Encountering Women of Faith

Encountering Women of Vol. 3 Encountering Women of Faith is a book series that bears powerful witness to how women in the past and today serve within the life of the Church. It is both spiritual and academic in nature, with the purpose of demonstrating and cultivating the Divine Compassion of God within the life of the Orthodox Church. thought-provoking analysis of Divine Compassion (or Divine Eleos). The word compassion is divided into two root words: “com”, meaning with, and “passion”, meaning suffering. This indicates that Divine Compassion means that our God suffers together with us; a unique relationship that God has forged between Himself and His fallen creation. It is, therefore, the gate to Heaven and “an expression of love from the Powerful to the weak, from the Generous to the ungrateful, and from the Unblemished to the sinful.” Although as humans we are unworthy, we are not unwanted or unwelcome. In fact, just like the Prodigal Son, we know that we are unworthy but also never deprived of our Father’s mercy. After this eye-opening introduction, the book then presents eleven chapters of different encounters with female saints from across the ages. Each chapter dives into their story, and also provides reflection questions that are related to the life of each saint. Reading this book is a unique and spiritually edifying experience for that reason, asking us to reflect on ways in which we can imitate the holy women the Church has presented to us over time. For example the second chapter, written by Presbytera Vera Simonovic, delves into the practical reality of what it means to be a Myrrhbearer, both in the time of Christ and today. She introduces herself first and states that she grew up in “a cultural world where I felt a constant ORTHODOX MISSION BOOKSTORE 217 Bexley Rd, Kingsgrove, Sydney NSW 2208 (02) 9787 9779

Faith negotiation took place between my participation in mainstream culture, and the preservation of our religious and cultural traditions.” After a simple and beautiful retelling of the Myrrhbearers’ story, she explains that these women became the image of the whole experience of the Church. Christ, in His wisdom, will continue to set aside people to build up the body of the Church. So the Church needs to always be active, always loving, striving to bring people to Christ through many acts of love. The “now” is equally as important as any time in history. “To choose to serve is to choose the way of the myrrhbearers. You may share the fear and uncertainty of the myrrhbearers, yet you go forward with a firm belief in Jesus Christ, just as they were convinced that before them stood the Son of God.” Through their witness, the myrrhbearers demonstrate a true and healthy understanding of how love can infuse service. So for us today, their ministry is the image of consistent self-emptying care. The essence of this book is that we will never be deprived of our Father’s mercy who truly has Divine Compassion on, with, and for, us. Browse more books in store Monday – Saturday 10am – 2pm Or on our website: orthodoxbookstore.org.au