Women from Eve to Mary Teach Us to Pray

Did you know that some of the first prayers in the Bible were prayed by women? Gayle Somers talks about the rich tradition of feminine prayer in scripture and finding a heart-to-heart connection between Eve and Mary and the women who come in between. Gayle shares how the stories of these women helped her navigate pain and find God’s loving hand in her life. Sarah and Gayle lead us in a prayer of Judith.

Gayle Somershas taught scripture to adult Catholics for twenty-five years in her diocesan catechetical institute and the Institute for Catholic Theology in Phoenix, Arizona. She has published several Bible studies and writes a weekly scripture blog on each Sunday’s lectionary readings at corardens.com. She contributed a series of eight reflections on prayers of faithful women to the Living the Word Catholic Women’s Bible.

Gayle’s Favorite Prayer by a Biblical Woman

Pray: Come, Holy Spirit, open my heart and mind to hear your word today. 

Read the Word: Judith 9:4b, 11, 12, 14 

(Read it in your own Bible to get the context, and so you can make notes.)

“Then Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing; and … cried out to the Lord with a loud voice … ‘O God, my God, hear me also, a widow. … For Your power depends not upon numbers, nor … upon men of strength; for You are God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder of the weak, protector of the forlorn, savior of those without hope.’” 

Ponder the Word: Read the passage several times, lingering where it touches your heart. What catches your attention? What do you hear the Lord saying to you? 

Pray with the Word: Bring to the Lord what you have heard, and talk to him about it. Ask for his grace. Thank him for his loving care.

Live the Word: How does what you read touch your life? What can you do this week to put it into practice?