The Holy Venerable-Martyr Anastasia (249-51); the Passing of Our Venerable Father Abraham, Archimandrite and Wonderworker of Rostov (11th c.)
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Colossians 1:1,2,7-11; Luke 8:1-3
Every so often, the debate about women’s ordination comes to the forefront and we start hearing various arguments about this contentious issue. At the end of the day, we know that the women who accompanied Jesus did not share the apostolic ministry that the twelve do but they do participate in ministry. Today’s Gospel clearly shows this.
As the Church, we need women in ministry just as Jesus needed the women to accompany his preaching and teaching. The Church needs the gifts that women bring, the gifts that men do not have. The Church would not be the Church without the gifts that both men and women bring. These gifts are different just as men and women are different and the ministries should be different just as they were between the apostles and the women in the company of Jesus. Together, bringing our particular gifts, we build the Church.