I've Been Tagged, Baby! Three Favorite Scripture Verses.

Many thanks to Celeste Behe at Perpetual Jubilee for tagging me in a blogging meme! The theme for this meme is "Three Favorite Scripture Verses."


Gulp! I humbly confess that I am not very good at following through with Memes.


This is how a meme works:
1. Write a post on your three favorite verses from the Bible and why you like them.
2. Link back to this post.
3. In your post, tag three other bloggers to carry this theme forward, link back to you, and tag additional bloggers.

It's step 3 that usually stops me in my tracks. I can give you a long explanation why, but let's just skip that to save you some time and spare you the annoyance of my explaining myself  to you so I'll feel better. Let's jump right into step 1.

Well, about that. For step 1, I can't say that I have a favorite Bible verse, like a favorite color (blue) or a favorite food (homemade white pizza with handmade kielbasa and caramelized onions and cured olives and ched.... er...let's move on!). No, I have to say that every time I open the Bible, I find something new, revealing, and refreshing.

So here are the three verses I've chosen for today.

(Luke 1: 38) Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

I adore this verse, and I adore this mystery of the Rosary. Mary said Yes to God with great love and with a desire to do His will in even the smallest ways (and thus she calls herself a handmaid) each and every day. This is why I love St. Therese of Lisieux, too, and her little ways.

(Matthew 23: 24) Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

I read this verse earlier this week, and I was in awe of it. In this part of Matthew, Jesus is denouncing the Scribes and the Pharisees, telling them that they use the law and all its minutiae to keep people from entering Heaven. He tells them that they are guards: that is, they won't enter but they won't let anyone else enter either. They pick at tiny faults (gnat) and have clearly lost the big picture of God's commandments, which are vehicles of mercy and love, and thus sin (camel) against their Father in Heaven. Also, I know I am guilty of swallowing the camel, too!

As a writer and a lover of the written word, I can't help but marvel over Christ's command of language, especially in His use of imagery. Regardless of the translation, His words must indeed be the finest of all literature. Of course, He is Heaven, so His use of language must be the most high, the most perfect, and I am glad to be His writing student!

(John 13: 14) If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.

I thought about this often last year, when my husband was very sick and spent a lot of time in bed. I'd pray to God to show me His will, and He usually sent me small tasks to complete. It puzzled me. Of all the things that could be accomplished, why send me to give my husband an extra blanket when he didn't ask for one, or to give him a foot rub, or to bring him a cup of tea (which he usually didn't drink because he knew he wouldn't keep it down)? But St. Therese, Mary's fiat, and the scripture of the washing of the feet made me realize that sometimes our callings are very small. Nevertheless, they are just as important as the big measures, especially when God Himself sends you to do them., and we must embrace them with all our hearts.

So those are my scripture choices for today. Thanks, Celeste, for including me!

Readers, you might want to check out my page, Links for the Family and also Other Catholic Blogs in the right column to learn about other Catholic bloggers who are loyal to the Magisterium and in love with the One True Faith.

God bless!

Just What IS a Woman's Role if She Cannot Be Ordained?

first posted July 4, 2010

by Kathleen Blease

One day, I came across a post on Facebook from a man who, for the life of him, couldn't reason why women aren't ordained priests. Still quite young, he reminded me very much of myself at that age, and he was quick to argue that the Church is sexist in its methods. Many years ago, I too had the argument that since the Church was in dire need of priests, then women should be ordained and given all the privileges of men.


How naive could I have been? Now, many years later, I see the wisdom of the Church, and I'm grateful youngsters such as I was had no authority in the matter.

So what is the role of woman in the Church if she cannot be ordained? Indeed, women hold the highest role! Yes, you read that correctly--the highest role. This is not my opinion. It is the teaching of the Church herself, one which has been underscored by Pope John Paul II.

If you don't believe this, consider:

Mary, Mother of God, is the highest of all saints--including all the men--and the Queen of Heaven, crowned solely for her singular and perfect role as a mother. In all her perfection, her own Son did not choose her to be a priest. She remained his mother, who raised and nurtured Him, who prayed for Him during His ministry and while He was absent from her. It was Mary who also gave comfort to the Apostles, who suffered at the foot of the cross, and whose divine agony became divine mercy, making God's grace evident on Earth.

It was a mother--a woman--through which God made Himself present among His Creation. Remember, God could have manifested Himself in any form and under any circumstance. If He so desired, He could have come to us from the sky a mighty warrior and claimed Israel in one strike. Yet, He came to us through the womb of a lowly and simple, yet perfect, woman. If this does not clearly define the power of motherhood and God's elevation of the woman, then nothing will convince you.

Well, let's try this, too...

Among the saints are Doctors of the Church. These are saints who are considered the most edified among the holy, and they are named such by the Pope himself. Two of my favorites are St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa of Avila. Their gender has nothing to do with their ultimate status!

Now how can anyone call the Catholic Church sexist? But, no, the young man on Facebook wouldn't give up. His final question: "Just where does it say in Scripture that only men can be priests?" Margie Prox Sindelar, a wonderful lady on my friends list, wanted to help him out. Here's what she had to say, reprinted with her permission. Make yourself comfortable, this is a long list that will make you think...and think...and think.

Just because women and men have different roles, does not make us unequal in dignity.... men can not bear children.... So was God sexist when he created us that way? and Yes, there are many places in Scripture that support a male only priesthood, so the church has no authority to change what God has commanded:

Gen. 3:15; Luke 1:26-55-- Mary is God's greatest creation, was the closest person to Jesus, and yet Jesus did not choose her to become a priest. God chose only men to be priests to reflect the complimentarity of the sexes. Just as the man (the royal priest) gives natural life to the woman in the marital covenant, the ministerial priest gives supernatural life in the New Covenant sacraments.

Judges 17:10; 18:19 – fatherhood and priesthood are synonymous terms. Micah says, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest.” Fathers/priests give life, and mothers receive and nurture life. This reflects God our Father who gives the life of grace through the Priesthood of His Divine Son, and Mother Church who receives the life of grace and nourishes her children. In summary, women cannot be priests because women cannot be fathers.



Mark 16:9; Luke 7: 37-50; John 8:3-11 - Jesus allowed women to uniquely join in His mission, exalting them above cultural norms. His decision not to ordain women had nothing to do with culture. The Gospel writers are also clear that women participated in Jesus' ministry and, unlike men, never betrayed Jesus. Women have always been held with the highest regard in the Church (e.g., the Church's greatest saint and model of faith is a woman; the Church's constant teaching on the dignity of motherhood; the Church's understanding of humanity as being the Bride united to Christ, etc.).


Mark 14:17,20; Luke 22:14 - the language "the twelve" and "apostles" shows Jesus commissioned the Eucharistic priesthood by giving holy orders only to men.

Gen. 14:10; Heb. 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:15,17 - Jesus, the Son of God, is both priest and King after the priest-king Melchizedek. Jesus' priesthood embodies both Kingship and Sonship.


Gen. 22:9-13 - as foreshadowed, God chose our redemption to be secured by the sacrificial love that the Son gives to the Father.

Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 - because the priest acts in persona Christi in the offering to the Father, the priest cannot be a woman.


Mark 3:13 - Jesus selected the apostles "as He desired," according to His will, and not according to the demands of His culture. Because Jesus acted according to His will which was perfectly united to that of the Father, one cannot criticize Jesus' selection of men to be His priests without criticizing God.


John 20:22 - Jesus only breathed on the male apostles, the first bishops, giving them the authority to forgive and retain sins. In fact, the male priesthood of Christianity was a distinction from the priestesses of paganism that existed during these times. A female priesthood would be a reversion to non-Christian practices. The sacred tradition of a male priesthood has existed uncompromised in the Church for 2,000 years.

1 Cor. 14:34-35 - Paul says a woman is not permitted to preach the word of God in the Church. It has always been the tradition of the Church for the priest or deacon alone (an ordained male) to read and preach the Gospel.


1 Tim. 2:12 - Paul also says that a woman is not permitted to hold teaching authority in the Church. Can you imagine how much Mary, the Mother of God, would have been able to teach Christians about Jesus her Son in the Church? Yet, she was not permitted to hold such teaching authority in the Church. (A note from Kathleen: Note that this is not referring to CCD teachers and mothers. This is referring to the teaching authority we now call The Vatican, The Pope, who provides us with the infallible teachings of The Church, which is protected by Our God from error.)


Rom. 16:1-2 - while many Protestants point to this verse denounce the Church's tradition of a male priesthood, deaconesses, like Phoebe, were helpers to the priests (for example, preparing women for naked baptism so as to prevent scandal). But these helpers were never ordained.

Luke 2:36-37 - prophetesses, like Anna, were women who consecrated themselves to religious life, but were not ordained.

Isaiah 3:12 – Isaiah complains that the priests of ancient Israel were having their authority usurped by women, and this was at the height of Israel’s covenant apostasy.

I'll bet you never thought there was this much available in Scripture. To all Catholic women, I'd like to say:

If you are a mother, you know that your tasks are endless and can seem overwhelming. Indeed, we have a habit of using the word "mundane." But the truth is, motherhood can seem to be too much not because it is mundane but because it is so huge! Embrace the task Our Lord has granted you. You are the moral gate keeper of your home, and it is your most urgent task to raise the next generation in a way Moses instructed his people. That is, teach your children while you are at home and away, at work and at rest. Teach your children so they can teach their children and all the generations will know Him.

God bless!

You might also be interested in my book review on The Authentic Catholic Woman, which is an excellent and uplifting explanation of the how the Church sees her precious daughters and their unique role in God's plan.

The Walking Rosary or Oh, The Adolescent Male!

by Kathleen Blease

He has a big heart. He is adorable and is the spitting image of his father, the man I'm absolutely in love with. Creative. Funny. Strong. Adventurous. Hard working. And he's driving me loony!

I feel guilty for saying it, but it's true. My thirteen-year-old is constant. Chatter. Eating. Chatter. Jumping. Chatter. Elbows and heels always moving about and looking for excitement. Chatter. Objects are flipped in the air—remote controls, pens, phones, pocket knives. Up, down. Up, down. Chatter. And his brain is constantly conjuring up inventions—usually right in the middle of Math. Oh, the adolescent male! His big brother doesn't make it easier with his untimely input. If you've got two boys, you know what I mean by “the little brother/big brother reaction factor.” Grrr.


I thought I'd take a break. A brisk walk in the cool spring air was in order. I slid my cell phone into my back pocket and called out to the boys, “Call me if you need me.” Translation: I want to be alone.

I took along a decade rosary I fashioned out of twine and knots and decided to follow the advice of Peggy Bowes and her Rosary Workout. This would be a good time to pray the mystery of The Visitation and to reflect on Mary's journey on foot (while pregnant) to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. I thought about that. I crossed over the creek's bridge and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Then I thought about how tired I was. How my foot hurt and my knee cracked. How my back was sore. Did Mary feel all these things, too? Of course. And the trees. The long row of trees to my right—the smell of the pine, the cool breeze, the feel of the road under my feet. Little stones. Pine cones. Twigs.

Here was Mary's path. Mary's school. I was entering in and becoming acutely aware that the Blessed Mother was surrounded by the very same dirt, fresh breeze, and noise of the birds, although two millenia ago and a world away. But these tiny pieces of Our Father's creation today are just the same.

I was in the mode. Peace. Ah, yes, peace....

And then...

“THERE you are! I ran across the woods, over the creek. Look, I got the bottom of my jeans dirty, but I hopped a few stones and got over the creek, then I ran over the field and now I've found you! Oh, here's a stone. Check this out! Oops. Mom, look. Mom, look. Maybe a pine cone would work better. Mom, watch, I'm gonna punt it. Oops. Wait, wait. Mom, look. Mom, look. Watch, watch. I'll try again. Yes! I was wondering if I would find you.”

I don't know why he wondered. I always walk on the same road.

Okay, I decided I would focus on my prayers by hook or by crook. Peggy said so. Here we go.

Hail Mary, full of grace....

Another knot finished. On to the next and then the next. And my son was still chattering. But now he was in front of me, kicking another pine cone down the road. Kick. Scramble, scramble. Kick. Scramble, scramble.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Third knot finished. His elbows flew in the air. Whack! His heel kicked up high behind him.

Right about then, my eyes were changing. I saw something. I didn't see it before.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Another knot. And then it became a little clearer.

Our Lord was just about my son's age when he left his parents to teach in the Temple. I thought about that. And then I thought about the fact that Christ, too, was a teen. What was he like at 13 years old? Exuberant, I'm sure. He must have loved his friends. How many games did he play with them? Can you imagine Him playing some ancient form of soccer, laughing and challenging His friends? All those boys: elbows and heels.

I watched my son in front of me as I prayed. Another knot. Then another. I could feel a unique bond forming first between my Holy Mother and me and then between my son and me. I could hear Mary saying, “Yes, He was like him in many ways when He was a boy. Happy. He was happy.”

We turned the corner and I said to Max, “I'm ready to pray the Hail Holy Queen. Wanna join me?”

“Here? Out loud?” He shrugged and put his arm across my shoulder in his happy-go-lucky way. We began. Out loud, as we walked down road. “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our hope. To you do we cry....”

Max walked next to me, but his steps were zippy next to my heavy ones. The cinders popped out from under his feet as we recited the prayer.

I continued on. “....Pray for us, Mother of God.”

My son was quiet. (Quiet!)

“Do you remember this part?”

He shrugged, then said, “That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Then cinders flew as he ran up the driveway toward the pond. Elbows in the air.

That's my boy!

Cleaning Out the House: A Sing Along

by Kathleen Blease

When housework becomes drudgery, when single socks pile up on the ironing board, and when dirty countertops, floors, and toilets beckon me just once too often, I have a trick. I sing to Mary. That's right, I sing to the Blessed Mother.

My little ditty goes like this:

Mother Mary, Mother Mary,
Make me thankful for these ______. (Fill in the blank. Let's say "floors.")

Mother Mary, Mother Mary,
Make me thankful for these floors.
Mother Mary, Mother Mary,
Make me thankful for these floors.

When our boys were little, I would sing it loud and strong. They'd peer around the corner and say, "Oh, boy. Mom's cleaning again." They were fearful that I was heading toward their rooms.

Mother Mary, Mother Mary,
Make me thankful for these clothes...that I'm picking up...off my son's floor... again...but never mind!
Mother Mary, Mother Mary,
Make me thankful for these clothes.

Well, yes, housework still irked me a bit. But I could picture Mary doing the same chores for her little family. I could connect.

Several years ago, I attended a Catholic mother's group. I was so eager to learn about this new term I came across--the Domestic Church. I wanted to find out just how to make our home our own little place of worship, along with building my own domestic vocation. Fill me in! Sigh. The ladies wanted to talk about more common things. How to save money by cutting napkins in half and how select-a-size paper towels ranked among the greatest inventions of our civilized hemisphere. Somehow, these things always rolled into the scripture sharing. But I wanted more! Come on, gals, let's get down to it!

I proclaimed my new discovery. Singing to Mother Mary. One mom said that if she sang to Mary in her home, her children would have her commited. Another made her opinion quite clear by rolling her eyes and saying, "Yeah, right!" There was a general air of "Oh brother!" in the room.

I guess I couldn't blame them. But I shared two more thoughts before I dropped it, and I do believe I saw a few eyebrows going up in agreement. First, if I'm grateful for something--having bathrooms, a fridge, dishwasher, floors, ceilings, a roof, electricity, cats, cat food, cat litter (am I going too far?)--then I can't be angry about taking care of them. It all comes down to an attitude of gratitude. And second, if I can't be Catholic in my own home, just where can I be Catholic openly and abundantly? Aren't moms the moral gate keepers of the Faith?

Mother Mary helped me to see all our "necessities" as gifts, not just instigators of chores. Messy gifts, though, but it's better to have them than to go without.

Today, I don't sing this song as boisterously as I used to. It's become something of a little hymn I humm under my breath, but it's there for me just the same. I can see Mother Mary scrubbing the floors, wiping her wet dishpan hands on her apron, and cleaning out the wood-burning stove. My kinda woman.

I once mentioned this concept and my little verse in song to Catholic novelist Michelle Buckman. We had just met. What would possess me to tell her this about myself? But Michelle smiled with an honest and sensitive acknowledgement. "Yes, that's very much like St. Therese and her little ways, to be grateful for everyday things."

I'll take that! So, loud and clear everyone...

Mother Mary, Mother Mary
Make me thankful for these _______________.

Fill in the blank.

God bless!

Clearing Away the Angst and the Dust

This is a whole new thing for me, to have two teenage boys. They were at each other's throats again yesterday, as they have been for months. This is the part of homeschooling I wish I could simply erase. Can't we go back to the elementary years when the biggest tempratantrum was over a little spelling assignment and the two of them wrestled on the living room rug?

I've been chalking up the tension to the typical wintry cabin fever, and I've been told that this is normal for teenage boys. But my motherly instincts are telling me otherwise, that this is not normal for brothers who are otherwise very close.

What gives?

I have to admit that I haven't been the cheeriest family member among us, either. I wonder if my own interior angst is directly affecting the boys.

My impatience.
My selfishness.
My eyes not on Heaven.
My days have a decisive lack of prayer, contemplation, petitions, and thanksgiving.

I feel like I am alone, struggling to educate and raise the boys, struggling to care for the house, struggling to help my husband in his own struggles.

In many ways, things have been looking up. All the things we have prayed for are happening. Roger is gaining some strength back, and his blood tests prove that his health is slowly improving. (He looks so much better! Just a few weeks ago, he called the boys outside to have a snowball battle. I loved watching him from the kitchen, running through the snow while carving a softball in his hands, sneaking around the garage, looking for his next victim. He hadn't been able to do that in ages.) His business has new and bigger opportunities, offered to him through just one timely phone call. I have two writing projects on the table. And the boys are healthy, doing well in their schoolwork, and enjoying their activities in the parish's youth group as well as Boy Scouts.

And yet you could cut the tension in this house with a knife! Why?

Well, all I can think of now is thank goodness Lent is here. Talk about needing to get back on track!

A chance to pray and contemplate again.

A chance to fast and give a little gift each day to Our Lord, starting with my morning cup of coffee. The operative word is starting.

A chance to put my eyes back on Heaven.

A chance to go from my desolation to consolation--that is, the consolation I can offer to Jesus.

A chance to clear away the sins that have been piling up.

A chance to turn to Our Blessed Mother and observe the operations of her soul.

Of course, I could have done these things--and had the proper mindset--throughout the year,  avoiding all this angst that has accumulated. But I am human, a mom human, and I have a human habit of losing track of these imperative devotions when the world knocks on my door with homeschool research papers and fair projects, with knitting projects, with writing projects...house cleaning, shuttling kids, groceries...yadda, yadda, yadda. The noise of busyness!

I ignored our quiet and gentle Lord, who has been waiting for me all along.

Have a wonderful Ash Wednesday.

The Knitting Madonna

I love this image of Mary and Jesus, from a blog called The Careless Catholic. I think it reflects the Domestic Church beautifully! Jesus is a loving son and student, studying the Word. Mary is a caring and productive mother. She is knitting a garment for her son. I especially like how they are surrounded by God's bounty.

It also foreshadows Our Lord's crucifixion. See the angel holding the cross, and Jesus looking at him? Did you notice that the garment Mary is knitting is red? Perhaps this shows that in their daily lives they were ready to do God's will. The more I look, the more I see...such as what appears to a be a throne (or altar) behind Mary. Your thoughts?

Many thanks to fellow Catholic blogger, Kelly, for finding it and sharing it with us! The Careless Catholic: The Knitting Madonna...: "Detail from 'Visit of the Angel', from the right wing of the Buxtehude Altar.1400 - 1410Meister Bertram von Minden (1340 - 1414) I lov..."

To read similar articles, click on a label below.

Go to Christ Through Mary? Here's Why

How you even wondered why Catholics go to Jesus through Mary?

From Catholic convert and well-known blogger, Denise Bossert, this is a beautiful explanation of why we should turn to our Blessed Mother and Queen in Heaven when we want to approach Christ.

God bless.

Catholic By Grace: Asking Mary for Help

Just What IS a Woman's Role if She Cannot Be Ordained?

 One day, I came across a post on Facebook from a man who, for the life of him, couldn't reason why women aren't ordained priests. Still quite young, he reminded me very much of myself at that age, and he was quick to argue that the Church is sexist in its methods. Many years ago, I too had the argument that since the Church was in dire need of priests, then women should be ordained and given all the privileges of men.

How naive could I have been? Now, many years later, I see the wisdom of the Church, and I'm grateful youngsters such as I was had no authority in the matter.

So what is the role of woman in the Church if she cannot be ordained? Indeed, women hold the highest role! Yes, you read that correctly--the highest role. This is not my opinion. It is the teaching of the Church herself, one which has been underscored by Pope John Paul II.

If you don't believe this, consider:

Mary, Mother of God, is the highest of all saints--including all the men--and the Queen of Heaven, crowned solely for her singular and perfect role as a mother. In all her perfection, her own Son did not choose her to be a priest. She remained his mother, who raised and nurtured Him, who prayed for Him during His ministry and while He was absent from her. It was Mary who also gave comfort to the Apostles, who suffered at the foot of the cross, and whose divine agony became divine mercy, making God's grace evident on Earth.

It was a mother--a woman--through which God made Himself present among His Creation. Remember, God could have manifested Himself in any form and under any circumstance. If He so desired, He could have come to us from the sky a mighty warrior and claimed Israel in one strike. Yet, He came to us through the womb of a lowly and simple, yet perfect, woman. If this does not clearly define the power of motherhood and God's elevation of the woman, then nothing will convince you.

Well, let's try this, too...

Among the saints are Doctors of the Church. These are saints who are considered the most edified among the holy, and they are named such by the Pope himself. Two of my favorites are St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa of Avila. Their gender has nothing to do with their ultimate status!

Now how can anyone call the Catholic Church sexist? But, no, the young man on Facebook wouldn't give up. His final question: "Just where does it say in Scripture that only men can be priests?" Margie Prox Sindelar, a wonderful lady on my friends list, wanted to help him out. Here's what she had to say, reprinted with her permission. Make yourself comfortable, this is a long list that will make you think...and think...and think.


Just because women and men have different roles, does not make us unequal in dignity.... men can not bear children.... So was God sexist when he created us that way? and Yes, there are many places in Scripture that support a male only priesthood, so the church has no authority to change what God has commanded:


Gen. 3:15; Luke 1:26-55-- Mary is God's greatest creation, was the closest person to Jesus, and yet Jesus did not choose her to become a priest. God chose only men to be priests to reflect the complimentarity of the sexes. Just as the man (the royal priest) gives natural life to the woman in the marital covenant, the ministerial priest gives supernatural life in the New Covenant sacraments.

Judges 17:10; 18:19 – fatherhood and priesthood are synonymous terms. Micah says, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest.” Fathers/priests give life, and mothers receive and nurture life. This reflects God our Father who gives the life of grace through the Priesthood of His Divine Son, and Mother Church who receives the life of grace and nourishes her children. In summary, women cannot be priests because women cannot be fathers.

Mark 16:9; Luke 7: 37-50; John 8:3-11 - Jesus allowed women to uniquely join in His mission, exalting them above cultural norms. His decision not to ordain women had nothing to do with culture. The Gospel writers are also clear that women participated in Jesus' ministry and, unlike men, never betrayed Jesus. Women have always been held with the highest regard in the Church (e.g., the Church's greatest saint and model of faith is a woman; the Church's constant teaching on the dignity of motherhood; the Church's understanding of humanity as being the Bride united to Christ, etc.).

Mark 14:17,20; Luke 22:14 - the language "the twelve" and "apostles" shows Jesus commissioned the Eucharistic priesthood by giving holy orders only to men.

Gen. 14:10; Heb. 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:15,17 - Jesus, the Son of God, is both priest and King after the priest-king Melchizedek. Jesus' priesthood embodies both Kingship and Sonship.

Gen. 22:9-13 - as foreshadowed, God chose our redemption to be secured by the sacrificial love that the Son gives to the Father.

Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 - because the priest acts in persona Christi in the offering to the Father, the priest cannot be a woman.

Mark 3:13 - Jesus selected the apostles "as He desired," according to His will, and not according to the demands of His culture. Because Jesus acted according to His will which was perfectly united to that of the Father, one cannot criticize Jesus' selection of men to be His priests without criticizing God.

John 20:22 - Jesus only breathed on the male apostles, the first bishops, giving them the authority to forgive and retain sins. In fact, the male priesthood of Christianity was a distinction from the priestesses of paganism that existed during these times. A female priesthood would be a reversion to non-Christian practices. The sacred tradition of a male priesthood has existed uncompromised in the Church for 2,000 years.

1 Cor. 14:34-35 - Paul says a woman is not permitted to preach the word of God in the Church. It has always been the tradition of the Church for the priest or deacon alone (an ordained male) to read and preach the Gospel.

1 Tim. 2:12 - Paul also says that a woman is not permitted to hold teaching authority in the Church. Can you imagine how much Mary, the Mother of God, would have been able to teach Christians about Jesus her Son in the Church? Yet, she was not permitted to hold such teaching authority in the Church. (A note from Kathleen: Note that this is not referring to CCD teachers and mothers. This is referring to the teaching authority we now call The Vatican, The Pope, who provides us with the infallible teachings of The Church, which is protected by Our God from error.)

Rom. 16:1-2 - while many Protestants point to this verse denounce the Church's tradition of a male priesthood, deaconesses, like Phoebe, were helpers to the priests (for example, preparing women for naked baptism so as to prevent scandal). But these helpers were never ordained.

Luke 2:36-37 - prophetesses, like Anna, were women who consecrated themselves to religious life, but were not ordained.

Isaiah 3:12 – Isaiah complains that the priests of ancient Israel were having their authority usurped by women, and this was at the height of Israel’s covenant apostasy.

I'll bet you never thought there was this much available in Scripture. To all Catholic women, I'd like to say: if you are a mother, you know that your tasks are endless and can seem overwhelming. Indeed, we have a habit of using the word "mundane." But the truth is, motherhood can seem to be too much not because it is mundane but because it is so huge! Embrace the task Our Lord has granted you. You are the moral gate keeper of your home, and it is your most urgent task to raise the next generation in a way Moses instructed his people. That is, teach your children while you are at home and away, at work and at rest. Teach your children so they can teach their children and all the generations will know Him.


God bless!

Mary, Mother of God

Our Christ's Passion through the eyes of Mother Mary.

Christ's first temple and Mother of God, Mary of Nazareth never left her beloved Son. She was devoted to God and His plan and intimately knew the Son of God. Truly, here is why Catholics honor Mary and are devoted to her. She is the beginning of the Church--Christ's first tabernacle and first disciple--from the moment she conceived Our Lord.

This video will give you a good idea of Mary's witness of The Stations of the Cross. Pray to Mary this Holy Week, and keep these images in your heart and mind! "O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!"