One day I came across a post on Facebook from a man who, for the life of him, couldn’t reason why women aren’t ordained priests. Still quite young, he reminded me very much of myself at that age, and he was quick to argue that the Church is sexist in its methods. Many years ago, I too had the argument that since the Church was in dire need of priests, then women should be ordained and given all the privileges of men.

How naive could I have been? Now, many years later, I see the wisdom of the Church, and I’m grateful youngsters such as I was had no authority in the matter.

So what is the role of woman in the Church if she cannot be ordained? Indeed, women hold the highest role! Yes, you read that correctly–the highest role. This is not my opinion. It is the teaching of the Church herself, one which has been underscored by Pope John Paul II.

If you don’t believe this, consider:

Mary, Mother of God, is the highest of all saints–including all the men–and the Queen of Heaven, crowned solely for her singular and perfect role as a mother. In all her perfection, her own Son did not choose her to be a priest. She remained his mother, who raised and nurtured Him, who prayed for Him during His ministry and while He was absent from her. It was Mary who also gave comfort to the Apostles, who suffered at the foot of the cross, and whose divine agony became divine mercy, making God’s grace evident on Earth.

It was a mother–a woman–through which God made Himself present among His Creation. Remember, God could have manifested Himself in any form and under any circumstance. If He so desired, He could have come to us from the sky a mighty warrior and claimed Israel in one strike. Yet He came to us through the womb of a lowly and simple, yet perfect, woman. If this does not clearly define the power of motherhood and God’s elevation of the woman, then nothing will convince you.

And don’t forget this:

Among the saints are Doctors of the Church. These are saints who are considered the most edified among the holy, and they are named such by the Pope himself. Two of my favorites are St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa of Avila. Their gender has nothing to do with their ultimate status!

Now how can anyone call the Catholic Church sexist? But, no, the young man on Facebook wouldn’t give up. His final question: “Just where does it say in Scripture that only men can be priests?” Margie Prox Sindelar, a wonderful lady on my friends list, wanted to help him out. Here’s what she had to say, reprinted with her permission. Make yourself comfortable; this is a long list that will make you think…and think…and think.

Just because women and men have different roles, does not make us unequal in dignity…. men can not bear children…. So was God sexist when he created us that way? and Yes, there are many places in Scripture that support a male only priesthood, so the church has no authority to change what God has commanded:

Gen. 3:15; Luke 1:26-55– Mary is God’s greatest creation, was the closest person to Jesus, and yet Jesus did not choose her to become a priest. God chose only men to be priests to reflect the complimentarity of the sexes. Just as the man (the royal priest) gives natural life to the woman in the marital covenant, the ministerial priest gives supernatural life in the New Covenant sacraments.

Judges 17:10; 18:19 – fatherhood and priesthood are synonymous terms. Micah says, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest.” Fathers/priests give life, and mothers receive and nurture life. This reflects God our Father who gives the life of grace through the Priesthood of His Divine Son, and Mother Church who receives the life of grace and nourishes her children. In summary, women cannot be priests because women cannot be fathers.

Mark 16:9; Luke 7: 37-50; John 8:3-11 – Jesus allowed women to uniquely join in His mission, exalting them above cultural norms. His decision not to ordain women had nothing to do with culture. The Gospel writers are also clear that women participated in Jesus’ ministry and, unlike men, never betrayed Jesus. Women have always been held with the highest regard in the Church (e.g., the Church’s greatest saint and model of faith is a woman; the Church’s constant teaching on the dignity of motherhood; the Church’s understanding of humanity as being the Bride united to Christ, etc.).

Mark 14:17,20; Luke 22:14 – the language “the twelve” and “apostles” shows Jesus commissioned the Eucharistic priesthood by giving holy orders only to men.

Gen. 14:10; Heb. 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:15,17 – Jesus, the Son of God, is both priest and King after the priest-king Melchizedek. Jesus’ priesthood embodies both Kingship and Sonship.

Gen. 22:9-13 – as foreshadowed, God chose our redemption to be secured by the sacrificial love that the Son gives to the Father.

Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 – because the priest acts in persona Christi in the offering to the Father, the priest cannot be a woman.

Mark 3:13 – Jesus selected the apostles “as He desired,” according to His will, and not according to the demands of His culture. Because Jesus acted according to His will, which was perfectly united to that of the Father, one cannot criticize Jesus’ selection of men to be His priests without criticizing God.

John 20:22 – Jesus only breathed on the male apostles, the first bishops, giving them the authority to forgive and retain sins. In fact, the male priesthood of Christianity was a distinction from the priestesses of paganism that existed during these times. A female priesthood would be a reversion to non-Christian practices. The sacred tradition of a male priesthood has existed uncompromised in the Church for 2,000 years.

1 Cor. 14:34-35 – Paul says a woman is not permitted to preach the word of God in the Church. It has always been the tradition of the Church for the priest or deacon alone (an ordained male) to read and preach the Gospel.

1 Tim. 2:12 – Paul also says that a woman is not permitted to hold teaching authority in the Church. Can you imagine how much Mary, the Mother of God, would have been able to teach Christians about Jesus her Son in the Church? Yet, she was not permitted to hold such teaching authority in the Church. (A note from Kathleen: Note that this is not referring to religious education teachers and mothers. This is referring to the teaching authority we now call the Vatican, the pope, who provides us with the infallible teachings of the Church, which is protected by Our God from error.)

Rom. 16:1-2 – while many Protestants point to this verse denounce the Church’s tradition of a male priesthood, deaconesses, like Phoebe, were helpers to the priests (for example, preparing women for naked baptism so as to prevent scandal). But these helpers were never ordained.

Luke 2:36-37 – prophetesses, like Anna, were women who consecrated themselves to religious life, but were not ordained.

Isaiah 3:12 – Isaiah complains that the priests of ancient Israel were having their authority usurped by women, and this was at the height of Israel’s covenant apostasy.

I’ll bet you never thought there was this much available in Scripture. To all Catholic women, I’d like to say:

If you are a mother, you know that your tasks are endless and can seem overwhelming. Indeed, we have a habit of using the word “mundane.” But the truth is, motherhood can seem to be too much not because it is mundane but because it is so huge! Embrace the task Our Lord has granted you. You are the moral gatekeeper of your home, and it is your most urgent task to raise the next generation in a way Moses instructed his people. That is, teach your children while you are at home and away, at work and at rest. Teach your children so they can teach their children and all the generations will know Him.

To celebrate the release of Roma Downey’s “Little Angels” DVD series, Grace Hill Media has graciously provided five DVDs as giveaways for Catholic Exchange readers.  Details are provided at the end of this article.

When most people think of Roma Downey, they think of angels due to her long-standing role as Monica in “Touched by an Angel.” It will probably come as no surprise that she is the executive producer of an exciting new DVD series for children called “Little Angels.”  She took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to talk to me about the new series and a few of her other passions.  If only I could duplicate her charming Irish lilt…

Peggy Bowes: What inspired you to create the Little Angels DVD series?

Roma Downey: One of the central inspirations was a little prayer that we would say at home growing up in Ireland:  “God in heaven, my Savior dear, watch over my children and draw Thou near.  Send little angels to be at their side, to light and to guard, to love and to guide.”  So in our series, the mother says this prayer to the sleeping children.  We have four-year-old twins, Alex and Zoe, fast asleep safely in their nursery.  As she closes the door, the camera pans back and we see that in the moonlit light, up on the ceiling, is a mural.  On that mural are painted eight little angel characters who come to life and kiss the sleeping children and tuck them in.  It becomes clear to us that the little angels are around the children to protect them and guide them.  During the day, when the parents aren’t around, the angels come down and serve as teachers, instructors, and guides.  They help the kids learn not just practical things like A-B-Cs and 1-2-3s and animals, but they teach the children the importance of traditional values– of the importance of being kind, cooperating, hard work, perseverance, and good manners.  I think it’s just a wonderful series to add value to your home.  It’s offered to parents and grandparents as a support system, as a tool to help raise your family and support the values that you share.

PB: The Bible only names three angels, but there are many more named in other Jewish and Christian writings.  How did you choose the eight angels who guard Alex and Zoe?

RD: We decided to come up with a cute little “choir” of angels that would cover a range of personalities that would inspire the children watching.   Our hope was that we would cover enough personality types that every child watching would be able to relate with at least one of these angels.  We have Michael, who is our little boss archangel.  He’s very knowledgeable and he’s the angel that the other angels go to when they have a question.  And we have Gabriel, our angel who announces.  He blows his little bugle when there is something important to say.  We have Ariel, the guardian angel who has a little sword that sometimes burns with fire when she’s out there to protect the kids.  We’ve also added a little angel of learning.  Her name is Dina and she carries an iPad.  The kids that have seen the series so far have all been so responsive to her.  I think perhaps they relate to the electronic gadget which makes it very of-the-moment.  One of my favorites is an angel called Uriel, and he is the angel of creativity who paints pictures.

PB: Can you give parents an idea what the series is about?

RD: [In one episode] the little boy has trouble tying his shoelace, and he wants to just quit.  He thinks he should just wear his Velcro shoes.  Uriel tries to explain, “If everybody just quit when something got too hard to do, then nothing would ever get done.  Consider Noah, if you would.”  The boy scratches his head and says, “Who’s Noah?”  And so Uriel, the artist angel, paints a picture of the ark.  The angels are able to take the children, as if in a dream, into the picture.  They time travel back to our Bible times with our beloved Bible characters.  They’re standing next to Noah, who is building the ark.  Indeed, Noah shares with them that it has been very hard work and there was many a time he wanted to quit because he’s been building it for years.  But he has obeyed God and he trusts God who has told him that rain will come.  Even though all the neighbors have made fun of him and he’s felt perfectly silly sometimes, he’s going to keep doing what God has asked him to do.  The kids see the rain clouds and get to witness Noah saving the animals two by two.  When the flood comes, a little tiny wave washes the kids back to the nursery where the angel is able to deepen the lesson just learned.  “See, Noah didn’t quit.  And if Noah had quit, the animals wouldn’t have been saved.  We’re so grateful that Noah persevered.”  The little boy picks up his shoes and his shoelace and once again tries to tie his shoe and this time he’s successful.  So that way, you see, we’re able to weave an introduction to the Bible, a value we want our child to learn, in this case to persevere, and it’s all presented in a very fun and uplifting way.  If it’s not fun and entertaining and compelling and dynamic, they’re not going to watch it.  I gathered the best animators and the look is so cute!  Your readers can go to www.LittleAngels.com [to learn more].  I couldn’t be more pleased with how it’s turned out.

PB: You offer some great suggestions to parents on the DVD bonus features.  How has becoming a mother changed your perspective?

RD: Becoming a mother changed my whole life, of course, like everybody.  I am now the mother of teenagers, which has brought its own challenges.  We have a great deal of eye-rolling in my house these days.  But I am happy to report that we have two musical CDs that we are releasing with the “Little Angels” collection.  In both of these CDs, my oldest boy, James, who is a very fine musician and my daughter, Reilly, who has a beautiful voice, have participated in the making of the music for “Little Angels.”  That was very gratifying and very rewarding to work together on this as a family.  I have many gifts, but music or singing was never one of them so it was lovely for me to have them involved in this.  But you know, I honestly can say that I wish I had something like this when I was a young mother.  I know as a working mother, there were many times I had to stick my kids in front of a DVD because I was busy juggling things.  I had calls to make or I had to deal with a plumbing emergency or a variety of things that come up during the day.  Watching a quality show like this can buy a parent a little bit of space.  It seems to me that if your child is watching something, wouldn’t you rather that they watched something of value that was adding to their worlds and their minds?  They’re learning their alphabet or how to count, but it’s also enriching their spiritual life.  We go back into the Old and the New Testament.  The children in our stories get to meet Jonah, Noah, Joseph, and Adam and Eve.  They get to go and observe Jesus teaching.  It’s a beautiful and age-appropriate way for this little preschool audience to get a sense of these characters.  It’s also a great opportunity for parents to begin a conversation with their children.  You’ve watched the DVD and now you’re sitting having snacks together and you can talk about what you’ve seen and how that made you feel and who’s your favorite character.  There are all kinds of opportunities.  I know that at this age our young children are so impressionable and that the lessons learned will stay with them their whole lives.  “Little Angels” is something for the whole family to share together.

PB: My Catholic readers will be interested to know that your brother, John, is a priest.  Is he praying for the success of this series?

RD: Oh, yes he is!  He’s been a great support and has been interested to see it the various stages along the way.  He has a parish in County Derry.  I was born and raised in Derry City in Ireland, and he is jokingly and lovingly known in our family as “Father Brother.”  In fact, in just the next week, my dear friend, Fr. Paddy O’Cain is coming out to California to visit us.  My daughter, Reilly, is in Confirmation and Fr. Paddy is her godfather and her sponsor.  He’s coming out to check in on her and make sure she’s on the right path.  We’re members of Our Lady of Malibu, which is our local Catholic parish out here.

PB: Since my dad was born with a cleft lip and palate, I’m especially interested to know more about your role in the Operation Smile charity.

RD: Operation Smile is a fantastic organization that I have been associated with for maybe 15 years.  I’ve been their spokesperson; I’ve traveled the world with them on international missions to third world and developing countries.  We’re a volunteer group who repair children with facial deformities, primarily cleft lip and cleft palate.  It’s just beautiful work.  It’s a 45-minute operation which costs only about $250 a person.  They restore a face to a little child somewhere in the world who never thought they would have an opportunity for a normal life.  Operation Smile has the loveliest slogan.  They’re changing lives one smile at a time.  Sometimes people think there’s so much need in the world that they feel a little bit paralyzed.  “What can I do? I’m just one person.”  Operation Smile reminds people that we can’t help everybody but we can help one person.  We can make a difference in the life of one person, one smile.  If we all did something, then surely together we can all change the world.

PB: Do you have a patron saint or favorite Catholic devotion?

RD: Well, I guess growing up in Ireland, it would be hard not to have grown up loving St. Patrick and St. Bridget.  My mother passed away when I was a very young girl.  I was only ten.  At that time I began my lifelong devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.  I needed her then more than ever, and so I have a wonderful loving relationship with Mary as part of my daily prayer routine.  She stepped in to mother me when my own mother had passed.

Catholic Exchange readers have an opportunity to win one of five free copies of the “Little Angels” DVDs.  Simply leave a comment on this article, and you will be entered in the contest.  (Remember that you must first log in or register as a new user in order to leave a comment.)  Deadline for entering is Saturday, November 19 at midnight Pacific Time.  Winners will be notified through their registered email addresses, and the names be posted in the comment section below on Monday, November 21.  Be sure to check back in case the email didn’t get through your spam filter.  If winners do not respond with a mailing address by November 25, then a new winner will be selected.  Good luck!

During the course of many years of writing for a women’s magazine and then the Amazing Grace (Ascension Press) book series, I have witnessed something over and over again: God grants great blessings and holiness by way of his very special children–those we call disabled. In many ways, their disabilities bring them–and us–closer to God. So, then, are they really disabilities?

I’ve written stories such as one where a child with Down Syndrome reversed his mother’s depression and renewed his parent’s marriage. I’ve seen siblings grow big hearts and see beyond peer pressure, and I learned of a young man who allowed his severely handicapped younger brother help him choose a wife.

After seeing the hand of God in these and other families, it’s clear that the term “disability” is relative, depending on which life we are talking about–this one or the next. Since we have not all been so blessed with a special child, I am glad Leticia Velasquez has written A Special Mother is Born to share these holy moments and special souls with the rest of us.

The Face of God

Years ago, I read an article written by a nun who worked with the developmentally disabled. She said that if there were such a thing as reincarnation, she would want to come back as mentally disabled. Her reason was that they had one foot in heaven and saw the face of God. That’s a concept that comes through clearly in A Special Mother is Born, in which parents share how they have been called to the vocation of parenting a child with special needs.

For Lisa Barker, there were times their baby “Boo” seemed to talk with angels. Boo had a rare illness, Batten Disease, that did not allow for the brain cells to output waste, thereby killing off cells. There was no cure or treatment. The baby went from running and babbling to becoming wheelchair bound within a year, barely able to crawl.

“Before Boo could no longer communicate she used to talk to the angels,” her mother wrote. “That’s what I called it. She would suddenly fix her eyes on the ceiling and her face would totally light up and she’d start cooing and ‘talking’ to things, beings we couldn’t see. This euphoria would last for up to half an hour sometimes….Boo has made us aware that there’s more to life than what mere mortal eyes can see.”

When Eileen Haupt was pregnant with her second baby at the age of 39, considering whether or not to undergo amniocentesis, her husband told her, “Trust Jesus.” At the time, Haupt did not have complete trust—but she does now. She credits Sadie’s birth with being the seed that enlivened her spirit, eventually bringing her back to her Catholic faith, and her husband also joining the Church. It also led Haupt to co-found Keep Infants with Down Syndrome (KIDS) with author Velasquez.

“If only a mother expecting a special needs child could know whom her child really is. If only she could feel the joy and the love that she will feel for her baby if she welcomes her into the world. If only she knew how many hearts would be changed by her special baby’s presence,” Haupt says. “If only she knew, she would never abort.”

Something Extra

Barbara Curtis describes her special son this way: “My son on Jonathan has a little extra. A little extra enthusiasm, a little extra innocence, a little extra charm. Oh, and did I mention an extra chromosome? The one on the twenty-first pair that inspires so much fear in parents-to-be.”

And Jonathan does not keep his little extra to himself. “His preschool teacher named him Ambassador of Goodwill. His public school kindergarten teacher, after 30-plus years of teaching, said she’d never seen children as loving and caring as Jonny’s classmates. The secret, she said, was Jonny.”

Through Jonny, Curtis has become so much wiser. “He’s been a gift I never would have thought to ask for, bringing lessons I never knew I needed to learn. The greatest surprise is this: Our life together has been less about my helping him reach his potential than about him helping me reach mine.” Those words are powerful, but knowing Barbara is the mother of 12 children makes them profound. (Her website is: www.barbaracurtis.com.)

Mary Kellet, the mother of eleven children including Peter—who has Trisomy 18—wrote of her special son: “I call him and other children with special needs, ‘Teachers of our Souls.’ He has taught us to love life in a deeper way and to trust in God’s wisdom and providence. He has taught us that there are many ways to contribute to society, and that he contributes in the most important way possible: by helping us become better, more compassionate, caring people.”

No one says it’s always easy, but Melissa Wiley, a mother of six who endured one child’s leukemia and then the birth of a son with multiple health difficulties, explained it this way: “I hadn’t begun to grasp the meaning of that whole ‘Count it all joy’ business in the book of James until I met these children. Now I get it, or at least I get a glimpse of it. There is immeasurable joy not just in the overcoming of trials, but even—I know it sounds implausible, but it’s true—in each trial itself.

Each story in A Special Mother is Born reflects the gift from God that every soul is—a fact that is often overlooked in our society, where nine out of 10 Down Syndrome babies are aborted. In 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists announced that they hope to see this increase to 100 percent by increasing prenatal screening for all women in the first trimester, regardless of age.

If, instead of fearing babies with disabilities, expectant parents visited with other parents of special needs children, maybe they would see that special children come with special blessings. While mental and physical abilities below par are seen as a handicap, the world often forgets to weight the power of a loving heart and innocent soul. In such an equation, which of us is really handicapped?

To order, visit Leticia Velasquez’s blog. 

The life of a mother is very busy.  A mother’s day consists of various tasks; laundry, food prep, cleaning, refereeing, driving around town doing errands with a van-full of impatient children, schooling, homework, school and extracurricular activities, telling the same thing to the same child over and over again day after day, diaper changes, endless nights of nursing and rocking restless babies, sticking on band-aids, hugging hurts away, reading one more story, singing one more night-time song, getting someone one more last drink of water, making lunch and baking cookies for school the next day, et cetera, et cetera. These are sometimes some of the most mundane and overlooked parts of a mother’s day, yet they are at the heart of the vocation to motherhood.

Everything a mother does in the home is ultimately for her family. And so is everything she does out of the home. When a mother goes to the store, alone, to buy food—it is for her family, so that they will not starve. When a mother goes to church to pray alone—it is for her family; so she can pour God’s love and graces from her soul to theirs. When a mother goes out for a quick jog or swim at the gym—it is for her family; so she can be healthy and have energy to keep up with their high demands. When a mother attends an art class, learns a new craft, or gets lost in a book—it is for her family; so she can keep her mind sharp and imaginative to inspire her children to think, create, discover, and feel. When a mother goes to work at an office, or in her car, or to the “office” in the corner of the dining room—it is for her family; so she can provide the essentials or maybe some extra help where it’s needed the most. When a mother goes out and volunteers her time at church, in the community, in her neighborhood—it is for her family; so they can learn there are others in this world that also have needs.

Everything a mother does, in and out of the home, is significant. It all matters—even all the et ceteras. That’s the beauty of the motherhood vocation—the responsibilities and to-do lists are never-ending and a mother’s love and influence transcend all boundaries, starting in the home… but not ending there.

As an adolescent I admired many clothes my beautiful mother wore—and cringed at others.

One piece that belongs in the Outfit Hall of Fame is her bright purple Asics sweat suit. I’d call the exact color “Electric Grape.” The goldenrod-flecked design across the chest was reminiscent of a Magic Eye image. The sweatpants and matching jacket caught the light and swished when Mom walked. If I couldn’t hear her coming, I could spot her from across the junior’s department in Kohl’s, or down the dairy aisle at the grocery store, with no problem.

The sweat suit seems to be a fixed character in many of my middle and high school memories. At the time, I don’t remember being embarrassed about publically associating with such a sweat suit-wearing mother. I do remember wondering, “Why doesn’t she pick out something more fashionable for herself?” I also remember wondering why the sweat suit didn’t just die, didn’t get thrown out in the Goodwill donation pile to be replaced by new clothes, like so many of my things did.

Last year, I traveled to Assisi for the first time. Strolling through the mystical Basilica di San Francesco, I came across St. Francis’ original tunic, which is displayed for reverent pilgrims to venerate. A potato sack would have been a fairer garment. The tunic was composed of rough, haphazard patches of a coarse and colorless cloth. The sleeves and bottom were un-hemmed and uneven.

“What a holy man,” I thought, “a heroic man. To wear such a garment! To cast aside the fine cloth of his father, the merchant, and literally put on the poverty of Christ.”

Then, I made the connection.

Mom takes me back-to-school shopping so I could have a pair of Adidas Sambas like every other 8^th grade girl.  Purple sweat suit. Mom picks me up from a late cross-country practice. Purple sweat suit. Mom takes me out to a special mother-daughter lunch, her treat. Purple sweat suit. Mom locks herself in the walk-in closet to wrap Christmas presents for the family. Purple sweatsuit. Mom hurries in from the grocery store, arms full of bags, and begins cleaning the kitchen and making dinner for hungry teenage athletes. Sweat suit.

As St. Francis praised a creation so deftly decorated by God’s hand in his expired brown tunic, my mother rejoiced and provided for my brothers and me in the purple sweat suit. It is a holy and heroic garment.

I imagine her sweat suit encased in glass alongside St. Francis’ tunic. They are both signs of self-sacrifice, of self-emptying, joyful love. I look into my own closet, thick with fancy work clothes, and hope one day God counts me worthy of wearing something as beautiful as St. Francis’ tunic—or my mother’s purple sweat suit.

On a recent pilgrimage, my daughter and I took a detour to see if we could find the hospital in which I was born. The map was confusing, the traffic was pressing and we waived off for lunch. There, over our meal, we looked up to see the building we sought across the street, with its sign hidden by the surrounding trees. We just smiled at the irony, finished eating and headed home.

The decades between that first drawn breath and now have been complicated in ways, and yet remarkably straight-forward in others. The first maternal embrace and swaddled welcome gave way to an unforeseen abyss as death intervened, and the essential motherly tasks were undertaken by others. God provides, and yet the yearning for a reliable sanctuary has ever been with me, for those who are deprived feel keenly what others may take for granted.

God is good, and in His almighty plan the perfect sanctuary endures even when the smaller icons of it slip from our horizons. Thus if a person needs a mother, father, food, shelter and a lamp to light his path, then such things can be found — in both concrete expressions and the supernatural echoes that point their true meaning.

When it comes to the essential tasks of motherhood, the Church — the bride of Christ — stands ready to scoop up the wayward souls in search of peace and order, and to swaddle them in truth and love. The door is open, her arms reach down and she gives freely from her storehouse of nourishment to all who ask. The fact that this bride first “drew breath” in Jerusalem should draw special attention to the pilgrimage that the Holy Father is making to Israel this very week — for supernatural echoes abound in that holy place.

Benedict will see many things during his visit, and three faith communities will parse his every word and gesture. Interestingly, while all three look to Jerusalem as a city integral to their worship of God, only Catholicism puts weight on the maternal dimension of that place.

Layers of the mystery unfold when we recognize that the temple built by Solomon was precursor to both the bride of Christ and the heavenly Jerusalem to which all our churches here on earth point. There are also deep implications tied to Mary, the mother of God, who is herself related to that city. “Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the ark of the covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells” (CCC 2676).

While Benedict XVI is privileged to walk in the footsteps of Our Lord, we must remember that every Mass is itself a pilgrimage. “In the earthly liturgy we share in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God” (CCC 1090). In each Mass we’re privileged to glimpse the wedding feast of the Lamb, which will take place at the consummation of the world.

Benedict has described his journey as a pilgrimage of peace — “the lasting peace born of justice, integrity and compassion, the peace that arises from humility, forgiveness and the profound desire to live in harmony as one” — and we pray that it bears fruit. Only through the blood of Jesus is lasting peace possible, and to that end Holy Mother Church offers her sanctuary of ordered love and humble service. She is the true witness — a signpost to the tranquility of heaven.