Amazement and Wonder
Sometimes it’s just better to be simple, to state the obvious, in this week before the celebration of the birth of Christ:
We all remember and rejoice that, within her self on that great birth day, Mary literally transubstantiated bread and wine into body and blood to create her son – many believe – the Son, the Christ, God With Us, on earth.
Yet she, the most celebrated of women, would be prohibited from celebrating Mass, from speaking and reading and praying the words of her son, from reflecting on the life of her son, the Son, the Christ, God With Us on earth.
Yet she, the most consecrated of women, would be prohibited from consecrating bread and wine, from transubstantiating it into the body and blood of Jesus, her son, the Son, the Christ, God With Us on earth.
Yet she, the most sacred of women, would be prohibited from participating in all of the sacredness, Sacraments given to all of us by her son, Jesus, the Son, the Christ, God With Us on earth.
This week is filled with amazement and awe and wonder at what happened, and we rejoice.
This week – and the weeks past and to come – is also filled with another kind of amazement and awe and wonder at the objection to Mary – to all women – fully participating in celebrating Christmas in worship at our own Church by our own Church.
Why is it so simple, so obvious, for us to see?
Could it be that its very simplicity and transparency are the sources of its eternal power?
And could it happen that this power in the hands of us, the true Church, could force the temporal powers finally to see, too?
Christmas and then a New Year, it’s as simple as that. Let us, with Mary as inspiration, begin.
2 Responses
Indeed, we don’t have to seek sophisticated theological arguments. It is obvious that the first transubstantiation in history happened via Mary’s flesh. Why is it that it cannot happen sacramentally via the flesh of other women? It is a cultural aberration, due to the conflation of our sacramental theology with patriarchal gender ideology, plain and simple. Mary, Mother of God, is precursor of the apostles and so much more than an apostle. The ordination of women started with Mary at the Annunciation. Mother of the Eucharist, pray for us!
+++
“The Lord entered her and became a servant;
the Word entered her, and became silent within her;
thunder entered her and his voice was still;
the Shepherd of all entered her;
he became a Lamb in her, and came forth bleating.
“The belly of your Mother changed the order of things,
O you who order all! Rich he went in, he came out poor:
the High One went into her, he came out lowly.
Brightness went into her and clothed himself,
and came forth a despised form….
“He that gives food to all went in, and knew hunger.
He who gives drink to all went in, and knew thirst.
Naked and bare came forth from her the Clother of all things.”
St Ephrem, Hymn De Nativitate 11: 6-8, 4th century.
Beautifully written. I have been a United Methodist Pastor for 24 1/ 2 years (female). It is a true joy to serve the Lord in this capacity and I keep praying for the Catholic Church to wake up! Thank you, Mother Mary, for being obedient to the Holy Spirit and being the vessel (female vessel) that gave birth to Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah – for all people. What on earth is the Catholic Church afraid of? Women can be Astronauts, Doctors, Teachers, Lawyers, etc., but, not serve fully in the church, makes no sense! 1 John 4:18 states: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” May the Christmas Spirit be poured out anew over humanity and bless all believers; tearing down the walls that are still dividing us. Come Holy Spirit! Come!