Wisdom from Women in Scripture by The Word Among Us

Scripture is filled with courageous women who embraced God’s plan for them, even when faced with the most challenging circumstances. Their stories invite us to step into God's plan for our lives.

Journey with ... ◊ The woman with the alabaster jar, who pushed past fear to worship Jesus. ◊ The woman at the well, who generously shared the love of God. ◊ Ruth, whose faithfulness led to a great legacy.

WISDOM FROM WOMEN IN SCRIPTURE

Open wide the doors to wisdom!

◊ Rahab, who was saved from the disorder of her life. ◊ Esther, the queen who dared see her position as an opportunity to save lives. ◊ Mary, who became exactly who she was meant to be—the mother of God.

Kelly Wahlquist is a wife, mother of three, and inspiring Catholic author and speaker residing in Minnesota. She is the founder of WINE: Women In the New Evangelization and the director for the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute at The Saint Paul Seminary. She is the author of multiple books, including Called By Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women.

K E L LY M . W A H L Q U I S T

Each chapter includes a personal reflection from five leading Catholic women who offer rich insights into the deeper wisdom of God and help us open our hearts to the healing, courage, and mercy he offers us.

Edited by Kelly M.Wahlquist

Teresa Tomeo ✟ Elizabeth M. Kelly ✟ Mary Healy wau.org

Melissa Overmyer ✟ Alyssa Bormes

EDITED BY KELLY M. WAHLQUIST TERESA TOMEO " ELIZABETH M. KELLY " MARY HEALY MELISSA OVERMYER " ALYSSA BORMES

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ISBN: 978-1-59325-717-0 eISBN: 978-1-59325-718-7 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture texts for Chapter 1 and Chapter 4 are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible—Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition) Copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture texts for Chapter 2 are taken from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture texts for Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture texts for Chapter 6 are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture texts marked as ESVCE are taken from The ESV® Catholic Edition with Deuterocanonical Books, copyright © 2017 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Excerpt from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America, Second Edition, copyright © 1997, by the United States Catholic Conference—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. Design by Rose Audette No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the author and publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023920118

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.................................................................... 5 1. A SIMPLE GESTURE OF LOVE The Woman with the Alabaster Jar ...................11 2. ENCOUNTERED AND ENLIGHTENED The Woman at the Well.......................................31 3. ENTRUSTED TO TRUST Ruth ....................................................................... 53 4. THE FALL OF THE WALLS Rahab ..................................................................... 71 5. DRESSING FOR SUCCESS Esther.......................................................................87 6. GRACED FOR HEAVENLY COLLABORATION Mary at the Annunciation............................. 109 NOTES...............................................................................129 ABOUT THE AUTHORS ......................................................133

INTRODUCTION Open Wide the Door to Wisdom KELLY M. WAHLQUIST

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Kelly Wahlquist is the founder of the national women’s ministry WINE: Women In the New Evangelization and the director for the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute at The Saint Paul Seminary in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. She is also a contributing writer for Catholicmom.com, the author of Created to Relate: God’s Design for Peace & Joy, and the editor of Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing the Passion of Christ through the Eyes of Women and Gaze Upon Jesus: Experiencing Christ’s Childhood through the Eyes of Women, which are innovative collaborative works that allow women to enter into their relationship with Jesus in the way in which they were created to—as women. Find out more at KellyWahlquist.com. Alyssa Bormes is an educator, author, speaker, writer, and emcee. She teaches Scripture at Chesterton Academy in Hopkins, MN to ninth and tenth graders and is an instructor at the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute. She wrote the foreword to and orchestrated the publication of The Mother of Jesus is Wonderfully Real, by Father Paul Murray, OP, which was endorsed by Bishop Robert Barron. She is the author of The Catechism of Hockey, an editor for Called by Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women, a contributor for Gaze on Jesus: Experiencing Christ’s Childhood through the Eyes of Women, wrote for the foreword to Contraception and Persecution, by Charles E. Rice, is a blog writer for WINE: Women in the New Evangelization, and has appeared in other Catholic publications. Her talk, The Hope and Healing of Humanae Vitae, has been praised and can be found on CatholicVineyard.com. In 2023, she spoke with Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life (MCCL) at the March for Life. For seven-and-a-half years, she was the host of Catholic Kaleidoscope on Radio Maria US. Alyssa has spoken throughout the country on a variety of topics, and she is an accomplished emcee. 133

WISDOM FROM WOMEN IN SCRIPTURE

Dr. Mary Healy is professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and a bestselling author and international speaker. She is a general editor of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture and author of two of its volumes, The Gospel of Mark and Hebrews. Her other books include The Spiritual Gifts Handbook and Healing. Dr. Healy is one of the first three women ever to serve on the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and is a consultor to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Her website is drmaryhealy.com. Elizabeth (Liz) Kelly is popular speaker and retreat leader and the award-winning author or co-author of thirteen books, including A Place Called Golgotha: Meditations on the Last Words of Christ, Love Like a Saint: Cultivating Virtue with Holy Women, and Jesus Approaches, What Contemporary Women Can Learn about Healing, Freedom & Joy from the Women of the New Testament. She focuses on the Ignatian exercises and leads retreats with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. Kelly’s written works frequently appear in the Magnificat’s Lenten and Advent Companions, as well as the Catholic Spirit, Blessed is She, and other Catholic venues. Kelly holds advanced degrees in Creating Writing and Catholic Studies and received her certification as a spiritual director in 2015. From 2008 to 2022, she served as the managing editor of Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture at the Center for Catholic Studies in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she also taught in the Catholic Studies program at the University of St. Thomas. Kelly has appeared on Relevant Radio, Catholic Answers, Radio Maria, Public Radio, Boston Catholic Television, EWTN, and Salt and Light Television. Visit her website at LizK.org or follow her on Instagram at LizKToday.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Melissa Overmyer is the founder of Something Greater Ministries, which provides opportunities for people to encounter God through prayer; Scripture study; community; and the teachings, traditions, and spirituality of the Catholic Church. She has been a Scripture study teacher for more than thirty years, and founded the Georgetown Women’s Bible Study, an interdenominational women’s scripture study, twenty-seven years ago. Melissa is the author of Metamorphosis of a Soul, Born to Soar, Unleashing God's Word in Your Life, and From Worry to Wonder, A Catholic Guide to Finding Peace Through Scripture. She loves her husband, family, and leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Find her at melissaovermyer.com. Teresa Tomeo is the author of over ten books, syndicated Catholic talk show host, and motivational speaker with over thirty years of experience in TV, radio, and newspaper. She hosts Catholic Connection on Ave Maria Radio and the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network and owns T's Italy, a travel consultation company specializing in all things Italy. She and her husband, Deacon Dominick Pastore, travel the world giving marriage and diaconate couples retreats. You can find her at TravelItalyExpert.com and TeresaTomeo.com.

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The Word Among Us publishes a monthly devotional magazine, books, Bible studies, and pamphlets that help Catholics grow in their faith. To learn more about who we are and what we publish, visit www.wau.org. There you will ﬁnd a variety of Catholic resources that will help you grow in your faith. Your review makes a diﬀerence! If you enjoyed this book, please consider sharing your review on Amazon using the QR code below.

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