Elise Dubravec preaches for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on staying in the Church despite difficult teachings and practices:
"How can I stay when our readings tell me to subordinate to patriarchy, or when I see LGBTQ+ Catholics fired from their jobs, or when women are still denied a place at the altar, or when Catholic parishes and schools serving black communities are closed more than white schools and parishes? These teachings and practices that I do not accept tell me to leave. But I stay because of the one thing that made those disciples walk away. I stay in Eucharistic solidarity because it compels me to find hope and to fight for others. I stay because there is work to do."
Elise Dubravec is in her last year as a Master of Divinity student at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, CA. She has centered her studies on advocating for women’s leadership and ordination along with LGBTQ+ ministry.
Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08222021 to learn more about Elise, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.
