion kept them near Jesus during His life and His death.
What a gift that the very act they expected to be their greatest sadness—anointing His body in burial—was soon transformed into their greatest joy on Easter Sunday!
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Katie Cassady is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She is a wife and mom to three little girls in Denver, CO. Steeped in theological reflection, beekeeping and motherhood, she is appreciative of any and all wisdom she can glean from those living intentional lives of faith. Find out more about her here. Read all of Katie's posts here.
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