Above: Carl Larrson, "In the Carpenter Shop" (1905). “God created us to love and to be loved, so it is our test from God to choose one path or the other. Any negligence in loving
Every person that I knew in the gay world, arrived at the point of “coming-out” with a story. Not just any story, but a personal tale of tragedy, heartache, loneliness, inner-struggle and eventual self-affirmation. A
“My first sex-club venture inadvertently exposed a dirty, but far from secret, reality within the gay community: the constant need for young new recruits. Since the gay population cannot naturally reproduce itself, they rely on
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,
Be of good courage; God will be present, as we now feel, to us who seek, who promises a certain most blessed body after this, and an utter plenitude of Truth without any falsehood. –
“The Gospels clearly describe the fatherly responsibility of Joseph toward Jesus. For salvation-which comes through the humanity of Jesus-is realized in actions which are an everyday part of family life, in keeping with that ‘condescension’
St. Augustine said of anger: “It is better not to allow anger, however just and reasonable, to enter at all, than to admit it in ever so slight a degree; once admitted, it will not
The greatest consternation regarding the Church’s teachings on homosexuality, even from some of those who have turned away from the gay lifestyle and are embracing chastity, is centered around the use of the term “disordered”
“Catholic” author Eve Tushnet continues to miss the mark every time she writes and speaks; this latest interview with “Religion News Service” is no exception: “…identifying as a lesbian is a succinct way to honor
“At the present time there are those who, basing themselves on observations in the psychological order, have begun to judge indulgently, and even to excuse completely, homosexual relations between certain people. This they do in
I was born heterosexual. My first childhood crush was on a little blonde girl in my second grade class. About a year later, I feel in love with Lindsay Wagner from “The Bionic Woman.” Only,
“One of the differences between psychoanalytic examination and examination of conscience is that in the former one stands in one’s own light; in the examination of conscience, one stands in the light of God. That
At the moment of Christ’s intervention in my life, I saw the beautiful countenance of Jesus in the Image of Divine Mercy; at the time, I had no idea the history or background of the
In “Romeo and Juliet,” desperate and alone, Juliet runs to Friar Laurence and wails: “O shut the door! and when thou hast done so, Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help!” Like
"Art lives from constraints and dies from freedom." - Leonardo da Vinci There are certain circumstances present in a young man’s early life that often contribute to a later homosexual state in adulthood; I labeled
As a Catholic, our choice is simple: we can remain obstinate and wounded, or we can choose humility and healing. When the gay life lost all of its glitter for the last time, I didn’t
St. Josemaria Escriva, the greatest 20th Century commentator on the joys and sorrows of the modern Christian, once said this: “Marriage is for the soldiers and not for the General Staff of Christ’s army.” What
St. Augustine wrote: “Whether he will or no, a man is necessarily a slave to the things by means of which he seeks to be happy. He follows them wherever they lead, and fears anyone
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. once wrote: “The devil knows us very well. He cannot read our secret thoughts but he can conclude to our inner spirit by our external behavior, and even, as exorcists
St. Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood. It is precisely in this way that, as the Church's Liturgy teaches, he “cooperated
St. Bernadine of Siena (1380-1444) observed that the father/son relationship between Joseph and Jesus continues in heaven. Prayer of St. Clement Mary Hofbauer St. Joseph, my loving father. I place myself forever under your protection.
In an Apostolic Exhortation (1989) from Pope John Paul II titled “On the Person and Mission of Saint Joseph in the Life of Christ and of the Church,” the Holy Father quoted Pope Paul VI:
“…the Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ’s Passion according as a man is made perfect in union with Christ Who suffered.” ~ St. Thomas Aquinas Every gay man is a broken individual. For, in early
Sadly, nowadays, St. Joseph is most often invoked by those trying to sell a home – yet, he is the most powerful Saint, after Our Lady, that has ever been. For, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote:
“When I go to confession, it is in order to be healed, to heal my soul, to heal my heart and to be healed of some wrongdoing. The biblical icon which best expresses them in
“God found in St. Joseph, as in a second David, the man that His heart desired, the man whom he could entrust with the deepest and most sacred mystery of His heart. To him as
“Chastity does indeed reside in the soul as its subject, though its matter is in the body. For it belongs to chastity that a man make moderate use of bodily members in accordance with the
“The evil spirits, cunning thieves that they are, can take us by surprise and rob us of all we possess. They are watching day and night for the right moment. They roam incessantly seeking to
“Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of diverse colors. And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his
“This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial…by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.” ~ The Catechism of the Catholic Church “The
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and
“And it came to pass, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And forthwith coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened,
“And Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold. And after many days his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and said: Lie with me. But he, in no wise consenting to that
Speaking of St. Joseph the Worker, St. Josemaria Escriva said: “He [Joseph] was not one for easy solutions and little miracles, but a man of perseverance, effort and, when needed, ingenuity. The Christian knows that
(Pictured above: Crucifixion, Mario Donizetti: 1969.) One of the most remarkable works of art from the last Century is a “Crucifixion” (housed in The Treasury Museum of the Vatican Basilica) painted by Italian artist Mario
“..during his passion he was stripped of his garments by soldiers who shared them among themselves, and then fastened him naked to a cross without as much as a rag to cover his body.” ~
“Saint Joseph, our Father and Lord: most chaste, most pure. You were found worthy to carry the Child Jesus in your arms, to wash him, to hug him. Teach us to get to know God,
“Joseph loved Jesus as a father loves his son and showed his love by giving him the best he had. Joseph, caring for the child as he had been commanded, made Jesus a craftsman, transmitting
