24th Friday in Ordinary Time

According to Jewish law, a woman had not many rights in society. She could not testify in a civil process; she could not divorce her husband and her participation in the liturgy was certainly secondary when compared to Jewish men. But Jesus was not happy with such a poor treatment of women, and he chose them to take a privileged part in his Incarnation, in his ministry and during his Passion. All these women had a characteristic in common: they were all marginal Jews, set aside because of their sins – especially against chastity. In fact, in Jesus’ genealogy, we find five women: Tamar, involved in an incestuous relationship with her father-in-law; Raab, a prostitute; Ruth, a pagan; Bathsheba, an adulteress; and the Virgin Mary, whose immaculate conception would seem a scandal for anyone who did not know that Joseph was not the biological father of her son. 

During Jesus’ ministry, he also chose some very marginalized women to become his disciples: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, whose husband worked for Herod (not a glamorous job for a Jew) and several others. And it was this select group who, during Jesus’ Passion, stood by his Cross. Jesus was never ashamed of them. They, too, chose not to be ashamed of Jesus’ fate. The lesson is clear: our sins, the many devils that may hover above our heads, cannot impede our participation in Jesus’ redemption. Love is stronger than sin, stronger than any scandal, than any spiritual or moral stain. May these holy women, as well as the Korean martyrs that we celebrate today, intercede for each one of us in our discipleship.