A theme we can reflect on from today’s readings is service like Christ served others, as a “suffering servant.” Abraham endured trials and adversity in his walk with Yahweh (YHWH). So too, would YHWH’s servants endure ordeals and affliction on their sacred path.  It’s also a basic Christian theme and path.  Let’s study how this it connects with the scriptures we just read. 

Most of the time we hear the first part of the book of Job.  His life is miserable.  He loses everything that means anything to him.    At the same time he keeps his faith firm in the goodness of YHWH.  He treats people with kindness.  He speaks directly to YHWH and prays for his friends.

Today’s reading is from the last chapter of the book.  God has restored his fortunes and given him three daughters and seven sons.  Job treats them equally.  We even are told his daughters’ names.  They mean Dove, Cinnamon and Horn of Beauty.  Maybe one of the things he learned from his problems was to treat his sons and daughters equally. 
If you were at Mass last night or this morning you probably heard the section in Hebrews that refers to Jesus as the High Priest.  Jesus didn’t come from a priestly family.  His priesthood came from Melchizedek, an “outside priest.”   That’s also a way that the priesthood of Roman Catholic Womenpriests connects to Jesus’ priesthood.

The section from Hebrews we heard encourages us to be faithful always, connecting back to the reading about Job and forward to the section from Mark.  Mark liked to get to the point – no mincing words. Just follow Jesus all the way to the end, not looking for rewards. 

Last Sunday, in the chilly, windy weather Helen and friends set up our booth for the Festival of Faiths at Veterans Plaza.  When it came time for the Opening Ceremonies Angela and I took a place in the procession.  It happened to be right behind the Archdiocese.  Many had never heard of Roman Catholic Women Priests, or St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community.  It was exciting to have many people interested in our ministry.   Nancy joined us and talked to people about Roman Catholic Women Priests.  However, we have no idea what rewards, if any, we will experience. 
I noticed that there were many homeless people walking around.  Ed’s cousin who was staffing one of the United Church of Christ booths told me that they had brought food and clothing to give out.  The Indianapolis Center for Congregations also had those items from people who saw the request on the information sheet about the event.  We will look into connecting with those efforts next year.

Let’s step back to something else in the Gospel for a minute or two.  Jesus was really challenging his followers, especially the leaders like James and John who had had special privileges, like being present at the Transfiguration.  Yes, they were leaders but in Jesus’ value system that did, and still does, mean being the servant of all.  They didn’t understand that as a challenge until much later.

What is there about being a disciple of Jesus that challenges you?   Is there a new challenge that you hadn’t expected?  In what way do you offer to help someone else who is facing a new challenge?  How are you called to be a servant of all?     
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 Maria Thornton McClain, RCWP

Homily
27th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Maria Thornton McClain, RCWP

Note what we did not hear in the first reading, Genesis 10: verse 7.  We didn’t hear that God created “man.”  We heard: “God created an earthling – a human being – from the ground of the earth.”  Come to find out, what we’re used to hearing, Adam,  is a mis-translation of the Hebrew.   There is no sense that God, working as a potter, created a man, but ha-adam, meaning “from the earth.”  Sexual differentiation is first spoken of later in verse 23. 
 
Genesis 2:18 gives the reason for the creation of woman.  “It is not good that the human being be alone.”  God takes the side of the androgynous human and shapes it into another being.  From this point on in the narrative, the human beings become ish (male/man) and ishah (female/woman).  As patriarchal as this text is in other aspects, the writer did not describe God's creation of a male being first and then a female.  Instead, the writer describes God’s creation of a human from which both male and female emerge simultaneously.  This other human is to be a partner.  The Hebrew word for partner or helper is the same word that is used when it refers to the help that God gives Israel.   There is nothing in the symbolism of the rib in antiquity or in the narrative itself to suggest that the second human being is subordinate to the first. 
 
     The reading from the Book of Hebrews, like Genesis, speaks of the creation of the universe by God's invisible Word.  We need to keep that in mind as we reflect on the Gospel according to Mark.  That Gospel was written about 30 years after the resurrection.  Jewish legislation did not consider the possibility of a woman initiating a bill of divorce.
 
This Gospel adapts Jesus’ teaching to the Greco-Roman culture, to an actual community situation.  This gives evidence of the cultural contexts that can influence interpretation.
 What was Jesus’ teaching? We can put that into a few words, words that form the theme of this year’s Festival of Faiths: COMPASSION THROUGH ACTION!)  Jesus spent much of his time healing others.  In the Jewish world women whose husbands had divorced them were forced into extreme poverty.  Mark, speaking to a non-Jewish audience,  says that Jesus taught that women should have equal rights as men to divorce. 
 
Let’s leave the ancient world and bring Jesus’ teaching to our day and location.  Think of the thousands of studies on why some marriages last and some fail, studies based on the experience of many, many people.  Think of the recent studies of the diversity of sexual orientation.  Jesus’ teaching on marriage applies the same way to all people.  Marriage is a covenantal commitment based on God’s infinite love, intended to bring the two people to the fulness of love.
 
 The teaching on divorce is based on compassion.  Since many women in our culture can survive divorce economically and socially, the prohibition on divorce is less necessary.  The sanctity of marriage at all costs is no longer viable if we are to affirm honesty, healthy relationships, and the equality of all genders.  Yes, God is love and those who abide in love abide in God and God in them.  Let’s affirm those who are striving to love fully, and support those who find it impossible in their current situation.
 
Where would you like to apply this teaching?  (Discussion followed)

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