T
Telstar
Guest
This issue of women becoming Priests is mainly due to individuals viewing it from a strictly secular point of view, judging the Church’s position by those same secular opinions that are more political than spiritual. The RCC is not a secular or political entity. It never has been and never will be. It’s a spiritual institution created by God.
As far as the roles of men or women in the Church goes, they’re different because God created men and women to be different. He assigned them separate roles in every aspect of life, including the spiritual way of life. Why is that so hard to grasp? The closer we get to God, spiritually, the more we begin to understand what our roles are and why God set them up as He did. There is a Divine purpose, that only He knows, for it to be that way. He is the only one that can explain it, fully. Our duty as Catholics is to faithfully accept what the Church teaches and follow it, because it’s the truth that was revealed to us by Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, for the benefit of us all. It is God’s Will for it to be like this. It’s not our place to question Him.
The position of a Priest can’t be reduced to a secular ‘job description’ in any way, as if the Church was a corporation in the business of spreading its religious views, as a commercial service. It’s entirely different. The Priesthood is a spiritual position that was established by God. He set down the requirements, and the rules governing it, Himself. He is the only One that could ever change it. Since God never changes, the possibility of that ever happening are slim to none.
Humility is a virtue that we all should have learned from when God decided to lower Himself from the Heavens in order to live as Jesus, the man. His Priests are a true reflection of Him that has been left for us to have a physical example of Him, ever-present to us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. No woman in the world can ever fill that spiritual or physical role. It has not been granted to us by God. It’s a position that was reserved for men, only. We need to humbly accept our own roles in life, just as Jesus humbly accepted His role on earth.
I’d like to comment on a few other things said in previous posts. I’d really love to refute them all, in their entirety, but that would probably require at least a week’s worth of writing, and a dozen lengthy posts, to address all of my points of contention with some of what’s been said.
SecretGarden: I don’t know where you got some of your information, but you might want to read something that’s more historically accurate, and not take ‘facts’ or ideas from fictional books like The DaVinci Code, or from those who believe Jesus was secretly married to Mary Magdalen. Mary, the “Apostle’s Apostle”, was probably a reference to Jesus’ Mother Mary, not Mary Magdalen as so many people erroneously allege. The Blessed Mother is the one that the Apostles went to for advice after the Ascension. His Mother was always the one that was closest to His Heart. She was never actually separated from Him, at all. They were always joined, mystically, and the Apostles knew it.
Mary Magdalen was one of the holy women mentioned in the Gospels. Those women, along with the Holy Mother, did everything they could to spread the Gospel, by helping the Apostles. They weren’t any less important than the men. They were just different, but, they certainly never had any ambition to become Apostles, or to preach. That role was always reserved for men. They understood that, and it didn’t bother them in the least. They had enough to do. They knew they were doing exactly what Jesus wanted them to do, just as they’d been doing from the time He began His public ministry. They also followed Him from the very beginning, along with the Apostles. Please don’t dismiss their role, or that of women in the Church today, as if they were unimportant. Those roles may have evolved, but haven’t really changed that much.
Mary Magdalen was a perfect example for contemplative nuns. They give up their own lives in order to dedicate themselves to God’s holy work in His Church. I don’t know if some of you who are so offended by modern women’s roles are aware of this, but nuns aren’t just a bunch of women that are forced to just sit around praying all day, because the Church won’t allow them to do anything ‘better’ than that. But, many nun’s vows are a wedding vow. They’re actually married to Jesus Christ. They even wear a wedding band on their right hand, that indicates that they are married to Jesus, and serve Him alone. That’s not special?
Some are a lot like Martha. They busy themselves doing all kinds of important things for the Church. But, the ‘best’ are those like Mary Magdalen, who chose the ‘best part’ as a contemplative. Even Jesus showed us that prayer is very important for the whole world, and for the Church. Anyone that believes that women have been given an unfair or unequal role in the Church of any era, is completely ignorant of the great admiration and love that Jesus has always showed for all women’s roles, including those of us that are simply called to be wives and mothers. We all have our own parts, and they’re all different.
BTW (aka By The Way), for those who asked… “TYVM” does, indeed, mean “Thank You Very Much”!
As far as the roles of men or women in the Church goes, they’re different because God created men and women to be different. He assigned them separate roles in every aspect of life, including the spiritual way of life. Why is that so hard to grasp? The closer we get to God, spiritually, the more we begin to understand what our roles are and why God set them up as He did. There is a Divine purpose, that only He knows, for it to be that way. He is the only one that can explain it, fully. Our duty as Catholics is to faithfully accept what the Church teaches and follow it, because it’s the truth that was revealed to us by Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, for the benefit of us all. It is God’s Will for it to be like this. It’s not our place to question Him.
The position of a Priest can’t be reduced to a secular ‘job description’ in any way, as if the Church was a corporation in the business of spreading its religious views, as a commercial service. It’s entirely different. The Priesthood is a spiritual position that was established by God. He set down the requirements, and the rules governing it, Himself. He is the only One that could ever change it. Since God never changes, the possibility of that ever happening are slim to none.
Humility is a virtue that we all should have learned from when God decided to lower Himself from the Heavens in order to live as Jesus, the man. His Priests are a true reflection of Him that has been left for us to have a physical example of Him, ever-present to us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. No woman in the world can ever fill that spiritual or physical role. It has not been granted to us by God. It’s a position that was reserved for men, only. We need to humbly accept our own roles in life, just as Jesus humbly accepted His role on earth.
I’d like to comment on a few other things said in previous posts. I’d really love to refute them all, in their entirety, but that would probably require at least a week’s worth of writing, and a dozen lengthy posts, to address all of my points of contention with some of what’s been said.
SecretGarden: I don’t know where you got some of your information, but you might want to read something that’s more historically accurate, and not take ‘facts’ or ideas from fictional books like The DaVinci Code, or from those who believe Jesus was secretly married to Mary Magdalen. Mary, the “Apostle’s Apostle”, was probably a reference to Jesus’ Mother Mary, not Mary Magdalen as so many people erroneously allege. The Blessed Mother is the one that the Apostles went to for advice after the Ascension. His Mother was always the one that was closest to His Heart. She was never actually separated from Him, at all. They were always joined, mystically, and the Apostles knew it.
Mary Magdalen was one of the holy women mentioned in the Gospels. Those women, along with the Holy Mother, did everything they could to spread the Gospel, by helping the Apostles. They weren’t any less important than the men. They were just different, but, they certainly never had any ambition to become Apostles, or to preach. That role was always reserved for men. They understood that, and it didn’t bother them in the least. They had enough to do. They knew they were doing exactly what Jesus wanted them to do, just as they’d been doing from the time He began His public ministry. They also followed Him from the very beginning, along with the Apostles. Please don’t dismiss their role, or that of women in the Church today, as if they were unimportant. Those roles may have evolved, but haven’t really changed that much.
Luke 10 said:
Mary Magdalen was a perfect example for contemplative nuns. They give up their own lives in order to dedicate themselves to God’s holy work in His Church. I don’t know if some of you who are so offended by modern women’s roles are aware of this, but nuns aren’t just a bunch of women that are forced to just sit around praying all day, because the Church won’t allow them to do anything ‘better’ than that. But, many nun’s vows are a wedding vow. They’re actually married to Jesus Christ. They even wear a wedding band on their right hand, that indicates that they are married to Jesus, and serve Him alone. That’s not special?
Some are a lot like Martha. They busy themselves doing all kinds of important things for the Church. But, the ‘best’ are those like Mary Magdalen, who chose the ‘best part’ as a contemplative. Even Jesus showed us that prayer is very important for the whole world, and for the Church. Anyone that believes that women have been given an unfair or unequal role in the Church of any era, is completely ignorant of the great admiration and love that Jesus has always showed for all women’s roles, including those of us that are simply called to be wives and mothers. We all have our own parts, and they’re all different.
BTW (aka By The Way), for those who asked… “TYVM” does, indeed, mean “Thank You Very Much”!
I understand clearly how God views me, and everyone else too.
