Word to the Wise
Friday, September 20, 2024 - Friday in the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 15:12-20 and Luke 8:1-3]
September 24 ST. ANDREW KIM AND COMPANIONS, martyrs in Korea
In this brief passage from the Gospel According to Luke, the gospel scripture of the day, there is more than meets the eye and challenges our Church's attitude about women's participation in the Body of Christ.
First of all, in the light of social conventions of the time, Jesus' attitude toward women was radical. He freely associated with women and included them in his closest followers. Secondly, women were the first proclaimers of the resurrection, of which St. Paul speaks in the first scripture today . They were at the foot of the cross when the Twelve were in hiding. And they were at the tomb to hear the good news of Jesus' resurrection. St. Paul speaks of women as being among his associates in his ministry [Acts 18:24-26 - also the work of Luke the evangelist].
Later developments in the sacramental practice of the Church in regard to the sacrament of Holy Orders resulted in women being sidelined in many ways in decision-making in the Church. Pope Francis and his council of cardinals have addressed this somewhat in the recent curial reform document Praedicate Evangelium, which separated decision-making authority from the sacrament of Holy Orders and placed it in the mission given to a person. But much remains to be done. The debate over the granting of the Permanent Diaconate to women is still going on. The conscience of the Church in regard to the role of women is still in need of a more thorough examination!!! A deeper look at the gospel instead of social and cultural practices might be a good starting point! AMEN