The Other Brother

AMDG I, a man (like a bear) safe and warm in his cave, seeing the snow blanket the earth in white, watching the stuff glitter in the air, hearing the wind howl, to you, Reader, wherever you are, warm in your cave or cold in the wind. Love and peace to you, and Christmas greetings. We raise our hearts in thanks to the Lord who has given us so much, even himself. I hope it makes you leap for joy to be so near to one so great! Rejoice! Lately I have known a certain unease in how easy things have been for me. Despite being unacceptable to the church as a religious candidate, I have felt the warmth of Jesuit and Franciscan men affirming and encouraging me. In the valley, I have met a marvelous friend. Within my community, I have found that my bishop is LGBTQ-friendly, my pastor preaches unity, my city is full of allies, and my workplace is proudly queer. I have found prominent voices in the church decrying the marginalization of LGBTQ people and I have found backstage hands also working...

AMDG I, a creature with one foot in the world and one in the Heavens, to you, my brothers and sisters in this crazy, worldly, divine life. Hope, faith, joy, and peace to you on this fourth Sunday of Advent! I hope you cannot be tired, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, of the theme of love. An American Paradigm We operate here in the USA under a paradigm of earning our way. We believe in hard work and just reward. Not only is there is an idealistic grace to this, but in a darker way it also permeates every other part of our lives. Tying it into my vocation story, for example, I had an unconscious certitude that I could earn my place in a religious order: if they saw what a good man and earnest Catholic I am, surely they could find a place for me. I also find myself trying to earn my relationships, wondering about how much I am giving versus receiving; if I am deserving; what I can do for the other to justify the relationship. As a white, middle class youth and man, I have for ...