Introduction
Once again, the world is celebrating the International Women’s Day this year on 09 March. The reasons behind celebrating this day is to extol and to acknowledge the tremendous contributions the women have made towards the welfare of the society. It is also the day to celebrate the economic, political, religious and social achievements of women past, present and future. At the same time it goes without saying that women are systematically discriminated in our country. In fact, it is the basic attitude towards women that prompts one to give due recognition to them.
International Women’s Day 09 March 2011
Nevertheless, it is the bounden task of each woman to establish her stand in this power crazy world. Even though everyone admires the women of different caliber, it is when the women excel in their spiritual realm, their real eminence and role emerge. At this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women imbued with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid humanity in not falling. In this regard, it is apt to share some views on women in the light of the Bible.
Meaning of the Image and Likeness of God
The Book of Genesis 1: 27 says: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This passage transmits a basic truth, that is, human being is the high point of the whole order of creation and that man and woman are the crown of creation. It means both man and women are human beings to an equal degree. They are created in the image of God. The man and woman pass on this image and likeness of God, as spouses and parents, to their descendants in tune with God’s commandment: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).
Jesus and Women
Apart from the Old Testament, when we analyze the life of Jesus, we clearly recognize the importance of women. Various women appear along the path of the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. “The disciples marveled that he was talking with a woman” (Jn. 4:27), because this behavior differed from that of his contemporaries. The Pharisee to whose house the sinful woman went to anoint Jesus’ feet with perfumed oil said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner’ (Lk. 7:39). By speaking and acting in this way, Jesus made it clear that He was a witness of God's eternal plan for the human being, created in his own image and likeness as man and woman.
Women in the Gospel
As we search the pages of the Gospel, many women, of different ages and conditions, pass before our eyes. We meet women with illnesses or physical sufferings, such as the one who had “a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years” (Lk. 13:11); or Simon's mother-in-law, who “lay sick with a fever” (Mk. 1:30); or the woman “who had a flow of blood” (Mk. 5:25-34). Each of them was healed. Then there is the daughter of Jairus, whom Jesus brings back to life, saying to her tenderly, “Little girl, I say to you, rise” (Mk. 5:41). There is also the widow of Naim, whose only son Jesus brings back to life. Finally there is the Canaanite woman, whom Christ extols for her faith, her humility and for that greatness of spirit of which only a mother's heart is capable (Mt. 15:28). Sometimes the women whom Jesus met and who received so many graces from him, also accompanied him as he journeyed with the Apostles through the towns and villages, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God; and they “provided for them out of their means.” (cf. Lk. 8:1-3). In all of Jesus’ teaching, as well as in his behavior one can find nothing, which reflects the discrimination against women prevalent in his day. On the contrary, his words and works always express the respect and honor due to women.
The Woman Caught in Adultery
Through the episode of the woman “caught in adultery” (cf. Jn. 8:3-11), the habitual discrimination against women in favor of men is particularly eloquent. In fact, the episode recorded in the Gospel of John is repeated in countless similar situations in every period of history. Woman is often abandoned with her pregnancy, when the man, the child's father, is unwilling to accept responsibility for it. Besides, many unwed mothers in our society get rid of the child before it is born. They do it unwillingly because of various pressures that are laid on them. The attitude of Jesus in the episode described in (Jn. 8: 3-11) is significant. Consequently each man must look within himself to see whether she who was entrusted to him as a sister in humanity, as a spouse, has not become in his heart an object of adultery. Men need to see that women are the co-subjects of their existence in the world. They should, in no way, make use of them as an object of pleasure, of exploitation.
Women: The First Witnesses of the Resurrection
Oftentimes we see the sensitivity of women taking the prime importance when it comes to Jesus and his ministry. In fact this sensitivity is a special characteristic of femininity. This is especially confirmed in the Paschal Mystery, not only at the Cross, but also at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear: "He is not here. He has risen, as he said" (Mt 28:6). They are the first to embrace his feet (cf. Mt 28:9). They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:1-10; Lk 24:8-11).
Motherhood of Women
Motherhood is the fruit of the marriage union of a man and woman, which corresponds to the "union of the two in one flesh" (cf. Gen 2:24). This mutual gift of the person in marriage opens to the gift of a new life. Motherhood implies from the beginning a special openness to the new person. And this is precisely the woman's "part." In this openness, in conceiving and giving birth to a child, the woman "discovers herself through a sincere gift of self."
Conclusion
“If you knew the gift of God” (Jn 4:10), Jesus says to the Samaritan woman during one of those remarkable conversations. Every women need to recognize, within the gift of God, what God has entrusted to them. In the Spirit of Christ every women can discover the entire meaning of their femininity. Thus they can be disposed to make a sincere gift of self to others. In this way, they identify and find themselves. As the world honors women today, it is a day to thank God for the gift of each and every woman: for mothers, for sisters, for wives; and for women consecrated to God in virginity. It is also the day for women in the kitchen, in the professional field, and who are burdened by a great social responsibility. It is a day for perfect and weak women. It is all the more a significant day every women, because all women come from the heart of God in all the beauty of their beauty and richness of femininity. Hence together with men, may each women share the common responsibility of transforming our world into a definitive destiny that is beneficial for all.
Once again, the world is celebrating the International Women’s Day this year on 09 March. The reasons behind celebrating this day is to extol and to acknowledge the tremendous contributions the women have made towards the welfare of the society. It is also the day to celebrate the economic, political, religious and social achievements of women past, present and future. At the same time it goes without saying that women are systematically discriminated in our country. In fact, it is the basic attitude towards women that prompts one to give due recognition to them.
International Women’s Day 09 March 2011
Nevertheless, it is the bounden task of each woman to establish her stand in this power crazy world. Even though everyone admires the women of different caliber, it is when the women excel in their spiritual realm, their real eminence and role emerge. At this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women imbued with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid humanity in not falling. In this regard, it is apt to share some views on women in the light of the Bible.
Meaning of the Image and Likeness of God
The Book of Genesis 1: 27 says: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This passage transmits a basic truth, that is, human being is the high point of the whole order of creation and that man and woman are the crown of creation. It means both man and women are human beings to an equal degree. They are created in the image of God. The man and woman pass on this image and likeness of God, as spouses and parents, to their descendants in tune with God’s commandment: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).
Jesus and Women
Apart from the Old Testament, when we analyze the life of Jesus, we clearly recognize the importance of women. Various women appear along the path of the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. “The disciples marveled that he was talking with a woman” (Jn. 4:27), because this behavior differed from that of his contemporaries. The Pharisee to whose house the sinful woman went to anoint Jesus’ feet with perfumed oil said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner’ (Lk. 7:39). By speaking and acting in this way, Jesus made it clear that He was a witness of God's eternal plan for the human being, created in his own image and likeness as man and woman.
Women in the Gospel
As we search the pages of the Gospel, many women, of different ages and conditions, pass before our eyes. We meet women with illnesses or physical sufferings, such as the one who had “a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years” (Lk. 13:11); or Simon's mother-in-law, who “lay sick with a fever” (Mk. 1:30); or the woman “who had a flow of blood” (Mk. 5:25-34). Each of them was healed. Then there is the daughter of Jairus, whom Jesus brings back to life, saying to her tenderly, “Little girl, I say to you, rise” (Mk. 5:41). There is also the widow of Naim, whose only son Jesus brings back to life. Finally there is the Canaanite woman, whom Christ extols for her faith, her humility and for that greatness of spirit of which only a mother's heart is capable (Mt. 15:28). Sometimes the women whom Jesus met and who received so many graces from him, also accompanied him as he journeyed with the Apostles through the towns and villages, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God; and they “provided for them out of their means.” (cf. Lk. 8:1-3). In all of Jesus’ teaching, as well as in his behavior one can find nothing, which reflects the discrimination against women prevalent in his day. On the contrary, his words and works always express the respect and honor due to women.
The Woman Caught in Adultery
Through the episode of the woman “caught in adultery” (cf. Jn. 8:3-11), the habitual discrimination against women in favor of men is particularly eloquent. In fact, the episode recorded in the Gospel of John is repeated in countless similar situations in every period of history. Woman is often abandoned with her pregnancy, when the man, the child's father, is unwilling to accept responsibility for it. Besides, many unwed mothers in our society get rid of the child before it is born. They do it unwillingly because of various pressures that are laid on them. The attitude of Jesus in the episode described in (Jn. 8: 3-11) is significant. Consequently each man must look within himself to see whether she who was entrusted to him as a sister in humanity, as a spouse, has not become in his heart an object of adultery. Men need to see that women are the co-subjects of their existence in the world. They should, in no way, make use of them as an object of pleasure, of exploitation.
Women: The First Witnesses of the Resurrection
Oftentimes we see the sensitivity of women taking the prime importance when it comes to Jesus and his ministry. In fact this sensitivity is a special characteristic of femininity. This is especially confirmed in the Paschal Mystery, not only at the Cross, but also at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear: "He is not here. He has risen, as he said" (Mt 28:6). They are the first to embrace his feet (cf. Mt 28:9). They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:1-10; Lk 24:8-11).
Motherhood of Women
Motherhood is the fruit of the marriage union of a man and woman, which corresponds to the "union of the two in one flesh" (cf. Gen 2:24). This mutual gift of the person in marriage opens to the gift of a new life. Motherhood implies from the beginning a special openness to the new person. And this is precisely the woman's "part." In this openness, in conceiving and giving birth to a child, the woman "discovers herself through a sincere gift of self."
Conclusion
“If you knew the gift of God” (Jn 4:10), Jesus says to the Samaritan woman during one of those remarkable conversations. Every women need to recognize, within the gift of God, what God has entrusted to them. In the Spirit of Christ every women can discover the entire meaning of their femininity. Thus they can be disposed to make a sincere gift of self to others. In this way, they identify and find themselves. As the world honors women today, it is a day to thank God for the gift of each and every woman: for mothers, for sisters, for wives; and for women consecrated to God in virginity. It is also the day for women in the kitchen, in the professional field, and who are burdened by a great social responsibility. It is a day for perfect and weak women. It is all the more a significant day every women, because all women come from the heart of God in all the beauty of their beauty and richness of femininity. Hence together with men, may each women share the common responsibility of transforming our world into a definitive destiny that is beneficial for all.
Fr. Loyola Antony
St. Joseph Church, Chumukedima
