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NCR It
would be just like Jesus to include women
Scripture accounts of the Last
Supper differ sufficiently from each other that it takes little stretch of the
imagination to conclude they didnt tell all. And common sense adds that
the writers brought a point of view to their stories. If it happened today,
Cardinal Ratzinger and Fr. Richard McBrien would put different spins on it.
No evangelists spin on the Last Supper had anything to do
with women. It wasnt an issue. So no one wrote, The women
didnt show or Not a woman there when he needed them or
Jesus, in a surprise move, excused the women. It would, one
presumes, have been a surprise move, because he liked the company of women. And
Passover feasts were family affairs.
Surely the worlds best example of a picture being worth a
thousand words is Leonardo Da Vincis painting of the meal Jesus and his
friends had on the occasion of his last Passover. Leonardos is the image
that leaps to mind when the Last Supper is mentioned. It is certainly wrong on
some or many of the details. For example, it shows daylight outside the window
although the meal took place at night. But that doesnt matter: It is a
great painting and was never intended to be strict history or a theological
statement.
No evangelist ever said there were women at the Last Supper, but
none ever said there were not. Their accounts were signs of the times, as was
Leonardos painting.
On the cover, and again on page 14, NCR offers a new sign
of the times. An Irish group called Brothers and Sisters in Christ, BASIC,
whose objective is the ordination of women, commissioned Polish artist Bohdan
Piasecki to paint the 57 inch by 38 inch oil on canvas.
Move over, Leonardo. This one is more historically accurate,
according to BASIC, a traditional Jewish Passover meal with women [six]
and children [two] in addition to the 12 male apostles. Sitting across
from Jesus are his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene.
A wide range of prominent theologians now take it for granted that
there were women at the Last Supper. But this information and/or insight has
not found its way into the popular imagination. This is the BASIC aim. They
have already distributed 50,000 copies of their Women -- Called to Be
Priests leaflet in Ireland. They would like to hear from any American
groups who might want to display the painting in the United States. They also
invite donations to further the image. Posters are available for $14 surface
mail, $21 air mail, from BASIC at Saint Francois, Avoca Avenue, Blackrock, Co.
Dublin, Ireland; E-mail: basic@indigo.ie Web site:
http://www.iol.ie/~duacon/basic.htm
At NCR, not long ago, we had
a receptionist named Helen Rice. She was one of the great talkers of the
Western world. No doubt many current readers could recall, on phoning in for
one thing or another, being verbally waylaid by Helen anytime between 1983 and
1994. She had a heart of gold and a colossal cheerfulness that never said die.
But die she did, of cancer, after only a short fight.
In a grand gesture Helens generous family gave the company a
substantial amount of money in her memory. They didnt ask for a plaque in
their own name or hers, or a new wing on our building. They instructed us,
instead, to use the money to promote morale in the company. Let me repeat --
they invested in our morale. Its gotta be a first.
After a couple of false starts, we realized the best way to raise
morale was eating and drinking. No, were not talking orgy here;
were talking lunch, probably washed down with Diet Coke, in the lunchroom
with Helens picture looking down from the wall. But since eating lunch
can raise morale only so high, it is usually accompanied by some kind of
goofing around. On the occasion of the recent Oscars, for example, we held the
Helens. There were various Helens for sundry accomplishments that you would
have to work here to figure out. And because morale was at stake, even we
non-winners got consolation Helens.
The Helen here went to Beverly Brown, our current receptionist,
who carries on Helens tradition of affability and good grace.
-- Michael Farrell
National Catholic Reporter, April 2,
1999
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