With reference to the letter of Emily Dauscher (Sept. 1, The Catholic Messenger) with the subject of the Holy Spirit nudging us to a response to the priest shortage, I think if Jesus Christ really wanted women to be priests, the very first woman would have been his mother Mary and possibly Mary Magdalene. But that did not happen.
Jesus chose a male, Peter, a “rock” if you will, and sometimes hard-headed! Thus it is possible that maybe Jesus had a “higher” calling for Mary and that is of MOTHER. It is interesting that the heart of the Church is a woman and the head is a “rock.” The heart of the Church is a beautiful woman, a woman “full of grace.”
Given the blessing of celibacy in our Church today, a man devotes himself entirely to Christ and the Church. If married, this cannot be so. There are many reasons for celibacy and of the male priesthood if one is interested in discovering them and maybe the best one is a good example. My contention also is that if women became priests we would have the same old problems with chastity. In addition to the same problems, we would definitely have a shortage of beautiful mothers.
Maybe, just maybe, it is NOT the nudging of the Holy Spirit but someone from the dark side. My apologies go to St. Peter as reference to a rock and being hard-headed. So am I at times. My admiration and honor to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose birthday we celebrated Sept. 8. God bless you all. Remember, pray at 8 p.m. and a rosary between noon and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
William Grothus
Bettendorf
