A friend of mine recently explained a discussion that she had with students of hers that were discussing women not being able to become Priests in the Catholic Church. Her explanation that she shared with me, was inspired! Below are her words!
"It's not fair," they insisted. "If I really WANT to be a priest I should be able to be one," and if I feel strongly that I'd be a good priest, why should I be denied that chance?" etc.
I tried to help them see that the focus should be on being a servant. No matter what ministry we do for God's people, or what role we have when doing anything from the littlest acts to the grandest, the focus should be on those being served, not on me at all.
It's like the people should see the sunlight streaming through a window. We're the means by which the sunlight gets to the people, but it's Jesus that they need and not me or you. When we start thinking about whether I should be the one leading or seeing, we smudge the window, obscuring the sunlight.
Let me put it another way... did any of the women who became a Blessed or a Saint from Catherine of Siena to Theresa of the Little Flower to Mother Marie Rose to St. Teresa of Calcutta insist that they be a leader or a priest? No. They went about serving the needs of people without regard to themselves, their personal "rights" or personal "Feelings" or "desires." It was all about THE OTHER with humility and love.
Blessed Marie Rose Durocher actually had a chair in the Chapter Room reserved for the Superior of her order/community. It was there for the Blessed Mother, the true "leader," not herself. Any priest who loses sight of being in Persona Christi has lost sight of his true vocation.
This was exactly the model that Jesus Christ himself taught by his words and actions. Heaven truly will come to earth, if we could all be content with lifting others above ourselves.
Could you imagine how HUGE this impact would be if we all could live this way? Not just in church, but in every part of our lives. Think about how happy marriage could be, raising kids, and even life in the work place if everyone just let God love through us all the time.
My personal problem with living this extremely difficult message is when I get nervous that someone is not going to love me as well as I love them. Then I need to compensate and love my self a little better. You know what I mean? We all do it. It is called being SELFISH. That's not a pretty word.
O well. I guess that is what heaven will be like. Everyone lifting each other toward God. Wow, that will be awesome!
Until then, I pray that all of us could truly desire service to others over power for ourselves, and that the Holy Spirit will guide each of us clearly and boldly to make wise decisions for the good of all.
AMEN!!!
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