The Bread of Justice is Inclusive
August 25, 2024
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Helen Weber-McReynolds, RCWP
1 Kings 17: 8-16; Ps. 15 - They Who Do Justice; Gal 2: 1-14; Mark 7: 24-30
Thursday this week, Aug. 22, marked the death of Sister of Mercy Theresa Kane. As some of you probably recall, it was Theresa Kane who stood up in the National Basilica of Mary in Washington DC, on Oct. 7, 1979, and addressed Pope John Paul II, saying this:
“Our contemplation leads us to state that the church in its struggle to be faithful to its call for reverence and dignity for all persons must respond by providing the possibility of women as persons being included in all ministries of our church.”
That day ,Theresa Kane’s prophetic words would galvanize the women’s movement within the Catholic Church. Her truth, spoken to power, was a reminder to the Church hierarchy of a core truth of its own teaching: that all are equally created in God’s image, and equally called to help establish the Reign of God on earth.
All three of our readings today express this same sacred truth, that, regardless of ethnic heritage, race, gender, or any other human characteristics, all are called by God and have something to contribute to the increasing human realization of God’s life of love. They also continue the theme of the past few weeks of bread and feeding, this time focusing on the bread of justice.
Our first reading told how a widow in the non-Jewish town of Zarephath and the prophet Elijah ministered to one another. Both were called to leaps of faith. Elijah was asked to go to a village which was in the midst of a drought, and to depend on the kindness of a stranger there for his sustenance. The unnamed woman was asked to use the last bit of food she and her child had to provide hospitality for Elijah. Through the grace of God, they all survived together, until the drought was over. Without this widow’s faith and kindness, Elijah would not have been able to continue in prophesy, and without Elijah’s surrender to God’s will, they all would have starved. Sharing God’s bread of justice kept them alive.
Our second reading is an account of the Council of Jerusalem, considered the first Council of the church. Paul presented to the establishment of Jewish followers of Christ in Jerusalem, headed by Peter, James, and John, the gospel he had been teaching to non-Jewish believers in many surrounding territories. Finding no fault in what he had presented, they agreed to be partners in apostleship, Peter to Jewish followers of The Way, and Paul to the non-Jewish. In other words, they decided that people who wished to join in following Jesus’ teachings were all to be welcomed, without constraint to follow Jewish ritual law. The last part of the passage from Galatians represents Paul’s challenge to Peter when he perceived Peter failing to honor this agreement, by refusing to eat with non-Jews. Paul demanded that Peter recognize Paul’s non-Jewish community as equally called to faith by God. He insists that the bread of justice be shared equally by all the Christ followers.
Thirdly, in one of my favorites of all Gospel passages, we heard a non-Jewish woman enlighten Jesus as to the scope of his ministry. This Syro-Phoenician woman, also unnamed, refused to take no for an answer, when Jesus declined to help her afflicted daughter. She demanded that Jesus recognize that God calls everyone to live by returning God’s selfless love, not just Jewish people. Her clever response, born of her desperation for healing for her daughter, convinced Jesus of her faith, and forced him to reconsider the limitations he had placed on God’s love. By insisting on at least crumbs of the bread of justice, the woman inspired Jesus to listen to the Spirit of inclusion and dignity for all the created.
All three of these passages call us to do likewise, to both partake of and to share the bread of justice. I believe we are called to prophetic protest of the Church’s refusal to ordain all those called to ministry by the Holy Spirit. Having accepted God’s call, we are bound to provide all sacraments for all people called to them, regardless of gender, sexuality, or marital status. And we are called to do all we can to follow the loving examples of the widow of Zarephath, Paul and his followers, the Syro-Phoenecian woman, Theresa Kane, and Jesus.
August 25, 2024
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Helen Weber-McReynolds, RCWP
1 Kings 17: 8-16; Ps. 15 - They Who Do Justice; Gal 2: 1-14; Mark 7: 24-30
Thursday this week, Aug. 22, marked the death of Sister of Mercy Theresa Kane. As some of you probably recall, it was Theresa Kane who stood up in the National Basilica of Mary in Washington DC, on Oct. 7, 1979, and addressed Pope John Paul II, saying this:
“Our contemplation leads us to state that the church in its struggle to be faithful to its call for reverence and dignity for all persons must respond by providing the possibility of women as persons being included in all ministries of our church.”
That day ,Theresa Kane’s prophetic words would galvanize the women’s movement within the Catholic Church. Her truth, spoken to power, was a reminder to the Church hierarchy of a core truth of its own teaching: that all are equally created in God’s image, and equally called to help establish the Reign of God on earth.
All three of our readings today express this same sacred truth, that, regardless of ethnic heritage, race, gender, or any other human characteristics, all are called by God and have something to contribute to the increasing human realization of God’s life of love. They also continue the theme of the past few weeks of bread and feeding, this time focusing on the bread of justice.
Our first reading told how a widow in the non-Jewish town of Zarephath and the prophet Elijah ministered to one another. Both were called to leaps of faith. Elijah was asked to go to a village which was in the midst of a drought, and to depend on the kindness of a stranger there for his sustenance. The unnamed woman was asked to use the last bit of food she and her child had to provide hospitality for Elijah. Through the grace of God, they all survived together, until the drought was over. Without this widow’s faith and kindness, Elijah would not have been able to continue in prophesy, and without Elijah’s surrender to God’s will, they all would have starved. Sharing God’s bread of justice kept them alive.
Our second reading is an account of the Council of Jerusalem, considered the first Council of the church. Paul presented to the establishment of Jewish followers of Christ in Jerusalem, headed by Peter, James, and John, the gospel he had been teaching to non-Jewish believers in many surrounding territories. Finding no fault in what he had presented, they agreed to be partners in apostleship, Peter to Jewish followers of The Way, and Paul to the non-Jewish. In other words, they decided that people who wished to join in following Jesus’ teachings were all to be welcomed, without constraint to follow Jewish ritual law. The last part of the passage from Galatians represents Paul’s challenge to Peter when he perceived Peter failing to honor this agreement, by refusing to eat with non-Jews. Paul demanded that Peter recognize Paul’s non-Jewish community as equally called to faith by God. He insists that the bread of justice be shared equally by all the Christ followers.
Thirdly, in one of my favorites of all Gospel passages, we heard a non-Jewish woman enlighten Jesus as to the scope of his ministry. This Syro-Phoenician woman, also unnamed, refused to take no for an answer, when Jesus declined to help her afflicted daughter. She demanded that Jesus recognize that God calls everyone to live by returning God’s selfless love, not just Jewish people. Her clever response, born of her desperation for healing for her daughter, convinced Jesus of her faith, and forced him to reconsider the limitations he had placed on God’s love. By insisting on at least crumbs of the bread of justice, the woman inspired Jesus to listen to the Spirit of inclusion and dignity for all the created.
All three of these passages call us to do likewise, to both partake of and to share the bread of justice. I believe we are called to prophetic protest of the Church’s refusal to ordain all those called to ministry by the Holy Spirit. Having accepted God’s call, we are bound to provide all sacraments for all people called to them, regardless of gender, sexuality, or marital status. And we are called to do all we can to follow the loving examples of the widow of Zarephath, Paul and his followers, the Syro-Phoenecian woman, Theresa Kane, and Jesus.
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