Recognition for women

Yesterday we celebrated Mothers' Day and at our Spanish mass there was a great outpouring of gratitude for all that we received from our mothers; life, faith, guidance and unconditional love. We also saw how for centuries in society and in the church, women have only been seen as mothers. In today's first reading, St Paul meets Lydia in Philippi.(Acts 16:11-15). He saw her as a devout woman opening her heart to God. He accepted the hospitality of her home and no doubt installed her as the leader of the community when he moved on. We know that there are women in the church working as theologians, pastoral leaders and ministers of communion. Many are doing great work as hospital chaplains, but they run into a brick wall when the patients they are attending to with such dedication ask for anointing or reconciliation. The reports from the diocesan synods called for women to be given a greater share in leadership and ordination . Pope Francis has been chipping away at the glass ceiling for some time and now the Synod of Bishops in October will include women with voting rights for the first time. There will be 70 ''non-bishop members'' and half of those will be women. Let us be positive and pray that the Synod will truly listen and bring more participation into decision making. Is it time to end the long-time syndrome of ''I discern, you discern, but he decides?''