Easter Sunday: Jesus Is Risen! Alleluia!

Easter Exultet

by James Broughton

Shake out your qualms.
Shake up your dreams.
Deepen your roots.
Extend your branches.

Trust deep water
and head for the open,
even if your vision
shipwrecks you.

Quit your addiction
to sneer and complain.
Open a lookout.
Dance on a brink.

Run with your wildfire.
You are closer to glory leaping an abyss
than upholstering a rut.

Not dawdling.
Not doubting.
Intrepid all the way.
Walk toward clarity.

At every crossroad
Be prepared
to bump into wonder.

Only love prevails.
En route to disaster
insist on canticles.

Lift your ineffable
out of the mundane.

Nothing perishes;
nothing survives;
everything transforms!

Honeymoon with Big Joy!

 

From Secret Shame to Confident Trust: The Immaculate Conception

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which celebrates that Mary was free from Original Sin from the moment of her own conception, not that Jesus was conceived in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit and without the aid of sexual intercourse.

Can there be anything in this feast that speaks to those concerned with LGBT Catholic issues?  I think the liturgical readings of the day offer some salient points for reflection.

Before we look at some of the readings, though, I want to introduce an idea about Marian feasts that I heard in a lecture many years ago by Sister Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, the eminent theologian.  She said that we should always think about Mary not as someone who is set apart from the rest of the humanity, but as a foreshadowing of what God has in store for all of humanity.  So, while Mary was unique in being free from Original Sin from the moment of her conception and all through her life, we shouldn’t dwell on this uniqueness, but, instead, view it as God’s promise for his plans for all of humanity.

How do we know that God has this desire for us?  It says so in today’s Epistle reading (Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12):

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

“In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.”

That’s what God has in store for our future.  In today’s first reading from Genesis (3: 9-15, 20),  however, we get a glimpse of what humans have made of our humanity.   After the fall from Grace, God searches for Adam in the Garden, and Adam says:

“I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”

These poignant lines are ones that I believe all humans have experienced.  They echo the common experience of shame about one’s self which everyone has felt at some time or other, especially in childhood.

For those involved in the LGBT community, the line about Adam hiding himself probably echoes even more loudly.  Unfortunately,  that experience of hiding one’s self out of shame is what many LGBT people experience before they have come to understand, accept, affirm, and announce their true identities.   That experience of shame and secrecy is sometimes referred to as “the closet,” and  when people shed their shame, they “come out of the closet.”

Contrast the experience of Adam’s shame with Mary’s self-confident “Yes” in today’s gospel story of the Annunciation (Luke 1: 26-38).   What has struck many about Mary’s attitude in this scene is that she is not overawed by the angel’s visit and message.  Indeed, she boldly asks the angel questions.  And she agrees to God’s invitation in a confident and trusting manner, ready to take on the risk of this amazing task.

What God has planned for us is to become more like Mary and less like Adam.  God wants us to be “full of grace” as Mary is and not full of shame as Adam is.   What I find most interesting is that the people who can help teach that lesson to others in the church are LGBT people who have come through the experience of coming out of the closet of shame and secrecy to live in confident trust and courageous risk.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Minnesota Catholic Woman Offers Valuable Spiritual Insight on Marriage Question

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  A wonderful by-product of the often contentious debates surrounding marriage equality has been that it has motivated people to go deeper into their faith for spiritual nourishment.

The latest example of such depths is a letter to the editor by Maren Ortmeier to InForum, a news organization for the metropolitan area of Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota.  As you may know, Minnesota voters will be going to the polls to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality.

Ms. Ortmeier’s letter reveals a deep spirituality, rooted in traditional Catholic practices and images but open to new understandings of the modern world:

“Christ in the Eucharist has the ability to transform us, often motivated by love or suffering. Since Jesus’ agenda was solidarity with suffering itself, our hearts are invited into the pain of the ‘other.’ Many homosexuals have suffered deeply and have been denied their life potential as society and religion tried to shame them. But not only was Jesus present in their suffering, he also never played the ‘shame game.’ Ironically, it was the act of accusing that made Jesus mad, not the so-called sinner. . . .

“In times of motherly despair, I picture Mary standing at the foot of the cross. She knows a mother’s pain. I know many Catholic mothers who have gay children and who feel betrayed and isolated by the church. Mother Mary knows their pain. We all desire to feel loved and respected. . . .

“Centuries of Catholic monastic life taught us celibacy is best lived in community voluntarily, not in mandated isolation by shame. Mothers know God doesn’t make children who are ‘less than.’ Loving mothers should be a guiding light in this issue, as it is Mary’s love for Jesus that most closely reflects God’s love for us.”

Ms. Ortmeier’s concluding paragraph cites two traditionalist bishops whose message can easily and fruitfully be applied to the marriage equality debate:

“How can we honestly sing songs like ‘All Are Welcome’? How can we remain immune to another’s pain when our traditions call us to act on their behalf? This pre-emptive strike (the amendment) prevents needed and deserved discussion of civil same sex partnership. Cardinal Dolan and Bishop DiMarzio said in a statement: ‘There is too much finger pointing and not enough joining hands. Solidarity is critical to ensure the dignity of all.’ Well said.”

I think Ms. Ortmeier’s argument is “VERY well said.”

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Storm Brews Around Religiously-Themed Play

Does the thought of portraying Mary, the Blessed Mother, as a lesbian offend you?

A new play being produced in Charlotte, North Carolina does just that.  According to a report in theThe Charlotte Observer:

“The play is “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told,” an off-Broadway hit comedy written by Paul Rudnick. It opened Thursday night in Charlotte and is being staged through Feb. 18 by the Queen City Theatre Company.”

Some Catholics there have staged protests at the theatre, and the bishop of Charlotte, Bishop Bishop Peter Jugis, who, according to a Catholic News Service story in The Georgia Bulletin, said in a letter to the performing arts company:

” ‘The implication that the Blessed Virgin Mary is a lesbian is gravely offensive to Catholics and to all Christians, who hold Mary in the highest regard as the mother of the Savior. . . .Please do not allow this play to be performed. Please cancel these performances out of consideration for the religious sensibilities of Christians and all people of good will.’ “

For several reasons the protest may be somewhat overblown.

First, inThe Charlotte Observeraccount, the theater claims that the play, in fact, does not depict the Blessed Mother:

” ‘It is obvious that (people who make that claim) have not read nor have they seen the play. (The character) Mabel is Mabel. She is not The Virgin Mary. She is a woman, whether gay, straight, or whatever, that is experiencing the divine gift and miracle of a child.’ “

I can’t judge whether that statement is accurate or not because I have not seen the play.  Which is exactly the point.  It is impossible to judge an artistic project without experiencing it first hand.

Let’s assume for a moment, however, that the play does make strong allusions to the Blessed Mother, and that that character is also a lesbian.  Is that offensive to people of faith?

Clearly, there is no evidence in any of the gospels or Christian tradition to indicate Mary’s sexual orientation.  To portray her as a lesbian is obviously poetic  license, not a historical theory.  It would seem to be designed to perhaps shock people, perhaps to make them think, and perhaps to make a point about our assumptions about religion and sexuality.

One assumption that the Catholic protest exposes is that there is something wrong with being a lesbian.  Why else would it be offensive to think of Mary in that way?

In 1998, a New York theater staged Terrence McNally’s play Corpus Christi, which portrayed Jesus and his apostles as gay men.  Major protest erupted, including death threats against the playwright.  Metal detectors were set up at the theater’s entrance.

I went to see the play, and found it inspiring.  The way the drama worked, the audience came away less with any ideas about the  facts of Jesus’ and the apostles’ sexuality, but with a deeper sense of what it means to be gay and to face religious bigotry.  The play was making a contemporary message, not a historical or theological one.

In a case like this, threats of censorship by the bishop and Catholics do nothing more than encourage more people to attend the play to see what the fuss is all about.

Despite the protests, the theater company has promised that the show will go on.  The production, they say will

” ‘celebrate love, faith, belief, God, and the right to question why we exist and why are on this earth. This production will not be stopped out of fear or pressure.’ “

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

A Prayer and Blessing for This Special Day

Today is the Octave of the Nativity,
the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God,
the World Day of Prayer for Peace, and New Year’s Day.

The first reading from today’s liturgy, Numbers 6: 22-27,
is a fitting prayer and blessing for all these occasions:

God said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his children and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
God bless you and keep you!
God’s face shine upon you,
and be gracious to you!
God look upon you kindly
and give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”

–Francis DeBernardo,  New Ways Ministry

‘He was not the light’

On the third Sunday of Advent, the gospel focused on John the Baptist.  The people around John are confused as to his identity, and ask if he is the Messiah.  John responds:

“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

While we often think of Advent as a time of waiting, another less emphasized theme that runs throughout this season’s liturgies is the theme of recognition.  Yes, we are waiting for the Messiah, preparing the way, but will we recognize the Messiah’s arrival when it happens?

What makes John the Baptist a great model is that he can recognize the Messiah because he knows  that he is NOT the Messiah, even when others try to make him such.  He knows that he is a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Messiah.  John knows what his role is, and he knows that he does not have to do everything.   His job is to prepare the way, and also to recognize the Messiah. Remember in the Visitation gospel that John moved in Elizabeth’s womb when the pregnant Mary arrives. He was the first to recognize the Messiah.

In the reading from Isaiah 61, we learn how to recognize the Messiah by hearing how the Messiah’s arrival is proclaimed:

“[God] has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.”

As we work for justice for LGBT people in the church and society,  our job is to recognize and celebrate when God’s saving power and justice are made real in the world.  While we may sometimes grow wearisome of  being voices crying in the wilderness, we should remember that we are not called to save the world, but to prepare the way for the One who does the saving.   Our job, like John’s, is simply to testify:

“He [John] came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

–Francis DeBernardo

“How Can This Be?”