Abbey-Roads2

A different perspective. 

At California Catholic Daily  I discovered a painter whose works I have seen many times before, but never knew his name.  J. Michael Walker.  He paints images of the saints in more or less contemporary situations we are familiar with, and as every-day individuals we might recognize.  There is a realism about his work which reminds us that the saints were ordinary people, sanctified by grace.  His Madonnas convey an intimate, maternal image of Our Lady in very homely settings, appealing to our deepest childlike desire for a mama.  Within many of the scenes depicting the Madonna, there is a sense one is privy to the Virgin’s  most intimate moments, just as we approach her from the most private regions of our lives, with our most personal needs.

In a way, J. Michael Walker represents the sanctity of ordinary life - or at least the potential for sanctity - while expressing the innate dignity of the individual person occupied in the mundane minutia of daily life.  Though I wouldn’t consider his religious work to be devotional in the traditional sense, he does paint thoughtful representational interpretations of devotional figures.  And Mr. Walker  is an excellent painter. 

He recently finished a commission to paint the saints many of the streets in Los Angeles are named for.  Go here  for more information.  

[Image: Our Lady of Guadalupe, J. Michael Walker.]  

Incomplete thoughts on Sunday morning.

I went to St. Agnes this morning, and believe it or not someone actually followed me out to talk to me.  (I knew him.)  Normally, I rarely get a smile or a nod from anyone at that time of day.  This morning I held the door open for a couple, smiled, whispered ‘good morning,’  and they didn’t even make eye contact.  But that is why I go there - it is easier to pray in such solitude.  Moving on…

More on those fabulous shoes (gay stuff)…*

I received some emails about Gerald’s post, Empathy for Gay-Catholics.  First of all, ‘gay-Catholics’ is not a good term.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the word gay is a political term and to identify yourself as gay implies a person approves of the lifestyle or is sexually active.  If that is the case, that person is unfaithful to Church teaching - I’m not linking to all the documents - but it is the clear teaching of the Church.  In addition, if a person with homosexual inclination is attempting to live a chaste and celibate life in accord with Catholic teaching, to identify as gay is to keep oneself in that culture, emotionally, psychologically, and maybe even morally.

Having said that, I agree with Gerald on several of his points - although I am very much against homosexual adoption of children.  Having come from  a rather disordered household, I can tell you that children available for adoption should only be adopted by healthy couples in a stable traditional marriage.  I’m not going into detail why I know this.

Empathy for straight people…

As for empathy for gay persons, I think it is incumbent upon all Christians to respect every individual as a person; a human being created and loved by God.  However, what many people fail to realize is that when the lifestyle is continually in your face; whether in politics, media, promoted in gay rights campaigns, along with rhetoric which maligns traditional family values, lifestyle and religion, the average person’s tolerance is tested to the extreme.  When gays mock and attack all that straight people hold sacred, how can they expect the esteem they are crying out for?

The average heterosexual person, who cherishes traditional morality and strives to live a faith-based life, is repulsed by the very idea of sexual relations which are contrary to natural law.  The concept of homosexual sex disgusts and repels them.  No matter how Beaver Cleaver  gay activists want to portray the lifestyle, most straight people just can’t accept the sex part.

What is my point?

My point is this:  The more gay people cry ‘poor me’ or get all militant about equal rights and recognition of same-sex marriage, along with the endless marketing that accompanies it, the more angry the average person is going to get.  As emotions on both sides flare, hostility is the natural outcome.  You cannot force people to accept what is completely foreign to their nature, such as unnatural acts.

I honestly believe that gays who are constantly asking for compassion, understanding, and acceptance must stop and respect the traditional moral values of the majority of heterosexual men and women who are troubled by homosexuality.  At least for the sake of the common good.  (After all, gay people are only 1 or 2% of the population.)  Instead of continually campaigning for their rights to do whatever they want - let them slow down here and have a little bit of respect for those people who some term breeders.  Let gay people have some empathy for the people who feel activists are trying to shove a gay agenda down their throats.  (Maybe gay activists should try a bit harder  to cleanup the lifestyle instead.)

It is an emotional issue to begin with.  But everyone seems to be  letting their emotions over-ride their intellects on the subject.  

That’s all.

*Note:  “Those fabulous shoes” refers to Gerald’s original post at Cafeteria is Closed.