Homosexuality

I.                  Introduction—Story about the man who struggled with homosexuality (did not want to have such feelings) who wanted to become Catholic. He didn’t think the Catholic Church would welcome him. He was wrong. Mother Church embraces all people, leading them to live their lives according to the truth of their bodies as God made them. It was a pleasure as his RCIA director to journey with him to the Church.

II.                 Suffering as undergirded by Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is the topic. 3 areas of focus:

1.        Original solitude and suffering—all humans have bodies—JP II says this precedes sexual differentiation.

a.        Know by the human body. Different from the animals—in his human body, found himself alone among the rest of creation.

b.       Because of his ability of self-reflection, he also knew that he was able to determine his own life. Self-awareness and self-determination—done in true freedom brings forth

c.       Self-mastery—That knowledge of the true, the good, and the beautiful in one’s life allows the proper response.

2.       Original unity: The “overcoming of the frontier of solitude” vs. the suffering of the homosexual.

With Eve being made from Adam’s side, we see the symbol that humans were made in equality for union, for completion. As JP II put it, the original union of Adam and Eve helped them to “overcome the frontier of solitude.” How is that possible? Because all humans are made to be in a communion of persons, reflecting God Himself who in His essence is a communion of persons. The best natural sign of God’s inner life, the best icon is a marriage…a relationship that you in your disorder cannot participate in. 

(I have spoken to many groups about the Theology of the Body. The hardest talk so far was for a divorced group, for such a rupture must forever leave a scar. But for you, my brothers and sisters in Courage, when I typed out that line about you not being able to participate in being that best natural sign, I had to stop and cry…making sure my laptop wasn’t going to be ruined by the moisture.) 

Your suffering is real. You did not ask for it. Why can’t your frontier be overcome? Not only does your suffering entail not being able to take vows, but it also includes the rupture between the normal integration of body and sexual desire. You WANT to have that truthful sexual integration of body, soul, emotions, so that your desire goes toward the proper object. Instead, your cross to bear is a rupture, a distortion, a burden. 

Not to lessen your suffering, but to give you hope, I would have you consider a couple of things:

a.       Have you considered that your desire, though disordered, is, nevertheless, a desire, and therefore, quite human? That is to say, sexual desire, whether heterosexual or homosexual, moves a person toward another. That movement toward another points to the meaning of life: the gift of self, as Vatican II reminds us in Gaudium et Spes 24. I am not saying that those different desires are equal, but I am saying that you too want to give yourself to others. The suffering is in the lack of marital fulfillment which is not possible for the homosexual. But this leads me to another consideration I would offer to you.

b.       You in this group love each other properly such that you form a communion of persons, mirroring God. That is really a gift. How admirable a group you are. When your leader called me, I was immediately delighted to have been given such an invitation.  Where else in society (even in our Church) can we find a group of people who support each other not by letting it all hang out and encouraging each other to do harm in the name of “I gotta be me”? Where else is there a group who can come together to help each other to keep up the good fight? And surely, such self-mastery—though perhaps not perfect—spills over into other areas of your life. “Be (I)n Courage(d)!” might be your motto because of the way you encourage each other to a life of chastity and holiness. Your homosexuality does not define you. Your holiness does. And God does not prevent anyone from being holy. In fact, in your forsakenness, perhaps you have a special treasure in a sure cross that you cannot escape. This leads me to the 3^rd point—but first review the others:

3.       Forsakenness and its redemptive character—Jesus on the Cross and in agony cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Yes, he is quoting Psalm 22 which turns out good. But one of the most brilliant theologians of the 20^th century takes these words seriously such that we might say that Jesus really meant them. In a sense, he, like the first Adam, experiences original solitude before a tree. But unlike the first Adam, the second Adam, Jesus our Lord, can only overcome His solitude via the ultimate solitude of the sleep of death.

You as homosexuals are beckoned by our Lord to participate in His solitude, His forsakenness, in a way no one else can. Perhaps I admire you too much but when I teach about homosexuality to my students, I tell them I regard you and your hardship as sacred. For after all, God calls you in a special way, you who are willing to struggle with your very being against such temptations that cut to the core of your personhood to be vehicles of redemption. You are indeed co-redeemers with Christ, precisely in and through your disorder.

But only in Christ, living in Him, can you or I or anyone accomplish our mission of bringing Christ to the world. Which brings me to the conclusion of my talk.

III.                Conclusion--The most important words of the universe—This is my body, given—and how they can be lived out by the homosexual. Let’s recall first all that we have tried to reflect on. All humans have the ability to be self-reflective and self-determined—and it is these working in true freedom that self-mastery is accomplished. Then, we spoke about original unity—how being in a communion of persons is the way we reflect and participate in God the most. In this context I spoke about sexual desire points us outside of ourselves toward others and what a gift Courage is. Then, finally, I invited you to a deeper reflection on the Cross of Christ in His original solitude, leading to death.

So, “This is my body, given” said by Adrienne von Speyr, a mystic, theologian, MD, convert, married woman, to be the most important words of the universe. Think about the 3 stages of Christ’s life where he could’ve said it: 1. In His Incarnation 2. In His Eucharistic Body  3. In you and me, in His Church.  Thus, the closer we enter into our humanity that participates in His divinity, and the closer we enter into the ultimate communion with Jesus who unites with our very bodies, and the closer we get to our Mother Church, then we can join Christ in saying, “This is my Body, given”, though certainly broken.

In His brokenness he saved the world. May your brokenness be used for others. May you continue to give the gift of yourself in so many ways—being friend to others in need, working hard with colleagues, being there for your aging parents, perhaps not telling your parents about your homosexuality is a way of giving the gift of yourself…all of these and so many more. I know that I am enriched by your witness. And my guess is that you make available many graces to the Church by your commitment to chastity.

Finally, do not forget that Pope John Paul ends his reflection on the Theology of the Body with the eschaton, the end of times when we will have glorified bodies, totally whole, “where all tears will be wiped away, and we shall be like Him for we shall see Him face-to-face.” Amen. Amen.