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 New Epiphany: How About Women as Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, Pope!

Today the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the great Feast of the Epiphany. Growing up, we celebrated this feast on January 6th. It was a fairly big deal in my part of Euclid, because, not only did it mark the end of the Christmas season, but it marked Little Christmas for the Byzantine Catholics at St. Stephen's Church on Lloyd Road.

In today's second reading, from St. Paul to the Ephesians, we get this revolutionary proclamation:

It was not made known to people in other generations 
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

I imagine in its day these were astonishing and difficult words for the Jews who were also followers of Jesus. It was as if Paul said aliens could also be followers of Jesus.

What we need today is a new epiphany. The word "epiphany" can mean "manifestation" or "sudden insight." The new epiphany is that women are the equal to men (how can those words even be uttered or written without the thought--"Well, duh . . . Of course!"). Of course. How can there be any genuine reason that women cannot be deacons, priests, bishops, and even pope? The old arguments, beginning with Jesus and the apostles being male, carry no weight at all! Of course 2000 years ago the world was not ready to hear that women were the equals of men. Then again, the world of Jewish-Christians or Christian-Jews (however you want to characterize these early communities) might not have been ready to hear that Gentiles could be followers of Jesus.

But this is the moment of kairos! We are ready to hear these prophetic words. We need brave men and women, with stature in the religious community, to stand up and proclaim the truth, just as St. Paul did almost 2000 years ago.

Catholic Women to Be Ordained Today in Brecksville!

In today's Cleveland Plain Dealer, there's an article on p. A-6 about the ordination today of Catholic women to the Catholic priesthood and deaconate. Among the women being ordained priests is Mary Collingwood of Boston Heights (near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park). Reverend Collingwood is 61 years old, the mother of seven, grandmother, with a master's degree in theology. She has taught high school and college theology. She has even had a role in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, as past director of the diocese's pro-life office. The article quotes her as saying, "I realized I was being called to help change and reform the church." Another woman, from my old neck of the woods, St. Mary Magdalene in Willowick, will also be ordained, in her case as a deacon. That is Susan Guzik of Eastlake. Reverend Guzik is 78, a widow and mother of 5 (also a grandmother and great grandmother). She has been part of St. Mary Magdalene for 60 years.

Ordination is very common in Christian churches and it has been very successful. Women priests, ministers, and pastors have had a wonderful, beneficent effect.

The organization sponsoring the ordination, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) does not accept the old Catholic anathema on women becoming priests. One woman is quoted as saying, "The men made that rule, and a man-made rule can be changed--especially if it's unjust."

I am so proud of these brave women, showing the Church the way to the future. I imagine only older Catholics like myself can understand the reckless courage this takes. Their actions are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

By the way, the ordinations will take place today, 1 pm, at Brecksville United Church of Christ.

Some day we will look back on the ban on women ordination in the Catholic Church with astonishment, the same way we look back on slavery and wonder, "What the hell were they thinking!"