Two widows.  Two prophets.  Both have lost their sons to death.  Both prophets are focused on the women, and on their plight as widows in a culture where only males have rights.  It’s the women who are important enough to comfort and to save from grief, yes, but also from destitution, cultural invisibility and social oblivion in the long run.

The widow in Jesus’ day had no family to care for her if there was no other man willing or able to take on the role of protector in her life.  She was completely at the mercy of a value system that saw no value in HER.  The traditions and attitudes of the time allowed her no voice, gave her no rights, placed her in the invisible margins of society where she could be easily exploited when not utterly discounted as a human being.  Still she had basic human needs—the need to eat, the need for clothing and shelter, the primal need for care and affection.

Jesus saw all this and his heart was stirred.  He knew, beyond her grief, what losing her son would mean.  It placed her in the margins of society, took her to the very gate of death’s door by annihilating her value and turning a blind eye to her intrinsic dignity.  In restoring the life of her son, Jesus brought HER out of the margins where she would likely have remained invisible and heartlessly neglected. He returned her to a position of worth and underscored her invaluable significance in the eyes of God.  She was seen again as having a rightful place in society.  Once again, she had value.

Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus reaching out to support, heal, validate and embrace the disadvantaged.  He puts himself on the line over and over, offending the sensibilities of his co-religionists, violating Jewish law and custom in order to care for suffering people.  But when he shows compassion for those undergoing discrimination—the woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman at the well, and this widow who now has no voice and no rights simply because she’s a woman without a man in her life—he is doing something more than simply breaking a social taboo.  He is asking those around him to look more closely at their exclusionary behavior and to witness the immense value God places on those they habitually and self-righteously ignore, vilify or exclude.

There are so many examples we could point to in which this same exclusionary behavior is rampant in our own nation, our communities and, sadly, even in our church.

People continue to be excluded and derided on the basis of race, gender, social and economic status, political and religious affiliation, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Almost any human difference, any deviation from the so-called “norm”, can be used as a basis of marginalization and rejection.  When a group of people believe their status, privilege or identity is being threatened, their most common response is to fight—to contain and control, or to destroy whatever threatens the easy security of the “norm.”

This reaction is so clearly demonstrated in the state-by-state battle over marriage equality.  To date 12 states plus the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing same-sex marriage. (WA, ME, IA, MD, MA, MN, NH, NY, RI, VT, CT,DE)  The fight in every state has been fierce, with the strongest oppositional voice coming from Catholic bishops, Catholic organizations like the Knights of Columbus, and their evangelical neighbors on the Christian right.  There is so much FEAR fueling the rhetoric, and so much mis-information.

And what seems to be triggering the church’s fear is the metaphorical “widow” of our culture—the man or woman without an opposite-sex partner who wants their relationship to be viewed in the same way other coupled relationships are viewed—that is, as FAMILY.  These women and men are denied a “family” context for both themselves and their children, denied the legal rights, privileges and protections accorded to families, simply because they are gay.

A couple examples:

Three years ago two children in the Denver archdiocese were not allowed to re-enroll at their Catholic elementary school simply because their parents are lesbians.  Just this March a teacher in Ohio was abruptly fired after 19 years teaching at a Catholic high school.  Someone had notified the diocese that her mother’s obituary included the name of her female domestic partner as one of the survivors.  The teacher herself is a Methodist.  What do these stories tell us about the vulnerability of LGBT families in our church, or their metaphorical “widow” status which allows prejudices and unfair practices to decide their fate?

Overcoming the traditional mindset requires a lot of education and effort, and a lot of courage.  We who seek justice and protection for all God’s people and for all their families have work to do.  This is National Gay Pride Month. The Portland Pride Festival and Parade is next weekend and we have a booth to staff!  We will be the only Catholic presence at the Festival itself, and our presence there is important.  In all states that have faced this issue so far, Catholic Bishops have been the most prominent opponents of gay marriage, in many instances dishonestly claiming that Catholic churches will be forced to perform marriages for same-sex couples.  This simply isn’t true.

We probably have a similar tactic to look forward to in Oregon as the petition drive to put gay marriage on the ballot heats up. Our very conservative new bishop is well-known for his opposition to gay marriage.  Archbishop Sample has already clearly stated his objection to Catholic parishes participating in the Gay Pride Parade next weekend.  In at least St. Andrew’s case the decision is to continue their involvement as usual in order to be a visible sign of God’s love for the LGBT community.  I applaud the people and pastors who maintain their commitment to the gay community in this new diocesan environment.  There’s no way of knowing what the fallout might be from their decision.

Small as we are, Sophia Christi, we, too, have a role to play in the coming debate.  We can begin now to think through the arguments and issues so we are ready to face into the storm of rhetoric that will most certainly be generated in the coming months.  A poll just released by the Pew Research Center found that 71% of Catholics believe homosexuality should be accepted, and 61% support same-sex marriage despite what bishops say and despite what they are hearing from pulpits.

It is critical that the alternative Catholic voice be heard loud and clear and that our support of all families be clearly visible.  There are many young people who will be deeply affected by the ugly rhetoric sure to be spread in the media.  They need to see and hear they and their families are loved by God.  We can all do our part as people of faith to counter the hostile voices of disdain and condemnation.

I urge you to come next weekend and walk with us. If you’re also part of another Catholic parish that will be in the parade, walk with them if you wish.  The importance of your participation and Catholic visibility cannot be overstated.  We also need people at the booth throughout the weekend to hand out information and be available for questions.   Sign-up sheets are available after Mass.  And you’ll find a map on the back wall and downstairs to help you find the booth and locate us in the Parade.  The map is also printed in the Willamette Week.

Let’s make sure the beleaguered LGBT population knows we are with them—that the Church is with them—in their struggle for family recognition.  Let’s make sure they know we respect and appreciate the many gifts they bring by way of their difference to the entire family of God.

Rev. Toni Tortorilla, Sophia Christi Catholic Community

June 8, 2013, 10^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on Saturday, June 8th, 2013 at 2:04 pm | Homilies.
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