Homily Thirtieth Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Ephesians: 5:21-33)
Homily Thirtieth Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Ephesians: 5:21-33)
Never is a piece of scripture taken more out of context than the passage we read today. The reading from Ephesians begins with the line, “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.” But the line people remember comes later in the passage where it says, “Wives be submissive to your husbands.”
Some fundamentalist scripture scholars use this as a justification for husbands and fathers being the authority figure in their homes. I have known women who have expected that their husbands fulfill that role. This may be fine for many families, especially if the man involved is a benevolent and kindly soul, but this seems kind of out of step with the modern world in which we live.
In our society, most often, both husband and wife have careers. In New Testament times, the man was the bread winner. Because of his dominance in economic matters, a man was considered the leader of the household. Women and children had few legal rights and might even be considered property.
We might ask if this piece of scripture has any relevance to our time. If we go back to its opening premise, we have a timeless spiritual truth. The truth is that we all should serve one another. We do that because each member of our family is an image of Christ. Just as we would not mistreat the Lord, we do not mistreat our family members. We love them as if they were Christ. And we are to be loved by our family in the same way.
When Christian charity permeates a household there is a sense of tranquility that is priceless. We strive for that ideal because that is our Christian vocation.
- Have you ever heard this scripture used to justify men having authority in a household? How did that make you feel?
- If you felt uneasy, is it because the scripture was taken out of context? What might I do be more charitable towards my family members?
Dear Parishioners,
The election is very much on our mind. During the next nine days the National Council of Catholic Bishops have asked us to pray the following Novena. We are asked to pray one Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory be each day with the following prayers. I will use the prayer for my pastor’s comment each day this week.
Day One: Monday
“As we prepare for the national and local elections, in the midst of a global pandemic, may our political engagement be guided by our Catholic Faith.”
We make decisions that have an impact on both ourselves and others. May God’s love open hearts even further for others and may that openness to love guide us in the election of our leaders. It is with great faith and hope that we must ask that the Lord will also move our elected leaders to deep compassion, understanding and service that mirrors Christ. Our world needs wise discernment and healing and for voters and politicians to show care for all human life in their continuing response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Again and again, may we ask that God deepen his love through all that we do, including filling out those little ovals on the ballot.
Day Two: Tuesday
In this month of the Holy Rosary, may Our Blessed Mother guide us in confronting racial inequalities and restoring peace in our communities.
Racial justice is God’s loving justice, and Jesus is with those who are persecuted, neglected and killed because of the color of their skin. Let us pray that our nation chooses leaders and policies that further the cause of racial justice and dismantle the undue cross of burden that Americans of color continue to bear. We also need to pray for Indigenous Americans who have experienced COVID 19 hospitalizations at a rate 5.3 times that of non-Hispanic whites because of social and health care inequities. Let us pray that our nation chooses leaders and policies that further the cause of racial justice and dismantle the undue cross of burden that Americans of color continue to bear. May God help us and those who represent us to interrogate how racism is at work within our own frameworks and bodies.
May our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark