Jacob of Sarug's Homilies on Women Whom Jesus Met

The Gospels contain a number of stories about women whom Jesus met during his ministry. Most of these women are unnamed, but their stories were important for ancient Christians and continue to be so throughout Christian history. In this volume, we collect five verse homilies by the great Syriac poet preacher, Jacob of Sarug (d. 521) that treat these encounters: on the Canaanite Woman, on the Samaritan Woman, on the Hemorrhaging Woman, on the Woman Bent Double, and on Jairus' Daughter. In each of these stories, the unnamed woman suffered affliction, whether physical, psychological, moral or ethical. To each one Jesus offered healing by word and by deed.

These verse homilies also provide vivid examples of Jacob of Sarug's preaching. Crafted with lyrical beauty, presented in lively manner, and displaying profound discernment into human nature, they demonstrate why and how Jacob came to be called "the Flute of the Holy Spirit" in Syriac tradition.