"And a sword will pierce your own soul, too" (Luke 2:35). What thoughts came to the young mother Mary, who went to the temple holding her first-born son in her arms, when she heard these words from old Simeon? His prophecy was to come true some 30 years later, when Mary stood at the foot of the cross. We have entered into a new year, 2006, and even today in the many corners of the world there are so many women whose souls are being pierced by sorrows, like those that befell Mary, the mother of Jesus.

On January 30th, Coretta Scott King went to her Lord. Since her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in 1968, Mrs. King had carried on his vision, working tirelessly for nearly 40 years to further several causes: civil rights, racial equality, peace and women's rights. She did not try to remove the sword in her soul. Rather, she remembered the size and the weight of the sword, and lived her life with courage and faith. In that sense, she was another Mary. May her soul, which has returned to God's house, rest in peace.

On January 15, a 54-year-old single mother, Michelle Bachelet, was elected president of Chile, the nation's first female head of state. Her father died in prison during the Pinochet dictatorship. Both President-elect Bachelet and her mother suffered the hardships of exile. She is another whose soul was pierced by the sword. As she promised in her election campaign, President-elect Bachelet has chosen 10 women and 10 men to serve in her Cabinet. She is about to accomplish something that many have dreamed of: equal representation of women and men in the executive branch of government.

Here in New York, the 50th UNCSW(UN Commission on the Status of Women) will meet from February 24 to March 8. We expect 94 delegates from 37 provinces this year. Thousands of women from all over the world will share their stories of poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, as well as their struggles for a better education and equal employment opportunities. They will gather to speak, to listen, to strengthen bonds, to discern problems, and to share their hopes. Our Anglican delegates will represent us and join this international gathering. May God bless those women who continue to sing the Magnificat even when their hearts are pierced by swords.

Kyoko Mary Kageyama