I’m worn out by worries, night and day. Stop. Everything is secondary to God. Give in to reason. God didn’t make me in vain. I am turning my back upon this song. Now when the beloved mind has sung for me these things, I headed home, now laughing at this self-estrangement.
Saint Gregory Nazianzen (died 390)
Love without provisos
Love is love and it comes in many flavors. As joyful Catholics, we know that this broad expanse includes the love of humans for fellow humans, for pets, possessions, geographic location, nationality, religion, etc. “Love” is the only verb Jesus used in his advice to us — to love one another as He loves us, and to love God. He didn’t add a “however” for those whom some might consider not qualified. What instruction could be clearer?
With the Church in crisis, I’m getting tired of the flurry about same sex marriage. Why should we spend so much time fighting pro-and-con about this? I can name five other national problems of extreme importance that better merit our concern. Is there a need for national dispute about legalizing a lifetime loving relationship between two people of the same sex?
No one is protesting the deteriorating importance of marriage between a woman and a man, yet 50% of marriages today end in divorce. If we want to raise a rumpus about social behavior, let’s do something about our annual record of 30,000 abused children and even greater number of battered spouses.
Love in any form should be encouraged. This includes love of husband and wife, parents and offspring, young and old, rich and poor, resident and alien, those of different religions and the intimate relationship between persons of the same sex. If one loves a person of the same sex, it is understandable for one to want legal and financial protection for the person he or she loves. The hurdle they face in achieving these goals is the word “marriage.”
We can solve the problem by changing our laws to have “Confirmed Relationship” be given the same legal rights as “Marriage.” Then, by means of this innovative law, lovers of the same sex could have their relationship legalized and each receive the same social and legal benefits as if they were “married.” After executing a legal Confirmed Relationship document, same-sex couples could celebrate their togetherness with a Confirmed Relationship celebration. Let’s restrict “marriage” for a male and a female, and “confirmed relationship” for two of the same sex. And hopefully we’ll all live peacefully from then on.
(And what are your thoughts?)
Admired saying
Hans Urs van Balthasar, the Swiss theologian writes, “Christianity is a joyful message. Its essential note must therefore incontestably be joy. Christian joy retains such a particular burning, devouring element.”
Recommended reading
Via the New Advent blog and YouTube, enjoy Father Barron’s talk on “The danger of turning religion into a toy.” He’s an effective spokesman for our Church. I like him.
Joyful Catholic Quiz
(The first to send the right answers will receive a gift copy of
Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics)
1. In a 2006 Gallup survey, which states had the highest and the lowest number of church goers?
2. Who the European political leader who didn’t follow his grandmother’s advice of “Do whatever you want, but don’t marry a Catholic”?
3. Which is correct? Our number of saints are:
(a) over 1,000
(b) over 5,000
(c) over 10,000
Chuckle time
Nine-year-old Michael wrote about angels:
“It’s not easy to become an angel. First, you die. Then you go to Heaven, and then there’s flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.
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