Proclaim Boldly

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and the Gospel reading for the day was the woman at the well. The story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well is often how she was a Samaritan and an outcast, how Jesus saw past her social standing and sin. But there is a second part to the story. Once she sees that he is the Messiah, she rushes back to her village to tell everyone. 

She is an evangelist. She doesn’t care that she is an outcast or they may not believe her; she has a message of salvation and immediately wants to share it with others. "Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified" (John 4:38).

Time and time again, Jesus uses women to share His message.

When Mary first conceives Jesus, she goes up to Elizabeth who proclaims, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?... Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:42-45).

When the baby Jesus is presented to the Temple, Anna “gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).

Women were the first to the tomb and the first to know of the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James proclaim the good news to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene is called the Apostle to the Apostles.

Jesus sees women as they truly are: equal in dignity to men, daughters of God, capable of sharing the Gospel and being witnesses to Christ. Women follow Jesus. Women stay at the foot of the cross and visit the tomb. Women proclaim the Gospel. Women financially support the early Church. Women are central to the building up of the Church. Both then and now.

We have been freed by Christ. We cannot be restricted by our sins, our social norms, or our preconceptions. Christ calls all of us, men and women, to boldly proclaim the Gospel.