Girls Rule

Fostering the universal desire for heaven  

Luke 8:1-3  Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.   

          Boys and girls, have you noticed how God made boys and girls very different? Girls are good at some things while boys are good at other things. For example, girls are smarter than boys in school. Raise your hand if you think girls are smarter. Now raise your hand if you think that boys are smarter. See, that settled that question. Here’s another difference: boys are faster than girls. Let’s have a little race: the fastest boy in the school versus the fastest girl. They will race down the center aisle and we’ll see who wins. Here’s another difference: when it comes to religion and church: are girls smarter or are boys smarter? Well, at home, who makes you get up and go to church on Sunday, who makes you pray before you eat, who says night prayers before you go to sleep? Raise your hand if it’s your mom. Now raise your hand if it’s your dad. God has given girls an advantage in religion; he made them a little smarter than boys, just a little smarter.   

          In the gospel today, we hear about people following Jesus, both boys and girls, men and women. The men were the 12 apostles, and the women were Mary Magdala, Susanna, and Joanna and others. But there is an important difference between these two groups: Jesus chose the 12 apostles, but the women chose Jesus. Jesus told the apostles to be his followers, but he didn’t have to say a word to the women. They came along without any invitation. You see, God made men and women different, and one difference is God gave girls an advantage in religion, a little more eager to love and live like Jesus. He made them a little smarter spiritually, just a little.   

          Boys and girls, as you get older you’ll notice more and more differences between boys and girls. For example, girls smell pretty but boys smell like a gym locker room. But there is one thing in which boys and girls should be exactly the same, and that is in wanting to go to heaven. Raise your hand if you want to go to heaven (go ahead and raise your hand anyway). We all want to go to heaven, and heaven is open to all of us, boys as well as girls. The only thing we have to do is love each other.   

          The one thing that unites the whole human race is wanting to go to heaven; no matter who you are, or where you live on this planet, or how old you are or how young you are. But God made girls with just a little more spiritually smart. Why did he do that? Well, because when you run a race, it’s nice to give the girls a little head start.   

          Praised be Jesus Christ!