Volume Five, Issue 1
EDITORIAL
Lucinda M. Vardey
THE PROPHET AND THE PROPHETIC VOCATION
Judette Gallares R.C.
THE SCHOOL OF PROPHETS: FORMATION AND EDUCATION
John Dalla Costa
TOWARDS A RENEWED, PROPHETIC SYNODAL DIACONATE THAT INCLUDES WOMEN
JoAnn Melina Lopez
LISTENING TO YOUTH
Paola Bignardi
THE MAGDALA INTERVIEW: A PROPHETIC JOURNEY
Greg Rupik with Sr. Sandra M. Schneiders I.H.M.
BOOKS OF INTEREST
Emily VanBerkum
Everyone at baptism receives the sacramental participation in the commission of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. As with priesthood and kingship we often associate the prophetic as a male reserve. The stereotypical figure of a prophet similarly suffers from being commonly affiliated with an unkempt individual who is solitary and outside society. But prophecy is not an activity for just men, loners or a select few, but for all the baptized. In fact in the early Church liturgies of the 1st and 2nd centuries, the order of worship included songs, psalms, reading and discussions, prophecy, prayers and a communal meal. Women were associated at that time with liturgical prophecy, referred to as “prophetic prayer” that formed part of the eucharistic celebration. Prophecy encompassed a wide range of liturgical expressions “including ecstatic speaking, blessing, teaching and revealing” (Karen Jo Torjesen). Women in prophecy ministered within the community then, and still do now, but in a more informal way and in many cases unsupported, unacknowledged and mostly unrecognized. However the times are changing, and in this issue we address some of the emerging movements and developments that point the way to how the prophetic is being led by the Holy Spirit in our present Church renewal.
We begin with an overview of prophecy as a vocation traditionally exemplified in scripture. Sr. Judette Gallares R.C. from Macau, China, provides us with a thorough introduction to the subject, and acquaints us with some women who were recognized as prophets in the Bible. John Dalla Costa shares his prophetic ministry in founding a School of Prophets with the Carmelites in Oxford, England, to help educate and support women and men in finding their prophetic vocation and developing it within a community over the internet and beyond.
As JoAnn Melina Lopez writes in the opening of her article on the prophetic renewal for a more equal diaconate, “Prophetic imagination calls us to recognize the tragic gap between the world as it is and the world as God dreams it to be.” She introduces us to the activities and prayers of the association Discerning Deacons, that contributes
to particular needs of the Church without waiting for official approval and top-down directives.
Italian researcher and religious writer, Paola Bignardi, shares what youth today, who have left or are leaving the Church, have to say about what they’d like the Church to be, most echoing what Pope Francis has already instructed, that we are to be a welcoming Church, like a Mother.
Contributing editor, Gregory Rupik, interviews Sr. Sandra M. Schneiders I.H.M., one of the first women to receive a PhD in theology and tenure as a professor on the faculty of a Jesuit School. Her prophetic contribution to the Church has been immense over the past five decades, from exposing the injustices in women’s inequality, documenting the emergence of feminism and feminist theology, and contributing her scholarship to educating in Christian spirituality and the prophetic in religious life. Her witness has certainly paved the way for broader access to theological study and diverse ways of being Church.
We conclude with a review by our associate editor, Emily VanBerkum, of the latest publication from Catholic Women Preach, a collection of 62 homilies given by women to “nurture an appreciation for feminine wisdom and giftedness.”
Lucinda M. Vardey Editor
“We are trained to be makers and doers, not dreamers and seers.”
(Joan Chittister O.S.B.).
Judette Gallares R.C. from the Philippines is a member of the Religious of the Cenacle and resides in Macau as a missionary to China. As well as being involved in the ministry of retreat/spiritual direction and religious formation, she is a professor emerita of the Theology of Consecrated Life at the Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia in Manila. She is also an adjunct associate professor of Theology at the University of St. Joseph in Macau, China. She serves on the editorial board of Religious Life Asia and is a contributing editor of Orientis Aura, an annual journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy at USJ. An award-winning author of several books including “Images of Faith: Spirituality of Women in the Old Testament from a Third World Perspective” (Claretian/Orbis 1992) and “Images of Courage: Spirituality of Women in the Gospels from an Asian and Third World Perspective” (Claretian 1995) she contributes numerous articles in the areas of theology, biblical spirituality, religious formation, and consecrated life.
Judette Gallares R.C.
In the bible, a person who serves as a channel of communication between the human and divine worlds is known as a prophet. The English word “prophet” is derived from the Greek prophetes, “one who speaks before others,” meaning, almost always, one who communicates divine revelation.1 In the Greek Bible prophetes translates the Hebrew nabi, the usual word for prophet in the Hebrew Scriptures. But in the translation of the Greek to English, a distinction has been made between the masculine form and that of the feminine, thus the word “prophetess” came to be used to designate women prophets. Because women have been viewed as second-class citizens, even their roles as prophets seem to be given less importance in the narration of the biblical stories.
Nevertheless, the biblical prophets (women and men of wisdom) have been interpreted in a number of different ways—as visionaries, worship-leaders, healers, miracle-workers, voices of conscience, counsellors, messengers etc. In the Christian tradition, the prophets have been regarded as visionaries of the future whose words pointed to the coming of Jesus. 2 A wife or widow of a prophet was also called a prophetess. Sometimes it was expected of widows of prophets to continue some of their husbands’ functions and live prayerful lives. Anna, the only woman in the Gospel to be called a “prophet” (or “prophetess” in some translations) was one of these. Although she is only mentioned briefly, and no words of prophecy were ever issued from her lips in the Lukan account, her role is significant nonetheless as she publicly “returned thanks” to God and continually spread abroad the word about the child “to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”3
We can glean from the biblical literature some of the salient features of the prophetic vocation. First, the biblical prophet is one who has received a divine call to be a messenger and interpreter of God’s Word. The Spirit of God enables the prophets to feel with God and to share God’s attitudes, values and emotions. This Spirit enables them also to see the events of their time as God sees them and to feel the same way about these events as God.
of God enables the prophets to feel with God and to share God’s attitudes, values and emotions.
The prophet is also the conscience of a community and the conscience of a nation. The prophet is out there watching for what might happen to the community, issuing a warning, attempting to alert everyone and seeing implications in what is going on if the community does not respond to the “signs of the times.” The prophet always goes forth, albeit reluctantly, bearing a message that is not one’s own. That message is always extended to our world to return to what is essential, to discover a relationship with God whose love is eternal.
While there seem to be more male prophets named in the bible, it does not mean that when it comes to women there is a shortage of this gift. Considering the patriarchal and androcentric culture that produced the bible, it is not surprising therefore to find in it few biblical women recognized and named as having such a gift. In the Hebrew Scriptures, we have Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron who composed a song to celebrate Israel’s crossing of the sea (Ex 15:20-21); Deborah, one of Israel’s judges led the people in battle with Barak as her general (Jdg 4:1-10); Huldah appears as an important religious official to whom King Josiah sent messengers to inquire of God (2 Kgs 22:1420); and in Nehemiah’s account of the reconstruction of Jerusalem, he reports opposition from several prophets and the
woman prophet Noadiah (Neh 6:14) 4
According to biblical studies, the prophetic institution had ceased to exist in the time of the Maccabees, as it was no longer a necessity. Israel clearly recognized this, and was awaiting its reappearance. With the disappearance of the prophetic institution, the scribes and doctors were the ones instructing the people—a fallible group of men who were overly bound by the letter of the Law of Moses. Yet, there was a feeling that the promises were about to be fulfilled and the consequent apocalypse increased and intensified this feeling. Such atmosphere of anticipation is palpable in the beginning narratives of all four gospels. It was not unfitting, therefore, for God to allow an interval to elapse between the prophets of the Old Covenant and Jesus Christ, who was to be the crown and consummation of their prophecies. It is in this context that the second woman, referred to as a prophet, appears at the dawn of the new dispensation. Her name is Anna.
Before Zechariah could prophesy about the role of his son John the Baptist as the “prophet of the Most High,” his wife, Elizabeth, became the first human in the New Testament to have had the privilege of pronouncing a prophecy about the blessedness of the child in Mary’s womb. Anna prophesies about the fulfillment of God’s promise alongside Simeon upon seeing the child Jesus in the temple. At the outset, we notice the author of Luke using the technique called “pairing” which uses two versions of a story or teaching— one version refers to a man and the other to a woman—to reinforce the message and encourage women as well as men to identify with the characters.5
Anna is paired with the prophet Simeon at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. But unlike Elizabeth and Mary who did not receive the title but functioned nonetheless as prophets in proclaiming the fulfillment of God’s promise, Anna holds the distinction of being the only woman in the Christian Scripture to be given the title “prophet,” yet she utters no words of prophecy. This is puzzling indeed for one who holds the prophetic office. But based on Luke’s portrayal of women in his Gospel as well as in Acts, he is simply reflecting, through Anna’s character, his own thinking about women which echoes the conventions of his time. For Luke, a woman’s proper and primary attitude is that of a listener, pondering what is not understood and learning in silence.6 The short passage about Anna is a simple narration which describes her and her action when she sees the child Jesus. Like Simeon, she is presented as the epitome of the virtue of patient waiting for the Lord. But unlike him, she is not given a speaking role. She simply gives her silent witness to the meaning of Jesus for those who long for redemption.7
Besides Anna’s silence, what is stressed is the great length of her widowhood and her continual presence, fasting and praying in the Temple, presumably in the outer court where women were allowed to enter.8 Some commentators believe that possibly Anna belonged to an order of elder widows with specifically religious functions in the temple.9 In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he describes the religious functions of the elder widows, which include “praying day and night to God” (1 Tim 5:5). Perhaps this is where the abundance of Anna’s blessings lies. It lies not in her physical motherhood, which had always defined the meaning and purpose of any woman in her culture, but in her prayerfulness and spiritual wisdom, which enabled her to discern the longed-for Messiah in the child Jesus.
Just as the female and male prophets before us, we are all called to bear God’s prophetic message as we grow in our personal relationship with the divine. It is within the context of this relationship that God fashions within us a prophetic spirit, a spirit enlivened by the energies of everyday life and encouraged by God’s burning love and compassion to proclaim the good news of salvation.
The life of every baptized person must entail the affirmation of the primacy of God
in every aspect of one’s life—whether in moments of turmoil or peace. How important it is for everyone in the Church, whatever might be one’s state in life, to embody the prophetic response to God’s call in following the examples not only of prophets Mary, Elizabeth and Anna, but also of all those who heeded their prophetic call throughout the ages. The authentic strengthening of one vocational form within the Church can only assist the supporting of other vocations as the Holy Spirit continues to pour out upon the Church gifts needed for her revitalization and renewal.■
John Dalla Costa
John Dalla Costa is an ethicist, theologian and author of five books. For more on his background please visit our website.
Every age has it prophetic urgencies. The search for meaning or truth are set amidst the forces that deflate human hope, and threaten human dignity. Today’s wars with drones and robotic weapons, the lightening-fast development of a.i., our intensifying storms and droughts from climate change, and the massive waves of misinformation on social media, are among the many complexities which are tearing apart our social fabric. In this world that experts identify as polycrisis, individuals are increasingly cast adrift in seas of suspicion and loneliness. Recently, people have begun adopting the precept of “post-truth,” sensing that the usual locus for certitude—whether science, education, government, or religion—have ceased providing reliable reference points for a just and fulfilling human life.
It is in this social and cultural context that Pope Francis summoned the synod. In the document launching the Church
on its synodal pilgrimage, the Holy Father invited all to the prophetic task of this time—“to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands…” (For a synodal Church: Preparatory Document 2021).
What an inspiring mission! But how are we to do this? How are we to grow this prophetic capacity; to test and refine our listening, and to become, as needed, inciting servants of God’s Word?
Many of us have forgotten (or were not formed) to recognize that this prophetic work is constitutive of discipleship. As the Catechism teaches, all of us at Baptism are anointed to participate with our own gifts and talents in the threefold-office of Christ as “priest, prophet and king” (1241). To be honest, this was a surprise to me when, in mid-life, I learned about this commission while studying theology. I’d not understood that through belief in Christ, and especially by receiving the Eucharist, I was not only receiving the
Word, but, in a sense, deputized to be Its prophetic carrier.
Seminaries and a host of spiritual development programs prepare us for pastoral ministry. There are also a growing number of programs for administration that relate to kingdom building. But as Catholics, we have a dearth of options for forming prophetic acumen and voice. Both people of faith—and society at large—need, as perhaps never before, the guiding light of truth to navigate profligate falsehoods, and to re-ground lives in the fruitful soil of hope.
The idea to form a school called Becoming Prophets and create a program for formation to address the ‘signs of these times,’ emerged unexpectedly in prayer. That tentative desire only came to fruition once expressed and shared. Over repeated Zooms with Fr. Alexander Ezechukwu O.C.D., the Carmelite prior of Boars Hill Priory in Oxford England, did we slowly—and again prayerfully—set the aims and formation structure for the course. Before inviting others to the school, we became one, co-creating a course that was to be rigorous yet accessible. Comprised of 15 sessions, our program first identifies the qualities of the male and female prophets in the Hebrew Bible. We then focus on Jesus Christ as the one who fulfills all the Bible’s prophecies, while setting a new prophetic template for His disciples. It has been exciting to discover in depth how Jesus incarnated prophecy, such as with the Beatitudes, and his incessant questions. And, as a consequence, we’ve learned even more that the imitation of Christ includes absorbing and imitating this prophetic dimension.
Scripture and theological reflection are the foundations for awaking prophetic hearts and imagination. We also draw on the examples of numerous saints, such as St. Elizabeth and St. Teresia Benedicta of the Cross, to better grasp the dynamics for turning the consolations of prayer into a public witness of Christ’s presence among us. Adopting Pope Francis’ unique steps for reading the ‘signs of the times,’ we fashioned a methodology for prophets in the image and likeness of Christ based on “contemplation; discernment; and proposing.”
While each of us have these prophetic possibilities as qualities of our personal dignity from Baptism, it is also crucial for us, as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, to develop prophecy from within our community, and to serve it. This social quality is Eucharistic, so our training is very
much oriented to forming (as in the time of Samuel and Elijah) “guilds” or communities of prophets. As always, we need one another to hear God’s Word, to be fortified and appreciated as we each take on the risky role of speaking the truth in a culture that mostly prefers the comfort of lies.
Now that the training of our second cohort is underway, some preliminary lessons are emerging,
1) There is a real hunger for better understanding and growing in a prophetic vocation. Even participants who had little knowledge of the prophets found that the Holy Spirit was animating a desire in them to not only hear the truth but also express it.
2) Lay people, especially women, who had long felt they had no role in the Church, were inspired by the possibility of adding the voice of their experience of God as prophets. The invitation to “plant dreams, draw forth prophecies,” which we nurtured through small group discussions and guided meditation, evoked a profound sense of belonging and direction. Those who had felt silenced, or inadequate about speaking, learned by others’ listening to them, to trust that their own wisdom is of immeasurable value to Christ and Christ’s Church.
3) Age does not matter. According to the chronology in Exodus, Moses was 80 years old when he encountered the Burning Bush and began to assume the mantle of Israel’s liberating prophet. Similarly, Anna the prophetess in Luke’s Gospel, who began to testify that the child Jesus was the Messiah, was in her mid-eighties. Whichever personal charisms we may have, or whatever our stage of life, our spiritual task is to be ready to serve as a prophetic witness when the moment of pivotal importance occurs, be it for another person, a community, or the whole of the people of God.
4) Becoming prophets means becoming more prayerful. When we heed in the depths of the heart the Word of God, that Word lives in us. Sometimes we perform an indispensable prophetic role simply by adopting the contemplative posture that is completely counter-cultural to our frenetic world. Not all of us will be Jeremiah or Dorothy Day, but none of us can be disciples without fomenting those prophetic sensibilities that draw us into closer union with Christ.
Many hands have since contributed to the school of Becoming Prophets at the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality including, most importantly, the participants, whose insights and subsequent work are proofs of the premise. We are not prophets because of who we are on our own, but because of what Christ makes us to be of service to others in the here and now of our own lives.■
For more information on the School of Becoming Prophets please visit https://www.carmelite.uk.net/pilgrimage/school-of-prophets-2024-2025/
JoAnn Melina Lopez serves as Director of Faith Formation at St. Basil’s Catholic Parish in Toronto. She grew up in India and Singapore, graduated from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry with a Master of Divinity degree, and has served in parish, college, and Ignatian ministries in the U.S. and Canada. Her preaching was selected for publication in “Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church - Cycle B (2023).” She is committed to synodality and cultivating communities of hope, imagination, and accompaniment where everyone feels welcomed, loved and empowered to partner with God’s dream for the world. Since 2022, she has been actively involved in the work and mission of Discerning Deacons (www.discerningdeacons.org) including participating in two pilgrimages to Rome during the October 2023 and 2024 synod assemblies.
JoAnn Melina Lopez
Prophetic imagination calls us to recognize the tragic gap between the world as it is and the world as God dreams it to be. The prophetic minister, guided by the Spirit, stands in this gap — tending wounds, awakening all people to reality, and joyfully and hopefully proclaiming and embodying the Good News of God’s reign breaking into the world. This sort of ministry requires communities of practice that seek to manifest God’s dream in the world, and which empower members to go forth courageously to live the Good News.
One such community for me is Discerning Deacons (DD), an organization founded in the United States which brings together people from around the world who are committed to strengthening and renewing the diaconate through prayer, witness, and discernment.
Rev. William Ditewig, a Roman Catholic permanent deacon and scholar on the diaconate, says: “The deacon is to be the conscience of the church, dragging the ambo to the streets and the streets to the ambo.” These words illuminate the prophetic vocation of the deacon: to embody the interconnection between Sacrament, the Word, and service to the most vulnerable. In their particular contexts, deacons stand in the tragic gap and animate all the baptized in their co-responsibility for mission, reviving a sense of the diakonia (call to service) of the whole Church. This is the promise and possibility of the diaconate in this millennium—ordained ministers rousing the whole church to diakonia.
Unfortunately, our Church today does not fully recognize the dignity and coresponsibility of women in the work of mission or the diakonia inherent to it. There is a tragic gap between what is and God’s dream for what could be. To proclaim the truth about women’s gifts and call to serve as ordained deacons is to stand in that gap—
to prophesy. Women are already serving as de facto deacons—in prisons, parishes, hospitals, and more. Women are being called by the Holy Spirit and the people of God to serve, accompany, and preach, often on the peripheries, and they are bringing diakonia to life by empowering and encouraging all the faithful. In some places women have received official authorization to carry out diaconal duties without the graces of ordination. One example here in Canada is Rosella Kinoshameg (see photo) an Ontario Indigenous woman of the Ojibway people, who was commissioned by her bishop through the Diocesan Order of Service. In other places women without official recognition by the Church face tremendous obstacles and work courageously and creatively to ensure that those on the margins are not left without a minister to accompany them. Discerning Deacons bears witness to the diaconal call, gifts, and commitment of women by sharing stories and offering opportunities for encounter and dialogue. Here communities of mutual support, joy, and hope have emerged as women and men walk together across geographic divides to dream and act for the promise and possibility of a renewed, prophetic, synodal diaconate that includes women. For me, DD offers a hopeful community of faith that strengthens my call and commitment to serve God’s people.
Prayer is a critical component of DD’s work, particularly reviving a devotion to Deacon St. Phoebe through new icons, prayers, music, and celebrations around her commemoration in September. In 2023 and 2024, a combined total of 215 organizations celebrated St. Phoebe across 67 dioceses in nine countries on four continents. Phoebe, the only person named with the title of deacon (diakonos) in the scriptures (Romans 16.1-2), is a patron for synodality, service, and co-responsibility that we desperately need in our Church today.
Since its founding in 2021, shortly before Pope Francis announced the Synod of Synodality, Discerning Deacons has been working to engage Catholics around the world in active discernment about renewing and expanding the diaconate to include women. During the First Phase they engaged 9000 people in synod listening. Throughout the Universal Phase, DD has continued to encourage synodality among the faithful and has engaged Synod delegates through educational sessions, public prayer, and dialogue. I have been privileged to participate in some of this work, including two pilgrimages to Rome in 2023 and 2024 to support the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops through prayer, education, and witness.
Discerning Deacons is committed to embodying synodality, including by partnering with the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA)—the first ecclesial conference to include women in governance structures. In October 2024 DD and CEAMA hosted over 50 pilgrims from around the world, aged between 20 to 80, for the opening of the Synod in Rome. We were women and men: priests, deacons, vowed religious, lay ecclesial ministers, and faithful Catholics, who came together to pray, bear witness, and build relationships that will continue to serve the discernment about women and the diaconate. We celebrated public liturgies in honour of St. Phoebe; hosted educational sessions on ecology, synodality, and women’s ministry; prayed with and for Synod delegates; and participated prayerfully in the Synod’s opening ceremonies. I was honoured to be among nine women from four continents (including Rosella Kinoshameg) who represented our group and met privately with Pope Francis on the eve of the Synod. In our encounter we articulated our support for synodality and the ways that it has brought us together, shared our desire to serve the Church, and prayed together—for him and for the Synod. Pope Francis also blessed an icon of St. Phoebe which we used in prayer in Rome that week.
While the Synod has concluded, the synodal discernment about the future of the Church continues. Ultimately the question of the diaconate is about call. Is the Spirit calling women to the diaconate? Is the Spirit calling the Church to strengthen and expand the diaconate to include women?
The Synodal process has revealed that the answer is yes. Women and the diaconate surfaced as an issue of interest around the world in the first phase of the Synod, and was discussed in the 2023 Assembly. Even when taken off the agenda for the 2024 Assembly, the Spirit led the delegates to be concerned about this question, and to proclaim in paragraph #60 of the Final Document: “the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue.” Pope Francis has declared this document to be part of the ordinary Magisterium. Paragraph #73 highlights the prophetic nature of the diaconate, and the need for it to be studied and strengthened for the good of the whole Church. What shall come of the discernment about women and the diaconate we do not know—but we are hopeful, for as paragraph #60 also says, regarding the leadership of women: “what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped!”■
Paola Bignardi is an educator who, for many years, has been involved in social work. She established the St. Omobono Family House Foundation for women in need of help and is the coordinator of the Youth Observatory at the Toniolo Institute for Higher Studies in Milan, Italy. Committed to lay associations, she has also served as the national president of the Catholic Action Movement. Among her many published books in Italian are “Does Laity Still Exist? A Reflection Forty years after the Council” (AVE, 2006) which was awarded the Capri S. Michele Prize in 2007; “God In My Own Way: Youth and Faith in Italy” edited with Rita Bichi (Editrice Vita e Pensiero, 2015); “The Courage of Holiness” (Queriniana, Brescia 2019; “Metamorphosis of Belief” (Queriniana, Brescia 2022); “God, where are you?” (Vita e Pensiero and Avvenire, 2024); “Seeking, therefore I believe? Young people and A New Spirituality”, edited with Rita Bichi, (Editrice Vita e Pensiero, 2024) .
Paola Bignardi
The increase in empty churches and deserted parishes can be a source of discouragement and concern for those involved in pastoral care. Many are inclined to think that young people are either plainly disinterested in the religious dimension of life or that they have all become unbelievers. However such viewpoints are, in fact, projections formed by adult expectations of the younger generation. The reality might be different if one were willing to change these points of view.
I suggest that we ask ourselves, “What are young people telling us? What is the Spirit telling us through them? Might there not be a prophecy in their turning away from the Church, and their disapproval of the style in which Christian communities operate and relate with others?”
To change our point of view requires us to move from being observers of youth behaviour to listeners to young people. We need to hear their thoughts, experiences, and dreams of Church and life. This is the research we carried out at the Toniolo Institute’s Youth Observatory. We listened through lengthy interviews with one hundred young people between the ages of 18 and 29 who had left the Church.
What we learned was that they have withdrawn from the Church because they consider it old, distant and closed, not very inclusive nor very welcoming, and not open to dialogue. One could interpret their responses as being more like those of disappointed children than of protesters. They all had a beautiful dream for what the Church could be. One girl said, “I
would like the Church to be like going to dinner at a friend’s house, where we can talk freely and naturally about everything; where we feel comfortable.” The young people want a more human, welcoming Church that is dialogic at its core. How can we not recognize that this model of Church corresponds to everyone’s dreams and desires? And would not inspiring Christian communities to adopt this form mean that they are more able to express the Gospel?
Young people who have distanced themselves from the Church have not abandoned their faith. They have anchored it instead in a solitary, personal and intimate faith, where they can move more freely than within the confines of traditional religion with its
rules, rites and dogma. Subtly grasping the difference between religion and spirituality, one young person said, “Being religious is a bit dogmatic and fixed, whereas being spiritual is something a bit freer, that allows you more space.” And a peer echoed her, “The spiritual is between you and yourself, the religious is more of a community thing. A person can be spiritual without being religious.” For young people, spirituality is an experience of searching within oneself, to better understand who they are as men and women, and to explore life’s more intense and challenging questions. Spirituality is a journey in search of self, an inner experience, it requires meditation and silence, a desire for harmony and contact with nature. The words that recur frequently among young people in describing what they mean by spirituality are “inwardness, introspection, meditation; inner journey in search of oneself, one’s deepest self and at the same time the meaning of life. Spirituality is looking within, it is listening, it is making space for questions.” It is clear from these distinctions that it is not necessary to be a believer to be spiritual; it is enough to be a thinking and searching man and woman. To be on a search, it seems to me, is the common perspective of many young people. To believers this way of thinking about spirituality may seem poor and insufficient, yet in it there is surely a horizon of universality that could unite believers and non-believers alike, and provide opportunities for fruitful dialogue.
A metamorphosis of belief is taking place in young people; theirs is the search for a new way of living faith, that is contemporary with men and women of this time. What Pope St. John XXIII asked of the Council Fathers at the beginning of the Second Vatican Council in his speech Gaudet Mater Ecclesia seems to be fulfilled in them: not the condemnation of heresies nor the definition of new dogmas, but simply questioning how the perennial doctrine of the Church can meet the contemporary human race. This is clearly what young people would like to see today, a Church that the Council wishes, and its teachings to be more realized and practiced.
That which has been expressed by youth then manifests more and more as prophecy. Their silent protest is their method of telling Christian communities that their way of life is out of pace, making their approach to the Gospel that they are supposed to proclaim no longer understandable and acceptable to the people of today. Rather than simply judging the choices of young people and labelling them as ‘distant and unbelieving,’ the task of Christian communities should be to enter into dialogue with the sensibilities of youth, believing that through them the Spirit speaks, even though human language renders it partial and fragile.
Forms of belief change because the cultural context in which people live and believe changes, especially in the western countries. And belief cannot be divorced from the
way men and women interpret being human. Young people are better than others at intuiting the future, how humanity is being shaped within this future world, and their generation is the one that is interpreting the new and pushing for innovation.
The silent protest of the youth world that speaks without words, simply by leaving ecclesial places, is, in itself, a provocation that has a prophetic flavour. They are words that urge a revision, a conversion, a questioning of what God is saying through them. Young people are not asking for doctrine to be changed, but that the language, rituals, forms of expression, and style of life and relationships of Christian communities be updated. Then it claims that their positions are a way by which the Spirit urges us to recall the Second Vatican Council, which asked the Church and Christians for an aggiornamento. A simple update, but one that is crucial for Christians and the Church today.■
“...only a Church which can gather around the family fire remains able to attract others.”
(Pope Francis)
in an address to the U.S. Bishops in Washington, Sept 23, 2015
Sandra M. Schneiders I.H.M. studied philosophy at the University of Detroit and theology at the Institut Catholique, Paris and the Gregorian University in Rome. She is Professor Emerita of New Testament and Spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. A recipient of six honorary degrees and multiple awards for theology, her area of expertise is in Scripture (New Testament), Christian Spirituality, feminism and the prophetic in religious life. She has published 15 books including “With Oil in Their Lamps: Faith, Feminism and the Future” (2000, Paulist Press) and “Beyond Patching: Faith and Feminism in the Catholic Church” (2004, Paulist Press). Her most recent book is “Jesus Risen in Our Midst: Essays on the Resurrection of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel” (2013 LIturgical Press). She has also contributed chapters to 79 books and written over 100 articles. Past president of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, she has given lectures throughout the USA, Canada, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
Greg Rupik is a contributing editor of With One Accord. For more information on his background please visit our website.
Emily VanBerkum
Catholic Women Preach (Cycle C): Raising Voices, Renewing the Church edited by Elizabeth Donnelly and Russ Petrus, is the final volume of a series originally pioneered online by the grassroots project Catholic Women Preach. As a complement to the two other published volumes (Years A and B), the sixty-two homilies contained in this cycle C book are a treasure trove of biblical interpretation and wisdom on Sunday Gospel readings and holy days authored by a global community of Catholic women.
This carefully curated publication of women’s powerful prophetic witness reflects Catholic Women Preach’s desire to promote broader engagement of the baptized in the preaching mission of the Church, and to represent the fullness of Catholicism’s rich scriptural tradition by raising up women’s diverse voices.
I began my reading to coincide with the start of a new liturgical year. As I read through the weeks of Advent and welcomed the Christmas season, I was struck by the familiar synthesis of scripture enriched by perspectives of women’s experience in the world. This integral feature of the book challenged me to consider biblical passages and characters anew, as well as how our Catholic faith can respond to today’s realworld issues. Reading this book felt like the fulfillment of a longing to see myself as a lay woman represented in biblical passages I’ve heard all my life, but now more intentionally emphasizing women’s lives, roles, spirituality, and deep love for God. It became a meaningful—and necessary—substance for theological reflection.
Catholic Women Preach brings to the fore women’s insights and contributions that are so often absent or misrepresented in clerical preaching. It offers a refreshingly new perspective that is as nuanced as women’s experience: both hope-filled and
challenging. In one homily, the reader is invited to imagine the writer of Luke’s Gospel as a woman, while another discusses the modern-day culture of racism, and another shares an antidote to first-hand pressures on families today.
Catholic Women Preach, the full lectionary cycle, is a must read for individuals as well as pastors, within parishes and for scripture study. I deeply value that this book upholds Catholic women as “preachers” and that readers have access to the richness of Catholic women’s ministry and giftedness through their eminently qualified and skilled interpretation of the Word. This spiritual resource and global platform nurtures an appreciation for feminine wisdom and giftedness. It is prophetic in content and exemplifies synodality in action. Ultimately, this insightful, thoughtprovoking, multi-part collection of women’s reflections on and contributions to the Church, gives me renewed hope for more greater inclusivity. ■
Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the ChurchCycle C
Edited by
Elizabeth Donnelly and Russ Petrus
312 pages
Published by Orbis Books (2024) Available in Paperback US 23.35 Kindle US $20.50.
O God, our Creator, You, who made us in Your image, give us the grace of inclusion in the heart of Your Church.
R: With one accord, we pray.
Jesus, our Saviour, You, who received the love of women and men, heal what divides us, and bless what unites us.
R: With one accord, we pray.
Holy Spirit, our Comforter, You, who guides this work, provide for us as we hold in hope Your will for the good of all.
R: With one accord, we pray.
Mary, mother of God, pray for us. St. Joseph, stay close to us. Divine Wisdom, enlighten us.
R: With one accord, we pray. Amen.
Judette Gallares R.C—The Prophet and the Prophetic Vocation
1 John McKenzie, S. J., Dictionary of the Bible (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1968), p. 694.
2 Paul J. Achtemeier, Gen. Ed., Harper’s Biblical Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1985), p. 826.
3 Jane Schaberg, “Luke” in The Women’s Bible Commentary (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), p. 283.
4 See Harper’s Bible Dictionary, p. 830.
5 See Schaberg, p. 278.
6 Ibid., p. 281.
7 Robert J. Karris, OFM, “Luke” in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 674.
8 See Schaberg, p. 283.
9 E. Earle Ellis, The Gospel of Luke. The New Century Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eardmans Publishing Co., 1983), p.84.
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With One Accord signature music for the Magdala interview composed by Dr. John Paul Farahat and performed by Emily VanBerkum and John Paul Farahat.
Images used in this edition:
Cover: “Pensez à Dieu” (Thoughts of God) by Hugues Merle (1823-1881).
Page 2 Detail from “The Gilded Cage” by Evelyn De Morgan (1885-1919).
Page 6 “Simeon and Anna in the Temple” by Rembrandt (1606-1669).
Page 8 Icon of “Christ Pantocrator” Moscow (1703).
Page 11 Photo of Rosella Kinoshameg at the altar from “Ignatius Day service 2023” © Jesuits of Canada, www. jesuits.ca. Used with permission.
Page 11 Icon of “St. Phoebe” by Suzanne Massie © 2023. Used with permission.
Page 14 “Prayer” by John Phillip (1817-1867).
Page 15 “Autumn 1979” by Lewis G. Vardey (1919-1995).
This edition
Copyright © 2025 Saint Basil’s Catholic Parish, Toronto, Canada For editorial enquiries, please contact editor@magdalacolloquy.org ISSN 2563-7924
PUBLISHER
Morgan V. Rice CSB.
EDITOR
Lucinda M. Vardey
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Emily VanBerkum
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Gregory Rupik
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Michael Pirri
VIDEO EDITOR
Michael Pirri
CONSULTANT
John Dalla Costa
TRANSLATORS
Elena Buia Rutt (Italian)
Véronique Viellerobe (French)
ADMINISTRATOR
Margaret D’Elia