Work By Women Deserves to Be Seen

A reflection on Proverbs 31 for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

Think about the last words of this reading. After describing the woman’s work, Proverbs calls for her to receive a share in its fruits and for her deeds to be praised publicly. Someone is supposed to notice. We shouldn’t just assume that she will do the same work again tomorrow.

Without those words, this reading might seem like a long list of things a good woman should be doing. 

The woman works with wool and flax. She provides for her household and reaches out to the poor. Her hands are busy. The reading helps us appreciate that. It belongs in Scripture. It reminds us that the appreciation deserves to be expressed  where others can hear.

I think we value work depending on who does it and whether money changes hands. Cooking is paid work in a restaurant. Cleaning is paid work in an office. At home, the same tasks can disappear into the phrase “she doesn’t work.” There have been times when someone has asked me what I do, and there is a blank look when I say that I am a homemaker. The person asking steers the conversation somewhere else,

With three children, I am busy. I know how to plan ahead for meals and other tasks. School clothes do not become clean because someone remembers to ask for them five minutes before leaving.

Many women do this work alongside paid employment. Others spend their days caring for children or relatives without a paycheck. In either case, the work has real value. 

Proverbs does not leave women hidden behind what they produce. It calls attention to the woman’s faithfulness and generosity, then asks that she be recognized.

We should remember that. We see the meal, the clean room, or the person receiving care. Do we recognize the knowledge and planning and effort involved? Do we call it work?

Lord, thank you for women whose labor sustains homes and communities. Help us value their work fairly and make sure they share in its benefits. Give rest to those who are overburdened and support to those whose work is taken for granted. Teach me to notice what others do and speak of it with respect. Amen.