The importance of women in Jesus’s ministry

Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (8: 1-3), which names some of the women who were with Jesus and his disciples as they travelled in their ministry.

Fr Paul says, in Gospel times, how women are perceived or even taken into consideration is a role that falls to the writer of Luke and the writings of Paul.  He says when you look at the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John there is little room for women in their world.

Fr Paul continues saying, what is beautiful about Luke is that the thoughts and feelings of women are brought into prominence. Through Luke, we need to remember that women were not just a support group when Jesus travelled. In Luke, for example, Mary of Magdala, who he writes of in today’s Gospel, is the first to witness the Resurrection.

In Paul, Paul chose Phoebe to carry his letter to the Romans to Corinth.

For each of these people, women very much shared in the apostolate.

Today for our reflection, Fr Paul invites us to pray that the thoughts and feelings of the women in our lives, in our church and in our world are always considered and made prominent. We also pray that women always hold positions of prominence in our church and in our community.