On the sixth Sunday of Easter this year, in various churches across Melbourne, women were given the opportunity to speak on the readings. An opportunity I gladly accepted, writes Mary Coloe PBVM.
At present, women are not permitted to be deacons and to give the homily, so this is simply a reflection not a homily.
The day’s second reading from the Acts of the Apostles could have been written for us in Greensborough and our global Church.
Luke, the author of Acts, is describing a critical time in the early Jesus movement, perhaps only 10 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. I invite you to take yourself back in time and put yourself in the shoes of these early women and men disciples.
A major question faced them, and what are they going to decide? Their answer, 2000 years ago, is why we are here today.
What would you decide: Yes or No?
Those first disciples were all Jews, just as Jesus and his mother. They grew up within the traditions, faith and festivals of Judaism; their ancestors had found that this was their way to encounter God. Then Jesus came. His ministry also, was mainly to Jews – teaching them, interpreting their scriptures, opening up a new way of encountering God – and he did this within Judaism.
But within ten years, his followers have moved beyond the land of Israel, into Greece, Turkey, Italy, and they are now finding non-Jews, or gentiles, also interested in their preaching about Jesus and wanting to join them. What will they decide?
Some, like James in Jerusalem, say No. Jesus came for the Jews, the children of Abraham. He didn’t travel beyond the land of Israel to Rome or Greece, so his movement should be restricted to Jews.
A great preacher named Paul, who was a Pharisee and an educated leader within Judaism, says the opposite. Based on his experience preaching the Jesus story, he has been welcomed by Gentiles. Paul says they should be included, that the Jesus story is not to be restricted just to Jews.
So, you have some saying No, Jesus came only for the Jews, and some saying Yes, the Jesus story should not be restricted. (Acts 10 and 11)
But it doesn’t really matter what James wants, or what Paul wants; the real question is: what does God want?
Then God breaks into the story through another great disciple, Peter. And this is the reading from Acts today.
Peter had been called to go to the house of a Roman soldier, a centurion, the leader of a large company of soldiers. On the way to the house of Cornelius, Peter is hungry and tired. He rests on the roof of a house and seems to see a sheet being lowered from heaven filled with animals, birds, reptiles, and hears a voice telling him to kill and eat.
But Peter says No, Jewish laws forbad eating some of these creatures they called unclean. Even though he was hungry, he refused. There was also a voice from heaven saying, What God has made clean, you must not call unclean. This same dream happens to him three times. The dream leaves Peter puzzled.
What do you think is the point of this strange dream? How would you interpret it?
Then Peter arrives in the house of Cornelius, the Gentile, and he is welcomed. This man wants to hear about Jesus, even though he is not a Jew.
Then Peter begins to understand his strange dream and says,
“I now realise, God does not have favourites”, all nations, races, are welcome.
He realises that we shouldn’t put limits on what God wants.
Then, to confirm that Peter has now got it right, he experiences that the Holy Spirit comes into the life of Cornelius and his household even before Peter has done anything, even before they are baptised – God has acted.
In this episode, we see the beginnings of the Jesus’ movement realising that Jesus came for everyone, not just the Jews. God does not have favourites. God does not created boundaries like we do.
My friends, I said this reading could have been written for us today. Our Catholic Church is facing similar critical questions.
Is it possible that women, like me, could be authorised to give a homily, could be a deacon?
Is it possible that a woman, like me, could be authorised to serve you at the Lord’s table?
History tells us that women were deacons and led house churches in the early centuries of Christianity. Some women are even named in Paul’s letters. Then, gradually, the ministries of opening up the Word and Breaking the Bread of Eucharist became restricted to men only, and to unmarried men only.
We have the situation we are in today; a Church led by men only. But a Church where many are starving for the Eucharist because of a shortage of male priests. Where parishes are being closed or joined up with others.
Today’s reading puts the challenge to us: is this what God wants? Does God only give vocations to men? Or could God be giving vocations to women as well? God offered all creatures to Peter, but he was blinded by his tradition and said No.
In the house of Cornelius, Peter showed great wisdom in recognising that God’s spirit had already come to this gentile household. God had already acted. When he baptised Cornelius, he was simply acknowledging that God was already here. He learnt through experience what the voice had told him, God does not have favourites.
The Gospel then takes us into the heart of Jesus’ message: love one another, as I have loved you. No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus’ life and death demonstrates God’s love for us, and we are then asked to bear witness to this in our own time. Can people today see God’s love at work in us? In how we live and work. In how we lay down our life for the other in acts of kindness, in generosity, in forgiveness, in giving time to listen, in considering the needy and vulnerable in our midst, and seeking no return.
When COVID-19 struck, people did look out for each other. We can do it, and it is what the Gospel of Jesus demands: love as I have loved. If we live as lukewarm disciples, Christianity will be boring. No one would want to be part of our group; our young people look beyond the words we say to how we live, and many say No thanks. They want a vital Christianity that challenges the values of our world today. They want to see the Gospel message being lived.
Two short slogans from today:
God has no favourites
Love as I love.
In conclusion:
Men and women, bishops and lay people are gathering at round tables in Rome later this year in a special Synod seeking God’s wisdom together. Pray for this gathering. May they be touched by the Holy Spirit as those first Christians were to move the Church to serve the community and the world today. May our Church, our community, be a better witness to the love that Jesus demonstrated.
