Where all Families are Holy

By Reverend Katherine Elsner

I must say that I love this reading from Mattew with Jesus’ question: Who Do You Say That I AM?

It’s such a direct question where Jesus goes straight to the heart of what he wants to know. However, first let’s see what was going on in the Hebrew scripture reading from Isaiah. It may or may not surprise you.

In Isaiah, we also find a direct message, this time from God speaking directly to Isaiah to deliver this message to Shebna:

“I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.” What we don’t know from this passage is why Shebna was being deposed from his post, which was the highest rank in command under the King. Actually, that information is found in the verses that were skipped by whomever prepared this reading for the lectionary. So, I looked it up. Shebna was being deposed from his high office because he had used his office for personal glory, building an expensive, luxurious, elevated tomb in the rocks, similar to the Egyptian tombs, all during a national crisis. God wanted Shebna stripped of his luxurious robes, his title and his chariots because Shebna was spending time and resources, memorializing himself.

Hmmm! Does this story remind us of any political ruling authority in our time who is using his position for personal gain? Although that discussion is for another time & place, I think it is safe to say that we know power can be used by anyone for his or her own personal gain. I also wonder why the reason for deposing Shebna was left out of this reading!!!

In contrast to Isaiah’s reading, in the reading from Romans, Paul shares qualities of God with us. Paul says: “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” And, another part of the quote from Romans: “For from God, and through God and to God are all things. To God be the glory forever.” I appreciate hearing these words because we pray them during every mass at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, just moments before receiving communion. To me, it’s a summary of how we can perceive God in our own lives. Because, we come from God, we live through God, and we give glory to God for our existence. If we center our lives on the qualities we receive from God, we can resist using power for inappropriate gain. Relying on our qualities from God, we surely would not be using power for personal gain, but for the good of others.

Matthew provides another way for all of us to examine our relationship with God, which in turn, becomes the basis of our relationship with others. First. Jesus asks the disciples: “Who do people say I am?” Can you imagine the rumors that must have been going around? Maybe the disciples were even relieved that Jesus had asked this question. They could now share all of the gossip they had heard about who people said Jesus was.

Then Jesus popped the big question: “Who do YOU say that I am?” I wonder how long it took someone among them to reply! Perhaps many of them spoke up all at once, or maybe no one spoke up. Dead silence. However, in the end, only Peter’s reply is passed down to us in this reading. Peter said: “You are the Christ, who came from the living God.”

I can only imagine how afraid all of them might have been to hear Peter express this personal belief about Jesus. Because, Peter’s statement was controversial. It did not agree with religious authority, politicians, and others in positions of power at the time. Some of us likely know firsthand what it’s like to come to a different conclusion than those in authority. It takes courage to speak up, even if one has devoted time and prayer and discernment to the process. Was Jesus teaching the disciples to trust their own experience of who they knew him to be? Was Jesus teaching his disciples to trust themselves in what they believed, and in turn teaching us to trust in ourselves for the beliefs we have, and the decisions that we have made?

Jesus asked a direct bold question of the disciples, because he was a bold leader. He was someone who did not shy away from the powers that be. What can we learn from his bold witness?

I think we can and have learned that WE can ask bold questions. We can and have spoken up for what we believe. We at Holy Family have boldly spoken up for pursuing a community that is Catholic and inclusive in its leadership and its membership.

Jesus calls all people to follow their own call from God in their lives. Like many before us throughout history, we realize that Jesus is more than a teacher or an ancient prophet. Jesus teaches us that God is a loving presence, still alive and at work among us. I believe that people at Holy Family and at other inclusive communities around the world, have received unique spiritual gifts that enable us to be brave and bold, as we continue the work of Jesus.

We know that Jesus called men and women in his day to be preachers, teachers and leaders, although gradually through the centuries, most of the women’s names & stories have been removed from the scripture readings that we hear each weekend. In our day, many women have been called to be theologians, preachers and teachers in the Catholic Church. Women have also been called to be priests in the Catholic Church because they are brave and bold like many other women and men in history. All of YOU at HF are brave and bold to choose a place to pray that is true to who you are and where you know church is for you.

So today I ask all of us to pray that more women and men, but especially women, will be brave and bold enough to choose the priesthood as their vocation. Some say that the priesthood has always been male-only. But this is not true. More and more people are coming to understand that the current church practice of barring women from the sacrament of Holy Orders is glaringly inconsistent with the practice of Jesus. Throughout the gospel Jesus demonstrated inclusivity and empowerment of women. The church needs to provide women the ability to answer their call from the Holy Spirit as they experience it, the same as men experience and respond to their call. To deny this sacrament to women is both unjust and demeaning to the baptism of women.

The second Vatican Council in the 1960s called for the church to engage in the modern world. Thus, opening Holy Orders to women. would more properly reflect the needs and realities of our modern time. Women have successfully stepped into the highest levels of service and leadership in all areas of culture, business, politics, and in many religious denominations. Large numbers of Catholics yearn to see women step into the highest levels of service and leadership in our church. Many young people have little tolerance for barriers based on gender. Many people of all ages find some church practices irrelevant, thus causing them to leave the church.

By opening ordination to women, we would provide a wealth of leadership, pastoral care and sacramental opportunities in the church. And it would promote the faith to flourish in new places and in new ways.

In the month of November in the Catholic church, there is a week dedicated to praying for vocations. The readings this week spoke to me about vocation, especially the vocation of priesthood for women, who have been barred from this sacrament. Today our prayer after communion will be a prayer for vocations, that is, the vocation of priesthood for women.

Thanks, Holy Family, for being a church that accepts leaders: who are men AND women!

Prayer After Communion: A Prayer for Vocations

Ever present God, open the hearts and minds of all people, and inspire us to use the unique gifts you have given us for loving service to each other.

We pray especially now, for those women whose gifts are best suited to serve your Church as ordained priests.

Empower them with courage as they answer your call and strengthen them for humble service, great compassion, and insightful wisdom.

Support them through their ministries and enlighten the leadership of your Church to practice the equality that Jesus modeled to embrace all women and men whom you have gifted for sacramental service.

Strengthen your Holy Spirit within those you have chosen for priestly ministry. May they answer your call and follow you with generous hearts.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, who called Mary of Magdala and Phoebe – as well as Peter and Paul – to be ministers in the early Christian communities. Amen.