Catholics, does this offend you?
If this schema offends you:
Then this should also offend you:
Holy Family statue, St. Daniel the Prophet Catholic Church, Scottsdale, Arizona
And this:
And, of course, these emphasized parts of Ephesians 5:
22 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church; 33 however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (RSV-CE)
And so much more!!
Folks, despite “Catholic feminist” protestations to the contrary, our Catholic Faith is based on Patriarchs (of whom God the Father is the greatest), which is the natural order created by and through love — a love that created families (and the Church herself!) with fathers as the protective head.
If you are Catholic and you find the above images, litany, and Scripture insulting, demeaning, or offensive—or if you even just want to politely assert that they are simply wrong and old-fashioned—then you need to clear your mind and think again. Consider that your formation may be coming more from the secular culture (“the world”) than from Christ and His Holy Catholic Church.
In this era of massive spiritual warfare, it’s crucial to discern your influences.
PS: If you have objections to my point here, please make sure that they come out of Catholic teaching on the subject, not feelings, or personal anecdotes, or secular thought. Thanks!
