"The Baleful Effect of Patriarchal Mariology"

Wow... I just read the first two chapters of Elizabeth Johnson's Truly Our Sister, better late than never, considering it was published in 2003. I sense movement, faint sounds within my mind and heart which I've allowed in now and then through the decades, in varying decibels. All I can hope is to be attentive and open, maybe even with a stance of "forgiving vigilance." 

And what of other discussions of "Catholic feminism" ? Is it an oxymoron? Is there truly such a gulf between the feminist interests of celibate women religious and their non celibate counterparts in the parishes?  According to a recent article published by Johns Hopkins University, 

The content of Catholic feminism depends a lot on individual circumstances and the mysteries of temperament. What distinguishes, say, the successful attorney who would never tolerate an overtly sexist boss but stays firmly in the pews of a church with an all-male hierarchy from the Catholic feminist whose principles dictate a life on the institution’s margins? And how does she differ in turn from the woman whose conscience impels her to leave the church? 

Interesting musings for just another Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Today's is a Tough Gospel to Live

Giving from one's substance, not one's abundance. I think that's the translation I recall from my childhood. Maybe not; "substance" doesn't seem right. Anyway, this reading is certainly easier to hear when you're a child  and you don't really have anything to give, or any reputation to maintain, or any desire really to be admired. Not as easy at 50.

Gospel

Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues, 
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers. 
They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. 
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. 
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury. 
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."

Hamlet Begone!

I trust America, the magazine that is, for a solid review of Hamlet with Jude Lawe.  And, wow, what a closing line: “The course of action that seems most appropriate for this dissatisfied prince is not bloody murder but a Bloody Mary on some southerly beach.” Ouch. Given the cost and my own somewhat high standards for the play, I am not forking over serious cash for a merely “clear” performance. It is not enough that the audience understand what happens by the end of the play -- which according to the reviewer is about as good as it gets with this production. I do not need to go gaga over Jude Lawe as Hamlet. So, I’ll lower the expectations, go enjoy Jersey Boys, and call it a day.

It's a Beautiful Season

It's my godchild's 12th birthday, All Saints' Day, and it is a beautiful autumn day in New York. I think of autumn as a kind of dusk, and once again, I find myself looking to be rejuvenated-  a perennial state of mind for me, despite the season. I have been fortunate to learn about Ignatian spirituality and and the CSJ charism, both of which I call upon to inform my daily interactions and my own spirituality-- with varying degrees of consistency. These are gifts to be continually opened. In Jesuit boys' schools and CSJ girls' schools, the students are called upon to be "men for others" and women of "all inclusive love," both in many ways from the same Catholic  tradition. Something wonderful to consider on this feast of All Saints.

Forget the Casket: Lay Me Out on a Couch

Okay, the  title might seem morbid, but it's actually a brilliantly succinct expression of what my dear friend Claudia has chronicled for almost 20 years and calls "The Secret Life of Mary Hannon." I should add to the title that instead of rosary beads in my hands, just give me a nice Cablevision DVR remote.  Oh, but enough about me.

Still A Mary Louis Woman After All These Years

I guess in addition to faith, family, friends, and work, TMLA remains an important factor in my life. Actually, my ongoing TMLA experience encompasses all of those things. Most recently, I attended a dinner welcoming SSP, Student Sponsor Partnerships to its first year with Mary Louis. SSP is a Manhattan-based, not-for-profit company which matches students with financial need to appropriate private secondary institutions. This year, TMLA welcomed 9 ninth graders via SSP-- to be matched to TMLA, the girls demonstrated the ability to be successful in the rigorous TMLA academic environment. Each girl will be supported also by a "time" sponsor. This is an adult who partners with SSP and TMLA to serve as a mentor or academic coach for the students. 

I am very excited to be a sponsor this year to a young lady who lives in Roosevelt, Long Island and has begun her career at TMLA. I met her and her parents at the opening dinner and quickly realized that I taught several of her cousins years ago. I am proud that TMLA is embarking on this journey and I am very excited to be a part of it.

Progressive Lenses, Golden Eagles, and Bartimaeus?

Maybe my new glasses, dubbed "progressives" will help me progress further --- I've been a bit stalled lately. Now that I think about it, I have been using vision metaphors increasingly to describe my new position, or more precisely, the different perspective which  my work responsibilities require. I welcome new lenses. ** I wonder if they come with a weight loss lens? (That's for another post)

The home of the Golden Eagles, I am realizing, is a wonderful place with lots of opportunities for experimentation and for extending students' experience beyond the traditional classroom. As I get a better understanding of the landscape, I think I need to work creatively  on a two tier track: enhancing these experiences (21st century learning opportunities) outside the classroom AND transforming the traditional classroom to embed these new instructional strategies and learning experiences within the classroom.

**Writing often clarifies and occasionally illuminates.  The concept of vision is indeed powerful. It turns out it is the subject of today's Gospel. [Excerpt posted by David McCallum, S.J. on Ad Maioriam Dei Gloriam]

Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.