All for the Kingdom
This is the tenth of a series of blog posts outlining St. John Paul II’s thought on embodiment and sexuality. To read the preceding article, please click here.
In a foundational way, the theology of the body is ordered towards …
Closet, cage, or Cross? A response to the New York Times
It has been one of the great privileges of my priesthood to work with the members of the Courage apostolate, faithful Catholics who experience same-sex attractions and have decided to live chaste lives. I have encountered an unexpected joy …
An open letter to bishops on the topic of homosexuality at the Youth Synod
Dear Bishops of the Holy Catholic Church,
When I was made aware of the efforts being made by pro-LGBT groups trying to persuade Catholic Bishops to change Church teaching on homosexuality, specifically at this year’s Youth Synod, it devastated me.
As …
Christian Anthropology and the Gift of Chastity
“The Christian view is one of integration and cooperation. God calls me into existence, and commissions us — as a species — to cooperate with Him in the work of generating, nurturing, and even saving.”
Watch the rest of this …
Break open the filing cabinet: Chastity & Integration
“You seem very…managed.” I sat across from a priest on a retreat. He had just heard me describe a few elements of my relational history. This was his response. “I mean, it’s sort of like a filing cabinet,” he …
Guilt vs. shame in an age of sexual indulgence
One of the greatest challenges facing persons who experience same-sex attraction is the conflict between what the secular world tells us will bring us happiness, and our interior feelings. The world sends out messages that we should act upon …
Chastity and the consolation of Easter
“It is possible, with God’s grace, for everyone to live a chaste life, including persons experiencing same-sex attraction. To deny that the power of God’s grace enables those with homosexual attractions to live chastely is to deny, effectively, that …
Rules for the sake of Rules, or Law for the sake of Love?
“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a …
The desert has the biggest sky
Zion, Mojave, Red Rock. I’ve been to these deserts, walked their canyons, seen their contours. I’ve stood at the Grand Canyon and Sedona, and driven the long, lonely interstate through Utah. And it was beautiful.
The experience of same-sex attraction …
Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, and the mystery of God’s love
I’ve been intentionally celibate since entering the seminary more than a quarter century ago, so it has been quite a while since I’ve given much thought to Valentine’s Day. But even priests are paying attention to it this year, given …
