Lost Ladies of the Lectionary
I know it is hard to believe but the enduringly disgruntled dames over over at Future Church are, well, disgruntled. Again.
For the uninformed misogynists among you [read regular Catholics], Future Church is a group that openly agitates for the ordination of women. But since this issue is a dead letter, they occasionally need something else to agitate about.
Today, these pant suit wearing damsels in perpetual distress are upset about the short shrift that women get in the Catholic lectionary.
[ICN] “Unfortunately, for centuries, Mary of Magdala’s leadership and that of many other biblical women, has been minimized or excised from the official lectionary used in both Catholic and Protestant churches,” said Sr Christine Schenk, FutureChurch Executive Director.
“For example, even though all four gospels name Mary of Magdala as the first witness to the Resurrection, Jesus’ commission asking her to proclaim it to the male disciples is never read on Sunday, yet we hear about doubting Thomas every single year.”
“And Phoebe, an important leader and deacon at the Church of Cenchrae, is completely excised from the lectionary text of Paul’s letter to the Romans, as are Lois and Eunice from the letter to Timothy. We want Church officials to correct that,” said FutureChurch board member, Barbara Litrell.
This is a scandalous cover up by the Church. What are they hiding by not telling us about the pivotal biblical characters of Lois and Eunice. Let’s get to the bottom of this!
2 Timothy 1:5 – “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Uh. Ok. So Paul was writing to Timothy and said your momma and your grandmomma did good. How was I ever to lead a Christian life without that quote? But wait, there is more! From the Future Church website comes this damning evidence of a sexist patriarchal church conspiracy!
As a Catholic midwife, I am sorry to report that I never heard of two Hebrew midwives who were saviors of their people until I came upon them by accident on a retreat one year. I was despairing over ever getting a midwifery educational program off the ground in the face of stiff opposition from local obstetricians. Shiprah and Puah were waiting to console me in the back of my breviary. I couldn’t believe that I had never before heard their powerful story .
This excerpt comes from Sr. Christine Schenk’s longer article: Celebrating the Inclusive Jesus [no I didn’t make that up to be funny!]. Couple of things to note. If sister has never heard the story, perhaps it is because she doesn’t read the Bible? She really should read it. Vatican II even says so! Anyway, this heretofore hidden passage is right there in Exodus. Exodus has got to be one of the more popular books of the old testament probably right behind the book with the fig leaves, the snake, and apple. I think there was a woman in that story too come to think of it.
What’s more is that sister came across this story in the Breviary. The Breviary. The Liturgy of the Hours. Whoa! Nobody would ever think to look there!
The thing I took away from this story is this. If the Church is going to maintain this vast sexist patriarchal conspiracy, they really should try and do a better job at it.