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To: kellynch
Why do you have a problem with women reading the lessons? This does not mean I approve of the "feminization" of our society.

You obviously understand the problem. I'm suggesting what I think of as obvious: Women reading the lessons is an example of the feminization of our society. Not that I think there are bad intentions involved in the readers themselves. I also know many altar girls who are devout and good. They are just young girls who want to do something for God, and that's all they are offered—since no one asks them to visit the sick or make clothes for newborn babies at pregnancy centers, or a hundred other things, many of which the world despises, but which are more powerful and important than many more visible services.

These girls are being cheated. Sending them down the "priest" track of altar service not only leads to a dead end, it thwarts their understanding of the power of womanhood. (There is a whole world to be explored here.)

Why not have women read the Lesson or Epistle? Heck, why not the Gospel, too? It doesn't sound powerful, no matter how good a reader you are, and I'll bet you're good. It's intended to be the voice of God, and God is male, with no apologies. Our bodies are part of our faith, and when we hear a woman's voice, we don't hear "God." We might hear "saint," but not God.

The ancients understood this. The modernists understand it, too. Their goal is to cast down God, because they have a father problem. That's why they look for ways to de-throne patriarchy. Masculinity makes them afraid and resentful, and they try to undermine male authority and maleness itself, wherever they see or hear it.

Again, this has nothing to do with your personal actions, which I'm sure are good. The problem is that the liturgy belongs to God, and is not an equal-rights proposition. We listen with our bodies as well as our minds, and it's proper that Mass be magisterial and impressive. If it falters as a performance presented to all our senses, it eats away at the faith of the hearers, especially those whose faith is less strong than yours.

36 posted on 02/26/2007 9:01:25 AM PST by SamuraiScot
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To: SamuraiScot

One of the reasons that women converted to Christianity in those early days is that Christ treated women better than the Jews did. Paul didn't seem to like women very much, but Christ sure seemed to.


37 posted on 02/26/2007 9:14:12 AM PST by kellynch ("Our only freedom is the freedom to discipline ourselves." -- Bernard Baruch)
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