Weekly THIS AND THAT for March 21, 2010: Jesus' Inclusion of Women As Disciples

This and That:
Choosing the Better Part
Jesus’ Inclusion of Women As Disciples


Our Lenten Family Friday series this year is featuring the Gospel of Luke, which shows us that Jesus’ call is universal. Luke gives a special place to women in his Gospel account. Luke’s vision of Jesus’ interaction with women is part of his theology of the universality of salvation.

In the Infancy Narrative, Luke introduces us to a number of women who are in relationship with God and who are called to play an important role in the Incarnation:

➢ Mary – a young woman whose faith makes her “highly favored” by God and chosen to be the mother of our Savior

➢ Elizabeth – an old woman who has also been favored by God and who “recognizes” the presence of the Lord in Mary

➢ Anna – a woman who spends her days in the temple and who recognizes the Messiah in the child brought by Mary and Joseph to be presented to God

As Luke describes the ministry of Jesus, he writes about a number of women who are
disciples of Jesus:

➢ Woman who washes Jesus’ feet (Luke 7: 31 – 50) demonstrates relationship with him – sorrow, gratitude, hospitality

➢ Mary and Martha (Luke 10: 38 – 42) demonstrate that women are called to be disciples

➢ Women are mentioned as following Jesus, along with the Twelve, and providing for them out of their resources (Luke 8: 1 – 3)

➢ Women at the crucifixion
o Women of Jerusalem on the way of the cross (Luke 23: 27 – 31)
o At the cross – women who had followed him from Galilee (Luke 23: 49)

➢ Women are first witnesses to the resurrection – announce the good news to the Eleven (Luke 24: 1 – 12)

➢ Women are among the disciples gathered in the upper room at the time of Pentecost (Acts 1: 14)


CHOOSING THE BETTER PART

The example of Mary and Martha is seen as the primary example of Jesus endorsing a woman as a disciple. Martha is distressed because Mary is not helping her with “women’s work.” Mary has taken the position of a disciple, sitting at the master’s feet and listening to his teaching. As he answers Martha’s distress, Jesus says that Mary “has chosen the better part.”


WOMEN DISCIPLES IN THE
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

We have in our tradition great women saints along with great men saints. There are three women saints who have also been declared Doctors of the Church: Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Catherine of Sienna and Saint Therese of Lisieux. This title is given to a saint from whose writings the whole Church has derived great advantage and to whom “eminent learning” and “great sanctity” have been attributed by a proclamation of a pope.


WOMEN AS DISCIPLES TODAY

Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960’s, many leadership and ministry roles in the church have opened up to women. Currently, we find women in the ministries of: Theology Professor, Canon Lawyer, Pastoral Life Director, Pastoral Associate, Director of Religious Education, Catechist, Pastoral Care Minister, Spiritual Director, Diocesan Chancellor, Parish Corporator, Advocate in Marriage Tribunal, director of a hospital or social service agency, member of Curial Office at the Vatican.

Whether we are women or men, we can all look at how we may limit our ability to be a disciple of Jesus by saying to ourselves, “I can’t do that (ministry, volunteer work) because I am _______.” If we find ourselves thinking along this line, we need to reflect on Luke’s story of Martha and Mary and hear Jesus say, “choose the better part.”

Blessings,

Sister Mary Therese