(Pictured above: The opening segment from Madonna's MDNA Tour.) Recently, I attended Sunday Mass at a Southern California Catholic parish that also advertises an active LGBT ministry. The church was located in a rather well-to-do
(Pictured above: detail from “Saint Francis in Meditation” by Francisco de Zurbarán, 1635-9) “…many individuals think they are not praying when, indeed, their prayer is deep.” – St. John of the Cross After years of
A good Catholic priest, who was very instrumental in my recovery from both same-sex attraction and an addiction to pornography, always had the same recommendation for me whenever I talked with him about my great
St. Alexius of Rome lived from about 410-460 AD; this period was at the heart of cultural, social, and political collapse in the already waning Roman Empire; during this period, as a whole, Rome was
For the most part, my childhood in Catholic parochial schools was a nightmare. Almost from the get-go I was a rather shy, artistic, and introverted kid. I was woefully uncoordinated and completely disinterested in the
“And Jesus said: Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.” (John 8:11) “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within
For this reason, a pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws to those living in “irregular” situations, as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives. This would bespeak
When I returned to the Catholic Church in 1999, after an ineffectual childhood in the California parochial school system, and after a decade in the “gay” lifestyle, at best – what I found in the
“St. Joseph takes us into his carpenter shop; and (as the sun glances through the open door) he teaches us not in words but in deeds that in the glorious drama of life in which
“Pray the gay away” is a slogan often heard in the “gay” rights movement used as a pejorative in order to mock any and all efforts by Christian churches or groups to deal with the
Prologue: When I got to San Francisco in 1988, I expected an endless funeral procession to be moving down Castro Street – there wasn’t. Instead, I saw hundreds of boys, just like me: rather wide-eyed,
The icon I bought in 1992. “This world deceives even the wise with its appearance, for at times it appears desirable. It even offers benefits and treasures for loan, but in the day of death
“Ostrov” (Russian: Остров, The Island) was a 2006 Russian biographical film about a fictional 20th century Eastern Orthodox monk; although the story bears a striking resemblance to the life of Orthodox mystic St. Theophilus (Feofil)
In the Orthodox faith, especially in Russia, there is a long tradition of “fools for Christ;” these holy men and women, according to Orthodox sources: “…battling within himself the root of all sin, pride. In
(Above picture: From the below mentioned article.) In an ironic turn of truthfulness, that invariably reveals much about homosexuality and its root causes, a famous gay web-site heralded: “This Father’s Day there’s no shortage of
After seeing the dismally bad Ignatius Press re-edit of “Mary of Nazareth,” in which we are inflicted with a St. Joseph who violently screams at the Virgin Mary, angrily rips down a house with his
St. John of the Cross once wrote, to one of his many correspondents, who were constantly asking him for spiritual advice: “God deliver from ourselves.” Truer words were never put down on paper by a
“And they were both naked: to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25) “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and
Saints Sergius and Bacchus: - The Lie - their inclusion in John Boswell's book “Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe" have made them symbols of gay marriage in the homosexual community; some groups have even proclaimed them
"Christ on the Cross," (above) Pietro da Cortona: 1661 and "St. Francis of Assisi embracing the crucified Christ," (left) Bartolome Murillo: 1668-69. “Our Lord proclaimed through St. Matthew: ‘My yoke is sweet and my burden
It’s always been my contention that all truly great artists: learn from the past, study it, absorb it, and then move on. A new favorite is Silvio Consadori (1909–1994). This Italian painter encapsulates the best
A wonderful old book about the battle for chastity in an increasingly unchaste world is the timeless “The Difficult Commandment” (1925) by C.C. Martindale, S.J. This section is one of my favorites: “Catholics have, besides
11. Saint Charles Lwanga: Burned alive in Africa for defending the Faith and the holiness of purity. A great intercessor for those with same-sex attraction. 12. Saint Padre Pio: Usually regarded as rather stern, but
Here are my Top 10 favorite Saints (besides Our Lady; who is in a category all her own,) and why I love them: 1. Saint Joseph: He literally saved me; the male part of my
When I read this quote, the first person I think of is my dear protector Saint Joseph: "There is nothing so strong as gentleness and there is nothing so gentle as real strength." ~ Saint
Today is the feast day of Saint Theresa of Avila. I was rereading a few of her works when I came across something very interesting that she wrote: “I often experience that there is nothing
One of the dearest people in the world to me, a Catholic priest who literally helped save my life, came up with this prayer at a recent spiritual conference: “Oh God, I give you myself
The Catholic Church, after over 2,000 years, continues to astound. Just yesterday, while attending a parish mission given by the extraordinary Fr. Christopher Crotty, I learned that an ex-satanic priest is on his way to
I am often asked: “Why the devotion to St. Joseph?” Without going into a lengthy explanation, which I do in my book, I usually say that everyone, especially males, young or old, should have a
There are certain Saints in the Catholic Church who have been so thoroughly misconstrued, maligned, and mockingly absorbed into pop-culture, that the real person beyond the myth and misinformation is often difficult to excavate. One
Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a powerful advocate in heaven: His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Catholic Church, we honor the Mother of God who is the highest of all mortal
The following quotation is from Saint John Bosco (1815-1888,) a Catholic priest who worked with wayward boys and juvenile delinquents in the industrial Northern Italian city of Turin. Although, his life ended near the beginning
1. James Caviezel in "The Passion of the Christ" Although he was backed up with an incredible director and script, this could have gone so wrong. But Caviezel gives a restrained performance that is nevertheless
