St. Paul Says It Clearly: We Must Not Exclude Women from the Priesthood!

This morning I attended mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, Father's Day, outside mass in one of Euclid/Cleveland's most beautiful and holy places. Hundreds of people were present, including lots of children--it was wonderful. During the mass I was deeply struck by the second reading. How do you exclude women from the priesthood if you believe in the truth of St. Paul's epistle:

Reading 2GAL 3:26-29

Brothers and sisters:
Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham’s children,
heirs according to the promise.

*          *          *

After Mass at Euclid's Lourdes Shrine

Whenever I go to the Shrine, I think of my Dad, who took me there when I was a little kid and throughout my childhood. Thank you, Dad, for this and for all that you gave your children and family!

A Poem for the Epiphany

Here is a poem I wrote a few years ago. I seem to be a believer and disbeliever simultaneously!

Sudden Manifestation

On the Day of Three Kings, el Día de los Trés Reyes,

When my Puerto Rican friends feast on

Pasteles, platanos, and arroz con dulce,

I remember my Mother insisting that we keep

The tree up and the manger displayed until

Epiphany, January 6^th.

I have suddenly let go of my insistence on absolutes,

Let the stories be stories, the myths be myths

Rather than the truth the whole truth and nothing but—

I let the priest go through his rigamarole

(and rather enjoy much of it, the dress ups, the incense,

The candles, the music, the make believe)—

But the straw has broken the camel’s back

(who was, by the way, trying to get through

The eye of a needle),

And I can no longer believe that Jehovah commands Abraham

To slit his firstborn’s throat, and that the true God

Would have our enemies’ babies bashed against the rocks,

Or that the priesthood is just for men, excluding half the world.

The boys’ club is closed for me.

I still believe, but in a different way.

You might say I’ve had an

Epiphany.

                                                            Robert M. Coughlin

                                                                                January 6^th, 2013