I attended a prayer evening in May. This evening was something that I needed. Quiet time, stillness with the Lord and an openness to His voice. Having a very pastoral career in teaching can be draining, particularly knowing that my character is introverted. As much as I love people, a full day of social interactions needs to be coupled with some independent downtime. So as I said, this evening was necessary and by the end of it I was quite moved in an unexpected way. What struck me most this evening were the two gospels that I pondered upon- The Samaritan Woman and Mary anointing Jesus’ feet.
What they both had in common was the Feminine Genius. As mentioned in previous posts St Pope John Paul writes about the beauty of the Feminine Genius- the maternal, caring, sensitive, hospitable and intricate nature of being a woman. It was in these two gospels that I realised how much the feminine heart shines in the bible. What we see as predominately male because of the disciples, apostles and Jesus’ ministry seemed to fade into the background during this prayer evening because I realised how important the role of women was and still is in the church. I felt God open my eyes and heart to the feminine genius interwoven within the scriptures. I encourage you- try reading these gospels and I pray that you will see why.
In the gospel of John 4:4-30, Jesus revealed himself to a woman. He never revealed his nature to his Apostles, yet why to a woman? Even Mary and Martha, he let himself be served by them both. When I reread the gospel John 12:1-8 of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet, it was evident how sensitive she was to Jesus’ angst and unease before his passion. The role of women- as women is so important in the church, especially when we think of our mother, Mary. She is the perfect disciple who never left Jesus’ side, no matter how much it hurt. When we see the prominence of women as the heart of the church, we cannot ever think twice about how important we are in the light of the future and heart of the church.
So when you read the gospel again, let's shift our focus to see how the feminine genius speaks within the scriptures, in a way that is sensitive to the longing of Jesus' heart. When he says, 'I thirst', how will we respond?
maya.
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