Faith: Remembering the women who cared for Jesus in birth and in death

They went to the tomb. Three, maybe more, female disciples. Joanna, Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, mother of James and Joses/Joseph, Mary, wife of Clopas, and Salome, mother of James and John are listed and considered as present by biblical scholars Andreas Köstenberger and Justin Taylor with Alexander Stewart in their book, "The Final Days of Jesus."

The number doesn’t really matter. What matters is, women came unbidden.

Furthermore, we read in the gospel of Mark 16:1 a sparse description, which has been the inspiration for religious art depicting three women at the tomb. “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.”

The women brought sweet-smelling spices and linen cloths for a proper burial. They wanted to wash the blood and sweat off Jesus’ body like they did to babies after birth. They wanted to wrap him tenderly as they did to just-born infants.

Sisters, mothers, mothers-in-law, aunts, daughters, friends and midwives doing the ugly, bloody, beautiful work. They do not have to be called. They simply show up with their cloths, and bowls, and oils.

They are often nameless or their presence is not completely recorded as in the history of the women who came to the tomb of Jesus because they were and still are considered insignificant.

They are, nevertheless, a necessary part of one’s beginning and ending. Do you wonder, how we are treated at birth and will be again at death? Are we welcomed or wished farewell? Are we considered precious and cradled lovingly? Are rough or gentle hands holding us? Are we sung to or prayed over?

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is an inspiration to many, including some non-Christians due perhaps to her total submission in her assigned role. When Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and call him Jesus.” After a time, Mary said “How can this be, I am a virgin.” She accepted Gabriel’s explanation, which sounds preposterous to all of us but the most faithful.

We contemplate Mary’s life as a young mother, which is not fully defined. We do have some extraordinary artistic expressions of an imagined Madonna and child in the history of art.

Still, we are left only with minimal details in Luke’s gospel 2:7, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger….”

As a mother, I relate to her and have many questions. How could Mary have delivered her baby alone? Or was it a miraculous birth as many have believed?

Midwives were mentioned in the Old Testament also in histories of ancient civilizations. Women in child-birth were dependent upon other women who were often older and more experienced in birthing practices. I have read, much to my relief, that Mary might have had a midwife. Men were forbidden to be present during child-birth in antiquity and beyond, so I assume Joseph removed himself out of respect for Mary and prayed.

This young woman who was to be the mother of God could have had a woman or two with her, as she delivered the Christ Child. We know as a child leaves his mother’s womb and travels though the birth canal into the world, blood and bodily fluids are present. These holy women might have cleaned the newborn son of God after his entry into the world before he was “wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.”

Perhaps, as some believe, it was a supernatural event with no blood and fluids, and a spotless infant suddenly appeared at the feet of Mary. Or, maybe, the midwives present, but not mentioned in the gospels, were village women, shadowy obscure figures, who knew when and where they were needed and just appeared. They were a necessary part of each community, but not news-worthy as were the shepherds and kings.

Despite theologians, historians and child-birth researchers offering opinions concerning the actual birth of Jesus, there is no official teaching in the Catholic Church, other than Mary ever Virgin became the mother of Jesus, who was fully God and fully man.

I simply subscribe to the idea of women’s work.

Women’s hands at death and birth.

Always the women — showing up, selflessly serving — soothing, washing, perfuming, wrapping, preparing bodies for a journey.

Judy Knotts is a parishioner of St. John Neumann Catholic Church, and former head of St. Gabriel's Catholic School and St. Michael's Catholic Academy.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Rethinking who was part of the nativity scene, Good Friday, Easter