The Bible reflects the patriarchy prevalent in the Hebraic and Greco-Roman world. We search the scriptures for evidence of the Gospel world where “there is neither male nor female but all are one in Christ.” The lectionary selection for today from Romans 16 is somewhat disappointing for what isn’t included. In the passage given us, Paul mentions 13 co-workers by name. However, the reading starts with verse 3 and thus does not include the first verse: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. In fact, that verse is never included in the lectionary. Pope Francis has established a commission to look at the history of women deacons in the Church. Shouldn’t the faithful have the opportunity to hear the scriptural evidence?
