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The Perspective of
Justice
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time C
July 21, 2013
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Martha
understood the place of women in their society. Like Sarah
in the first reading, women were to bear children and cook
the meals. They were to clean the house, like Martha was
doing, and they were not to sit at the feet of the master
educating themselves, like Mary was doing. Martha demands
that Mary be made to ‘play the woman,’ but Jesus
will not go along with the stereotype: “Mary has chosen
the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it.”
How much women have suffered over the centuries because of the perception of
their proper role! How much they have filled up in their own flesh “what is
lacking in the sufferings of Christ!”
We are called by God to a different way. “He who does justice will live in
the presence of the Lord.” Justice to women is life in the presence of God:
justice in the home, justice in the school, justice in the marketplace, justice
in the business world, justice in the church. “She shall not be deprived of
it”: such is the firm declaration of the Savior of men and women.
Sixty percent of all women work in only ten occupations,
and most new jobs for women are in areas with low pay and limited chances of advancement.
Many women suffer discrimination in wages, salaries, job classifications, promotions, and other areas. As a result, they find
themselves in jobs that have low status, little security, weak unionization, and few fringe benefits.
Such discrimination is immoral and efforts must be made to overcome the effects of sexism in our society.
(U.S. Bishops, Economic Justice or All, 1986: 179)
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Gerald Darring
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Now
published in book form,
To Love and Serve:
Lectionary Based Meditations, by
Gerald Darring
This entire three year cycle is available at
Amazon.com.
Copyright ©
1994, Gerald Darring.
All Rights Reserved.
Art by Martin Erspamer,
O.S.B.
from Religious Clip Art for the Liturgical
Year (A, B, and C).
Used by permission of Liturgy Training
Publications. This art may be reproduced only
by parishes who purchase the collection in book
or CD-ROM form. For more information go to:
http://www.ltp.org/
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