“Take courage.”
God planted this gentle command within my soul while I was attending a silent retreat with the same name in 2018 led by Jesuit Father James Kubicki. At the retreat, I learned that the root of the word courage is “cor,” meaning heart. To truly take courage, one must take heart, and, as Father Kubicki said, “(What) better heart to take than the heart of Jesus?”
During the month of June, the issue of same-sex attraction has been nearly impossible to avoid. Celebrations of "Pride Month" dominate mainstream news coverage as businesses, social media platforms, government agencies and sports teams proudly display their solidarity with LGBTQ+ causes.
In June, rainbow-colored flags waved outside restaurants, signs with mantras such as "Love is love" rested in windows and parades wound through city streets, all in celebration of Pride Month.
When I taught high school religion, a poster in my classroom read, “If you don’t know what you stand for, you will fall for anything.” This is age-old advice: The Old Testament ethics teacher, Sirach, also stated, “Stand firm for what you know” (Sir 5:12).
Last Sunday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, which is always for me one of the most inspiring feast days of the year. It reminds me that I am not alone and that I am surrounded always by this “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) who are members of the same Church as I am, and who are not only models for me but friends who are helping me to attain the goal of my life.
Holiness doesn't depend on superhuman powers, but rather demands a heart filled with courage, hope and grace that strives for conversion each and every day, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass.
There is a debate taking place in our society over the very nature of the human person. This debate manifests itself in many ways, most recently in the definition of marriage and in our sexual identity as male and female. As Catholics, it is important that we understand the truth that the Church teaches about our human nature so that we can share this truth with others, doing so always with love and compassion.
Courage and EnCourage are at the service of the church throughout the world. The apostolate has a presence in half the dioceses in the U.S. and many places overseas.
Sharing the truth with others requires love, compassion