May 5 Fri
Women in the Church - In all the stages of Jesus’ activity, he is surrounded by the new family that he gathers by his proclamation and his action. It was intended to be universal: It no longer rests on birth, but on communion with Jesus. Jesus calls an inner core of people specially chosen by him, who are to carry out his mission and give this family order and shape”.

The Gospel also shows us some women who accompanied Jesus and served him with their goods (cf. Lk 8, 3). The women who accompany him look after both our Lord and his disciples (cf. Lk 8, 1-3; Mt 27, 55; Lk 23, 49) and they follow him to the Cross. This is how the sisters in Bethany also behaved in the same way (Lk 10, 38-42) and before that the Blessed Virgin in Nazareth.

There were certain women who were very close to the Master (Lk 10, 39). Beside our Lady they experienced the great privilege and joy of looking after Christ himself and his apostles. And Jesus showed his gratitude with special attentions: he calls them by their name (Lk 10, 41), he lets them interact with him with great simplicity and confidence; he demands great faith of them and makes them share in his mission.

The evangelists have transmitted to us the important role they have at the time of the Resurrection of Jesus, an indication of their responsibility regarding the life of the Christian community and the propagation of the faith (Mt 28, 8 and Lk 24, 9).

The presence of the Blessed Virgin among them sets a high spiritual and human tone. (Jn 19, 25). The role of these women is lived in a context that is clearly biblical: the community of disciples that Jesus gathers together is his “true family”. This community constitutes the seed and beginning of the Church as family of God on earth and mystery of communion.

Our Lady gave human life to God, helped him to grow and cared for the Son of God as man in his human and spiritual needs. Jesus Christ entrusted mankind to the Virgin as her children (Jn 19, 26) and the specific mission of Mary is precisely that of being Mother of Christ and of men. Those holy women shared a particular mission with our Lady: that of caring for Christ and his intimate circle.