Thankful

Thankful. You help us stay true.

Of all the treasures of 2023, our 40 days together of ‘rousing Her radiance’ shines brightest for me. Together. Prayerful solidarity strengthens us in the unseen. His ‘deep’ calls to ours, ours to each other’s. Thankful. You help us stay true.

I am thankful you love His house. You care enough to lift Her up, especially where She has fallen. That makes me weep. You care for Her. It’s easy to scorn Her, especially when Her jagged edges pierce you. Love showed you the better way: together, we look on the One we pierced, and we grieve. Our tears prime the fountain God promised would cleanse His house of all impurity, every idol (Zech. 12:10-13:6).

I know of nothing more important than that, the Bride washed by His word, much loved and becoming lovely (Rev. 19:7). We share this. Thankful. You help us stay true.

Daily I poured into these 40 reflections without food. His Spirit and your prayers sustained me. Now I am strengthened, possessed by divine power to launch into radical obedience. This fast is just that––a launch. Together, we laid a base on which we can and must act decisively for Her glory amid darkness. Thankful. You help us stay true.

Our voice of clarity and compassion must be heard by every Christian leader, especially our Pope who, despite an endearing, listening spirit toward those he likes, is leading the Church off course from Jesus’ Way for sexual sinners. The synod is now in its last and most important year. We must be heard. We will be heard. Please pray with us every Monday at 3pm CST as we prayerfully strategize for this meeting with our Pope.

What we know: the Africans present at the synod were the bloc that restrained the majority inclined to normalize LGBTQ+ reality in the Church. Sadly, ‘synodality’ is all about sharing experiences, not doctrinal clarity. Francis and his mostly hand-picked synodal cronies splinter unchanging Church teaching from pastoral praxis. They endow the gap with the ‘more light’ of social sciences, poignant disclosure of disordered lives, and empathic listening. How nice to be heard. How rotten to forget the goal of the Church—conversion to Jesus, His Bride making Herself ready, one act of surrender to His chaste holiness at a time.

The good thing about synodality, at least in theory? Everyone gets heard. We must be heard. Thankful. You help us stay true.

‘Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have mercy and leave behind a blessing’ (Joel 2:13-14).