David R. Carlin, Jr. has written an interesting op-ed piece that discusses the campaign to discredit Christian thinking which is highly evident in the current argument for gay marriage. Now, none other than the President of the United States has become a willing vessel for this immoral nonsense. Carlin writes, "A learned friend of mine recently wrote an op-ed piece for a newspaper in which she argued that the drive for same-sex marriage is not simply about same-sex marriage; it is also about winning moral approval for homosexuality. If society, acting through the state, tells us that homosexuals can marry one another, then it is by the same token telling us that there is nothing morally objectionable about homosexual conduct. My friend is, of course, correct. But I’ll add to this that the drive for same-sex marriage is not simply about same-sex marriage or the moral legitimization of homosexual behavior; it is also about the de-legitimizing of Christian morality. More, it is about the de-legitimizing of Christianity itself. The taboo on homosexual conduct is as old as Christianity itself and clearly goes back to Old Testament times. And if there is such a thing as natural law, the taboo is rooted in natural law; for nature (or God as author of nature) seems to have designed the anatomy and physiology of human beings in such a way that sex between men and women is sex “according to nature.” Sex between men and men or between women and women, though it can be accomplished in an unnatural manner, doesn’t seem to be what nature/God had in mind. What’s more, the taboo on homosexual conduct is not only as old as Christianity and Christian morality; it is an essential element in Christian morality, not a merely incidental element. St. Paul made this clear by going out of his way on a number of occasions to condemn it in no uncertain terms. And even though pro-homosexuality speakers and writers, with the intention of surrounding their sexual opinions with a spiritual aura, often contend that Jesus did not utter a word of condemnation of homosexual behavior, this is not exactly so; for He condemned it by implication when He spoke in an unflattering way of the city of Sodom. (See Matthew 11:23-24 and Luke 10:12.) The Catholic Church has classified it as a mortal sin — a moral offense that merits eternal damnation. The taboo on homosexual conduct is as much an essential element of Christian morality as is the taboo on abortion. And both taboos are strongly connected with the extraordinarily high valuation that Christianity has always given to the virtue of chastity. So if you wish to overthrow the Christian rules against sodomy and abortion, which is precisely what the prevailing secularist morality of the day wishes to do (and indeed is doing very successfully), then you wish to overthrow the Christian moral system. You don’t necessarily have to be conscious of that wish: Some of those who are out to destroy Christian morality are fully conscious of their intention, others are not. Whether conscious or not, however, the course you will be pursuing is a course tending to the overthrow of Christian morality." Those who do not believe that this is a designed campaign should review their history. Gay-rights advocates very explicitly laid out their plans in the 1980s. The move was made earlier but was not as obvious or vocal. Many have said that it is a movement that has focused on infiltrating all parts of the Church including the seminaries and that argument now holds merit in light of the tragedy of the child molestation charges that have damaged the Church more recently. The plot is obvious. If the opposition can wear us down and overwhelm our will with a constant cascade of attack, they assume we will give up. What they don't know or perhaps underestimate is God's will cannot be overwhelmed. With each wave of evil that comes at the Church, there is a larger wave waiting to consume the evil. We cannot fail if we are working for God. Prayer is our sword. We must not despair and if we do, we should turn to Jesus Christ to show us how to recover. Remember the words of our Savior as he faced his death "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22, 42).
I am just beginning to dive into the beautiful, ancient devotion to the Five Wounds of Jesus, and I wanted to share a bit of the journey with you. It can feel a little overwhelming at first to look at the Crucifix this closely, but I’ve found such a gentle guide in St. Bernard of Clairvaux . In his Jubilee Rhythm on the Passion, Bernard doesn't treat the wounds of Jesus as distant historical facts or sights to be avoided. Instead, he approaches them with the tenderness of a friend, speaking directly to the feet, hands, side, and face of our Lord. For someone like me who is just starting out, his rhythm teaches that prayer isn't just about reciting words; it’s a holy hide-and-seek. Bernard invites us to literally hide ourselves within these wounds, seeing them as clefts in the rock where we can find shelter when our own lives feel turbulent or heavy. As I start this process, I’ve been practicing what I call gazing and greeting. Following Bernard’s lead, I look at the Crucifix an...
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