There are facts and truths that "sexual libertarians" don't want society or public opinion to know, that even they don't want to know. To sum up those facts - accumulated in different human cultures and societies - we don't need sex to live a full life and be content. To define one's identity on the basis of our sexuality alone is to reduce our human value and dignity. I am a lot more than just my genitalia, and so are you. G.S.
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My purpose in these posts is to bring together significant and, where possible, representative echoes of our best human efforts to make sense of our lives - and of our human sexuality in particular - also including the voice of Jesus Christ, the one Saviour of the world, and testimonies from his Church, such as through her teaching voice, the Magisterium. The Church has been accumulating much valuable wisdom granted her by Almighty God since her foundation at Pentecost. In this way, wherever there is darkness in our human understanding, it will serve to highlight the bright and radiant truth, which is Jesus Christ: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also." John's Gospel 14:6-7
Father Gilles Surprenant, priest & poustinik
In each case, please go to the link for the complete article.
👉 Is Purity Possible?
By Joseph L. Soria If God forbids something, whether it be killing, lying, stealing, fornicating, or anything else, he does so not just because these things are evil in themselves, but also because they make us evil, lowering our nature to the level of the beasts. In this context it is easy to understand St. Augustine’s exclamation: “What am I to you that you should command me to love you, and if I do not, are angry and threaten vast misery? Is it then a trifling sorrow not to love you?” Therefore the sixth commandment, though formulated negatively, is fully understood only within the context of the love of God — for this is how we are to understand that the prohibitive nature of the commandment actually entails positive dimensions. It makes little sense if we interpret it from an exclusively negative point of view; for indeed it is an invitation to love.
👉 Celibacy and the Priesthood
Protestant attacks on priestly celibacy come in a number of different forms—not all compatible with one another. There is almost no other subject about which so many different confusions exist. The first and most basic confusion is thinking of priestly celibacy as a dogma or doctrine—a central and irreformable part of the faith, believed by Catholics to come from Jesus and the apostles. Thus some Protestants make a great deal of a biblical reference to Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30), apparently supposing that, if Catholics only knew that Peter had been married, they would be unable to regard him as the first pope. Again, Protestant time lines of “Catholic inventions” assign “mandatory priestly celibacy” to this or that year in Church history, as if prior to this requirement the Church could not have been Catholic. These Protestants are often surprised to learn that even today celibacy is not the rule for all Catholic priests. In fact, for Eastern Rite Catholics, married priests are the norm, just as they are for Orthodox and Oriental Christians.
👉 Why married priests won't really fix the shortage
By Mary Rezac Denver, Colo., Jun 18, 2017 - In 1970, there was one priest for every 800 Catholics in the United States. Today, that number has more than doubled, with one priest for every 1,800 Catholics. Globally, the situation is worse. The number of Catholics per priest increased from 1,895 in 1980 to 3,126 in 2012, according to a report from CARA at Georgetown University. The Catholic Church in many parts of the world is experiencing what is called a “priest shortage” or a “priest crisis.”
SACRA PROPEDIEM ENCYCLICAL OF POPE BENEDICT XV ON
👉 THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS
TO THE PATRIARCHS, PRIMATES, ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS, AND OTHER ORDINARIES IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEE.
The important role of the Third Order of Saint Francis, The Order of Penance, for the renewal of the Church and of all believers, and for the ongoing evangelization of humanity.
👉 With Respect To Sex by Daryl Glick
St. Augustine prayed, "Grant me chastity, Lord, but not yet" (Confessions, VIII, 7). His was a classic case of someone wanting to have his cake and eat it too. For saints and sinners, and everyone in between, purity is a sensitive subject, and one which occasions struggle and trials and sometimes more than a little doubt and worry. Today it's not uncommon to find Catholics who seem to accept everything the Church teaches except when it comes to sexual morality. Here they prefer to simply "follow their own conscience" (a lax conscience, perhaps?). Yet these teachings are a basic part of Catholic doctrine, and haven't changed over the past 2,00 years. Picking and choosing is risky business. The Church, we must remember, teaches not her own doctrine, but that of her Founder, who said, "Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt 28:20). The virtue of purity is often misunderstood and even maligned these days. Some call it a "Victorian prejudice," puritanical, or repressive. But are we really happier than before we were "liberated"? Sexual permissiveness has had some ugly offspring: casual acceptance of pre-marital sex, a sharp rise in divorce and abortions, teenage promiscuity, and the blatant appeal to sexual appetites in television, movies, and advertising. Maybe it's time to take a closer look at the Church's teachings on purity.
👉 LOVE UNLEASHES LIFE
This pro-life talk at Google's headquarters was a hit - Mountain View, Calif., Jun 22, 2017 CNA/EWTN News - A pro-life activist walks into Google’s headquarters and delivers a speech so compelling that within 24 hours, the online video of it surpassed a similar speech given by the head of Planned Parenthood. It may sound like the start to a far-fetched joke, but on April 20th, pro-life speaker and activist Stephanie Gray did just that. Gray was the co-founder of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and served as its executive director for several year before starting the ministry which she now runs, Love Unleashes Life.
👉 VESPERS WITH PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS - HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS - St Patrick's Cathedral, New York - Thursday, 24 September 2015 This evening, my brothers and sisters, I have come to join you – priests and men and women of consecrated life – in praying that our vocations will continue to build up the great edifice of God’s Kingdom in this country. I know that, as a presbyterate in the midst of God’s people, you suffered greatly in the not distant past by having to bear the shame of some of your brothers who harmed and scandalized the Church in the most vulnerable of her members… In the words of the Book of Revelation, I say that you “have come forth from the great tribulation” (Rev 7:14). I accompany you at this moment of pain and difficulty, and I thank God for your faithful service to his people. In the hope of helping you to persevere on the path of fidelity to Jesus Christ, I would like to offer two brief reflections.
👉 MEETING WITH CLERGY, MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS - ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
Sports field of St Mary’s School, Nairobi (Kenya) - Thursday, 26 November 2015 - In our life as disciples of Jesus, there must be no room for personal ambition, for money, for worldly importance. We follow Jesus to the very last step of his earthly life: the cross. He will make sure you rise again, but you have to keep following him to the end. I tell you this in all seriousness, because the Church is not a business or an NGO. The Church is a mystery: the mystery of Jesus, who looks at each of us and says: “Follow me”. So let this be clear: Jesus is the one who calls. We have to enter by the door when he calls, not by the window; and we have to follow in his footsteps. Obviously, when Jesus chooses us, he does not “canonize” us; we continue to be the same old sinners. If there is anyone here – a priest or a religious – who doesn’t think that he or she is a sinner, please raise your hand… We are all sinners, starting with me. But the tenderness and love of Jesus keep us going.
SEXUAL RECOVERY TO CHASTITY
👉 LOVE, AGAIN – On a celibate breakup and what happened after.
by Wesley Hill May 10th 2018 Before I knew what was happening, or before I was willing to admit that I knew what was happening, it was too late to save the friendship.
👉 COURAGE INTERNATIONAL - a few documents
👉 40 Years of Courage
The inspiration for the ministry that would eventually be established as Courage first came to Terence Cardinal Cooke, Archbishop of New York, in the spring of 1978. Cardinal Cooke wished to start a ministry that would specifically address the pastoral needs and concerns of lay persons experiencing same-sex attractions who desired to live chastely in accordance with Catholic teaching. The Cardinal consulted with the Director of Spiritual Development for the Archdiocese of New York, Father Benedict Groeschel (then OFM Cap., later CFR) who advised that Father John Harvey OSFS, a priest from Philadelphia, would be the ideal person to lead such a ministry. Father Harvey, a moral theologian, professor, and pastoral counsellor, had already written guidelines for confessors on the question of homosexuality and was giving retreats to priests and brothers in perpetual vows who were committed to living out their vow of chaste celibacy amid the experience of same-sex attraction.
👉 Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care
👉 Why three gay Catholics left the Church – and why they returned
By Mary Rezac - Philadelphia, Pa., Oct 15, 2015 - Dan, Rilene and Paul knew that once their stories were out, life would not be the same. “We’ve been advised not to google ourselves,” Rilene said, laughing. These three are the subjects of a recently released documentary, “Desire of the Everlasting Hills,” which chronicles their stories of having same-sex attraction, and how they eventually found peace in the Catholic Church.
👉 Desire of the Everlasting Hills
👉 Documentary Discussion Guide
I was captivated by the beauty of these two men and woman's stories. Though I may not agree with all there decisions I found my self crying because I have many of those same desires for love, god and intimacy. I feel more human after seeing this. Homosexuality is is tough topic to talk about and these directors made a good effort of being authentic and taking political stance. I found myself laughing and crying at the same time because I saw myself in those three humans stories. I don't give the film a 10 because The cuts on the film could have been done a lot more smoothly. Also the audio was terrible when the interviewer was asking questions, subtitles are not good enough. I think this movie could reach bigger audience if not all the people were homosexual because gays and straights both struggle with balancing their desire for God, Love, and Intimacy. We all desire the infinite.
👉 Create in Me a Clean Heart - A Pastoral Response to Pornography
“A clean heart create for me, God.” (Ps 51:12) The document Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography Use was developed by the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was approved by the full body of the USCCB at its November 2015 General Meeting. As pastors of the Catholic Church, we offer this statement to give a word of hope and healing to those who have been harmed by pornography and to raise awareness of its pervasiveness and harms.1 In the confessional and in our daily ministry and work with families, we have seen the corrosive damage caused by pornography—children whose innocence is stolen; men and women who feel great guilt and shame for viewing pornography occasionally or habitually; spouses who feel betrayed and traumatized; and men, women and children exploited by the pornography industry. While the production and use of pornography has always been a problem, in recent years its impact has grown exponentially, in large part due to the Internet and mobile technology. Some have even described it as a public health crisis. Everyone, in some way, is affected by increased pornography use in society. We all suffer negative consequences from its distorted view of the human person and sexuality. As bishops, we are called to proclaim anew the abundant mercy and healing of God found in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and through his Church.
👉 Pastoral Ministry to Young People with Same-Sex Attraction
“As Bishops, we wish to address the pastoral needs of adolescents and young adults who question their sexual identity or experience feelings of same-sex attraction. We are concerned for the spiritual good of all persons, and want to help them live out their call ‘to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity’. Convinced that ‛only what is true can ultimately be pastoral,’ we offer this guidance, by way of general principles and pastoral guidelines, to all Catholics, pastors, parents and educators, as well as to young adults themselves,” the Commission states in its introduction to the pastoral letter. While stressing the fact that the Church in her teaching never condemns persons with same-sex attraction, the Bishops note that “while homosexual acts are always objectively wrong, same-sex inclinations are not in themselves sinful or a moral failing”. (…) “For many people, same-sex attraction constitutes a trial. They therefore deserve to be approached by pastors with charity and prudence.” In its letter, the Commission offers various pastoral guidelines, in addition to expressing its “profound gratitude to all those who wisely and lovingly guide young people with a same-sex attraction: priests and pastoral associates, parents and educators”.
👉 MY JUDGMENT BEFORE GOD
(Dr. Gloria Polo's testimony) Translated from Spanish to English by Susanna Vallejo.
👉 Alternative source of Dr. Gloria Polo's testimony
👉 Our Father’s Gift of Tenderness Is Designed to Cure Sexual Obsessions
Since the time of the Apostles, when Jesus first called them his little children, through the action of the Holy Spirit, God the Father developed the assembly of disciples Jesus established as his Church into a community of faith, a living social body endowed with many of the traits we identify with the family. Jesus gave birth to his Church through the blood and water that flowed from his side opened by the soldier’s lance as He lay dead upon the Cross; just as God had brought forth Eve from Adam’s opened side. Of course this is symbolic imagery, but it expresses a profound truth that God has taken the trouble to reveal to us in this way. Having given birth to his Church – this assembly of his disciples – Jesus made her his Bride in a Marriage God first made with mankind as a betrothal at the moment when He was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit, and as God’s Son was united to a human flesh. From conception to resurrection, Jesus took on the human roles of both Husband and Father.
👉 Meet the monks who spend their lives praying for Ireland's priests
By Kevin Jones Dublin, Ireland, Mar 17, 2017 Prayer, reparation and praising God are the focus of a new Benedictine priory in Ireland, which focuses especially on reparation for the sins of priests. “It was never our predetermined plan to come to Ireland,” Silverstream Priory’s Father Benedict Anderson, O.S.B., told CNA. “But we believe that, through circumstances that we could never have foreseen, Divine Providence placed us here to play some role, however modest, in the life of the Irish Church.”
© 2006-2023 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2023 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
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