Few of us will have read the Book of Judith – its there in some Bibles but not others. It is a also a book of the Apocrypha – a section of the Bible which is not read as often as other parts.
In our Summer series on Women of the Bible Fr Chris spoke on Judith. He writes:
Judith at the Banquet of Holofernes (Rembrandt)
We read in the book of Judith about a strong, just and beautiful woman. Women don’t get a good deal in my opinion in the Bible, or indeed the Church. In Judith we see many positive attributes.
In the Summer Sunday series, we heard of Judith decapitating the General in Chief of the Assyrians – Holofernes. The Assyrians had been occupying Israel and ill-treating the people.
Judith does not just throw her hands in the air and walk off. She points to a God who she knows visits them where they are, and who gives hope, and who frees folk from the unfair treatment of Society.
Judith was no stranger to hardship and adversity, yet she keeps hope alive. She encourages her people to look around for God’s activity, she acts in her own way to make God be seen at work.
God needs all of us to do this today – for us to challenge society, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to care for one another – God can’t do it without us!
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