Sometimes I read the Bible and I get mad.
I think I'm at my angriest after I've read excerpts like today's reading from 1 Corinthians, where Paul sets out instructions that involve the women in his context. Today's list included virgins, a term used to classify young, unmarried women –– a term used by Paul for women only and not men (as far as I can see anyhow--- happy to receive direction if I'm misreading here). Here, women are signified in terms of their sexual organs, and in particular, a certain "state" of these organs.
A friend once told me that she too "gets angry" when she reads Paul, so much so that the only thing that seems to make it a little bit better is reminding herself that "Paul was progressive for his day". I'm grateful for my friend's words and the privilege of choosing to read Paul on a trajectory, one that is set in light of the answer to the question that one of the people in Jesus's hometown put forth to him in today's gospel reading. The question was simply, “Isn't this Mary's son . . . ?"
Yes, yes it is; Jesus Christ is indeed Mary's son. Jesus, redeemer of the world was indeed born of a woman.
I'm feeling grateful today that we say together these lines from the Apostles Creed:
"I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary."
I'm feeling grateful that Holy Scripture is made holy by the animation of God's Spirit, which occurs when the Church reads and carefully interprets its texts (and so I push forth, reading and cringing, reading and hoping, reading and believing in Christ, Mary's son).
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