Why not women priests.
"Woman priest" Janice Sevre-Duszynska prepares for liturgy Nov 19th
They don’t know they are being absurd. “They think it’s a matter of civil rights,” Sister Sarah Butler told us recently at a November 8th talk at the Bishop O’Connor Pastoral Center here in Madison, “Women’s Ordination–Is it Still a Question?“. Sr. Sarah is a former women’s ordination advocate who says that involvement in ecumenical dialogue with Episcopalians/Anglicans was what catalyzed her coming to embrace Catholic teaching on this matter, which she now teaches with great clarity and intelligence and has written a book about. It is in fact a settled question in the Catholic Church; Catholics must hold definitively “that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women”. Of the several reasons which the Church points to, she considers the fact that Jesus chose men only to be His Apostles to be the most fundamental, and the priest as a sacramental sign of Christ, Head and Bridegroom of the Church, as a key theological reason. Although in opinion polling slight majorities of self-described Catholics say they want women to be priests, the biggest “controversy” apparent at this event attended by practicing Catholics was which of these reasons was the more basic one, Sr. Sarah felt strongly it was the former and wanted to convince us, while her audience leaned toward the latter.
Sr. Sarah Butler’s talk was part of the Saint Therese of Lisieux Lecture Series, and the good Sister began her talk by expressing gratitude for being under the patronage of this Saint who had, in her overflowing love for Jesus and among other exuberant desires to be a soldier, a doctor, a martyr, a Papal guard, a desire to be a priest–for Jesus to come down from heaven to be held in her hands with much love, to be bestowed upon souls. Of course, this desire could not have been further from the feminist-marxist narrative of the supposedly oppressed “have-nots” standing up to the “haves” demanding what can really only be a sad simulation, a parody of ordination; the “Little Flower” also expressed willingness to be like the “little poor man” Francis of Assisi who guarded his humility, his littleness, by refusing to be a priest. At the end of her life, as she was slowly and painfully dying of Tuberculosis, Therese’s very last written work was what she said was the one and only homily she desired to give, which was in the form of a poem: “Why I love you O Mary.” It is wonderful. And the dignity, the greatness, of a Saint Therese cannot be improved upon by being ordained a priest.
Sr Sarah Butler, Theology Professor at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago, member of the Holy See's International Theological Commission, consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, and the US Bishops' Committee on Doctrine
Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Saint Nicholas' Feast Day in Holland
Today, December 6th, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, 4th century bishop of Myra, in Turkey. The association of this saint with giving small presents comes from a best known episode of the life of the Saint, who became heir to a large fortune at a young age, which he distributed for the needs of the poor:
One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery [human trafficking; prostitution]. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
St Nicholas day customs brought many years ago from the old world are quite alive among many here in the US and perhaps especially common in Wisconsin, in the form of the charming custom of stealthily leaving presents of small presents or food (especially oranges) in shoes or stockings children set out, or on the doorstep of a loved one. Here in Madison, a friend tells of a roundtrip to Milwaukee whenever possible on this day just to “Saint Nick” her sister (anonymously–but her sister can guess, and phones deeply touched). Another friend expands the concept and likes to pick a poor family of her acquaintance and leave a whole series of useful gifts (kitchen items, food, warm socks, etc) on their doorstep during Advent, with the recipient entirely unaware of the identity of the secret benefactor.
Saint Nicholas day gift-giving is free of consumerist madness, but seems to retain its good character of charity, of personal caring, of affection. The traditional major gift giving holiday in many European countries is not this, though, and not Christmas either, but Epiphany, when the three Wise Men from the east came to see the Baby Jesus and give kingly gifts to Him who was born into such perfect poverty.
The Beatitudes
Late 19th c. Historic Image of the Mount of the Beatitudes, near Capernaum
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
(Matthew 5:1-12, RSV)
The Church of the Beatitudes, built in the 1930s near the ruins of a 4th century church, at the place where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount