There is no longer Jew or Greek

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort the freedom from the Law that being baptized in Christ meant to Paul. The exhortation of Paul is that all are members of the Body of Christ and that the difference between Greek and Jew, slave and free, male and female have been removed. Some observations of Christianity may suggest that this lack of difference has yet to be realized in areas such as ordained ministry within the Roman Catholic Church. The call to ordained ministry has gone out to females in the other Christian Churches. This invitation of the Spirit to minister is a sacred and Divinely blessed vocation. Luke’s Gospel proclaims that the mother of Jesus was truly blessed in the uniquely female actions which only she could share with Him. This is true. Jesus expands the understanding of blessedness to those who hear the Word and act on it. There is great agreement among Christians in the understanding of Divine Presence in the lives of humanity. For the central community action of Christians, the Celebration of the Eucharist, there is not uniform agreement around Divine Presence. The hands of the priest in the Roman understanding are the instruments of God’s action in being Present in the form of bread and wine. The call to this mystical priestly service of the Body of Christ may be the difference. Acting on the Word and the mission to sanctify the world is the call to all Christians. All Christians are invited to the freedom proclaimed by Paul. All are members of the living Body of Christ.