Jesus Christ lived on this earth two thousand years ago and preached about the KIngdom of God. He had many disciples who followed him - both male and female. When Jesus addressed his disciples to continue his ministry, we find him calling by name. He called his disciples by name and taught them many things. He addressed Peter many times by name.
Jesus calling people by name
Although the gospels mention the incidents of Jesus calling his disciples by name, we can find much difference in his tone of his calling. For example, in the gospel of John we find Jesus addressing
Peter after his Resurrection. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Jesus sincerely, by addressing him as “Simon, son of John”. "Peter" was not his real name, but it was the name given to Simon, son of John, when Jesus told about the church he was going to establish.Jesus called others also by their names. But throughout the gospels one can find the difference in calling them by names and the purpose for which he was calling. It has a deep meaning when he called his disciples for entrusting them to continue his ministry.
Jesus calling women by name
In the gospels, we can find Jesus calling or addressing women, including his mother, on various occasions. Most of them he addressed as “woman”. The only woman Jesus called by name is Mary of Magdalene. Jesus called Mary by her name and that too in her own native tongue, spoken in the area of Galilee. Both Jesus and Mary Magdalene were from Galilee
- Jesus from Nazareth and Mary from Magdala.Although Jesus called her sister Martha by name when he visited their family at Bethany, his addressing Mary after his Resurrection has a greater significance and meaning of entrusting her with a mission. Luke narrates the incident when Jesus called Martha by name twice. But it was only a friendly call of sharing and pointing out how the part of Mary in listening to his message and following him was more important.
The first Apostle of Christianity
Mary was called by name when Jesus entrusted with her the gospel message of Christianity - to announce the good news about his Resurrection. It is she who ran to the Apostles and told that Jesus had risen from the dead. Her love towards Jesus was so deep that she was the first of the women disciples to follow Jesus everywhere. She was the woman who stood under the Cross, along with Mother Mary and John the Apostle. She was a woman who had a great apostolic spirit to share the love of Jesus to others.
Easter Sunday has just passed. It is the commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus after his death. Jesus, addressing Mary after his Resurrection, has a great significance which insists the importance of the active role of women in the Churches.
