Dear Family in Christ,
The month of June is dedicated to honouring the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Click here to view a beautiful explainer video on the significance of this month for Catholics, and the work of reclaiming this month for our Lord.
Key Takeaways - THREE ways to foster devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home:
Fight for chastity this month
Pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart every day this month (featured in both our print and Flocknote bulletin)
Enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home (a statue or an image)
In the second place, I have been asked particularly by some concerned parents, to clarify the Church’s response to Pride Month, the rainbow flag, and other related issues.
As Catholics, we approach as always with the truth of what Jesus Christ teaches us through His Church, most readily available in the Catechism. I would invite each of you to read the entire section on Chastity, available here but for the purpose of this bulletin I will include only the directly relevant paragraphs.
Chastity and Homosexuality
CCC 2357-2359
Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfil God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
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Finally, I’ve attached some resources that I have found helpful in making such issues less ‘political’, and more ‘human’. Two of these deal directly with the matter of Same Sex Attraction, and two address Transgender Ideology. In each category, one video is a personal testimony, and the second is more of a catechetical/pastoral ‘talk’. I pray you will find them beautiful and helpful, as I have.
God love you,
Father Daniel
Please note that some of these deal with sensitive issues in ways that are at times graphic, and may not be appropriate for children.
Desire of the Everlasting Hills https://everlastinghills.org/movie/ Three intimate and candid portraits of Catholics who navigate the waters of self-understanding, faith and homosexuality.
Beyond No: What the Catholic Church Has to Say About Same-Sex Attraction by Fr. Mike Schmitz
Responding to Transgenderism With Truth and Mercy with Jason Evert
Why Chloe Cole Detransitioned
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