Feast of St. Matthew

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Today is the feast of St. Matthew, named in the Gospels as one of Jesus’ apostles.  The Gospels tell us that Jesus picked twelve men as his closest companions who traveled with him and after his death & resurrection proclaimed the Good News of the reign of God everywhere.  But what about the women?  One of my favorite Gospel passages is Luke 8:1-3, which tells us that Jesus traveled with the twelve but also was accompanied by some women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna, and “many others” who provided for them out of their resources.  What an amazing thing in first century Palestine, where women were considered no more than possessions, to have Jesus treat them as partners in ministry.

For 2,000 years the Church has benefited from the ministry of women – as teachers, nurses, social workers, ministers of hospitality and many other ministries.  When Sister Geri and I do workshops with catechists, mainly women, I like to tell them that St. Martha is a great patron for catechists.  Not only was she a person of hospitality, but she was also a woman of great faith.  Catherine of Siena and Rose of Lima are examples of Dominican women who followed the call of being witnesses to the Gospel.  

How is Jesus calling you to minister among God’s people?

Georgia Acker, OP   -  Bowling Green, KY

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