Bible
Study: 1ST Corinthians 15, 12
to 20 and Luke 8, 1 to 3.
Today’s
Gospel passage specifically mentions the fact that there were certain women who
accompanied Jesus in the course of his missionary enterprise. These women were
not simply part of the crowd, there played a very important role as far as the
success of Jesus’ ministry is concerned. They provided what is called STOMACH
INFRASTRUCTURE. Luke says “they provided for them (Jesus and his disciples) out
of their means.”
From my
personal experience, I have come to see that without proper nutrition, it is
almost impossible to do the work of God as a human being. No one can fast for a
whole year and still have the energy to go from place to place spreading the
Good news. However, there is a tendency to underestimate the role that these
women played for Jesus. There is a strong tendency to assume that the role of
the disciples is greater than that of the women.
The truth
is that both the women who provided for Jesus and the men who were his
disciples can be likened to the various parts of the human body. There is a
tendency to assume the head is more important than the finger or that the eyes
play more function than the toes. The fact that one part of the body is more
visible than the other does not mean it is more important.
This is to
say that the function of the women who accompanied Jesus is just as important
as that of the men. And the fact that women are not ordained priests does not
mean that they are less important than priests. In the eyes of God, all who
work for the kingdom (whether visibly or invisibly) are equals. On the last
day, we all are going to receive the same one denarius and no one will have a
right to complain.
It is
quite interesting that one of these women who accompanied Jesus became the
first person to witness the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Mary Magdalene
today is known as the Apostle to the Apostles. And because of this role she
played at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, no one can deny the resurrection.
In today’s first reading, St. Paul makes us understand that if Christ had not
risen from the dead, then Christianity as a whole is just a lie and we are most
to be pitied. The whole enterprise of our faith rests on the solid foundation
that Christ died and rose from the dead; a feat that only God can accomplish
meaning that it was God himself who lived among men in the person of Christ,
who then died and defeated death itself by rising.
Dear
friends, as far as the work of God is concerned, there is no need to look down
on the function anyone is playing. We all have different callings but I bet you
none is more important than the other. Even my function as the priest in the
church is not more important than that of the Legionary who comes early to
clean the pews in the church. The fact that one’s function is visible does not
make it greater than that of another.
It was
Albert Einstein who said: “If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth,
man would only have four years left to live.” This is just an example of how
roles could be different yet complementary. We are not going to ask some human
beings to turn into bees in other to keep other humans alive neither are we going
to ask bees to change to human being. Everyone’s role is different but we all
need each other. I do not believe that it is only when women are ordained that
there would be equality between men and women because even now, the functions
of women in the church are just as important as that of men. Take away all the
women from the church and I bet you that in a few seconds, the church itself
would cease to exist.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, give me the grace to play my role for your kingdom and never look down
or despise the function of others. Amen.
May the
martyrs Cornelius and Cyprian who served the church during a period of great
persecution intercede for us today as we too experience trials in our faith.
Amen
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu
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