today's other readings are 1 Timothy 6: 2-12 and Psalm 49
Our gospel is a story that has been repeated over the ages, the story of women who supported the mission of Jesus Christ, both in terms of spiritual and financial support. In terms of the Bible, we also see this in the role of women who were essential partners and supporters of St. Paul.
In a church that is often described as partriachal, the presence of women is beyond essential - for I have witnessed personally how women make up the majority of volunteers in every parish I have served in. When I was a seminarian, I had the privilige of being in Bolivia for almost 4 months - and not only did I see the role of women in the church there, in fact I would describe the church as matriarchal, especially in the eyes of the laity, as it was the women religious there (an in my case, the Sisters of St. Dorothy) who basically ran the church, especially in its outreach to the substantial impoverished population of the country.
Today, dear reader, I pray for the countless women serving the church in a huge variety of ways, and I thank almighty God for their presence.