The prophet Miriam and her song in Exod. 15:20-21 is omitted from the Easter Vigil (responsorial psalm for third reading).  We do not hear her story in our lectionary.

Ruth’s story is never heard on a Sunday.  The Book of Ruth gains only two weekday readings.

Huldah, who made history in 2 Kings 22, is excised. This woman, a 7th century BCE contemporary of Jeremiah, and one of the few women or men literally labelled a prophet, was consulted by King Josiah, the reformer. When an old scroll (now thought to probably have been the original form of Deuteronomy) was found in the temple by the priest, Hilkiah, the king ordered, “Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah, about the stipulations of this book that has been found….” (2 Kings 22:13) The royal delegation took the scroll not to Jeremiah but to Huldah, who verified the authenticity of the scroll and, as a prophet, spoke God’s warnings to the king. The verses referring to Huldah (verses 15-19) are neatly sliced out of the middle of the lectionary passage.

Esther, a great heroine in a time of oppression, is proclaimed only in a Lenten weekday reading that records her prayer appealing to God for strength. No account of the bravery with which she saved her people from annihilation is given anywhere in the lectionary. Three other passages from the Book of Esther are found in the lectionary (in the Common of Saints, #737; and in Masses for Various Occasions, #821, #876), but not only might these passages never be used in the parish, all three are accounts of the prayer of Esther’s uncle, Mordecai.

Judith is a heroine who jeopardizes her life for her people. She is recalled in just two passages: Judith 13:18, 19, 20 (#709) is an optional responsorial psalm for the Common of the Blessed Virgin (“You are the highest honor of our race”).  Lectionary #737, in the Common of Saints (Judith 8:2- 8), praises Judith’s asceticism and physical beauty; it is recommended for proclamation on the memorials of saints who were widows. Judith’s initiative, determination and great courage in saving her nation are nowhere presented in the lectionary.

Deborah in Judges 4:4-16 is the only woman who is both prophet and judge alongside two other men in Israel’s history – Moses and Samuel

The Pharoah’s progrom was an attempt to control the population of the Israelites, who were strong and growing in numbers in the land of Egypt (Exodus 1:8–16). There was rebellion against this murderous decree in many quarters. The Hebrew midwives refused to participate in the infanticide and deceived Pharaoh so they could avoid killing the baby boys (Exodus 1:17–19). Moses’ mother Jochebed hid Moses in a basket of bulrushes and set him afloat on the Nile River to preserve his life (Exodus 2:3).

While male images of God are pervasive in the Bible and lectionary, female images are muted. Catholics hear about Lady Wisdom at least 3x each year (C Trinity, Prv 8:22-31; B20th, Prv 9:1-6; A 32nd, Wis 6-12-16: B 28th, Wis 7: 7-11; ABC 2nd after Christmas; Sir 24 1-12; ABC Easter Vigil, Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4), but other female images for God are only heard twice (and both in the same year). Is 49:15, “Can a mother forget her infant” (C 8th Sunday) and Is 66:13, “as a mother comforts her child” (C 14th Sunday).  While images of God as King, Lord of Hosts, and Father are prevalent, what is proclaimed is that women are a derivative of men (B 27th Sunday; Gn 2:18-24), disposable by men (C 16th Sunday, Gn 18:1-10a), and dangerous (A 1 Lent, Gn 2:7-9, 3:1-7).

In Romans 16, Paul introduces 10 women, 7 who are identified with active roles.  This lectionary reading only names three (Priscilla, Mary, Junia) and is consigned to a weekday where most Catholics never hear their names.  Further, the faith stories of Phoebe, Tryphena, Tryphonsa, Persis, Julia, Rufus’ mother, and Nereus’s sister are never heard on a Sunday or any other day.  

In the continuous reading from Romans, verses 1  and 2 of Chapter 16 are omitted from the lectionary, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deaconess [the Greek word is “deacon;” the revised NAB uses “minister”] of the church of Cenchrae. Please welcome her in the Lord, as saints should. If she needs help in anything, give it to her, for she herself has been of help to many, including myself.” Thus churchgoers will never hear in our liturgy of Phoebe, a woman who was a deacon. 

Lydia–a wealthy businesswoman–accepted Paul’s message and was baptized, along with her whole household. She was the first Christian convert in Europe. She is the head of  her household and becomes head of this housechurch. Her story is relegated to a weekday and never heard on a Sunday.

Jesus’s mission focused on the Jews.  When approached by the Syro-Phoenician woman for help, he insults her.  Her faith response to his insult opens Jesus to a new understanding of his ministry – one that is open to Gentiles. He attributes this change directly to the woman’s actions. 

Lection 2 Timothy 1:1-12, which is assigned to Wednesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II. Lectionary #355 neatly excises verses 4 and 5, including: “I find myself thinking of your sincere faith–faith which first belonged to your grandmother Lois and to your mother Eunice.”

It seems incredible that the Magnificat, the beautiful and revolutionary song of Mary in Luke 1:46 – 56, is never proclaimed on a Sunday; it is found on a weekday before Christmas (#198) and on two feast days of Mary, the Visitation (#572) and the Assumption (#622). But by not assigning it to a Sunday, the lectionary seems willing to risk that not many Catholics will hear this marvelous song of praise attributed to Mary.

The Gospel of Luke is the only one that narrates Jesus’ healing of a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years (Lk 13:10-17); yet this pericope is assigned to Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time (#479). Although Jesus recognizes her with the unusual status of “daughter of Abraham,” this touching story of her faith and Jesus’ breaking of the Sabbath law in the synagogue to heal a woman is not proclaimed on any Sunday.

It is well known that Jesus’ women disciples, led by Mary Magdalene, according to all the gospels were the first witnesses to the resurrection. Easter Sunday’s gospel in the U.S. lectionary (#43), however, stops just at the point of the beautiful story of Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene in the garden and his important commission to her: “Go to my brothers and tell them…” In fact, this appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene does not rate any Sunday of the Easter season but is assigned to Easter Tuesday (#262) and is used again on the saint’s feast day (always a weekday, never a Sunday) in July (#603). Peter and John’s race to the tomb in John 20:1 -9 (#43), though, is retold every Easter Sunday, and Jesus’ appearance to Thomas in John 20:19-31 (#44) is read on the Second Sunday of Easter every year.

Mary Magdalene’s commissioning by Christ and her apostolic witness is consigned to Easter Tuesday and her feast day (July 22).  It is never heard on a Sunday.

Jesus heals this woman disregarding the taboos against women (speaking to a woman in public, being touched by a woman or being made unclean by the touch of a bleeding woman). Yet this miracle with all its implications can be sliced out of the gospel (Mark 5:21-43) in the optional short reading for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year B (#99).

Many of our foremothers in faith mentioned in the Bible (a text that is already patriarchal), are further marginalized by begin omitted from the lectionary.  This creates an over-emphasis on the stories of the male disciples and the under-emphasis on the stories of Early Christian women – a framework that distorts our faith tradition and undervalues women’s contributions, gifts, ministry, and courage.