LOVE ≠ SEX.

I thought I would weigh in a bit on the seemingly buzzing subject of Same Sex Marriage.

As a Catholic, I am called to live a chaste life until marriage. And even after marriage I am called to act so that intimacy between my spouse and I is sacred, and open to the possibility of procreation. If I am not called to marriage, I am still called to live a chaste life...but I am still called to love others. One of the most important things to keep in mind during all of this is that we are all called to LOVE, but by necessity to marriage. Priests are called to celibacy, as are singles.

And we are not called to judge, "But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, 'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'" - (John 8:7). Two men can share the same house, just as easily as a man and a woman, and as two women are able. We should not assume that they also share a bed.

What is the reason to change the definition of marriage? As a Catholic, sacramental marriage is meant for procreation. The government does not care if you are having sex before marriage, the Church does...Homosexual or Straight. If the change is meant for tax purposes, change the tax codes, if it is meant to allow visitation rights then change the law that disallows non family members from entering the room. If the law is passed do not ask my church to accept it. I have yet to come across where the right to a sacramental marriage is discriminatory. If the government would like to change their definition of a such a union, the Church can argue against, but it is the state's decision. Please do not ask us to recognize something that stands against our religious beliefs.

Holy Saturday - Easter Vigil

HE IS RISEN!!! HALLELUJAH!!! The Vigil is one of the most beautiful liturgies in the Catholic Church's calendar. Each Pastor has the option of which of the 7 readings they want to use, the Epistle, and the Gospel. At St. Tom's we do all 9 readings, and usually welcome between 20-30 new people into the Catholic Faith. It is such a beautiful experience.

The Triduum is such a beautiful time in our calendar, and my favorite time of year. There is so much emotion packed into a three day period. We start with the celebration of the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Such joy as our Lord shares Himself with us for the first time and for many opportunities in the future. But this day is tainted with our knowledge of what is to come. We end the evening in the chapel of repose. Christ has effectively left the building...the tabernacle is empty.

And it stays empty through the darkness of the Good Friday Service. Our Christ is sentenced to death, death on a cross; that He may pay for the sins we commit. We adore that cross as a symbol of His love for us. And the church remains in darkness until sundown Saturday. This is the one day each year that you cannot attend a celebration of Mass.

And then the sun sets! As the sun slips below the horizon we light the Easter fire. This has been my job the last three years. This is the first symbol of new birth, we burn the chrism and palms of the past year and from the flames light the new Easter candle that will shine the light of Christ through baptisms, marriages, funerals...this is the movement forward leaving behind the penitence of Lent to accept the joy of the Easter Season. We process with those preparing to enter the Church, into a dark church and spread the light of the Easter candle among our community. The Exhaultant begins and the lights come up around the church. Then the readings begin, each a reflection on another offering of love from our Lord, beginning with the Creation and continuing through human history to present day. The Gloria fills the space. It has been six weeks since we fell silent in the days of Lent, celebrating the Mass without the Gloria and no saying the "A-word", Alleluia. The church fills with joy as we erupt in song once again!

It is a beautiful site to behold as new members are baptized, trading in their brown garments for unblemished white ones. Our new members are confirmed with the fresh new chrism as they are welcomed fully into the church. And those who were among us now join at the table for the celebration of the Mass. For the first time they receive the Eucharist; The Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ...the Source and Summit of our Catholic faith. It is beautiful and amazing!

Christmas celebrates the birth of our Lord, Thanksgiving is an American holiday and time for family, Advent and Lent...time spent in waiting and preparation...all of these are fun and important to us. But the three days of Holy Week that make up the Triduum, to me these are one of the most beautiful and wonderful gifts of the church. We celebrate together as One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church the institution of the Source of our faith, and celebrate the death and resurrection of the most innocent sacrificial lamb.

Happy Easter! The Lord is RISEN! This is his resurrection and return to the glorious seat at His father's right hand.

Good Friday

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. - Luke 23:34

Even as they crucify Him, He shows mercy. He knows why He is here on earth and takes the punishment with open arms.

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. - Luke 23:43

The Lord shows mercy. There are two thieves, one on either side. One could care less, and jeers at our Lord. But the other sees that this man being crucified with thieves is innocent. He asks for mercy, knowing he has done wrong, he hopes that there might still be a place for him in God's kingdom. Our Savior shows his mercy and assures the repentant thief of a place in His kingdom.

Woman, behold your son. Behold your mother. - John 19:26-27

As He hangs dying, He ensures that His mother is seen to in her most painful hour. But He not only gives one last comfort to His mother, He is also giving her to the world. Behold your mother, Mary most holy.

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? - Matthew 27:46

In the darkest hour, God the Father can not bear to look upon His son as Christ takes in the sins of the world. Christ calls to His father, but for God the Father to show mercy here would nullify all that had been done. God the Father turned His son over to the likes of man that man might be saved from their sins against the Father.

I thirst. - John 19:28

Christ has become man and brought Himself to that of level of His creation. He shows this here in His thirst and in His eventual death on the cross.

It is finished. - John 19:30

All that has been set by prophecy has come to pass. Christ has accomplished what He had come to do.

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. - Luke 23:46

As the prophecy is fulfilled, Christ hands His spirit over to the Father, that He might return to paradise with His Father.

This is our Lord God, become man and offering Himself for the sins of His creation. I think we often forget what truly happened. We see the image of a man on a cross, some even carry this image around our necks, but do we always remember what took place. The Triduum brings us to our knees, literally with the focus on the Last Supper, Christ's Sacrifice, and His Glorious Resurrection. I think this might be why the Triduum is my favorite season in the Catholic Church.

Holy Thursday

The supper has been completed, He has been handed over to the guards. Our Lord, our Savior has asked us these forty days to stay awake and pray with Him. Have we done so? Have we been faithful to our promises, have we struggled?

The Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-30) While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

"Take and Eat." Did the apostles truly know what Christ meant for them to do? Did any of them understand what was to come? Do we know what is to come for us, how will we use this Triduum to prepare us for a risen Savior...we have the privilege of knowing the end of the story, the true purpose of the His presence on Earth. How can we use these three days to draw closer to Him?

And the washing of the feet. Our Lord stooped lower than the servant. To teach us to show love for others, to think of others before ourselves. We do not deserve to be treated as such kings as for our God to stop to make us clean. How might we wash the feet of others, not out of obedience, but out of LOVE!

Community...

I think that one of the most difficult part of the single life is finding community. Married life have spouses, religious have their fellow brothers or sisters, the single life does not come with a built in community. I have found this to be one of the more difficult parts of my discernment. How does one find a community when one does not naturally present itself?

The difficulties I have come across are not having anyone my age around, not being able to trully form bonds with the students, my own work ethic...also my slight obsession with staying busy, and my closest friends making life decisions that remove them from my general vacinity (not faulting them on living out their vocations).

Community is an important part of our being as humans. We have a need to feel accepted and belong. It can be difficult to find that community, but it is important to find nonetheless. Not having someone to go to when you need a shoulder to lean on can be weigh heavy on your shoulders and cause you to feel like an outsider. The trick is finding the right community...

A Note on the Single Life by Alle Owens

Check out this link

This is something I found today after having Alle speak at our Theology on Tap event.

The Sacred Single Life:

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

The sacred single life is the vocation, I believe, most of us struggle with accepting. The proverbial phrase “the grass is greener on the other side” always seems to be a constant thought, that those who are married or who have found a vocation in the religious life or priesthood have it all. Or, at least they seem to have that one duck in a row that we all desire to have. Believe it or not, the sacred single life is just as beautiful and rewarding when we take a step back and look at what God is asking of us in this time of preparation.

How often are we able to drop everything we are doing to help another? How often are we able to change our plans on a whim because a great opportunity has come up? How many of us can say that our time is ours? Many of us value and appreciate these blessings in our life and yet we at times desire to wish them away for what we believe is better. Have you ever stopped to think that God has placed you exactly where He needs you to accomplish His divine will, instead of wondering why He hasn’t provided this or that? We have been given a great gift of freedom, but with that freedom we are also called to responsibility. Our role in the church is vital. We are called to live a life of virtue, holiness, and sacrifice in a unique way. We are called to give back what has been given to us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the man of the beatitudes, is a wonderful example of a young, single man living out the call to holiness. Instead of sitting and wondering the “what if’s” of life or dwelling on what will or might come, he stood up and took action. With the great gift of freedom he was given he served the poor, and brought Christ to those who were so desperately in need of love. Are we doing the same?

• Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.
• Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
• Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill
• Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
• Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
• Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Until we open our hearts and accept the will of God in our lives, we will not find true joy and fulfillment. The single life is a time of preparation, a time of waiting in hope for God’s will to continually be revealed. Most of us will be called to marriage or to a religious vocation, but there are those who will be called to a live a life of perpetual singlehood. Nonetheless, this gift we have been given whether short or long must not be ignored. How are we actively preparing and discerning God’s will?

We all desire to be loved. We were made to love and be loved. It is very easy to think that the desire to be loved is to be fulfilled by another, instead of the One who is LOVE. Christ desires to be the one to charm our hearts. Are we letting Him? Are we open to God’s love and His specific call to holiness for us?

As we continue to pray and train for Race for Vocations let us keep in mind that God has great plans for us, plans for our welfare not for woe. Plans to gives us a future full of great Hope!

- Alle Owens

Book Review...?

So I just finished reading this book "Party of One." It was suggested to me by one of the coordinators of the "Catholics on Call" conference that I attended at the beginning of August. I am not going to call it life changing...I don't want to get anyone's hopes up...however. I really enjoyed this book. It was something I could read chapter by chapter at my own pace and it kind of gives an overview of what exactly the single life vocation is, if you have been following this blog you will know that it has been very difficult for me to find a ton of information on the single life. This book attacks the question starting out with what the single life is NOT. The book is written by a lady who lives in Chicago, who lives the single life vocation. But it isn't just her story, she has also gathered the stories of several people who have discerned the single life, are currently discerning, and who live the single life. It hits on many of the struggles that a single faces, questions like "why aren't you dating?", "can i set you up with my friend?", "are you just not interested in the opposite sex?", and the assumptions "they just couldn't find anyone", "they can do it they don't have a family at home to care for", "singles are carefree".

Reading this book has helped to ease my mind on a discernment of the single life vocation. Over this summer it has become more and more of a viable option for my future. At least for the current time I feel that I am moving my focus for discernment solely to the single life...if a lovely lady comes along I'm not just going to leave her hanging but reading this book has helped clarify a lot of the vocation for me and I want to spend my energy toward something that I really feel God might be calling me toward.

At the very least this book has given me the background, and sparked the fire. Whether or not I am called to the single life...still God's decision...I now feel the confidence and the urge to be an advocate for the vocation that is often forgotten. I want to be able to explain to others that this is a viable option for them as well, but ultimately that it is God who will call them...we just have to be open to listen.