Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Brothers and sisters:
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then neither has Christ been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching;
empty, too, your faith.
Then we are also false witnesses to God,
because we testified against God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 17:1BCD, 6-7, 8B AND 15
R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings,
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Gospel: Luke 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.
NAB
The Gospel is short today, and at first glance, kind of boring? (Sorry, Saint Luke! Promise I'm getting there . . . . )
Aside from the shocking revelation of the seven demons who had gone out from Mary Magdalene, it appears to be merely a brief detail about where Jesus was going and who He was going there with.
What's interesting, to me, in this moment, is the very last line. Saint Luke mentions that these women, who had been miraculously cured of illness of body and soul by Our Lord, were dedicating their resources to the advancement of His mission.
This shows us, then, that the natural response to an encounter with Jesus, an encounter that leaves us forever changed and forever saved, should result in the free offering of our entire lives to Him and His Kingdom. Every piece of our lives: our hearts, our time, our gifts, and our material resources.
Can we take it a step further? We live in a time when false feminist ideals claim that equality = exact sameness in all things. As a result, Christianity is often scoffed at for being "purely patriarchal" or "anti-female." I find it intriguing, then, that the God of the universe found women strong, capable, and worthy enough to be charged with caring for His earthly needs during the most pivotal moments of His public ministry. The women "provided for them out of their resources," meaning Jesus and His Apostles relied on them. These women who had been so radically transformed by the truth and beauty of Christ were entrusted with advancing His Kingdom, too. Jesus relied on them in legitimate ways that can only lead to a conclusion of His confidence in them.
Although we all serve the Kingdom in different capacities, we are all of utmost significance.
Today, let's remember that we serve a monumental purpose. As Catholics, may our encounters with Jesus lead us to dedicate our whole selves to Him. As Catholic women, may we take our roles in the advancement of the Kingdom of God as seriously as Jesus does.
Olivia Spears is a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. You can find out more about her here.
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