• Florence Li Tim-Oi – Celebrating 70 years since her ordination

    I’m just off to celebrate a Eucharist because it is a Feast Day – the Conversion of St Paul. The standard, if rather weak, in-joke is that one is going to pray for the Conversion of St Paul rather than simply remember the Conversion of St Paul – not least because Paul had things to say that have not been terribly helpful to a modern world where women and men are equal.

    As I celebrate the feast today I’m going to be remembering with thanksgiving this woman: The Rev Florence Li Tim-Oi and celebrating 70 years since her ordination.

    Florence Li Tim-Oi

    She was the first woman to be made a priest in the Anglican Communion and today is 70 years since it happened. It happened in wartime when there were no men around and it happened secretly and without the permission of synods and decision-making bodies simply, I suspect because they couldn’t meet at the time.

    The most extraordinary thing about Mother Florence is that once the war was over, she gave up her license to act as a priest (but not her orders) until such time as her church accepted the principle that women and men could equally be regarded as priests. In her part of the world, that meant waiting until 1971.

    I can’t imagine what it was like to wait so many years to be treated as an equal.

    No, wait a minute.

    I can.

4 responses to “How to be Single at Christmas – repost”

  1. Stephen C Avatar

    What wise stuff!

  2. Jackie Heatlie Avatar
    Jackie Heatlie

    How wonderful it sounds – no- one to cook for etc, just pleasing yourself. I’ll take a leaf out of your book & set aside a day when Andrew & I can do this with a slight alteration so 2 of us can do it.

  3. Dharma Avatar
    Dharma

    To be with yourself at Christmas is one of those things that most people avoid. Probably because they have been told that they must be with family, friends. Otherwise they are people who have no families etc. I’m not sure what I will do yet. Going to stay with my mum and brother is OK. What I don’t like is the food, overcooked or cold or something. Anyway will post afterwards, might be just was alone. Possibly arrested for attacking someone. 😊

  4. Suzette van Rooyen Avatar
    Suzette van Rooyen

    Inspirational writing! Love it, and its just what I’ve done for Christmas. Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas

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