June Reflection

by Bishop Myron J. Cotta, D.D  |  06/23/2024  |  From the Clergy

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

With the month of June, we are invited to reflect upon the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a profound reality that in the midst of the Holy Trinity, beats a gloried wounded human heart - the pierced heart of the Son of God, Jesus. It is a heart depicted aflame with divine love and wreathed with the thorns of the Passion. It is a heart that invites and encourages us to trust in the self-sacrificing love of Christ.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is an oasis for one who struggles with their life situations, imperfections, and sinfulness. His Holiness, Pope Francis, reminds us of Jesus’ challenge to reach out, to be present, to encounter the other - especially individuals whom we do not understand and find difficult to accept and respect within our Catholic family. In our times, there are Catholics in our midst who are experiencing a heartfelt need for the Church to reach out to them. I am speaking about Catholics who are struggling with their sexual identity and wondering how, and where they fit in within the Church that they love. Loud is the call to welcome and accompany members of this community. With this in mind, I would like to offer some thoughts on this topic. The following is a starting point: I believe we all would agree that all people, regardless of the choices we make or inclinations we experience, are created in the image and likeness of God, which gives us equal dignity and value before God. As the following words in paragraph 55 of Dignitas Infinita on Human Dignity remind us - The Church wishes, first of all, “to reaffirm that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression and violence.” It is a fact: all of us share a fallen human nature, which makes us equally in need of salvation. Therefore, the need for us to reach out, as the Church, to welcome and accompany LGBTQ+ Catholics, is just as important as responding to the needs of any other Catholic. Though the need is clear, I suspect most of us have struggled with the question: “How do I welcome and accompany LGBTQ + Catholics without giving apparent acceptance of ideology that conflicts with fundamental Church teaching? I wish I had a comprehensive answer to that question, but I don’t. However, I do have a place to begin. There is a duet of ministries, faithful to the teachings of the Church focused on welcoming and accompanying LGBTQ + Catholics, namely: Courage. The members of Courage are inspired by the Gospel’s call to holiness and the Catholic Church’s beautiful teachings about the goodness and inherent purpose of human sexuality. Through this ministry, people who experience same-sex attraction receive pastoral support in the form of spiritual guidance, an accompanying community, prayer, and fellowship. The other half of the mentioned duet is: EnCourage. EnCourage consists of parents, spouses, siblings, and friends of people who identify as LGBTQ +. These family members and friends are looking for help to keep the faith and keep their family bonds intact. They work together to understand the experiences of their loved ones and to respond to them with compassion. They know that it is possible to express love for someone even if we can’t support all of their choices or actions. They find spiritual guidance to grow in their relationship with Christ, and to find community support from other members that help and accompany them in knowing that they are not alone on their journey. As Bishop, I support these Church-approved ministries of Courage and EnCourage as our primary diocesan outreach to those experiencing same-sex attraction, and those struggling to identify with their biological sex. I encourage our clergy and the faithful to support these ministries. For more information, please go to our Diocesan Webpage - https://stocktondiocese.org/same-sexattracted-ministry. I invite you to post some of the information and resources in your parish bulletin announcements and parish websites. In closing, I would like to share with you the Commitment Prayer connected with these special ministries:

Let us pray: + Heavenly Father, you have demonstrated your love for us, by sending your Son Jesus to die for our sins and to rise from the dead. Also, we thank you for giving us the Blessed Virgin Mary to be Our Mother. Lord, convince us of your deep love for us and help us to be aware of the ways that we distance ourselves from you and our sisters and brothers due to our sinfulness. Grace us with conversion of mind and heart to amend our ways. Increase our love for you. Father, we employ you to bless the Courage and EnCourage Ministry within our Diocese of Stockton. May this ministry foster love, fellowship, and guidance to those experiencing same-sex attraction. Please increase the number of those willing to bring this message of good news to our sisters and brothers. Grace these ministers with the courage and mercy to respond to this unique ministry - a ministry of evangelization and catechesis. Amen.

+ In the Peace of Christ,
Bishop Cotta