“Still, Jesus did not include any of them in the special group of apostles that he appointed, not even his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the human being whom the Church exalts above all others. Jesus seems to have believed that women and men, although equal in their human dignity, had somewhat different roles in the family and in society”
Uh dumb argument, what about Mary Magdalen? Yeah, she was pretty much an apostle. Not that I think women should be ordained, but don’t use stupid arguments to shore up your position.
The obtuse should be careful of accusing others of being stupid.
Mary Magdalen was a disciple, not an Apostle.
There were 12 Apostles. None of them named Mary.
Yes, yldstrk, Mary Magdalene was certainly an outstanding female disciple, more faithful than the vacillating Peter, more humble than the ambitious James and John, more believing than the doubting Thomas.
But she was not one of the Twelve: think of that.
And even moreso: neither was Mary the Mother of God an Apostle: Mary, who was (and doubtless is) the most perfect human creature who ever existed, whose dignity is beyond the Apostles, and one could argue, beyond the Angels and Archangels as well, since she honored by an Archangel with a title of matchless nobility, "Kecharitomene", and the anouncement that "the Lord is with you."
These things are unique, true singularities: no angel ever revealed to any other human being such an exalted name or title, and none came from heaven to announce to an earthly person that the Lord of Heaven was with her.
I was thinking about this as I was reading the first chapters of the Gospel of Luke, where it also tells that Mary was a contemplative (twice it says that she "meditated on these things in her heart) and a person who participated in the Passion via her profound empathy ("Your own soul a sword shall pierce.")
Mary is undoubtedly greater than the Archangel, and greater than any priest or pope. (Consider this: if Mary appeared to the pope, which of the two, do you think, would fall to their knees?)
To speak of a third Mary: Mary of Bethany, too, is described as a mystic, because she was the one who sat at Jesus' feet and received His teaching inwardly, while her sister Martha was busy with serving. Of course, Jesus loved them both dearly; while still declaring that Mary had "chosen the better part."
This all makes me think that, while serving in a hierarchical structure is a fittingly masculine (Petrine) vocation, the contemplative/mystical life is an especially feminine (Marian) vocation. And it is the better part.
I always tell my RCIA students that the really important and really interesting people in Catholicism are not the priests, nor the popes, but the saints.
About Mary Magdalen: I don’t think it is an accident that the pope - John Paul II - who did so much to revive the title of “Apostle of the Apostles” (for Mary Magdalen) stated, dogmatically, that women can NEVER, EVER, be priests.
Anna the Prophetess in Luke who rejoiced when she saw the Baby Jesus in the Temple. But Anna was the real deal. These silly women are playing a stupid game.