John 4:27-42
One of the many things that I love about our Lord that seems to be almost lost on the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is just who Jesus spent time with and associated with. Even then, as Jesus walked the earth, the 'church hirarchy' (the apostles) are looking down on Jesus (of all people) because he's associating with a woman! Oh yes, and a Samaritan woman at that! What gives? These men in charge are still not getting it.
Jesus associated and welcomed everyone, all the marginalized. In the case of women, Jesus had women followers. It is a distinct possibility that there were women who bankrolled his preaching. In the case of Martha and Mary, Jesus acknowledges that Mary ( at his feet ) had selected the better portion, learning instead of serving. Certainly we should not forget that it was women who first witnessed the resurrection after the men had denied our Lord and ran. What isn't clear here? Jesus taught in two concrete ways, his preaching (very often a parable) and his actions. They both speak to inclusion.
That women in the Roman Catholic Church and indeed the world still are fighting for their God given rights and dignity is a sin of enormous magnitude. Yet the Church is often full of deniers. The list is legion from scientific knowledge to souls for indigenous people to women's rights and roles.
We cannot live with the hypocrisy of denying, especially when it infects so much. For example, we would believe that our bodies are sacred (which is true ) and they are made by God for procreation only (not true), it is a so called natural law. It is arrogance at best to say what God's intentions are with such unyielding finiteness. It is incredulous that they can then turn around and say that men called to the priesthood requires celibacy. Isn't that against God's natural law? In light of the fact that even Peter was married as an Apostle and and as the first Pope if you will (although that term had not yet been created), required celibacy seems astoundingly hypocritical.
The issues of women's rights, denying God's will and the knowledge his created world provides reaches into all aspects of life. It is at the root of many, if not all of the Churches evils and wrong heartedness. I have not been wronged as much as women have been but I get a strong hint of it by being gay.
What do I get from all this? Reflecting (as opposed to ranting) on this I cannot help but realize the message that Jesus gave on many occasions. Reach out to all is one message for me. Another is that I (we?) need to open ourselves to discussions and conversation with those that we might consider less that we are for some reason because it is not true, all are equal. All are loved by God.
One of the many things that I love about our Lord that seems to be almost lost on the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is just who Jesus spent time with and associated with. Even then, as Jesus walked the earth, the 'church hirarchy' (the apostles) are looking down on Jesus (of all people) because he's associating with a woman! Oh yes, and a Samaritan woman at that! What gives? These men in charge are still not getting it.
Jesus associated and welcomed everyone, all the marginalized. In the case of women, Jesus had women followers. It is a distinct possibility that there were women who bankrolled his preaching. In the case of Martha and Mary, Jesus acknowledges that Mary ( at his feet ) had selected the better portion, learning instead of serving. Certainly we should not forget that it was women who first witnessed the resurrection after the men had denied our Lord and ran. What isn't clear here? Jesus taught in two concrete ways, his preaching (very often a parable) and his actions. They both speak to inclusion.
That women in the Roman Catholic Church and indeed the world still are fighting for their God given rights and dignity is a sin of enormous magnitude. Yet the Church is often full of deniers. The list is legion from scientific knowledge to souls for indigenous people to women's rights and roles.
We cannot live with the hypocrisy of denying, especially when it infects so much. For example, we would believe that our bodies are sacred (which is true ) and they are made by God for procreation only (not true), it is a so called natural law. It is arrogance at best to say what God's intentions are with such unyielding finiteness. It is incredulous that they can then turn around and say that men called to the priesthood requires celibacy. Isn't that against God's natural law? In light of the fact that even Peter was married as an Apostle and and as the first Pope if you will (although that term had not yet been created), required celibacy seems astoundingly hypocritical.
The issues of women's rights, denying God's will and the knowledge his created world provides reaches into all aspects of life. It is at the root of many, if not all of the Churches evils and wrong heartedness. I have not been wronged as much as women have been but I get a strong hint of it by being gay.
What do I get from all this? Reflecting (as opposed to ranting) on this I cannot help but realize the message that Jesus gave on many occasions. Reach out to all is one message for me. Another is that I (we?) need to open ourselves to discussions and conversation with those that we might consider less that we are for some reason because it is not true, all are equal. All are loved by God.
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’
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