Spiritual Healing For Women Within the Church

On Sunday, while at Mass, I found myself staring at the altar and wondering what it would be like if all women and girls attending were invited up the steps to its holy place as an attempt at healing the affects of the disconnect that has been purported over generations.  I could feel within me the beginning sensations of a possible happiness; happiness to belong to a Church that truly believes in healing experiences, forgiveness, and the destruction of compartments.  I do not belong to such a Church for women and girls continue to experience the suffering of separation and placement within the current order. This statement is not about "women priests"; this statement is about the actualized dignity of each female person within the Church created by God and having the life giving breath of the Holy Spirit within her.  She is called to know this person and her beautiful gifts to be given to the Church and the world but is left with stunted choices that do not speak to the spirit within.

I know from experience that there are many convents where the sisters tend their altars and preach from their ambos to one another.  I know from experience that there are many priests who have the desire to help heal this fraction within the Church but because they do not enter into dialogue with the women who could assist them, they do not know what to do.  I know from my continued research that there are women who are writing daily about this necessary healing between the co-stewards of God's creation.  I just can't seem to place my finger on the fear that is keeping so many eyes and ears of faith closed to the well-documented movement of the Spirit of God.

This morning in my reading I came across some information and writings by a woman theologian, Phoebe Palmer, who wrote in the the 19th century about women and finding their identity at the altar "She finds her life and her power to speak in surrendering to the Word of God."  Now, how beautiful is that; how beautiful would it be to draw all of our senior women, who knew only distance from the altar unless they cleaned it, and draw them in to its holy placement while telling them "You, O Sister, belong here; you are a daughter of Christ whose identity as human woman comes from this place.  Now, please tell me, what does your spirit tell you from within?" 

 Why, O Church, do you continue to teach one thing and practice another?  As a mother I know this would cause chaos in my home.  My children would be confused and ultimately angry or depressed that they would not be able to trust my reactions and my directions.  They would see me as hypocritical and lose respect for me as their mother.  Are their correlations here?  This isn't rocket science; this is looking inward at Church and self and finding the truth of God within.  We can do this and do this well so that "all will be well and all will be well".

Lord, if it be Your will, help us to get here soon so that Your Church may enter more fully into its fruitfulness and the song of a woman's heart will be one of joy and dancing. With lyre and harp she will go, her and her little ones, down from the altar and into the aisles, head held high and voice sweet with worship.  She will be strengthened by Your witnessing to her identity as child of Yours.  Her spirit will grow in the grace of Your Spirit and she will be strengthened in all ways to do Your will.  Help her, O God; Help me, O my God, to do what I can to make this happen.  AMEN.