On the Occasion of Mother’s Day and Family Day
Famous Women in Scripture and History
On the Occasion of Mother’s Day and Family Day
(From a lecture delivered by His Holiness the Pope in December 1977 at the Women’s Conference).
The first truth is that woman is important to the world.
There is a wonderful phrase recorded in the Book of Genesis in the story of creation: that God created everything good. But in the midst of this marvelous and magnificent picture of creation, God saw that there was something that was not good. Concerning this, the Scripture says: “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18).
This was the only point of deficiency in creation, and God completed it by creating woman. After that, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Yet we notice something distinctive in the creation of woman:
God created her in a gentler modified nature than that from which man was created.
Adam was created from dust, while woman was created from the body of man; that is, she was created in two stages: from dust God made man, and from man He made woman.
And it is not true what is said that woman was imposed upon man!!
That is, Adam was not in need of her and she was forced upon him, so that he suddenly found a woman beside him. Not at all. Adam was in need of Eve. All living creatures lived together socially. But Adam “found no helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:20). This inner need in Adam’s heart ascended to God, and He responded by creating for him this helper comparable to him, that is, on the same level, and like him in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).
God took a rib from Adam—without pain—and made Eve from it.
For pain was not known until after the fall. Thus God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him and took the rib from him. In this way, God performed the first anesthesia in the world, and Eve came into existence. Adam rejoiced in her and said of her: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23).
Thus we see that Adam and Eve were one body before they were married.
For they were from one body. We notice in the story of creation that although Eve differed from Adam physically and sexually, she was equal to him in nature, authority, blessing, and gifts.
She was in the same divine image, as it is said that God created them in His image: “Male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:27–28). He blessed them together and gave them together the same authority over all the beasts of the earth, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea.
This female was first called “Woman,” because she was taken from man. But after the fall, after she bore children, Adam called her Eve because she was the mother of all living: “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20).
We also notice that women in history held positions of leadership.
Among women there were queens, whether they became so by inheritance or by marrying kings. “Queen Esther” did not become a leader merely because she was the king’s wife, but she held a leadership role for all the Jewish people in her days. In the history of Egypt we hear of “Queen Hatshepsut,” under whose strength of thought and personality all her royal brothers stood. Likewise “Queen Cleopatra,” under whose authority were all the kings of her time.
It is known that woman, from the beginning of her life, exercised leadership even over man. Regardless of the fact that Eve led Adam into error, she nevertheless led him and had influence over him. This means that the gifts of leadership were hers from the beginning. I say this to prove that the gift of leadership is not lacking in woman.
Among these examples is “Abigail,” who guided David the Prophet.
David praised her wisdom and said to her: “Blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand” (1 Samuel 25:33). He also said to her: “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person” (1 Samuel 25:33–35).
In this story, “Abigail” guided not an ordinary man, but a man who was a prophet, a military leader, and upon whom the Spirit of God had come, and who had become the anointed of the Lord (1 Samuel 16:12–13).
We also mention “Deborah” in the Old Testament.
She was a judge of Israel, sitting under the palm tree that was called by her name, “the Palm Tree of Deborah,” and “the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.” She was also a prophetess of God (Judges 4:4). Just as she led the people, she also led “Barak the son of Abinoam,” the commander of the army, who refused to go to war without her. He said to her: “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go” (Judges 4:8). She went with him, and the victory and defeat of Sisera were attributed to her.
We also mention “Saint Macrina”, who spiritually guided her saintly brothers.
She was the spiritual mother of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. She was also the spiritual leader of her brother Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, and her brother Saint Peter, Bishop of Sebaste. She also became the spiritual mother of a convent of nuns.
We also mention holy women who were spiritual guides in monasticism.
Among them was “Saint Melania”, the well-known nun who was a spiritual guide to Saint Evagrius. Also Saint Sarah (Mother Sarah), to whom the monks of Scetis came seeking counsel and revealing their thoughts.
We also remember “Saint Demiana,” the nun and martyr, who led her governor father to repentance from his denial and to martyrdom, and who led forty virgins and encouraged them.
Among female leaders also was “Saint Monica”,
who through her good example, prayers, and tears led her son Augustine to a life of faith and repentance.
By these examples I do not mean only women leading men, but rather in general that the spirit of leadership is not lacking in woman.
Woman is also not lacking in courage and faith.
We read in history about female martyrs of extraordinary courage who endured unbearable sufferings. It is known that women in general are renowned for endurance.
Among these was “Mother Dolaji”, whose children were slaughtered upon her lap while she encouraged them toward martyrdom.
And “Mother Sophia”, who encouraged her three daughters toward martyrdom.
Likewise “Saint Theodora”, who was taken to a house of prostitution to corrupt her. A young man wearing a soldier’s uniform rescued her and gave her his clothes so she could escape wearing them. Then his matter was discovered. When he was led to execution and she saw him, she ran after him saying: “Do you wish to steal my crown from me?!” So they seized her and led her to martyrdom.
We also remember “Saint Catherine” and her influence, and many others.
Nor do we forget the character of “Saint Justina”, and how the devil feared merely the mention of her name, and how she led the magician Cyprian to faith.
Women were also pioneers and active in the sphere of ministry.
They followed Christ and became His disciples. The Gospel of Luke mentions some of them, then says: “and many others who provided for Him from their substance” (Luke 8:3).
We also remember “Phoebe”, the disciple of Paul the Apostle, who was a deaconess serving the church in Cenchrea: “our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints” (Romans 16:1–2). And how “she has been a helper of many” (Romans 16:2), and she also wrote some of Saint Paul’s epistles.
Likewise we do not forget the houses of virgins and widows and their ministry (1 Timothy 5).
It is known that some women in the apostolic age dedicated their homes to become churches. Among them was “the mother of Mark the Apostle,” whose house became the first church in Christianity (Acts 12:12): “So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying”.
Saint Paul the Apostle says at the end of his Epistle to the Romans: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house” (Romans 16:3–5).
Before all these, we do not forget “Saint Virgin Mary”.
who, when Saint Elizabeth heard the sound of her greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the babe leaped in her womb for joy (Luke 1:41–42).
The Holy Virgin of whom we say in the praise hymns: “You have been exalted, O Mary, above the cherubim, and you have ascended, O Mary, above the seraphim.” We mention her in our hymns before the archangels.
The Virgin Mary represents virginity, Elizabeth represents marriage, and Anna the prophetess represents widowhood. All of them came together in the story of the birth of Christ.
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