skip to main | skip to sidebar

The Wild Reed

Thoughts & interests of a queer seeker of the Divine Presence;
of a “soul dancer,” seeking to embody with grace and verve
the mystico-prophetic spiritual tradition

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Something to Think About (and Celebrate)

.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Christmas 2017 – Reflections and Celebrations
• Christmas 2016 – Reflections and Celebrations
• Christmas 2015 – Reflections and Celebrations
• Christmas 2014 – Reflections and Celebrations
• Celebrating the Coming of the Sun and the Son
• Christmastide Approaches
• No Room for Them
• The Christmas Tree as Icon, Inviting Us to Contemplate the "One Holy Circle" of Both Dark and Light
• Quote of the Day – December 1, 2014
• Something to Cherish (2012)
• A Christmas Message of Hope . . . from Uganda (2011)
• Quote of the Day – December 26, 2010
• Christmas in Australia (2010)
• John Dear on Celebrating the Birth of the Nonviolent Jesus
• A Bush Christmas (2009)
• A Story of Searching and Discovery
• The Christmas Truce of 1914
• Clarity and Hope: A Christmas Reflection (2007)
• An Australian Christmas (2006)
• A Christmas Reflection by James Carroll


Posted by Michael J. Bayly at 12:01 AM
Labels: Christmas, Something to Think About

No comments:

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About Me

My photo
Michael J. Bayly
Born and raised in Australia, I now reside in the U.S. where from 2003-2015 I served as the executive coordinator of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM). During this time I also helped found both The Progressive Catholic Voice and the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform.

I established The Wild Reed in 2006 as a sign of solidarity with all who are dedicated to living lives of integrity – though, in particular, with gay people seeking to be true to both the gift of their sexuality and their Catholic faith. The Wild Reed's original by-line read, "Thoughts and reflections from a progressive, gay, Catholic perspective." As you can see, it reads differently now. This is because my journey has, in many ways, taken me beyond, or perhaps better still, deeper into the realities that the words "progressive," "gay," and "Catholic" seek to describe.
View my complete profile

Translate


With Charlie, October 2012.


Blog Archive

  • ►  2023 (57)
    • ►  March (11)
    • ►  February (24)
    • ►  January (22)
  • ►  2022 (202)
    • ►  December (26)
    • ►  November (17)
    • ►  October (12)
    • ►  September (15)
    • ►  August (19)
    • ►  July (19)
    • ►  June (20)
    • ►  May (18)
    • ►  April (11)
    • ►  March (11)
    • ►  February (16)
    • ►  January (18)
  • ►  2021 (211)
    • ►  December (16)
    • ►  November (19)
    • ►  October (16)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (18)
    • ►  June (23)
    • ►  May (22)
    • ►  April (13)
    • ►  March (14)
    • ►  February (20)
    • ►  January (21)
  • ►  2020 (217)
    • ►  December (14)
    • ►  November (16)
    • ►  October (15)
    • ►  September (17)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (18)
    • ►  June (20)
    • ►  May (17)
    • ►  April (16)
    • ►  March (20)
    • ►  February (25)
    • ►  January (19)
  • ►  2019 (195)
    • ►  December (20)
    • ►  November (18)
    • ►  October (14)
    • ►  September (12)
    • ►  August (11)
    • ►  July (17)
    • ►  June (16)
    • ►  May (18)
    • ►  April (18)
    • ►  March (15)
    • ►  February (23)
    • ►  January (13)
  • ▼  2018 (190)
    • ▼  December (28)
      • Christmas 2018 – Reflections and Celebrations
      • Quote of the Day
      • Out and About – Autumn 2018
      • Christmas in America, 2018
      • Something to Think About (and Celebrate)
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Forbidden Lover
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Brigit Anna McNeill on the Meaning of Winter Solst...
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Photo of the Day
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Thoughts on the Disease of Addiction
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Another First for Black Panther
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • "Wholeness Is Never Lost, It Is Only Forgotten"
      • The Carl Anderson Appreciation Group
      • An Inquisitive Little Visitor
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • A Reality Check
      • State of Grace
      • Quote of the Day
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Ride to Sundown
      • Guidelines for the Advent of a Universal Mysticism...
      • Happy Birthday, Mum!
      • December's Snowy Start
    • ►  November (16)
    • ►  October (17)
    • ►  September (3)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (18)
    • ►  June (19)
    • ►  May (21)
    • ►  April (14)
    • ►  March (18)
    • ►  February (14)
    • ►  January (14)
  • ►  2017 (228)
    • ►  December (19)
    • ►  November (18)
    • ►  October (17)
    • ►  September (11)
    • ►  August (17)
    • ►  July (15)
    • ►  June (25)
    • ►  May (24)
    • ►  April (27)
    • ►  March (12)
    • ►  February (16)
    • ►  January (27)
  • ►  2016 (200)
    • ►  December (16)
    • ►  November (14)
    • ►  October (9)
    • ►  September (19)
    • ►  August (12)
    • ►  July (20)
    • ►  June (23)
    • ►  May (5)
    • ►  April (24)
    • ►  March (26)
    • ►  February (12)
    • ►  January (20)
  • ►  2015 (260)
    • ►  December (24)
    • ►  November (24)
    • ►  October (26)
    • ►  September (24)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (22)
    • ►  June (28)
    • ►  May (27)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (12)
    • ►  February (15)
    • ►  January (17)
  • ►  2014 (206)
    • ►  December (28)
    • ►  November (22)
    • ►  October (22)
    • ►  September (17)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (17)
    • ►  June (25)
    • ►  May (24)
    • ►  April (20)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ►  February (1)
  • ►  2013 (245)
    • ►  December (20)
    • ►  November (14)
    • ►  October (20)
    • ►  September (19)
    • ►  August (28)
    • ►  July (23)
    • ►  June (21)
    • ►  May (23)
    • ►  April (17)
    • ►  March (32)
    • ►  February (20)
    • ►  January (8)
  • ►  2012 (253)
    • ►  December (30)
    • ►  November (20)
    • ►  October (27)
    • ►  September (20)
    • ►  August (26)
    • ►  July (25)
    • ►  June (23)
    • ►  May (23)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (14)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (23)
  • ►  2011 (400)
    • ►  December (35)
    • ►  November (30)
    • ►  October (36)
    • ►  September (19)
    • ►  August (36)
    • ►  July (33)
    • ►  June (26)
    • ►  May (48)
    • ►  April (48)
    • ►  March (36)
    • ►  February (31)
    • ►  January (22)
  • ►  2010 (461)
    • ►  December (38)
    • ►  November (32)
    • ►  October (47)
    • ►  September (45)
    • ►  August (34)
    • ►  July (28)
    • ►  June (46)
    • ►  May (45)
    • ►  April (60)
    • ►  March (32)
    • ►  February (24)
    • ►  January (30)
  • ►  2009 (426)
    • ►  December (26)
    • ►  November (40)
    • ►  October (44)
    • ►  September (31)
    • ►  August (39)
    • ►  July (29)
    • ►  June (44)
    • ►  May (42)
    • ►  April (42)
    • ►  March (32)
    • ►  February (29)
    • ►  January (28)
  • ►  2008 (319)
    • ►  December (23)
    • ►  November (32)
    • ►  October (28)
    • ►  September (39)
    • ►  August (30)
    • ►  July (24)
    • ►  June (33)
    • ►  May (26)
    • ►  April (26)
    • ►  March (24)
    • ►  February (14)
    • ►  January (20)
  • ►  2007 (215)
    • ►  December (27)
    • ►  November (13)
    • ►  October (16)
    • ►  September (14)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (19)
    • ►  June (20)
    • ►  May (21)
    • ►  April (16)
    • ►  March (19)
    • ►  February (13)
    • ►  January (17)
  • ►  2006 (159)
    • ►  December (19)
    • ►  November (20)
    • ►  October (26)
    • ►  September (21)
    • ►  August (21)
    • ►  July (12)
    • ►  June (12)
    • ►  May (28)

Most Popular Posts

  • Boardies, Budgie Smugglers and Euro-Togs
  • The Herb Spiral
  • Visions of Crazy Horse
  • Guruk
  • Soul: The Connecting Force in Life
  • In Uganda, a “Fearless Voice” for Gay Rights is Brutally Silenced
  • Cosmic Connection
  • The Harvest Within the Heart
  • A Catholic's Prayer for his Fellow Pilgrim, Benedict XVI
  • Beyond Courage

From the Archives . . .

  • "This Light Breeze That Loves Me" (03/07/09)
  • Why Jesus is My Man (03/05/09)
  • The Many Manifestations of God's Loving Embrace (08/16/07)
  • Carrying It On (07/24/16)
  • Beyond the Hierarchy: The Blossoming of Liberating Catholic Insights on Sexuality (07/19/11)
  • Gay Men in the Vatican Are Giving the Rest of Us a Bad Name (02/22/13)
  • A "Bells and Smells" Kind of Guy (03/15/09)
  • Dew[y]-Kissed (12/28/07)
  • Jesus Was a Sissy (06/11/10)
  • A Catholic Bibliography on LGBT Issues (04/10/07)
  • Thoughts on Celibacy (08/10/07)
  • A Catholic Understanding of Faithful Dissent (06/10/08)

Search This Blog

Labels

  • A Gay Man's Guide to Love and Loving (76)
  • ACIM (12)
  • Advent (43)
  • Albert Nolan (15)
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (13)
  • Amy Goodman (5)
  • André Holland (3)
  • Andrew Harvey (18)
  • Andy Birkey (9)
  • Archbishop Nienstedt (71)
  • Australian Floods of 2011 (4)
  • Australian Sojourn – April-May 2012 (5)
  • Australian Sojourn – April-May 2019 (10)
  • Australian Sojourn – August 2019 (10)
  • Australian Sojourn – March 2014 (10)
  • Australian Sojourn – March 2015 (13)
  • Australian Sojourn – March 2023 (4)
  • Australian Sojourn – May 2016 (11)
  • Australian Sojourn – Winter 2017 (17)
  • Autumn (33)
  • Barack Obama (48)
  • Bayly Family (90)
  • Beatrice Bruteau (1)
  • Beloved One (20)
  • Bernie Sanders (70)
  • Beyond the Hierarchy (9)
  • Bill Kummer (8)
  • Birthday Greetings (43)
  • Bisexuality (6)
  • Black Lives Matter (88)
  • Black Panther (12)
  • Bob Shine (9)
  • Brian McNeill (7)
  • Brigit Anna McNeill (9)
  • Brokeback Mountain (6)
  • Buffy Sainte-Marie (45)
  • Calvin Royal III (11)
  • Carl Anderson (25)
  • Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (12)
  • Catholics for Marriage Equality MN (45)
  • Celibacy (9)
  • Cernunnos (8)
  • Chadwick Boseman (24)
  • Charles Curran (4)
  • Chris Kluwe (4)
  • Christmas (51)
  • Church Reform (83)
  • Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal (42)
  • Cletus Wessels (7)
  • Colin Kaepernick (5)
  • Colleen Kochivar-Baker (34)
  • Coming Out (48)
  • Conscience (10)
  • Cornel West (12)
  • Coronavirus Pandemic (40)
  • Courage (21)
  • CPCSM (68)
  • CPCSM and the Archdiocese of St. Paul–Minneapolis (6)
  • Crazy Horse (9)
  • Cynthia Bourgeault (13)
  • Daby Touré (4)
  • Dancer and the Dance (110)
  • Daniel Helminiak (14)
  • Daniel Maguire (12)
  • Darren Hayes (2)
  • David McCaffrey (17)
  • David Weiss (11)
  • Diarmuid Ó Murchú (11)
  • Dirk Bogarde (7)
  • Donald Glover (4)
  • Doris Lessing (11)
  • Drug Abuse and Addiction (5)
  • Dusty Springfield (34)
  • Elizabeth Johnson (7)
  • Emerging Church (17)
  • Emmylou Harris (4)
  • Engelbert Humperdinck (5)
  • Environmental Issues (53)
  • Eros (12)
  • Eugene Kennedy (6)
  • Europe 2005 (6)
  • Eve Tushnet (4)
  • Evolutionary Spirituality (50)
  • Faces of Resistance (20)
  • Faithful Dissent (5)
  • Film (152)
  • Fran Ferder (4)
  • Francis DeBernardo (26)
  • Francis of Assisi (10)
  • Frank Bruni (4)
  • Frank Ocean (2)
  • Garry Wills (5)
  • Gay Ads (10)
  • Gay and Lesbian Review (16)
  • Gay Parenting (6)
  • Glenda Jackson (3)
  • Goulburn (10)
  • Growing Up Gay (18)
  • Gunnedah (17)
  • Hallowtide (16)
  • Hans Küng (10)
  • Hans Matheson (10)
  • Hazrat Inayat Khan (6)
  • Heather Cox Richardson (15)
  • Henri Nouwen (10)
  • Homilies of Michael J. Bayly (14)
  • Homophobia (43)
  • Homosexuality and the Priesthood (37)
  • Hugh Jackman (7)
  • Human Sexuality (86)
  • Humor (36)
  • Ilhan Omar (23)
  • Images of God (8)
  • In the Footsteps of Spring (6)
  • In the Garden of Spirituality (51)
  • Indigenous Wisdom (58)
  • Interfaith Chaplaincy (34)
  • Interiors (48)
  • Istanbul (8)
  • James Alison (6)
  • James Baldwin (6)
  • James Carroll (17)
  • James Foley (3)
  • Jamie Manson (14)
  • Jason Steidl (3)
  • Jayden Cameron (2)
  • Jeannine Gramick (7)
  • Jenny Morris (8)
  • Jesus (138)
  • Jim Smith (10)
  • Joan Chittister (16)
  • Joan Timmerman (7)
  • Joanna Lumley (5)
  • John Heagle (4)
  • John Henry Newman (6)
  • John Keats (6)
  • John McNeill (5)
  • John Neafsey (5)
  • John Shelby Spong (5)
  • Joseph O'Leary (9)
  • Joyce Rupp (11)
  • Justice and Peace (168)
  • Karen Armstrong (2)
  • Karen Clark (5)
  • Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (2)
  • Karl Rahner (1)
  • Kate Bush (23)
  • Kiki Dee (11)
  • Kittredge Cherry (18)
  • Leonardo Boff (6)
  • Literature (65)
  • Loreena McKennitt (3)
  • Luke Timothy Johnson (2)
  • Margaret Farley (7)
  • Maria Callas (13)
  • Marianne 2020 (30)
  • Marianne 2024 (4)
  • Marianne Duddy-Burke (13)
  • Marianne Faithfull (4)
  • Marianne Williamson (110)
  • Marriage Equality (274)
  • Martin Pendergast (2)
  • Mary Hunt (25)
  • Mary Magdalene (9)
  • Masculinity (28)
  • Matthew Fox (2)
  • Maxwell (8)
  • Mayday (22)
  • McDonald Sisters (3)
  • Meditation (13)
  • Michael Bernard Kelly (2)
  • Michael Greyeyes (4)
  • Michael Meade (6)
  • Michael Morwood (6)
  • Minneapolis Uprising of 2020 (9)
  • Moving Beyond LGBT Equality to Queer Liberation (18)
  • Music (300)
  • Nakhane (2)
  • Naomi Klein (6)
  • NARTH (11)
  • Natural Law (19)
  • Nijinsky (4)
  • Norman Solomon (10)
  • Occupy Movement (8)
  • Old Catholicism (13)
  • Ordination (13)
  • Out and About - 2007 (9)
  • Out and About - 2008 (11)
  • Out and About - 2009 (10)
  • Out and About - 2010 (10)
  • Out and About - 2011 (10)
  • Out and About - 2012 (7)
  • Out and About - 2013 (8)
  • Out and About - 2014 (7)
  • Out and About - 2015 (19)
  • Out and About - 2016 (8)
  • Out and About - 2017 (4)
  • Out and About - 2018 (7)
  • Out and About - 2019 (4)
  • Out and About - 2020 (5)
  • Out and About - 2021 (4)
  • Out and About - 2022 (4)
  • Pahá Sápa (8)
  • Pan (4)
  • Passion of Christ (12)
  • Patrice Lumumba (5)
  • Patricia Miller (4)
  • Paul Collins (4)
  • Paul Lakeland (4)
  • Paula Ruddy (6)
  • Pentecost (16)
  • Pete Buttigieg (6)
  • Petula Clark (9)
  • Phillip Clark (18)
  • Photo of the Day (313)
  • Phyllis Bennis (10)
  • Poetry (78)
  • Poldark (26)
  • Pope Benedict XVI (46)
  • Pope Francis (63)
  • Pornography (2)
  • Port Macquarie (65)
  • Prayer of the Week (96)
  • Prince Valiant (14)
  • Progressive Thoughts (78)
  • Progressives and Obama (8)
  • Published Articles by Michael J. Bayly (6)
  • Queer Cinema (14)
  • Queers United for Radical Action (6)
  • Quote of the Day (736)
  • Rainbow Sash (4)
  • Resisting Corporatism and Fascism (196)
  • Richard Gaillardetz (10)
  • Richard McBrien (2)
  • Richard Rohr (9)
  • Richard Sipe (4)
  • Robert Caruso (16)
  • Robert McClory (9)
  • Roger Haight (2)
  • Roman Catholic Cultism (30)
  • Romanov Family (4)
  • Rosanne Cash (8)
  • Rosemary Radford Ruether (2)
  • Roy Bourgeois (7)
  • Saaxiib Qurux Badan (39)
  • Safe Schools (18)
  • Sarah Jane Smith (14)
  • Scott Dibble (11)
  • Sensus Fidelium (12)
  • Sergius and Bacchus (6)
  • Shirley Bassey (10)
  • Signs and Wonders (48)
  • Social Justice (191)
  • Socialism (26)
  • Something to Think About (204)
  • Spirit of St. Stephen's Catholic Community (14)
  • Spring (22)
  • St. Michael the Archangel (5)
  • St. Raphael the Archangel (1)
  • St. Sebastian (5)
  • Summer (20)
  • Sydney (22)
  • Synod on the Family 2014 (6)
  • Synod on the Family 2015 (9)
  • Television (50)
  • Terence Weldon (19)
  • The APA and Homosexuality (4)
  • The Journal of James Curtis (9)
  • The Lenten Journey (21)
  • The Struggle for Marriage Equality in Minnesota (164)
  • The Sufi Path (57)
  • Thom Curnutte (3)
  • Thomas Gumbleton (6)
  • Thomas Moore (4)
  • Thoughts on the Papacy (7)
  • Thoughts on Transformation (77)
  • Tina Beattie (3)
  • Transgender (20)
  • Twin Peaks (5)
  • Uta Ranke-Heinemann (6)
  • Vanessa Redgrave (9)
  • Vatican II (12)
  • Wendy Matthews (9)
  • What a Man (10)
  • Wild Reed Round-Up (12)
  • William D. Lindsey (28)
  • William Hunt (2)
  • Winter (46)
  • Year in Review (16)


The Wild Reed is dedicated to the Compassionate Christ, who yearns to be embodied through our loving actions of body, speech, and mind.


Essential Reading from Around the Web

  • To Everyone Who’s Barely Holding It Together
  • The Incredible Power of a Morning Routine
  • Why Young Queer Artists Are Trading Anguish for Joy
  • Pope Francis Backing Same-Sex Unions Isn't a Surprise. But It's Still a Big Deal
  • Pope's Civil Union Comments Stir Up Minnesota Catholics on Both Sides of the Issue
  • How Airlines Became a Queer-Friendly Workplace
  • Huddling Round the Hearth Fire With the Winter King
  • Crossing the Veil: The Pre-Christian Origins of Halloween and Samhain
  • Three Cheers for Socialism
  • David Harvey: Socialists Must Be the Champions of Freedom
  • Judge Blocks Trump Rule To Roll Back Health-Care Protections For Transgender People
  • How Queer Women Powered the Suffrage Movement
  • The Radically Inclusive Christianity of Rachel Held Evans
  • Ancient Egypt Was Totally Queer
  • We Need to Talk About How Grindr Is Affecting Gay Men’s Mental Health



Recommended Links

  • Queering the Church
  • Bondings 2.0
  • Bilgrimage
  • La Lucha, Mi Pulpito
  • Enlightened Catholicism
  • The Gay Catholic
  • The Catholic Transgender
  • Gay Mystics
  • The Open Tabernacle
  • Millennial
  • Gay Catholic Priests: Hear Our Voices
  • Nihil Obstat
  • Perspective
  • Far From Rome
  • The Way Ahead
  • Jesus in Love
  • A Piece of My Mind
  • Joseph S. O'Leary
  • The Holy Irritant
  • God Is Not 3 Guys
  • Questions from a Ewe
  • Box Turtle Bulletin
  • Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
  • Ferdy on Films
  • Andrea Tatley
  • The Leveret
  • A Prince Named Valiant



  • Even though reeds can symbolize frailty, they may also represent the strength found in flexibility. Popular wisdom says that the green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm. Tall green reeds are associated with water, fertility, abundance, wealth, and rebirth. The sound of a reed pipe is often considered the voice of a soul pining for God or a lost love.
    – Source

    .

    Past Wild Reed Posts
    of Special Interest

    Catholicism
  • What It Means to Be Catholic
  • Authentic Catholicism: The Antidote to Clericalism
  • Beyond Papalism
  • The Holarchical Church: Not a Pyramid But a Web of Relationships
  • The "Underground Church"
  • The Real Crisis
  • "Uncle Vince" is at It Again
  • It's Time We Evolved Beyond Theological Imperialism
  • Thoughts on Authority and Fidelity
  • Truth Telling: The Greatest of Sins in a Dysfunctional Church
  • Our Catholic "Stonewall Moment"
  • Who Gets to be Called "Catholic" - and Why?
  • Comprehending the "Fullness of Truth"
  • Casanova-inspired Reflections on Papal Power at 30,000 Ft.
  • "Receive What You Are, the Body of Christ"
  • Time to Go?
  • Staying On Board
  • Thoughts on Relativism
  • Tips for Thinking Catholics


  • Conscience
  • Reflections on the Primacy of Conscience
  • The Question of an "Informed" Catholic Conscience
  • A Catholic's Prayer for His Fellow Pilgrim, Benedict XVI
  • A Catholic Understanding of Faithful Dissent (Part 1)
  • A Catholic Understanding of Faithful Dissent (Part 2)
  • Ascertaining the Common Good
  • "Conscience is the Highest Norm"


  • Sexuality and Spirituality
  • The Inherent Sensuality of Roman Catholicism
  • Jesus Was a Sissy
  • The Sexuality of Jesus
  • The Non-Negotiables of Human Sex
  • Thoughts on Celibacy
  • What Is It That Ails You?
  • Relationship: The Crucial Factor in Sexual Morality
  • Human Sex: Weird and Silly, Messy and Sublime
  • The Standard for Sexual Ethics: Human Flourishing, Not Openness to Procreation
  • Sex as Mystery, Sex as Light
  • Same-Sex Desires: "Immanent and Essential Traits Transcending Time and Culture"


  • Catholic and Gay
  • Catholic Attitudes on Gay and Lesbian Issues: An Overview
  • LGBT Catholics Celebrate Being "Wonderfully Made"
  • Catholics Make Their Voices Heard on LGBTQ Issues
  • Knowing What to Do, Knowing Why to Stay
  • Getting It Right
  • Gay People and the Spiritual Life
  • The Challenge to Become Ourselves
  • The Gifts of Homosexuality
  • Remembering and Reclaiming a Wise, Spacious, and Holy Understanding of Homosexuality
  • The Many Manifestations of God's Loving Embrace
  • Compassion, Christian Community, and Homosexuality
  • Trusting God's Generous Invitation
  • Hypocrisy, Ignorance, Promiscuity, and "the Love that is the Center of Catholic Christianity"
  • Choosing to Stay
  • Voices of Parental Authority and Wisdom
  • A Parent's Prayer
  • Grandma Knows Best
  • The Triumph of Love - An Easter Reflection
  • Somewhere In Between
  • Sons of the Church: The Witnessing of Gay Catholic Men: A Discussion Guide
  • What is a "Lifestyle"?
  • Celebrating Our Sanctifying Truth
  • The Bible and Homosexuality
  • Jesus and the Centurion
  • The Archangel Michael as Gay Icon
  • "Homodevotion" to the Body of Christ
  • Our Catholic "Stonewall Moment"
  • "Take, All of You. And Eat": Communion and the Rainbow Sash
  • My Rainbow Sash Experience
  • Soul Deep
  • Catholic Rainbow (Australian) Parents
  • Answer to a Troubled Liberal Catholic
  • A Girl Named Sara: "A Person of the Resurrection"
  • A Catholic Bibliography on Gay Issues


  • The Vatican and Homosexuality
  • The Blood-Soaked Thread
  • Stop in the Name of Discriminatory Ideology!
  • Homosexuality and the Priesthood
  • Officially Homophobic, Intensely Homoerotic
  • Vatican Stance on Gay Priests Signals Urgent Need for Renewal and Reform
  • Listen Up, Papa!
  • Be Not Afraid: You Can Be Happy and Gay
  • When "Guidelines" Lack Guidance
  • The Bishops' Guidelines: A Parent's Response
  • The "Ratzinger Letter" of 1986 as "Theological Pornography"
  • The Dreaded "Same-Sex Attracted" View of Catholicism
  • And a Merry Christmas to You, Too, Papa
  • Rejecting the "Lesser Evil"
  • Truth Telling: The Greatest of Sins in a Dysfunctional Church
  • Archbishop Weakland, the Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal, and Homophobia
  • Report: Homosexuality No Factor in Abusive Priests
  • Oh, Give It a Rest, Papa!
  • Catholic Church Can Overcome Fear of LGBT People
  • Gay Men in the Vatican Are Giving the Rest of Us a Bad Name
  • Why I Take Hope in Pope Francis' Statement on Gay Priests
  • Beyond Respectful Tolerance to Celebratory Acceptance


  • The Courage Apostolate and NARTH
  • Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Courage
  • Gay Catholics, the Courage Apostolate, and Reparative Therapy
  • The Real Meaning of Courage
  • The Many Forms of Courage (Part I)
  • The Many Forms of Courage (Part II)
  • The Many Forms of Courage (Part III)
  • Beyond Courage
  • Holding the Courage Apostolate Accountable
  • The Cowardice of Courage
  • Notes from the "Laughable but Tragic" World of Courage
  • Debunking NARTH (Part 1)
  • Debunking NARTH (Part 2)
  • Responding to Some Very Misguided Comparisons
  • Soft Bigotry
  • More on the “Soft Bigotry” of Fr. James Livingston’s Recent Op-Ed


  • Vatican II
  • Truth About "Spirit of Vatican II" Finally Revealed!
  • Reading the Documents of Vatican II
  • Libertas Ecclesiae
  • A Church That Can and Cannot Change
  • Crisis? What Crisis?
  • A Catholic Understanding of Faithful Dissent (Part 1)
  • A Catholic Understanding of Faithful Dissent (Part 2)


  • Women and the Church
  • Mary of Magdala
  • Revealing a Hidden History
  • Angela Bonavoglia on the Church's "Continued Demonization of Women"
  • Reflections on The Da Vinci Code Controversy
  • Thoughts on The Da Vinci Code
  • Roman Catholic Womenpriests Ordained in Minneapolis
  • Thoughts on Ordination, Intellectual Dishonesty, and the Holy Spirit of which the Prophet Joel Speaks
  • Responding to Excommunication
  • The Discussion Continues
  • "We Are All the Rock" – An Interview with Roman Catholic Womanpriest, Judith McKloskey


  • Perspectives on Natural Law
  • Herbert McCabe, OP
  • Judith Web Kay
  • Daniel Helminiak
  • Garry Wills
  • Gregory Baum
  • William C. McDonough
  • Dialoguing with the Archbishop on Natural Law
  • Nathanial Frank on the "Natural Law" Argument Against Gay Marriage
  • Daniel Helminiak on the Vatican's Natural Law Mistake
  • Louis Crompton on the "Theological Assault" of the Ulpianic-Thomistic Conception of Natural Law


  • The Rainbow Spirit Interviews
  • Kathy Itzin
  • Chuck Lofy
  • Déadra Aalgaard
  • Mary Bednarowski
  • Simon Rosser
  • Daniel Helminiak
  • Carol Curoe


  • Catholic Scholars, Theologians, and Commentators
  • Daniel Maguire
  • Joan Timmerman
  • Daniel Helminiak
  • Mary Hunt
  • James Alison
  • Edward Schillebeeckx
  • Hans Küng
  • Elizabeth Johnson
  • James Carroll
  • Richard Gaillardetz
  • Joan Chittister
  • Robert McClory
  • Uta Ranke-Heinemann
  • Garry Wills
  • Terrence W. Tilley
  • Rosemary Radford Ruether
  • Paul Collins and Marilyn Hatton
  • Thomas Gumbleton
  • Rita Larivee
  • Roger Haight
  • Robert Caruso


  • In the Garden of Spirituality
  • Zainab Salbi
  • Daniel Helminiak
  • Rod Cameron
  • Paul Collins
  • Joan Chittister
  • Toby Johnson
  • Joan Timmerman
  • Uta Ranke-Heinemann
  • Caroline Jones
  • Ron Rolheiser
  • James C. Howell
  • Paulo Coelho
  • Doris Lessing
  • Michael Morwood
  • Kenneth Stokes
  • Dody Donnelly
  • Adrian Smith
  • Henri Nouwen
  • Patrick Carroll
  • Jesse Lava
  • Geoffrey Robinson
  • Joyce Rupp
  • Debbie Blue
  • Rosanne Cash
  • Elizabeth Johnson
  • Eckhart Tolle
  • James B. Nelson
  • Jeanette Blonigen Clancy
  • Mark Hathaway
  • Parker Palmer
  • Karen Armstrong
  • Alan Lurie
  • Paul Wapner
  • Pamela Greenberg
  • Ilia Delio
  • Hazrat Inayat Khan
  • Andrew Harvey
  • Kabir Helminski
  • Beatrice Bruteau
  • Richard Rohr
  • Judy Cannato
  • Anthony de Mello
  • Marianne Williamson
  • David Richo
  • Gerald May
  • Thomas Crum


  • In the Footsteps of Spring
  • Introduction
  • The Light Within
  • Shards of Summer
  • Intimate Soliloquies
  • Coming Out
  • No Stranger Am I


  • The Journal of James Curtis
  • A "Bells and Smells" Kind of Guy
  • A Quiet Visit and an Exhausting Conversation
  • A Journey Begins
  • Carlos
  • My Lunch with a "Medicine Bearer"
  • Father Brandon
  • The Note
  • A Swimmer's First Time
  • Feeling Both Hopeful and Sad




  • Film
  • Rock of Ages: Theological Reflections on Picnic at Hanging Rock
  • The Impossible Desire of Pier Paolo Pasolini
  • New Horizons: Reflections on David Lean’s adaptation of E.M. Foster's A Passage to India
  • Thoughts on Queer Cinema
  • Where Milk Gets It Wrong
  • Pan's Labyrinth: Critiquing the Cult of Unquestioning Obedience
  • Reflections on the Overlooked Children of Men
  • Reflections on Babel and the "Borders Within"
  • Revisiting a Groovy Jesus (and a Dysfunctional Theology)
  • Alexander's Great Love
  • "This Light Breeze that Loves Me": Theological Reflections on Hamam: The Turkish Bath
  • Dew[y]-Kissed: Reflections on Under the Greenwood Tree
  • Casanova-inspired Reflections on Papal Power at 30,000 Ft.
  • Memoirs of a Survivor: As the Last Walls Dissolve . . . Everything is Possible
  • What the Vatican Can Learn From the X-Men
  • The New Superman: Not Necessarily Gay, But Definitely Queer
  • Wolvie
  • Season of the Witch . . . the Scarlet Witch
  • Christian Draz's Critique of Brokeback Mountain
  • Frank D. Myers' "Long Hard Look" at Brokeback Mountain
  • Thoughts on The Da Vinci Code
  • Reflections on The Da Vinci Code Controversy
  • The Golden Compass: Pointing Beyond Authoritarianism
  • "Come Spirit": Thoughts on Terrence Malick's The New World
  • Colin Covert on Biutiful: "A Work of Extraordinary Vitality"
  • Beatrice Marovich on Divinity and Animality in Life of Pi
  • The Road to Love: An Exploration of Coming Out in the Islamic World
  • Solar Brother: Franco Zeffirelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon
  • Adam Sandel on the Queer Appeal of Harry Potter
  • John Schlesinger's Sunday Bloody Sunday: "A Genuinely Radical Film"
  • Testament of Tortured Youth: Edward Brittain and Geoffrey Thurlow
  • Stephen A. Russell on Moonlight, "the Most Beautiful Gift to Cinema in Countless Years"
  • The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
  • Michael Greyeyes’ Latest Film Provides a “New Understanding of How History Repeats”
  • Five Takes on Five Dances
  • Vanessa Redgrave"
  • Dirk Bogarde
  • Hans Matheson
  • George Maharis
  • Ian McKellen
  • Deborah Kerr
  • Heath Ledger
  • Natasha Richardson
  • Lynn Redgrave
  • Glenda Jackson
  • Ben Whishaw
  • Chadwick Boseman
  • André Holland




  • Film

    • Rock of Ages: Theological Reflections on Picnic at Hanging Rock
    • The Impossible Desire of Pier Paolo Pasolini
    • Thoughts on Queer Cinema
    • New Horizons: Reflections on David Lean’s adaptation of E.M. Foster’s A Passage to India
    • Pan’s Labyrinth: Critiquing the Cult of Unquestioning Obedience
    • Reflections on the Overlooked Children of Men
    • Where Milk Gets It Wrong
    • Reflections on Babel and the “Borders Within”
    • Revisiting a Groovy Jesus (and a Dysfunctional Theology)
    • Carl Anderson’s Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar: “The Gold Standard”
    • Alexander’s Great Love
    • “This Light Breeze that Loves Me”: Theological Reflections on Hamam: The Turkish Bath
    • Dew[y]-Kissed: Reflections on Under the Greenwood Tree
    • Casanova-inspired Reflections on Papal Power – at 30,000 ft.
    • Memoirs of a Survivor: As the Last Walls Dissolve . . . Everything is Possible
    • What the Vatican Can Learn From the X-Men
    • The New Superman: Not Necessarily Gay, But Definitely Queer
    • Wolvie
    • Season of the Witch . . . the Scarlet Witch
    • The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
    • Queer Black Panther
    • Adam Sandel on the Queer Appeal of Harry Potter
    • Musings on the Possibility of “FinnPoe” in the Star Wars Saga
    • Finn and Poe Revisited
    • Christian Draz’s Critique of Brokeback Mountain
    • Frank D. Myers’ Long Hard Look at Brokeback Mountain
    • Stephen A. Russell on Moonlight: “The Most Beautiful Gift to Cinema in Countless Years”
    • John Schlesinger’s Sunday Bloody Sunday: “A Genuinely Radical Film”
    • The Road to Love: An Exploration of Coming Out in the Islamic World
    • Testament of Tortured Youth: Edward Brittain and Geoffrey Thurlow
    • Beatrice Marovich on Divinity and Animality in Life of Pi
    • Solar Brother: Franco Zeffirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon
    • Colin Covert on Biutiful: “A Work of Extraordinary Vitality”
    • “Come, Spirit”: Thoughts on Terrence Malick’s The New World
    • The Golden Compass: Pointing Beyond Authoritarianism
    • Michael Greyeyes’ Latest Film Provides a “New Understanding of How History Repeats”
    • Thoughts on The Da Vinci Code
    • Reflections on The Da Vinci Code Controversy
    • Floating Skyscrapers Reflects Its Country of Origin’s Ongoing Tensions Between Denial and Desire
    • Liberating Paris: Exploring the Meaning of Liberation in Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning
    • Five Takes on Five Dance
    • Chris Mason Johnson’s Test: A Film That “Illuminates Why Queer Cinema Still Matters”
    • George Maharis: “Man of Courage”
    • The Paradox of Dirk Bogarde
    • Ian McKellen on His Two Greatest Achievements: Playing Gandalf and Coming Out
    • “Of Thistledown and Magic”: The Artistry of Ben Whishaw
    • Glenda Jackson on the Oscars, Acting, and Politics
    • Hans Matheson
    • André Holland
    • Vanessa Redgrave
    • Lynn Redgrave
    • Natasha Richardson
    • Deborah Kerr
    • Heath Ledger
    • Chadwick Boseman

    The Sufi Path

    • Sufism: Way of Love, Tradition of Enlightenment, and Antidote to Fanaticism
    • The Sufi Way
    • Sufism: A Call to Awaken
    • “Joined at the Heart”: Robert Thompson on Christianity and Sufism
    • A Living Twenty-First Century Tradition
    • Bismillah
    • Clarity, Hope, and Love
    • As the Last Walls Dissolve . . . Everything is Possible
    • Oh, Yeah!
    • It Happens All the Time in Heaven
    • Never Say It Is Not God
    • Rumi and Shams: A Love of Another Kind
    • The Winged Heart
    • In the Garden of Spirituality – Hazrat Inayat Khan
    • In the Garden of Spirituality – Doris Lessing



    Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students: A Catholic Schools Perspective by Michael J. Bayly (Haworth Press, 2007).

    (For reviews, click here, here, and here.)



    On September 24, 2012, Michael Bayly of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN was interviewed by Suzanne Linton of Our World Today about same-sex relationships and why Catholics can vote 'no' on the proposed Minnesota anti-marriage equality amendment.

    To watch this interview, click here.

    Updates
    Proposed Anti-Marriage Equality Amendment Defeated (11/7/12)

    Marriage Equality Comes to Minnesota (5/13/13)

    Honoring the Catholic Role in Achieving Marriage Equality in Minnesota (7/24/13)

    On the First Anniversary of Marriage Equality in Minnesota, a Celebratory Look Back at the Important Role Played by Catholics (5/14/14)



    Readers write . . .


    "I believe your blog to be of utmost importance for all people regardless of their orientation. . . . Thank you for your blog and the care and dedication that you give in bringing the TRUTH to everyone." – William


    "Michael, if there is ever a moment in your day or in your life when you feel low and despondent and wonder whether what you are doing is anything worthwhile, think of this: thanks to your writing on the internet, a young man miles away is now willing to embrace life completely and use his talents and passions unashamedly to celebrate God and his creation. Any success I face in the future and any lives I touch would have been made possible thanks to you and your honesty and wisdom." – AB


    "Since I discovered your blog I have felt so much more encouraged and inspired knowing that I'm not the only gay guy in the Catholic Church trying to balance my Faith and my sexuality. Continue being a beacon of hope and a guide to the future within our Church!" – Phillip


    "Your posts about Catholic issues are always informative and well researched, and I especially appreciate your photography and the personal posts about your own experience. I'm very glad I found your blog and that I've had the chance to get to know you." – Crystal


    "Thank you for taking the time to create this fantastic blog. It is so inspiring!" – George


    "I cannot claim to be an expert on Catholic blogs, but from what I've seen, The Wild Reed ranks among the very best." – Kevin


    "Reading your blog leaves me with the consolation of knowing that the words Catholic, gay and progressive are not mutually exclusive.." – Patrick


    "I grieve for the Roman institution’s betrayal of God’s invitation to change. I fear that somewhere in the midst of this denial is a great sin that rests on the shoulders of those who lead and those who passively follow. But knowing that there are voices, voices of the prophets out there gives me hope. Please keep up the good work." – Peter


    "I ran across your blog the other day looking for something else. I stopped to look at it and then bookmarked it because you have written some excellent articles that I want to read. I find your writing to be insightful and interesting and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. Keep up the good work. We really, really need sane people with a voice these days." – Jane Gael


    "Michael, your site is like water in the desert." – Jayden


    Followers


    All original content
    © Michael J. Bayly
    2006-2021



    Locations of visitors to this page