by Elizabeth Johnson

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April 23, 2014
Columns

There is a powerful scene in the Gospels that shows in a flash how life-giving the encounter between Jesus and women can be. As Luke tells the story: Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and a woman came in who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to praise God. (Lk 13:10-13)

Julie vieira (she/her) is a writer, presenter, and thinker in spirituality with particular attentiveness to living the darkness and light — the poetry and rough prose — of everyday life. She is a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) of Monroe, Michigan. In addition to her freelance work, she serves as the director of the Margaret Brennan Institute and as a volunteer crisis counselor for LGBTQ+ youth. She also works as a consultant in the unfolding of religious life and mission. She holds a Master of Arts in Theology from St.

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