Abbey-Roads2

of Sodom.

I saw this story on Clinging to the Barque of Peter, about a young man being helped out of the homosexual lifestyle by Archbishop Burke while Burke was the ordinary of the diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

“As best as I can determine, my same-sex attraction began in reaction to my father, who was a violent alcoholic. He often drank, came home to throw things around the house and abuse my mother in addition to threatening me and my brother. I thought he hated us. Consequently, I didn’t want to be anything like him.

In my sorrow, I started looking for the love of my father in thearms of other men. At age 17, a predator took advantage of me under the teacher/pupil dynamic and I became completely mixed up about human sexuality. Over the years, one thing led to another until I moved in with a man more than 20 years my senior….

From 1990 to 1994, I went to Mass off and on. In 1995, I told my “partner” that I couldn’t go anymore because I was very angry with the Church. I boxed up all my crucifixes and Bibles and dropped them off at the office of the bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin with a letter renouncing the Catholic faith.

To my surprise, Bishop Raymond Burke replied with a kind letter expressing his sadness. He wrote that he would respect my decision and notify the parish where I had been baptized. Ever so gently, Bishop Burke said that he would pray for me and look forward to the time when I would reconcile with the Church….

As someone who suffered in the state of mortal sin for many years, I assure you that there is no happiness outside of the moral order. The only authentic response to the challenge of same-sex attraction and sin is the truth in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.” - Coming Out of Sodom - By Eric Hess

I have a friend whose story is quite similar, at least in how he became involved with the homosexual subculture.  He also left “Sodom” - although he attributes his conversion to John Paul II.  He always claims it occurred as the newly elected pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s for the first time. 

“This generation demands a sign…”

“The crowd said to Jesus, ‘What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?’”  I believe it is John of the Cross who suggests we can weary or even offend God by our seeking extraordinary signs or favors.  That is not to say of course that when one prays hoping for some sort of confirmation, or certitude concerning one’s intentions, or longing for some ‘proof of His love’ as Teresa of Avila suggests, is wrong.  God himself required that Ahaz ask a sign of Him,  which turned out to be the prophecy of the Incarnation:  “Behold, a virgin shall be with child.”  Hence, seeking a sign is not always out of order or displeasing to God, especially if the person asks with confident resignation to His will - “not my will, but thine be done.”  Or, as in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done.”

However today’s Gospel is particularly consoling  in so far as our Lord reveals that the Eucharist is the preeminent sign and confirmation of God’s love.  It seems to me, if God were to be offended by our seeking any sign above His Son’s Eucharistic presence, then indeed He would be offended.  Because of our weakness, human nature definitely needs a sign of God’s love, and our Lord left this sign with us until He returns in glory.

“The bread come down from heaven.”

 After Jesus spoke to them of the “bread from heaven”, the crowd pleaded with Him, “‘Sir, give us this bread always.’  Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.’”  Just so, the Lord instructed us to ask for this sign everytime we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”   Therefore such prayer is perfection itself.

Jesus is present with us in the Eucharist always.  In the apparition of the Virgin to St. Catherine Laboure, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal instructed souls to “Come to the foot of the altar. Here graces will be shed on all who ask for them.”   Our Lady’s direction echoes Our Lord’s promise in the Gospel, “whoever comes to me will never hunger…”   In every authentic apparition of the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, the Directress, directs Christians to Her Son. 

At Lourdes she asked that a chapel be built.  At Fatima the Angel of Portugal taught the children the proper decorum for Eucharistic adoration as well as how to make reparation for sins committed against the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts.  Of all the modern apparitions, Fatima is particularly Eucharistic.

Making a “visit”. 

Now days, Adoration chapels are in every big city across the country, and that is very good.  Although I prefer to go to a deserted church and simply pray before the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle for my adoration.  If a person cannot get to daily Mass, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament may sometimes be even more efficacious.  Occasionally I wonder if an emphasis on daily Mass and Eucharistic adoration chapels incline some people, who for one reason or another cannot do either, to forget the efficacy of either a “quick” or prolonged visit to the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the tabernacle - especially if exposition is not available.   

 Even when my parish church is locked, I like to go to make a visit.  I sit outside the church and adore the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.  The church becomes for me His tabernacle, which I know is enclosed within the superstructure.  No, I don’t make a spectacle of myself, I sit or walk quietly and passers-by have no idea what I am doing unless they notice my rosary.  During the day, I unite myself to the silent, loving action of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, renewing my spiritual communions frequently throughout the day.  These practices help me to remain recollected in the presence of God throughout the day and night.  I think the closer we come to Jesus in the Eucharist, the more we become His tabernacle.

[Icon:  Mother of God Directress.]

It’s a rite.

Not very many people are aquainted with Carthusian nuns, much less the sacramental they receive after years of monastic life, the rite of Virginal Consecration.  I also understand that they receive the right to wear a deacon’s stole at liturgical offices and holy Mass, although they do not receive orders.

“After solemn profession or perpetual donation, the nuns may receive virginal consecration. It is a solemn rite by which the Church establishes the virgin in a special state of belonging to God. The Carthusian nuns have kept this rite as a concrete sign of the call which the Lord addresses to the Carthusian Order, to lead a life totally consecrated to Him. The offering that the nun makes to God of her virginity within this consecration opens her to a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” - Carthusian Nuns

The lay Consecrated Virgin is also a  rite.

One of the many things the Second Vatican Council did was to revive the sacramental of the rite of Consecrated Virgins for lay women living in the world.  (The Council also opened the way for men and women to individually embrace the hermitical life.)

“The Consecration of a Virgin is one of the oldest sacramentals in the Church, and one of the fruits of Vatican II was the restoration of this profound blessing on virgins living in the world. The promulgation of this restored Rite for laywomen was on 31 May 1970. Through this sacramental, the virgin, after renewing her promise of perpetual virginity to God, is set aside as a sacred person who belongs only to Christ.

Supporting herself by earning her own living, the consecrated virgin is not obliged to take on any particular work or apostolate. Usually, consecrated virgins in the United States volunteer their time to their local parish, diocese, or Church-sponsored association. Some volunteer their time also in civic responsibilities.

A woman living in the world who has never married or lived in open violation of chastity, and who by age, prudence, and good character is deemed suitable for dedicating herself to a life of chastity in the service of the Church and of her neighbor may petition her bishop to receive the Consecration. She must be admitted to this Consecration by her local Bishop; it is he who determines the conditions under which the candidate is to undertake a life of perpetual virginity lived in the world. Usually, a woman who aspires to the consecration works with a spiritual director and has lived a private promise of perpetual virginity for some years before seeking the Consecration of a Virgin.” - What is a Consecrated Virgin?

This is another option for single woman in the world to discern - with the guidance of a spiritual director and the bishop of course.  In this Archdiocese I know of at least one Consecrated Virgin.

[Photo:  Carthusian nun and novice.  I like this type of habit.]