Dinner on the Feast of the Holy Name

Instead of working from a cafe, I decided to go the Catholic Church. I could then donate some of the money to the Church, in exchange for their wifi. And so I did - the priest was travelling to Kenya, so I got a litre of juice for the dinner that happens after every mass at St Boniface Parish, Pioneerspark, Windhoek.
And I had a touching experience. After mass, in the dinning hall we congregated together for a small dinner, two priests and young ladies. One of them sat next to me and somehow we chatted first on the commentaries - Catholic ones - of the Bible. I told her that I did not like traditional commentaries, but rather blogs on the experiences of individual Catholics. Then the topic of same-sex attraction came, since I mentioned one of my favorite places was a site called Gospel for Gays. The blog had a traditional commentary of the gospel followed by a queer prespective, for your interest. In any case, the young lady and I sat close to each other, engaging in intimate dialogue of what I believed. In the background, the priest spoke quite loudly with the other young women, saying something or the other about how one should have children early : “...and then you only have a few years before menopause”. I let it remain in background as I listened attentively to what Kelly spoke to me about. She honestly listened and wanted to know my point of view. I think she realized that I was not ignorant on the matter after I explained to her how patronizing many Catholic videos or texts on the “Church’s teaching on same-sex attraction are”. I told her there may be one Magesterium - Church law - but that Pope ushered in a new way of thinking in his Amoris Laetitia letter. He stated LGBT people need to find the will of God in their own lives and that is what priests ought to help them do. Notice how that allows for people to live the lives acccording to their relationship with God. Not a patronizing attitude of guiding them away from their sin. I find this radical.

She asked me “Do you want to get married one day?”
I answered affirmitively, but she had to ask again “I mean within your same-sex attraction?”
Clearly my first reply was furtive and vague. Then I said “Yes of course. But I am not sure I want to have a Catholic marriage, even if I could”. This last addition exposed my actual uneasiness of asserting myself, even now years after comming out and being out in the Church at the University of Cape Town. I also pointed to my misgivings regarding divorce and marriage. Not to mention the whole focus on procreation.

I hope you are doing well my friends!
I miss you.
This blog piece is merely meant to inspire you and give you some spiritual fodder.