Quote of the Day

. . . On Christmas Eve, my devoutly Catholic sister attended mass with her husband and three children. They literally bowed to something bigger than they. They heard again the ancient story of the baby, the undocumented foreigner, conceived out of wedlock, child to two dads, born in a filthy shed and laid in an unclean trough, a fugitive from the law from his very first breath. They were told that this baby is God, that there's something in this world greater and more important than wealth, or political power, or the laws of birth, or even the "laws" of nature, and they found it worthy of praise. In this act, as much as church leaders would often try to deny it, lie the seeds of revolution.

To wit, Pope Benedict XVI used his annual Christmas message to denounce gay marriage, calling it a "manipulation of nature" that destroys the "essence" of human life. But the pope, like my devout sister, worships a Trinitarian God who is father to himself, conceived by a union of feminine spirit with mortal woman to become mortal flesh that was still somehow fully divine. Talk about manipulation of nature!

This religion is preternaturally odd. It's fundamentally queer. It's revolutionary at its very core. It began as the religion of women and slaves, the poor and the sick, the oppressed and the outlawed. Its message that the sick deserved healing, that the poor deserved to eat, that the suffering weren't inferior, spread across Roman civilization with such revolutionary speed that Rome feared it, until they learned to control it. Even now, this bizarre story resists (eventually) any effort to harness it to worldly power. Maybe that's why, despite the pope's rhetorical efforts, 59 percent of U.S. Catholics, like my sister, still support same-gender marriage. . . .

– Wayne Self
"Pope Benebict, Christmas Eve Is Too Queer a Night
for Bashing Gay Marriage"
HuffPost Gay Voices
December 26, 2012

Related Off-site Links:
This Year's Vatican Christmas Gift to the Gays: You Inhabit a "Different Reality" – William D. Lindsey (Bilgrimage, December 27, 2012).
Pope's Attack on Marriage Equality Will Backfire – Wayne Besen (HuffPost Gay Voices, December 26, 2012).
Catholic Hierarchy's Christmas Vendetta Against the Gays Captures Widespread Media Attention – William D. Lindsey (Bilgrimage, December 27, 2012).
Accused of Crimes Against Humanity, Pope Still Treated by Media as “Spiritual” Leader – Betty Clermont (The Open Tabernacle, December 27, 2012).
Comparison of Marriage Equality to Communism is Creative – Maureen Fiedler (National Catholic Reporter, December 21, 2012).
Thousands of Dutch Catholics Look to Leave the Church After Pope’s Anti-Gay Comments – Joseph Patrick McCormick (Pink News, December 28, 2012).
Dutch Website Helping Catholics "De-Baptize" Themselves Has Soaring Hits After Benedict's Christmas Vendetta vs. the Gays – William D. Lindsey (Bilgrimage, December 28, 2012).
The 25 Worst Anti-LGBT Villains of 2012 – JR Tungol (HuffPost Gay Voices, December 28, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed post:
And a Merry Christmas to You Too, Papa

The Wild Reed's Year in Review

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Part 2: April – June 2012

Following is a further selection of 2012 Wild Reed posts, the putting together of which I found particularly meaningful. Many of these posts have also generated the most comments from readers.

If you’ve yet to read these posts then I hope you'll take the time to do so. I also hope that the experiences and insights they convey will, in some way, resonate with you and encourage and inspire you on your journey.

(For Part 1, click here.)

__________________________

April 2012

For this year's Wild Reed Holy Week series I shared excerpts from Cynthia Bourgeault's book The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind – A New Perspective on Christ and His Message. Speaking of Holy Week, Palm Sunday saw over 250 people gather in front of the chancery office of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese for the last of the Lenten prayer vigils which I helped organize as executive coordinator of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN. April also saw the posting of one of The Wild Reed's most popular posts to date: "Thoughts on the Titanic Centenary"!


The Passion: "A Sacred Path of Liberation" (Part 1 of The Wild Reed's 2012 Holy Week series)

Palm Sunday at the Chancery

Beyond Anger and Guilt (Part 2 of The Wild Reed's Holy Week series)

Judas and Peter (Part 3 of The Wild Reed's Holy Week series)

No Deeper Darkness (Part 4 of The Wild Reed's Holy Week series)

When Love Entered Hell (Part 5 of The Wild Reed's Holy Week series)

The Resurrected Jesus . . . (Part 6 of The Wild Reed's Holy Week series

From Northern Minnesota, Two Excellent Rebuttals to the "Convoluted Logic" of the Bishops' Pro-Amendment Argument

In the Garden of Spirituality – Ilia Delio

Media Matters

"We Are Sojourners on This Earth . . ."



May 2012

As noted in the last post of April, I spent the last week of April and the first week of May in Australia so as to be with a family of close friends going through a very challenging time. In many ways it was a very difficult and sad time, but also a very holy one, filled, as it was, with many loving words and actions of intentionality and connection.


Leichhardt

Meanwhile, Back in Minnesota . . .

In Minnesota, Catholics Sing Their Support for Marriage Equality

An Afternoon on the Harbour

Beyond the Hierarchy: The Blossoming of Liberating Catholic Insights on Sexuality (Part 6)

Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 1)

The End of the World As We Know It . . .

Gospel Leadership

Photo of the Day – May 29, 2012



June 2012

A definite highlight of June was the road trip I undertook with my friends Kathleen and Joey to Kansas City. And, of course, the annual Twin Cities Gay Pride festival is always a big event – although it wasn't until July that I shared photos and commentary of Pride. I did, however, share some interesting posts throughout June as part of The Wild Reed's Gay Pride / Queer Appreciation series.




Never Say It Is Not God

Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 2)

The Theology of Gay Pride (Part 1 of The Wild Reed's 2012 Gay Pride / Queer Appreciation series)

Weekend in Kansas City

Bi God, Somebody Listen (Part 2 of The Wild Reed's Gay Pride / Queer Appreciation series)

Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 3)

North America: Perhaps Once the "Queerest Continent on the Planet" (Part 3 of The Wild Reed's Gay Pride / Queer Appreciation series)

Gay Men and Modern Dance (Part 4 of The Wild Reed's Gay Pride / Queer Appreciation series)

A Big Gay "Yay!" for the Catholics

What a Man! – Chris Kluwe


NEXT: Part 3: July – September 2012



See also the previous posts:
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: April - June 2011
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: April - June 2010
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: April – June 2009

Opening image: Björn Burton.

Something to Think About . . .

Related Off-site Links:
Jesus the Jew, Jesus the Palestinian – Omid Safi (Religion News Service, December 24, 2012).
Jesus Was a Palestinian and Why It Matters – Mast Qalander (Muslim Reverie, December 25, 2009).
Bethlehem Celebrates First Christmas Since UN Recognition of Palestine – Harriet Sherwood (The Guardian, December 25, 2012).
Gaza's Children Haunted by Nightmare of War – TheRealNews.com (December 22, 2012).
The Mideast Surprise of 2013? – Ira Chernus (TomDispatch.com via TruthDig.com, December 21, 2012).

Image: Banksy.

Anne Rice on the "Genius of the Christmas Crib"

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Back in 2010, author Anne Rice wrote a "Christmas confession" in response to comic, actor and filmmaker Ricky Gervais' argument for atheism. With the recent tragedy of Newtown, Connecticut still very much on my mind, I find Anne's thoughts on "what Christmas means for believers" to be a source of comfort, strength and hope. Perhaps you will too.

. . . When I ponder the never-ending journey of Christianity through history, I wonder if it is not the story of the Incarnation that gives the belief system its seemingly eternal power: the single idea that the God who made us is one of us, that God is beyond us yet became human as we are, returning inevitably to Heaven with a body as human as our bodies, even marked in eternity with the wounds of His cruel physical death.

But the genius of the Christmas Crib is that you do not need theology to approach it. You do not need any bloody atonement theory to touch the Christ Child’s outstretched hand. The story is complete there without the horror of the cross. Christ has embraced our helplessness. Christ has enshrined our physicality within the limitless power of the Maker of all things.

In a world in which religions alienate and confuse, in which hierarchies struggle with corruption and believers often turn bitterly and in defeat from the warring orthodoxies of Christ’s followers, the Christ Child merely gazes from His bed of hay at all comers, saying quietly:

You are part of me. I am part of you.

I am always and forever here with you.

If “civilization as we know it” were coming to an end with predictable falling bombs and fleeing populations, if we had to clear out of this house with only a handful of possessions for a post apocalyptic world of ruin and struggle, what would I take with me to preserve for generations yet unborn who might never know the millions of texts we hold to be classics, for whom the pages of the bible might disappear?

I’d take the Christmas creche – the child, his quiet and patient parents, the ragged shepherds with their sheep, the faithful ox and the donkey, the Wise Men in their gilded raiment come to gaze in unquestioning awe.

I’d clutch those little statues to my heart, and hope to leave them somewhere safe where others might inevitably find them – gathered in their ancient configuration – and ponder the mystery of the child’s humble birth amid rich and poor, animal and human, snow and straw.

The creche tells the story I believe in more surely than the printed word. And it always will.

Whatever we face, in the physical and emotional winters of our lives, there is always faith that the God who made us will never abandon us, that he will be born again inside each of us, ever ready to help us save ourselves.

For more of Anne Rice at The Wild Reed, see:
The Inherent Sensuality of Roman Catholicism
Quote of the Day – July 30, 2010
Advent: Renewing Our Connection to the Sacred

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
John Dear on Celebrating the Birth of the Nonviolent Jesus
A Story of Searching and Discovery
Clarity and Hope: A Christmas Reflection
Quote of the Day – December 23, 2010
A Christmas Reflection by James Carroll
Something to Cherish

Image 1: Catholic Gift Store.
Image 2: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images.

The Wild Reed's Year in Review

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Part 1: January – March 2012

Of the many Wild Reed postings of this year, the ones I begin listing today are those that, for one reason or another, I’ve most enjoyed putting together and sharing.

If you’ve yet to read these posts then I hope you'll take the time to do so. I also hope that the experiences and insights they convey will resonate with you and encourage and inspire you on your journey.

Peace,

Michael

__________________________

January 2012

Unlike the previous three years, I did not spend January in Australia this year. Thankfully, the 2010/2011 winter here in Minnesota was quite mild. Not that that's the reason why I return to Australia, of course! No, it's to spend time with family and friends. But, as I said, not this year. A major event for me at the end of January was moving to Minneapolis after living in St. Paul for eight years. On a sad note, my friend Marv Davidov passed away on January 14.



A Song and Challenge for 2012

PCV Publishes Archbishop Nienstedt's Marriage Amendment Directives to Priests

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Cream

What Part of Jesus' Invitation to "Be Not Afraid" Don't the Bishops Get?

Beyond the Hierarchy: The Blossoming of Liberating Catholic Insights on Sexuality (Part 5)

Marv Davidov, 1931–2012

Lisa Cressman's Concise, Reasonable Answers to Marriage Equality Questions

Ben

Seeking Balance



February 2012

For reasons which I discuss in my "Seeking Balance" post, above, I took a break from blogging for about six weeks in January-February. The only thing I published in February was a piece by Bryna Godar, a media studies student at the University of Minnesota, who for a class assignment wrote a profile on me!

Michael Bayly: Changing the Church from Within



March 2012

Amid the welcome signs of spring's (early) return, there was a lot going on for me in March, including an increase of activity around the 'marriage amendment,' my friend Eduard's visit from Chicago, a fun St. Patrick's Day celebration, and the continuation of a spirited Lenten vigil outside the archdiocesan chancery office (and across the street from the Cathedral of St. Paul).


A Catholic Rationale for Opposing the 'Marriage Amendment'

Photo of the Day – March 7, 2012

Out and About – Winter 2012

A Springtime Walk Along Minnehaha Creek

Documenting the "Living Word"



NEXT: Part 2: April – June 2012



See also the previous posts:
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: January - March 2011
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: January - March 2010
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: January – March 2009

Opening image: Björn Burton.

Photo of the Day

Image: Michael J. Bayly.

Quote of the Day

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We need to recognize that our own military interventions are killing children the world over who are as innocent as the kids in Connecticut. The violent culture we spawn has a way of “blowing back” and killing our own.

– Danny Schechter
"The Slaughter of the Innocent"
Global Research
December 19, 2012

Related Offsite Links:
What If Children Mattered No Matter Where They Lived – and Died? – Peter Hart (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting via The Progressive Catholic Voice, December 18, 2012).
In the U.S., Mass Child Killings Are Tragedies. In Pakistan, Mere 'Bug Splats' – George Monbiot (The Guardian, December 17, 2012).
'Did We Just Kill A Kid?' – Six Words That Ended a U.S. Drone Pilot's Career – Robert Johnson (Business Insider, December 17, 2012).
Newtown Kids v Yemenis and Pakistanis: What Explains the Disparate Reactions? – Glenn Greenwald (The Guardian, December 19, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Something to Think About – December 14, 2012
Quote of the Day – December 15, 2012
Rejoice?

Rejoice?

This past weekend the Catholic Church celebrated Gaudete Sunday – the Third Sunday of Advent. I attended liturgy at Spirit of St. Stephen's Catholic Community where I read the following by Megan McKenna in the community bulletin.

In the old days before Vatican II, this Sunday was called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin "to rejoice." As the third candle [of the Advent wreath], the one wrapped in pink or rose-colored cloth, is lit, the tenor of the season shifts perceptibly into more apparent joy. What we wait for is nearer. How near? As near as the first streaks of dawn are to the sun's explosion on the horizon, just as the first light begins to assert itself ever so slowly and meekly into the darkest and coldest moment of night. This "crack of dawn" is a crack in the night's defenses, and the light begins its entrance. Along the line of the earth a faint color of roses or crimson appear, often so soft as to look like the flush on the cheeks of children or the ranges of the color of human skin. It is fleeting, a few moments glimpse of glory that mirrors our joy, our experience and hope.

I must admit it was difficult reading this in light of the horrific events that had taken place just days earlier in Newtown, Connecticut. The reference to children brought to my mind not thoughts of hope but images of horrific carnage. How could we even think about rejoicing? And what exactly were we being called to rejoice?

With these types of question in mind, I found myself almost dismissing Gaudete Sunday's call to rejoice with a sarcastic "Yeah, right!" But I didn't. And the reason I didn't was because I'd heard something on the car radio on my way to Spirit of St. Stephen's; something that kept hope alive.

You see, I'd heard Robbie Parker (right) talking about his 6-year-old daughter Emilie Parker, one of the 20 children shot to death by Adam Lanza. Following is the transcript of the National Public Radio segment I heard on Sunday morning. It was sensitively narrated by Russel Lewis, but made truly compelling and moving by the fact that the broadcast version included Robbie Parker's own emotion-laden voice talking about his daughter.

Her name was Emilie Parker. Six years old. Long, flowing blond hair, piercing blue eyes and a sweet smile. Emilie was one of the 20 children killed on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As we learn the names of the victims, we're also learning their stories.

Emilie could light up a room. That's how her dad, Robbie Parker, remembers her. He says she loved to try new things – with one exception: food. She was bright and creative, he says, and was a talented artist who carried around her markers and pencils.

"I can't count the number of times that Emilie noticed someone feeling sad or frustrated and would rush to find a piece of paper to draw them a picture or write them an encouraging note," Parker told reporters Saturday night.

Parker says his oldest daughter had a gift. A compassionate streak – especially when it came to her two younger sisters, ages 3 and 4. She was a mentor, teaching the middle sister to read and the younger one to make crafts. And, he says, the siblings' bond went deeper.

"They looked to her when they needed comfort," Parker said. "Usually that's saved for a mom or dad. But it was really sweet to see the times when one of them would fall or get their feelings hurt. How they would run to Emilie to get support or hugs and kisses."

Parker stood before reporters last night, his eyes puffy and red. Pausing at times, he smiled as he talked about Emilie and remembered his last conversation with her: a brief chat before he dashed out for work on that terrible Friday.

"She woke up before I left. I'd been teaching her Portuguese. So her last conversation was in Portuguese. She told me good morning and asked how I was doing. Said I was doing well. She said that she loved me. Gave me a kiss and I was out the door," Parker said.

Parker went to work – in the newborn intensive care unit of a local hospital. He says he and his wife haven't come to grips with what happened and why.

"She always had something kind to say about anybody," he said. "Her love and the strength she gave us and the example she showed us is remarkable. She is an incredible person and I'm so blessed to be her dad."

It's Robbie Parker's humble expression of deep gratitude that stays with me – and which this past Sunday morning helped me realize that rejoicing doesn't have to mean laughing and leaping and all those other outward signs of ecstatic joy. Perhaps at its deepest level, rejoicing is all about gratitude, a quality we can choose to embody quietly and humbly, and even, as in this terrible situation, in those times when we find ourselves in the midst of anguish, loss and grief.

In certain Native American spiritual traditions, gratitude opens up pathways to the 'field of plenty.' I understand this as meaning that our expressions of gratitude open our hearts to the loving and healing presence of the sacred – both within and beyond us. Filled with this presence, we discover we have all we need to persevere; all we need to keep going in ways that, though not always easy or pleasant, are not overwhelmed or burdened by guilt or rage or hatred. They are ways that transform our lives and our world; that comfort and inspire others; and that radiate hope and, yes, a profound joy.

I see Robbie Parker and his wife Alissa as living embodiments of this inspiring, hopeful way; this way of being in a world where God's presence can often seem to be absent. They embody God's presence for me in such a world. And it is both this beautiful embodiment and this strengthening presence that I am grateful for and thus rejoice in.


Related Off-site Links:
Emilie Parker's Father: "Remember These Beautiful Children" – Daniel Macht (NBC, December 18, 2012).
Connecticut Dad Recalls Loving, Creative 6-Year-Old: "Always Smiling" – Bridget Murphy (MSN News, December 17, 2012).
Newtown Couple Feels No Anger Toward Killer – KatieCouric.com (December 16, 2012).
The Emilie Parker Fund
More Funerals in Newtown as Gun Control Debate Swirls – Edward Krudy and Peter Rudegeair (Yahoo! News, December 19, 2012).
Gaudete Sunday: How Can You Feel Joy After Newtown Shooting? – Rev. Emily C. Heath (HuffPost Religion, December 16, 2012).
Beyond Words – Jim Smith (DignityUSA Voices, December 17, 2012).
Religious Questions From Sandy Hook: How Do We Make Sense Of This? – Bishop Ian T. Douglas (HuffPost Religion, December 18, 2012).
Where Was God in Newtown? – Diana Butler Bass (HuffPost Religion, December 18, 2012).
The Sacramental Revelation of Newtown – Eugene Cullen Kennedy (National Catholic Reporter, December 20, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Something to Think About – December 14, 2012
Quote of the Day – December 15, 2012

Quote of the Day

. . . We can’t ignore the deeper social crisis, one that goes beyond gun control.

In almost every instance, such spree killings, whether carried out in the United States, or Canada or Norway, have involved young men with mental health issues, young men who showed abundant signs of needing psychological help before they struck, whether they were suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar mania or depression or paranoia.

Most people who are mentally ill aren’t violent. And not every killer is mentally ill. But there’s a qualitative difference between the kind of gunman who shoots a rival drug dealer and the kind who shoots up a mall or movie theatre or gurdwara or elementary school. And if we ignore that reality, we make the risk of another attack that much greater.

In our society, we marginalize those with psychiatric problems. We dismiss or ignore or deny or simply fail to recognize their symptoms, because those symptoms often make us uncomfortable. We stigmatize mental illness. That, in turn, makes people hesitant to seek treatment, whether for themselves or for their sons and friends and brothers. Even when people do turn to the health-care system, it can be hard to get timely help.

The answer isn’t to ban midnight movies, or video games. It isn’t to lock down our schools, or arm our teachers.

What we need, even more than sane gun laws, is a culture that recognizes and treats those struggling with mental illness and social alienation, before they fall into a deadly daze of psychosis, or a black fog of rage and despair. . . .

– Paula Simons
"Slaughter Exposes Social Crisis Deeper Than Gun-Control Laws"
The Edmonton Journal
December 15, 2012

See also the previous Wild Reed post:
Something to Think About – December 14, 2012
The Social Roots of Yet Another American Tragedy

Related Off-site Links:
A Call for Compassion – Colleen Kochivar-Baker (Enlightened Catholicism, December 15, 2012).
I Am Adam Lanza's Mother – Liza Long (Gawker.com, December 16, 2012).
Actually, Mentally Ill People Are More Likely to Be Victims of Violence – S.E. Smith (Care2.com, December 14, 2012).
Dispelling the Myth of Violence and Mental Illness – John M. Grohol (PsychCentral.com, 2004).
Is a Crisis in White Masculinity Leading to Horrific Gun Crimes Like the Sandy Hook Shootings? – Chauncey DeVega (AlterNet.org, December 14, 2012).
The Shooting of Children and "God's Plan" – Edward J. Blum (HuffPost Religion via The Progressive Catholic Voice, December 14, 2012).
Praying a Deep Sigh – Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis (HuffPost Religion, December 15, 2012).
Where Were You, God? – A Prayer for Newtown – James Martin, S.J. (HuffPost Religion, December 15, 2012).


UPDATES:
Obama in Newtown: "We Can't Tolerate This Anymore" – Olivier Knox (Yahoo! News, December 16, 2012).
Whatever Motivated Adam Lanza, It Wasn't Asperger's – Emily Willingham (Slate.com, December 17, 2012).
Sympathy for Nancy Lanza – Amanda Marcotte (Slate.com, December 18, 2012).
One Month After School Massacre, Sandy Hook Parents Speak, Urging ‘Real Change’ – Dylan Stableford (Yahoo! News, January 14, 2013).


Image: Adam Lanza (ABC News). Notes Wikipedia: On December 14, 2012, 27 people, including 20 children and 6 adult staff members, were fatally shot at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Connecticut. This was the second-deadliest mass shooting in United States history, after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. The gunman, identified by authorities as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, first killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their nearby Newtown home. He then drove to the school and shot the employees and students before killing himself. The overall death toll was 28, including the perpetrator.

Something to Think About . . .

Related Off-site Links:

Man Shoots 26 at Connecticut Elementary School, Including 20 Children – John Christoffersen (Associated Press via Yahoo! News, December 14, 2012).
"The NRA is the Enabler of Mass Murderers" – Alex Seitz-Wald (Salon.com, December 14, 2012).
Newtown and the Madness of Guns – Adam Gopnik (The New Yorker, December 14, 2012).
This Time Has to Be Different – E.J. Dionne Jr. (The Washington Post, December 14, 2012).
President Obama Cried About Newtown at the White House Today – Elspeth Reeve (The Atlantic, December 14, 2012).
Why the NRA is Still Winning the War on Guns – Elspeth Reeve (The Atlantic, December 14, 2012).
How to Break NRA’s Grip on Politics – Michael R. Bloomberg (Bloomberg.com, December 14, 2012).
What Obama Must Do About Guns – David Remnick (The New Yorker, December 14, 2012).
The Right Day to Talk About Guns – Alex Koppelman (The New Yorker, December 14, 2012).
Is a Crisis in White Masculinity Leading to Horrific Gun Crimes Like the Sandy Hook Shootings? – Chauncey DeVega (AlterNet.org, December 14, 2012).
The Shooting of Children and "God's Plan" – Edward J. Blum (HuffPost Religion, December 14, 2012).
National Catholic Reporter Joins Catholics United Call for National Discussion on Gun Violence – Dennis Coday (December 14, 2012).
12 Facts About Guns and Mass Shootings – Ezra Klein (The Washington Post, December 14, 2012).
Timeline: Major Shooting Incidents in the United States – Reuters via Yahoo! News (December 14, 2012).

TAKE ACTION: Petition the Obama administration to immediately address the issue of gun control through the introduction of legislation in Congress. Sign here.





UPDATES: Obama in Newtown: "We Can't Tolerate This Anymore" – Olivier Knox (Yahoo! News, December 16, 2012).
One Month After School Massacre, Sandy Hook Parents Speak, Urging ‘Real Change’ – Dylan Stableford (Yahoo! News, January 14, 2013).


Image 1: Christopher Weyant.
Image 2: Reuters/Michelle McLoughlin.
Image 3: Reuters/Adrees Latif.

Quote of the Day

Courage, the “ministry” that Paul Scalia [son of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia] was affiliated with, uses a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous to encourage Catholics struggling with “same-sex attractions” to suppress their sexuality and live totally celibate lives. It’s essentially a Catholic version of the widely-discredited “ex-gay” programs, just wrapped in a more subtly-colored bow. . . .

– John Becker
"Scalia’s Son Was Chaplain
for Catholic Anti-Gay Group"
Back2Stonewall.com
December 13, 2012

Related Off-site Links:
Justice Antonin Scalia Defends Writings on Anti-Gay Laws – David G. Savage (Los Angeles Times, December 11, 2012).
Justice Antonin Scalia in Hot Water Again Over Homosexual Comments – Paul Campos (The Daily Beast, December 12, 2012).
Duncan Hosie, Princeton Student Who Challenged Antonin Scalia On 'Anti-Gay' Writings, Speaks Out – The Huffington Post (December 12, 2012).
NYC Politician Demands Justice Antonin Scalia Apologize For Anti-Gay Remarks – Meredith Bennett-Smith (The Huffington Post, December 12, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Courage
• When Quackery Goes Mainstream
• No Place for Dialogue in Archdiocesan Newspaper
• Far from "Innocuous"
• Debunking NARTH
• The Real Meaning of Courage
• The Many Forms of Courage (Part I)
• The Many Forms of Courage (Part 2)
• The Many Forms of Courage (Part 3)
• Beyond Courage
• Notes from the "Laughable but Tragic" World of Courage
• John Townsend Responds to His Critics
• John Harvey, Founder of the Courage Apostolate, 1918-2010
• Holding the Courage Apostolate Accountable
• The Cowardice of Courage

Winter Storm

This past Sunday, December 9, saw the season's first winter storm dump around 11 inches of snow on the metro area of the Twin Cities. I guess such storms are given names now, as the Weather Channel referred to it as Winter Storm Caesar!

According to meteorologist Mike Griesinger of the National Weather Service, the weekend total was more than double last year's largest snowfall of 4.4 inches on December 3, and a third more than last season's snowiest month when 7.3 inches fell in December.

Driving has been somewhat of a pain since the weekend, but there's no denying that when the snow was first falling on Sunday, it created a very beautiful 'winter wonderland'! And I have the photos to prove it. Enjoy!

Above: The view from inside, with my Christmas tree in the foreground.

Above: The beautiful sight I woke up to on the morning of December 9, as this is the view from my upstairs bedroom window. For another photograph of this view, click here.

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Photo of the Day – December 9, 2012
Photo of the Day – November 12, 2012
Just in Time for Winter
First Snowfall
Winter Garden
Northwoods
A Snowy December – with an Aussie Connection

Out and About – Autumn 2012

I was about to post photos of Sunday's first winter storm here in Minnesota when I realized I still had this "Out and About – Autumn 2012" post saved as a draft!

I first began my "Out and About" series in April 2007 as a way of documenting my life as an “out” gay Catholic man, seeking to be all “about” the Spirit-inspired work of embodying God’s justice and compassion in the Church and the world.

And so it continues . . .

Above: With my dear friend Joan in early October. We'd just enjoyed a wonderful "jazz brunch" at the Aster Cafe after attending liturgy at Spirit of St. Stephen's Catholic Community.

Above: "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!" On September 24 I was the guest on Suzanne Linton's SCCTV program Our World Today. I was on the show speaking as the executive coordinator of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Minnesota (C4ME-MN). During the course of the hour-long broadcast, four of the five 'vignettes' of C4ME-MN's Catholics for Marriage Equality video series were shown and discussed.

For more about my work with C4ME-MN this past fall, click here.

To watch my interview on Our World Today, click here.

As important as the work of C4ME-MN is, it doesn't pay enough to live on. Hence my other job . . . as a part-time coordinator with a local meals-on-wheels program. That's what I'm pictured working at above.

The thing I like most about my work with meals-on-wheels is that at the end of every day I know I've making a difference in people's lives. I mean, as meaningful as the work of C4ME-MN is, we rarely see positive social change around marriage equality happening immediately. It's coming, to be sure; and of course what we're doing is important as, in many ways, we're 'planting seeds' for the future reality of full equality for LGBT people. But it's very much future-oriented work. With my work with meal-on-wheels, however, I experience the satisfaction of knowing that every day – here and now – our work is making a very real difference in people's lives. These two very different types of work make for a good balance in my life. And for that I'm very grateful.

Above and left: The autumn equinox wedding of Eve and Daniel.

Right: With friends Joan (the mother of the bride) and Nick.

Yes, it's true: you know you're getting old when you're closer in age to the mother of the bride than to the bride!

Above: Autumn in Minnesota! For more images of the beautiful fall colors this year, see here, here and here.

Above: Friends Mark, Walter and Raul. We were out with others at the Loring Kitchen and Bar on the evening of October 6, farewelling Raul who was leaving Minnesota to return to Mexico.

Above: Mark, Dan, Miss Daisy, Raul, Walter and Barry.



Right: Sitting (at right) with Dan, Miss Daisy and Raul.

Above: At the October 10 celebration for my dear friends Rita and Brigid's birthdays. Rita had recently turned 90 and Brigid 80!

Above: The famous McDonald Sisters: Brigid, Jane, Kate and Rita – October 10, 2012.

Above: Friends Tom and Darlene White, who feature in the C4ME-MN produced DVD Catholics for Marriage Equality.

Part of my work with Catholics for Marriage Equality MN during the autumn involved distributing our 'Another Catholic Voting No' yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons. In the picture above, five members of a local Catholic family, despite being too young to vote, happily display the buttons they requested their mother get for them! She had originally come just for a yard sign.

Left: What I called a "tree of living flame in the eye of the storm"! To read what I mean by this, click here.

Above: Jay Michaelson, author of God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality, speaking at the annual Call to Action MN conference, October 20, 2012.

Above: Many of the 100+ people who attended the October 23 Vigil for All Minnesotan Families at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Minnesota.



Right: October 23 was also my 47th birthday! Close enough to Halloween, I guess, to get this specially-wrapped present!

I celebrated my birthday with a number of friends at Fabulous Ferns in St. Paul, including from left above, Kathleen, Paula, Tim and Paul.


Left: Brent, Marguerite, Rita and Cheryl.

Above: Brigid, Sue Ann, Kathleen, Joey and Kate,




Right: Lisa, Eileen, Bernie and Sue Ann.

Above: Later in the week I celebrated my birthday with friends Liana, Curtis, John and Noelle. (And little Charlie, of course!)

Left: Friends Joan and George also took me out one night for my birthday. We had a delicious meal at the Corner Table restaurant in Minneapolis.

Above: With my friend Curtis and our four-legged friends Charlie and Eddie – October 2012.




Right: With Quinn.

Above and below: Celebrating my friend Noelle's birthday – October 28, 2012.

Above: Standing with fellow Catholics at a special prayer vigil in St. Cloud, MN. The purpose of the vigil was to pray for peace, justice, hope, and healing around the divisive 'marriage amendment.'

For more images and commentary on this event, click here.

Above: Celebrating with friends Mary Kay, Brent and Lisa the historic advances for marriage equality that resulted from the November 6 U.S. elections. One of these advances involved the defeat of the anti-gay 'marriage amendment' in Minnesota.

Above: Mary Kay Orman (left), the director of C4ME-MN's Catholics for Marriage Equality DVD, stands with some of the Catholics who feature in the DVD by sharing their "stories of faith family and marriage." Pictured are Brent and Lisa, Grace, and Bob.

Above: Friends Cheryl and Kathleen with Jacob Sustaita, Music Director of the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra – Sunday, November 11, 2012.

Above: Singer/songwriter David Rovics performing at Occupy Live! – November 13, 2012. Sponsored by the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers and held at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Cathedral, Occupy Live! provided an opportunity to "learn more about what is happening within the local Occupy Movement, and to determine how each one of us can make a difference." Presentations were made by members of Occupy Homes MN, Occupy Minneapolis, and the Whealthy Human Village.

For my friend Mary Lynn's reflections on Occupy Minneapolis, see here and here.

Above: My friend Bernie Rodel, co-chair of the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR), welcomes attendees to the group's November 15 event calling for accountability and transparency in archdiocesan finances.

For Minnesota Public Radio's report on this event, click here.

Above: My friend and housemate Tim with one of the two squirrels we've caught in and around our home! Here in Minnesota at around this time of year there's often a movement of critters such as squirrels, mice and birds into human habitations. Understandably, they're trying to escape the cold and scarcity of food that the approaching winter brings.

Above: Standing by one of the beautiful bur oak trees near Coldwater Spring – Sunday, November 18, 2012. For more images and commentary on this beautiful part of Minneapolis, click here.

Above: I love this photo of Eddie and I – even if Eddie does look like he has the eyes of a hellhound!

Above and left: The first fire of the season . . . at the always welcoming home of my friends John and Noelle.

Liana, Curtis, Kim and Mike (above) and John and Noelle (left) – Thanksgiving 2012. I'm certainly thankful for these beautiful friends in my life!

Above: My friend Mike and I with Eddie and Charlie.

Right: Putting up my Christmas tree – Monday, November 26, 2012.

For more images and a bit about the history of Christmas trees, click here.

Above: Standing at left with Catholic marriage equality leaders from Maine, Minnesota, Maryland and Washington. Pictured next to me from left: Anne Underwood, co-founder of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Maine; Ryan Sattler, primary Catholic lay organizer for the Maryland Marriage Equality Campaign; Joseph Palacios, co-founder of Catholics for Equality; Cynthia Beliveau of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Maine; Jim Smith of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Minnesota; Barbara Guzzo, co-founder of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Washington; Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry; Marianne Duddy-Burke, president of DignityUSA; Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry; and Chris Pumpelly of Catholics United.

We gathered with pro-marriage equality faith leaders from Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington and North Carolina on December 3-4 at the Washington, DC headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign. Together we celebrated recent advances in marriage equality in our respective states, and strategized and planned for further nationwide advances in the journey toward full equality for LGBT individuals, couples and families. Our gathering was called "Triumphs of Faith," and was, without doubt, a very inspiring event. As executive coordinator of C4ME-MN I was honored to be part of it. (For more photos and commentary, click here.)

Left: While in Washington, D.C. I visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

For more photos and commentary, click here.

Above: Back in Minneapolis and out for dinner with friends (from left) Brian, Larry, John and Rick – Saturday, December 8, 2012.

Above: Autumn 2012 came to an end on Sunday, December 9, when Winter Storm Caesar dumped over 10 inches of snow over the Twin Cities metro area. More images of the winter wonderland that ensued coming soon!


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Out and About – Winter 2012
Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 1)
Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 2)
Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 3)
Out and About – Summer 2012