All are welcome and all are called to conversion of heart and life. All are called to be formed by the teaching of the Gospel of Christ and to trust in him who said: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." (Jn 14:6). If I believe this and embrace it, then my life is formed in that direction. If not, it goes another way. If I personally interpret what Jesus said according to my personal feelings and opinions rather than to read, study, and pray about those fundamental values then I will find him and his Church.
It's all about a choice and Jesus' revelation of God's desire for us and how to live a better way according to his law which is revealed in nature, our conscience, and the lived experience of human history. In the end, it's up to us to make the choice. In the conversation we will not all agree and that's ok as long as we do not condemn, judge, create hostility or support prejudice. Better yet, we try to understand and with humility admit our need to grow and to make change in our choices and values if we find them to be incompatible with the Gospel and the Creed we proclaim each week.
All the chatter on line and elsewhere in response to the recent ruling by SCOTUS on the nature of civil marriage may overwhelm us with confusion rather than education. Below are two articles that I find helpful. One is taken from the Jesuit publication America and the other from a well known website Patheos which promotes respectful conversation on matters of Faith. They present perspectives that will continue to create more conversation.
From America:
http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/how-should-christians-respond-courts-decision-marriage
From Patheos:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2015/06/gay-marriage-getting-the-conversation-right-is-more-important-than-ever/
It's all about a choice and Jesus' revelation of God's desire for us and how to live a better way according to his law which is revealed in nature, our conscience, and the lived experience of human history. In the end, it's up to us to make the choice. In the conversation we will not all agree and that's ok as long as we do not condemn, judge, create hostility or support prejudice. Better yet, we try to understand and with humility admit our need to grow and to make change in our choices and values if we find them to be incompatible with the Gospel and the Creed we proclaim each week.
All the chatter on line and elsewhere in response to the recent ruling by SCOTUS on the nature of civil marriage may overwhelm us with confusion rather than education. Below are two articles that I find helpful. One is taken from the Jesuit publication America and the other from a well known website Patheos which promotes respectful conversation on matters of Faith. They present perspectives that will continue to create more conversation.
From America:
http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/how-should-christians-respond-courts-decision-marriage
From Patheos:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2015/06/gay-marriage-getting-the-conversation-right-is-more-important-than-ever/
