On the Square Today

In her latest On the Square column, Elizabeth Scalia reflects on calling and revolution :

A few years ago, in the midst of his diaconate studies, a friend was invited by a small parish group to discuss the journey that for him had been one of immense joy, albeit filled with hard work, fear, and wonder.

In the middle of his talk, he was interrupted by a woman who could not wait for the discussion period. She took deep umbrage at the fact that this man could be ordained, while she—a woman with an advanced degree and “just as many credentials” as he “and more than some priests!” was not “offered the same option.”

I don’t generally think of myself as a man easily brought to tears, but I tried in vain to hold them back when I heard the news that Gilad Shalit would be coming home. Over five years ago, on the morning of June 25, 2006, several Palestinian militants infiltrated an Israeli army base on the Gaza strip border, killing two, wounding three, and abducting 20-year-old corporal Gilad Shalit. Since that day he has been held in captivity in unknown conditions, deprived even of access to the Red Cross and contact to his family—basic rights due to prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. A bleak situation, to say the least.