As I am pondering this coming Sunday’s Gospel in Lectio Divina: ” “Master, it is good for us to be here!” And they do not want to get off the mountain any more! When it is question of the cross, whether on the Mount of the Transfiguration or on the Mount of Olives (Lk 22:45), they sleep! They prefer the glory to the cross! ” – I have been struggling with the subject of allowing children of same sex couples seeking admittance into Catholic schools, from the moment I first heard it.

First, let me say that the very fact these children have been robbed of the natural right to a home with their biological mother and a father, is the first thing that concerned me. If parenting didn’t require the attributes of both man and woman, natural creation would in fact be very different.   Each of us, has that natural right of God at the moment of conception. When our natural rights are stripped away, its always due to the selfishness of others, who seek to legitimize their own “idea” of Love and compassion, with regard for legitimizing their own sin to make it look more acceptable not only to themselves, but to others.

The sin of the parents, can not be held against the child. Someone brought up the point of how others, heterosexual parents and single parents are allowed to place their children in Catholic Schools. I would like to address one point here again which comes to mind regarding same sex parents: The sin of the parents, can not be held against the child.

I want to add to the discussion, why I have struggled with this.  Someone made a point in saying it, (Allowing children of same sex marriages into Catholic Schools) would drive souls away from sending their children to Catholic School. What no one is addressing is the amount of children from Practicing Catholics who are Home schooled now, due to the problems we already have in our Catholic Schools. That problem being over population of Non-Practicing Catholics who falsely believe its the schools job to teach the faith. Its a false hope many have.  Catholic home schooling is growing in large numbers. Very pious Catholic family’s who either can not afford Catholic Education, or Catholic family’s who have already seen, what can and has taken place in Catholic Schools, in which parents do not practice the faith, and their children not living the faith, becoming a “stumbling block” for placing their children into the system, which peer pressure becomes an added cross placed into the “nest” and seriously threatens the faith of the entire family.

There is a large group here in San Diego who would rather teach their own children and socialize with the Home School’s family’s then to place their children into the Catholic School system. Mainly due to the issues all mentioned here. For the LONGEST time, I felt a need to make sure my children, although we are completely broke, attend Catholic School. Its only now that my daughter is in 8th grade and about to graduate, that I have come to find out, NONE of her close friends attend Mass every Sunday nor do they regularly receive the sacraments, nor are even trying to live the Catholic Faith. I started to notice how my daughter didn’t want to join the Catholic Youth Group, because her friends were not joining. Not wanting to hang out with any of the clubs that often do community service, because her close friends were not. I understand it now, why the home school groups are a tight nit group. Its a matter of protecting the “Nest”. What happened or is happening with my daughter? We can always chalk it up to peer pressure, but when the peer pressure is coming from the Catholic School to NOT participate in the faith, its already a failed system in which many are trying to figure out this exact question. The Catholic School is not the teacher of the faith. Parents are responsible for teaching the faith to their children and in fact, living it with them. Think of our faith in regards to it being like a different language. If you seek to learn a new language, but no one at home speaks this language, what becomes of all you are learning? What becomes of the soul who does not practice, does not put it to use? It is tossed aside and forgotten. A Catholic School is ONLY as good as the parents living the faith within it. The Catholic School is there to REINFORCE the faith of the Church. 

Another question that comes up is why would a same sex parent even want to place a child they have taken in, into a Catholic School that does not teach what they believe? Is it for attention? Is it spite? Is it to prove a point? Is it because they truly seek to have the child live a faith filled life in which they themselves are struggling with? Here again is the issue of assuming the Catholic School is there to teach the children the faith.  Its not. Again, the Catholic School is there to reinforce the faith of the Church. The children and the parents are a Pastoral issue. No different than nonpracticing Catholics who have placed themselves out of communion. 

Why have I personally been struggling with this, when its not even an issue with me? Because I love. Not only do my sins effect me, but they effect everyone, not just who I am around, but everyone.  Although the sin may be forgiven, the residual effects of that sin can not be taken away. When we sin, it is against our Lord and every soul in Christ. 

Why have I been struggling at all? Because I have become “comfortable” with the suffering I already have. Like St. Peter at the Transfiguration, I wanted to stay there in “my comfort” with the Glorious Messiah, and not continue on back down the mountain to finish this journey with the Servant Messiah.  How can I not allow more suffering, if it is for the glory of our Lord? If my suffering is joined to our Lord’s, it is in fact no longer my suffering. My suffering is not even mine, but His, and to this I my heart demands that I let our Lord lead the way and continue on to the cross with Him. This is the struggle I believe we all face, in regards to something “different” entering in our “normal” lives. The more we struggle with it, the more painful it becomes as we fight between God’s will and our will.  “My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!”. My wants for others to be holy and great Catholics, living the faith daily, placing our Lord first, loving and serving Him, although good, does not mean that others want it. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

If our faith is placed in our Lord, we can not be overcome by the world. Mercy is the answer, as the Son of Justice will come to us all. To not receive a child in His name, (anti-life- not open to receive another life, the life of another who is sick with sin and suffering) would not benefit any of us. And we would simply be clinging to our fears of sin, and our fears of “sinners”, over our fear of the Lord. This does not mean we skew the Truth as we take on those who do not Believe. We adhere to the Truth of our Lord, teaching as it is, Truth, in love and mercy, allowing others to use their free will to accept it, or reject it. Just my two cents. I surrender to our Lord. His will be done.