Ordinary Miracle

Christmas is a time that plants in our hearts desires and dreams of peace, joy and love. It is a moment in which we celebrate the great miracle of God's love for humanity where He became one of us to share our struggles, our poverty, our fears and our journey through life. Yet it is also a time in which we celebrate the ordinary, yet so extraordinary miracle of every human being in his wholeness, in his uniqueness and in his wonderful diversity.

May this time of Christmas, be a special time in which the miracle of the life of every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered person, is valued, protected and regarded with dignity by every person and in every country. May tolerance, respect and freedom replace prejudice, oppression and persecution. May the light that shined in that cold Christmas night brighten our souls and and may its rays warm every heart and melt away the frost and ice of hatred and replace it with a never ending love.

Its not that unusual when everything is beautiful
Its just another ordinary miracle today

The sky knows when its time to snow
You don't need to teach a seed to grow
Its just another ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own

Isn't it remarkable?
Like every time a raindrop falls
Its just another ordinary miracle today

Birds in winter have their fling
And always make it home by spring
Its just another ordinary miracle today

When you wake up everyday
Please don't throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle

Ordinary miracle
Do you want to see a miracle?

Its seems so exceptional
Things just work out after all
Its just another ordinary miracle today

The sun comes up and shines so bright
It disappears again at night
Its just another ordinary miracle today

Its just another ordinary miracle today

LGBT Catholic and Christian Communities refuse Vatican’s decision

‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ Acts 9: 4

The words of Archbishop Celestino Migliore confirmed by Fr. Federico Lombardi sound like terrible news for the international LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual & Transgender) community.

It is sad that these words are pronounced by representatives of the Vatican; a message that is at the service of death rather than life. Pope Benedict himself warns us to be careful of ideologies. Doesn’t this statement verge on being one?

As LGBT Catholics and all Christians we ask:

Is the life of LGBT people less worthy than a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church; a teaching which itself states that ‘its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained’, thus a teaching which at the end of the day is based on lack of understanding?

Are we moving back to placing human traditional law, which claims to be divine law above the life of innocent people? The Gospel predicts that those who hold onto a law of human tradition, which has lost any basis in truth about the life of those involved, prefer their law even when it leads to the death of the guiltless. Isn’t the Vatican’s decision an echo of this Gospel truth?

Is the Vatican teaching us that LGBT people should continue being tortured and killed legally just in case they will claim further rights in the future if their life is protected today? Is this a form of punishment inflicted on LGBT people on one side of the world for the rights achieved by LGBT people in the ‘West’? Is the Vatican trying to divide us in such a way?

Such arguments are indeed sad and trouble the hearts and souls of LGBT people, their families and friends and many other faithful around the world. Can parents of LGBT persons across one side of the globe ever be left immune to what is taking shape at the other end? Of course not, for we are one humanity.

As Catholics and all Christians this message is truly and deeply a scandal for our faith.

We love all Churches and are hurt when she is persecuted, ridiculed and mocked. We recognize our own Church as Mother and teacher. However, we cannot stand silent when the Catholic Church herself is not defending the ‘poor’, when she is not defending the gift of life, no matter who or what we are!

Taking such a stand within the U.N. violates the basic principle of protection of life, which as Christians is taught to be fundamental within our faith. As Catholics and Christians we feel obliged in conscience to support the French resolution to decriminalize homosexuality (supported by all 27 members of the European Union).

As human beings we stand for our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers. May we all live in safety and protection, without any fear of persecution, free to be true to our created nature; gifts that enrich both society and religion/s, beautiful human beings whose goodness is to be shared with all humanity.

We therefore call the Pope to a genuine and honest dialogue about LGBT issues, a dialogue in true faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ. May we together work for the Kingdom, in an undivided manner.

‘Let my people go’ Ex 8: 16

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Background Information

Drachma is a group of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgender people who meet to pray together. Drachma is a Catholic group who welcomes all. It is a safe place were we focus on the Love of God for us - no matter who or what we are. Drachma is a place were we search for what brings us together rather than what divides us.

As a group we recognize the Roman Catholic Church as Mother and Teacher. However, we also feel obliged in conscience to make our experience as LGBT Catholics known.

We recognize that the Catholic Church is a rich and abundant source of knowledge and traditions; above all it is the Church of Jesus Christ, thus a loving home for all humanity. We believe in the full inclusion of LGBT people within the Roman Catholic Church.

Now

With closed eyes
looking at a clear sky,
in silence
hearing a tranquil sea,
feeling the breeze of an extinct wind
after a seemingly never ending storm,
warmed by the rays of the star
after darkened days brightened by lightning bolts.

Stilled in a timeless moment,
capturing sounds, colours, visions.
Feeling the breath of life rushing through my veins
meandering through my body,
reaching each cell,
seeping into my very soul.

Knowing its a fleeting touch of eternity,
not wanting to let it go,
savouring it,
living it,
while hoping it can be the start of something new.

Passion

In this time of the year when we hear the word Passion, we are reminded of the God who became man so He could take on himself all our pain, our sufferings, our sin, so that we could be free. His suffering gave a meaning to our suffering and his pain cleansed us from our sins.

Yet the word passion is also associated with love. It implies that state where the euphoria that love brings, makes us do crazy things and its what Jesus did out of his love for us. He held back nothing, but gave up all of himself in a total act of love towards all humankind. His, was an all consuming love, a love that expected nothing in return except perhaps love, a love that gave life to all those who had lost it and a love that eventually even won death.

While remembering the suffering and the love of Love made a person, let us remember in our prayers and in our silence:

those whose life right now feels like a heavy weight,
those who are experiencing conflict in their countries,
those who are at the mercy of the waves as they flee persecution on a small piece of wood,
those who are feeling alone and unloved,
those who are dying of hunger, thirst and incurable diseases or diseases for which there is a cure but for which they cannot afford to pay,
those who don't have a roof beneath which to shelter themselves,
those who feel useless while seeing the ones they love suffer without being able to do anything,
those who feel their cross is too heavy to bear.

Let us remember as well the worldwide LGBT community but especially those;

whose life and freedom are threatened in countries where loving someone of your own sex is a crime,
who are shunned by their families as they are perceived a dishonour,
who feel that they cannot cope with their life,
who have just lost their partners for some reason or other and feel the loss too much to bear,
who do not accept themselves,
who right now are experiencing any kind of difficulty.

Dear Lord,
may your death and resurrection,
help all humankind to experience true freedom, unity and love.

Wasting Time

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted." Mother Theresa

In our society, in our families, many people feel alone for a multitude of reasons, that seem repetitive too mention as we've been hearing them over and over, in discussion programs, conferences, public talks and all over the media. Yet nothing seems to change, and persons keep being shunned starting from the classrooms where a lot of students experience loneliness by their peers, continuing in workplaces where laborers are ridiculed by their workmates and continuing in families where black sheep abound. After suffering in silence, after feeling the pain tearing apart your heart, there are times when the feeling of nonacceptance becomes too much to handle and the only way out seems to be that of opting out. Out of a society that doesn't understand, that doesn't care and that ultimately you start feeling doesn't want you. Unless you change, unless you become someone else, unless you negate who you are and perhaps live a lie. Yet a lie would be just as painful as bit by bit you start dying inside and though you may keep breathing and walking, you cease to live.

An email has been circulating in the last days that a young guy decide to end his life for he couldn't take any longer the fact of being gay and all that it implied in our society. Stories of gay suicides or attempted suicides have also been given prominence in the media lately. Perhaps its something that we still aren't informed enough about, or that we avoid speaking about as the implications are too dreary.

As a gay person myself I cannot say that such thoughts never crossed my mind, when I felt the criticism of people around me for who I am, when I feared losing my job, when I lost my partner for the fear of people getting to know about us, when I feel that who I am is not who I should be. Yes such thoughts came to my mind and I simply feel lucky to have friends to whom I can turn to when the daily struggle becomes too much and who at times are there without my asking them to or when I even tell them not to be.

Well knowing me, yeah maybe I'll be ok, I can make it. But what about my brothers and sisters who are suffering in silence, who feel there is nowhere to turn to, who see only bleakness, whose song becomes the sound of silence, whose aspiration in life becomes death? What am I doing to ease their pain? What can I do? For how long am I going to hide my face?

At times like this I wish I could turn to someone who has all the answers, but right now He feels so far away. Perhaps I chose to go far away, as acknowledging His presence at times is too painful and I lack the strength and the courage to do it. I turn away as I fear I can only look at Him in anger, as i feel afraid of looking into my own heart, as I feel that if i stop too much in front of Him, He'll challenge me to go beyond my comfort zone, to lose my security and to change the direction of my life. I fear that He'll want me to realize that while I'm wasting my time hiding, fearing, imagining better tomorrows; life slips away from my hand, while I fail to live the present moment, love the people around me and live my calling in life intensely and wholly.

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass; grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." Mother Theresa

All is fair in love and war

This extract is not mine but Paolo Coelho's. When I came across it, it felt really inspiring. I find it is useful to remember at a time when I start feeling that love is too risky and start wondering whether I did the right thing in letting my heart open up to another heart or when I feel I'm clinging on to a dream that can never be. It also brings a smile to my face and a sense of hope within my soul.

Convention of those wounded in love

General provisions:

A – Whereas the saying “all is fair in love and war” is absolutely correct;

B – Whereas for war we have the Geneva Convention, approved on 22 August 1864, which provides for those wounded in the battle field, but until now no convention has been signed concerning those wounded in love, who are far greater in number;

It is hereby decreed that:

Article 1 – All lovers, of any sex, are alerted that love, besides being a blessing, is also something extremely dangerous, unpredictable and capable of causing serious damage. Consequently, anyone planning to love should be aware that they are exposing their body and soul to various types of wounds, and that they shall not be able to blame their partner at any moment, since the risk is the same for both.

Article 2 – Once struck by a stray arrow fired from Cupid’s bow, they should immediately ask the archer to shoot the same arrow in the opposite direction, so as not to be afflicted by the wound known as “unrequited love”. Should Cupid refuse to perform such a gesture, the Convention now being promulgated demands that the wounded partner remove the arrow from his/her heart and throw it in the garbage. In order to guarantee this, those concerned should avoid telephone calls, messages over the Internet, sending flowers that are always returned, or each and every means of seduction, since these may yield results in the short run but always end up wrong after a while. The Convention decrees that the wounded person should immediately seek the company of other people and try to control the obsessive thought: “this person is worth fighting for”.

Article 3 – If the wound is caused by third parties, in other words if the loved one has become interested in someone not in the script previously drafted, vengeance is expressly forbidden. In this case, it is allowed to use tears until the eyes dry up, to punch walls or pillows, to insult the ex-partner in conversations with friends, to allege his/her complete lack of taste, but without offending their honor. The Convention determines that the rule contained in Article 2 be applied: seek the company of other persons, preferably in places different from those frequented by the other party.

Article 4 – In the case of light wounds, herein classified as small treacheries, fulminating passions that are short-lived, passing sexual disinterest, the medicine called Pardon should be applied generously and quickly. Once this medicine has been applied, one should never reconsider one's decision, not even once, and the theme must be completely forgotten and never used as an argument in a fight or in a moment of hatred.

Article 5 – In all definitive wounds, also known as “breaking up”, the only medicine capable of having an effect is called Time. It is no use seeking consolation from fortune-tellers (who always say that the lost lover will return), romantic books (which always have a happy ending), soap-operas on the television or other such things. One should suffer intensely, completely avoiding drugs, tranquilizers and praying to saints. Alcohol is only tolerated if kept to a maximum of two glasses of wine a day.

Final determination: Those wounded in love, unlike those wounded in armed conflict, are neither victims nor torturers. They chose something that is part of life, and so they have to accept both the agony and the ecstasy of their choice.

And those who have never been wounded in love will never be able to say: “I have lived”. Because they haven’t.

Our way of praying

Lord, protect our doubts, because Doubt is a way of praying. It is Doubt that makes us grow because it forces us to look fearlessly at the many answers that exist to one question. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our decisions, because making Decisions is a way of praying. Give us the courage, after our doubts, to be able to choose between one road and another. May our YES always be a YES, and our NO always be a NO. Once we have chosen our road, may we never look back nor allow our soul to be eaten away by remorse. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our actions, because Action is a way of praying. May our daily bread be the result of the very best that we carry within us. May we, through work and Action, share a little of the love we receive. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our dreams, because to Dream is a way of praying. Make sure that, regardless of our age or our circumstances, we are capable of keeping alight in our heart the sacred flame of hope and perseverance. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect our enthusiasm, because Enthusiasm is a way of praying. It is what binds us to the Heaven and to Earth, to grown-ups, and to children; it is what tells us that our desires are important and deserve our best efforts. It is Enthusiasm that reaffirms to us that everything is possible, as long as we are totally committed to what we are doing. And in order for this to be possible...

Lord, protect us, because Life is the only way we have of making manifest Your miracle. May the earth continue to transform seeds into wheat, may we continue to transmute wheat into bread. And this is only possible if we have Love; therefore, do not leave us in solitude. Always give us Your company, and the company of men and women who have doubts, who act and dream and feel enthusiasm, and who live each day as if it were totally dedicated to Your glory.

Amen

(excerpt from 'Like the Flowing River' by Paolo Coelho)