Bishop and Spiritual Director of the Catholic Women's Association preach a sermon together
Monday of the Feast of Saint Liborius puts women in the spotlight: Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte and Spiritual Director of the Catholic Women's Association (kfd), Mechthild Wohter, deliver a sermon of dialogue.
For contrast, Saint Liborius preaching
On Monday of the Feast of Saint Liborius, women are traditionally drawn to the Cathedral for the Pontifical mass at 11 am. On the third day of the nine-day festival, they are the focus. Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte welcomed numerous women to the Paderborn Cathedral for the Pontifical mass this year, including many from the Catholic Women's Association of Germany (kfd), the Catholic German Women's Federation (KDFB), and other associations.
The pews in Paderborn Cathedral were already packed long before the pontifical mass began. Many had come dressed in white – a sign of renewal in the context of synodality. The service, which was liturgically designed primarily by the kfd, was enlivened by the loving musical accompaniment of the newFaces choir from the parish of St. Michael in Oerlinghausen. Above all, however, the focus was on shared dialogue about what constitutes faith, community, and commitment—and about wishes and hopes for the future.
"That's how it is with the Kingdom of Heaven, that's how it is in God's world: A force with the potential for change works and breaks down boundaries," said Wohter in the dialogue sermon, which she delivered together with Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte.
Commitment, strength, patience, and trust
Mechthild Wohter, Spiritual Director of the kfd (Religious and Christian Church in Germany) of the Paderborn Diocesan Association, and Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte used their dialogue sermon to engage in exchange about all those pressing concerns that require commitment, strength, patience, and trust, similar to the parable of the leaven. It's not just arduous work, but also hope, that the parable speaks of, said Auxiliary Bishop Holtkotte: "We also know that a good biblical story and beautiful experiences, and a day like today, don't solve all problems. There are enough disasters, hardships, and wars. There are too many hungry and desperate, poor and abused people. That's why we need strength; we need people who look at the world through God's eyes." It's important to take every person seriously and respect everyone's dignity. "Even individual people with this attitude, with this mindset, can change a lot. Through their actions, through their words. That is a leaven of strength, hope, and courage that drives us, that enlivens us, that sets us in motion. That's what we need in our time," explained Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte.
Initiating processes of change
Mechthild Wohter expressed her conviction that sourdough is not the only symbol of the Kingdom of Heaven and thus of God's world: "The woman, the baker, uses her strength and invests time. Her energy, her thoughts and desires, perhaps even her worries, flow into the kneading process. She brings the sourdough and flour together and initiates the process of change." In the end, she trusts that the sourdough will work, as she did. "That's how it is with the Kingdom of Heaven, that's how it is in God's world: A force with the potential for change works and breaks down boundaries," Wohter added.
The image of the baker illustrates that faith makes life more intense and gives it meaning, the auxiliary bishop added: "The baker makes it clear: acting and believing, hearing and doing, these always belong together. It's about God in the world and it's about the person who is on the path with God. All of this also allows us to have patience and trust in tomorrow."
Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte is grateful for the commitment of women, praising their courage and dedication to the Church.
Change takes time
"The parable of the sourdough fits wonderfully with this year's Libori motto, 'Trust in Tomorrow,' the development in our associations, and the pastoral transformation in the diocese," summarized Mechthild Wohter. Effort, commitment, time, and many anxious questions about what the future holds for women in associations and for the community as a whole are offset by a relaxed serenity and the knowledge: "The strength of the spirit works and makes our work fruitful and valuable – not everything depends on me."
What no one knows better than "we women," however, is that change takes time. "Where is the synodality in our church, which began so hopefully with the Synodal Path?" asked the spiritual leader of the kfd and added: "All of us, all of you, the women's communities of the associations, are and will remain reliable places – close to the people in good times and in difficult times. And every pastoral transformation should definitely seek the expertise of the women's associations, use their power and their networks.
"I thank you for your courage, for your commitment and also for the constant knowledge that expectations will not be met and that change takes a long time," replied Auxiliary Bishop Josef Holtkotte. He had many women in mind whose faith and commitment, courage and drive he had seen and appreciated. "Even in my early experiences with faith and the church as a child and teenager in my home parish. I didn't have the vocabulary back then, today I would say they were spiritual leaders," said the auxiliary bishop.
Mechthild Wohter is certain that drive and composure create space for transformation and change and make transformation possible in the first place: "How wonderful that in today's Gospel it is a woman who initiates transformation and makes change possible."
Source More pictures revealing the shocking and decadent state of the German Church.
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