The Rev. ChatGPT on being subordinate - UPDATED

Update 31-Aug 4:10 pm CDT - Jean mentioned in the comments that she has heard different takes on this Bible passage in non-Catholic churches that members of her husband's family attend.  So I asked ChatGPT to also write a Southern Baptist sermon on the same passage.  I've pasted it below the Catholic homily that begins right after the break.

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Last weekend, the second reading at Sunday mass was what might be the single most controversial passage in the Bible: St. Paul's discourse in Ephesians which contains the notorious line, "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands out of reverence for Christ".

I didn't preach last weekend, but I sat in the deacon's chair for two masses.  One reader (a man) read the long version of the reading, which includes the phrase in question.  From my seat, I have a good view of the congregation, and I observed a couple of husbands nudging their wives or snickering toward them, with the wives striving to put up the appearance of being good sports about it.  At the other mass, the reader (a woman) clearly had misgivings about reading that passage from the pulpit.  She asked me before mass if she could read the short version, which has cut out the line about wives being subordinate.  I told her it was fine with me but she should check with the priest, in case he was planning to address the passage directly in his homily.  He told her to please read the short version.  

Of course, no homilist is obligated to preach on that passage, even when it is one of the appointed readings.  In my experience, most homilists see the path of prudence as avoiding that reading with the proverbial ten-foot pole.   This second priest did briefly and cautiously allude to the passage, characterizing it as a call for spouses to love one another.  That strikes me as in harmony with what St. Paul wrote, but it takes a bit of reflection and unpacking to get there.

As you know, occasionally I ask the ChatGPT artificial intelligence engine to crank out a homily.  One can find the texts and videos of many homilies (from humans) on the Internet, but as a general rule, I don't crib from other homilies when I preach.  I do consult sources, but I consider it part of the homilist's job to pray, reflect and struggle with the text him/herself, and produce an original work on it.  But in my opinion, ChatGPT did such a good job explaining this passage that I'd happily read it aloud from the pulpit.  I'm pasting it below the break, and would welcome your thoughts on it.

Eucharistic Renewal: Walk With One

Walk with One: Eucharistic Revival

We are all called to evangelize, and thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are well-equipped for this mission. It may not mean spreading the Gospel in a foreign land or going door-to-door with the Good News—and it may require overcoming some fears—but the Lord is asking each of us to step out of our comfort zone and evangelize one-on-one.

There is someone in your life right now whom Jesus longs to call to himself. He wants to spark a relationship with them and bless them with his sacraments. In this Year of Mission, Catholics across the U.S. are saying “yes” to a special form of heart-to-heart accompaniment called the Walk With One initiative. 

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On Forgiveness

There was an interesting review of a book by Kaya Oakes on the NCR site, "Not So Sorry; Abusers, False Apologies and the Limits of Forgiveness" New book from Kaya Oakes explores the limits of forgiveness | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)

Dreaming

A priest makes a major life decision based on the contents of a dream.

St. Ulphia, bless our little toads

I mentioned in another thread that Monday I found a little toad in my garden. There he is at left. 

I'd gone out to check on the basil, which dies off in the heat, but sometimes revives in cool spells. And there he was, an eastern American toad, about three inches long, soaking up the moisture (they don't drink but absorb water through the skin) from the weekend rains.

Toads and frogs get a bad rap in Western culture. We all know about the plague of frogs in Exodus, and things go downhill for our amphibians friends from there.

Toads appear in fairy tales, like the Perrault story, "Diamonds and Toads." If you don't know it, a nice girl gives a mysterious old lady a drink and is blessed so that every time she speaks, diamonds fall from her lips. The nice girl's bad sister refuses the same old woman and is cursed. Toads and snakes fall from her lips. The bad sister is then driven into the woods and dies all alone.

Milton said that Satan squatted next to Eve like a toad. Shakespeare called Richard III a "poisonous bunch-backed toad." Or consider the toad-like Jabba the Hut from Star Wars.

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Our Eucharistic faith

This is my homily for today, the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B.  Today's readings are here.