Sunday, August 25, 2024
You are at mass with your family and hear the New Testament Reading from Ephesians Chapter 5, the Wives and Husbands Reading. You know the one! “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands.”! You look at your teenage daughter standing beside you, looking back at you and rolling her eyes. You turn around to look at her older sister, who tilts her head and looks down in disapproval. What are you thinking? What will you say when you’re walking or driving home with your family when mass is over?
We encounter this Reading from Ephesians 5 not only when the Lectionary brings it to us every three years but also quite often at weddings we attend. What is the essence of this selection? Let’s examine truths that give some perspective to it. Firstly, the Bible tells us that women and men are created in God’s image. “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27). The Church underscores that this inherent equality is bestowed by God. Pope John Paul II wrote in his Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio: “Above all it is important to underline the equal dignity and responsibility of women with men. This equality is realized in a unique manner in that reciprocal self-giving by each one to the other and by both to the children, which is proper to marriage and the family….In creating the human race ‘male and female,’ God gives man and woman an equal personal dignity, endowing them with the inalienable rights and responsibilities proper to the human person.” Pope Francis also articulated that the differences between men and women are intended for mutual enrichment and understanding rather than opposition or subordination: “The difference between man and woman is not meant to stand in opposition, or to subordinate, but is for the sake of communion and generation, always in the image and likeness of God.” Secondly, all people are equal and heirs to eternal life as promised by God: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28-29). The Bible and the Church teach that men and women are equal.
Paul calls both husbands and wives to be subordinates to one another. When he says that the husband is the head of his wife, he parallels it to Christ being the head of the Church. Think how profound and sacrificial Jesus’ love is! Jesus’ love for the Church is a strong and eternal covenant He established with it, and He continues giving Himself to the Church in the Eucharist. This is the model of love, commitment, care, and respect for all entering the marriage covenant. It is a mutual submission and service to one another in love, not a hierarchical relationship. Couples with or without children are encouraged by this week’s Reading to renew their commitment to one another and to embrace the call to love, respect, and serve each other in their journey together.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.