To My Spiritual Family of Holy Redeemer and St. Anthony,
Easter Glory: The light of the Risen Christ shines so brightly that we celebrate the Easter Season for a full 50 days! The Paschal Candle – representing that light – burns next to the ambo (the lectern from which God’s word is proclaimed) from the Easter Vigil until Pentecost Sunday. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the antiphons and responses are punctuated with Alleluias throughout the entire Easter Season. The Church desires that you and I share in the joy that Christ’s resurrection has brought to birth. Christ – by means of his Paschal Mystery – has destroyed sin and death. He has flung open the treasuries of heaven. He has called us to a life of everlasting peace. This – all of it and more – is indeed a cause for joy!
May Flowers for Mary: May is a glorious month! The weather is grand, the warmth of summer lies before us - and in the Church - we celebrate the glories of our Blessed Mother Mary. The two greatest gifts that our Savior left us were the Eucharist and his Mother. Hopefully, you and I are keen to receive each of these gifts with humility and love. Blessed Mary looks upon each of us with the same eyes with which she watched Jesus sleep and play and pray. Mary loves you and she loves me. How blessed we are! And though – “officially” – October is the month of the rosary, May is also an excellent month to join with our Lady in offering that prayer. Miracles happen when Mary is near. Just ask the newlyweds from Cana!
On Gender Transitions: I want to write briefly about transgenderism. It’s often in the news these days. From young children receiving gender transition surgeries, to the Covenant School shooting in Tennessee, to questions about tolerance and biological science – we can’t escape the challenges arising from our culture’s embrace of trans advocacy. These are difficult and frequently painful issues for those grappling with gender dysphoria and for their families. They are also difficult issues for you and I as followers of Christ. Remember, please, that each human person is uniquely created and loved by God. As Christian disciples, we must love every one of our brothers and sisters, just as God does. Nonetheless, love cannot be disengaged from truth. Sometimes, the lover must say to the beloved: “What you are doing is not right.” God himself says that to you and me through his Commandments and through his Church. We are not “haters” when we speak the truth in love. The truth regarding gender transition procedures is clear: such surgeries are not morally acceptable. Pope Francis has been quite forceful in his statements reaffirming this teaching. The bishops of the United States have also been very forceful. I encourage you to read the document from the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “Doctrinal Note on the Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation of the Human Body (dated March 20th of this year).” This document does a good job of explaining the “whys” of human integrity and the moral error of transitioning from one biological sex to the other. If I can say it this way: The transgender person is always to be loved, while the ideology of transgenderism is always to be opposed. It’s not easy, I know. These are difficult days in which to speak the truth in love. But as I indicated above, love can never be disengaged from the truth. God bless you as together we make our way down this challenging path.
Mary, Mother of the Holy Redeemer – Pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us! St. Anthony – Pray for us! St. Joseph – Pray for us! Fr. Steve