-(Please read the Scripture passage before reading the homily.)
Recently in Finland archaeologists discovered a thousand-year-old grave of a (perhaps) female warrior. They did a DNA study and discovered that the person had xxy chromosomes. This known as Klinefelter Syndrome and is also called intersex.
Some cultures have a special place for those who are different and hold them in honor. They value the wisdom that these people have because they have a unique perspective on life because of their unique experiences.
Other cultures seem to exclude those who differ from the normal of the majority, whether this be by variances in the xx/xy chromosomes or color of skin, or place of origin, or religion, or physical defect.
People suffer discrimination in our Western culture when they are non-dominant some aspect of culture, such as, such as non-white, non-athletic, non-English, non-Caucasian, non-Christian, non-Catholic or non-Protestant, non-rich, non-binary. In the past people suffered for being left-handed. In one sense these are all eunuchs because of their differences.
In one sense all these differences are granted by God and we must follow what God grants us. I am different from many people because God has called me to surrender marriage for the sake of the Gospel and I must follow that. My sisters were called to marriage and they followed that calling from God. However God calls us, for whatever God grants us, we must receive and act on.
I have learned much from many of the “non’s” mentioned earlier. We have to be a Catholic culture that accepts differences so that we can learn from the wisdom that people with non-dominant features and celebrate God’s gifts given everyone.