Archbishop comes OUT!

Catholic Archbishop comes out as gay & questions the hierarchy's teachings on homosexuality.

In an article by Laurie Goodstein published Thursday, May 14th in the New York Times newspaper Archbishop Rembert Weakland is quoted as follows:

“If we say our God is an all-loving god,” he said, “how do you explain that at any given time probably 400 million living on the planet at one time would be gay? Are the religions of the world, as does Catholicism, saying to those hundreds of millions of people, you have to pass your whole life without any physical, genital expression of that love?”
He said he had been aware of his homosexual orientation since he was a teenager and suppressed it until he became archbishop, when he had relationships with several men because of “loneliness that became very strong.”
Archbishop Weakland, 82, said he was probably the first bishop to come out of the closet voluntarily. He said he was doing so not to excuse his actions but to give an honest account of why it happened and to raise questions about the church’s teaching that homosexuality is “objectively disordered.”
“Those are bad words because they are pejorative,” he said.

Wow! It takes courage at any age or in any position of life... but this is epic! How I would LovE to throw my arms around him and thank him for standing up to the cold rule of hypocrites. Indeed this sweet old man is closer to God than any of us who would judge him. 22, 52 or 82 ... its all good timing. Now, we don't get right with God by coming out, we get right with ourselves and our community at large when we say, "God is our God, who makes no mistakes... when Love is the gift that we Live.... not in secret and not in shame."


delizza
happy joyous and free

Spain 2009 (part 2)

We arrived in Madrid April 15th.... It was chilly and my teeth were still sore from the surgery. As we unpacked I looked around and sighed. Spain at last. Madrid was very busy and fast paced. The city was beautiful in its own way but not a place that felt warm or inviting. The best part for me was the Museo de Prado. The art there was incredible. It was hard to wrap my finite artistic perception around these Old, Old pieces of Masters like Goya, El Grecko, Picasso and many others... yet there they were like visual stories hanging for our eyes to feed and digest what we could. There was very little talking, much like the reverent feeling one has when in a Church or maybe even a funeral home... a collective shhhhhh prevailed, not withstanding the occasional flash of a camera which was not allowed.

Avila was our next stop. It was very cold and rainy but I joked that it was for full effect of my pilgrimage to see St Teresa d' Avila. She being after all, an austere woman whom I have loved since I first read about her around 1987. She reminds me that this Life for all its goodness is fleeting... much like the pellets of hail that fell on me as I entered the Convent where she first lived. The streets were cobble stone and the buildings in tact, were 15th century. A feeling of intense littleness came over me... I can not explain.

Then we made our way to Sevilla, where the food tasted better. The sound of the Flamenco singers and dancing on the street captured me.... for about 20 minutes. Everyone in Sevilla looked beautiful, men, women, children. They smiled as if to say, "we are beautiful"... it was more than confidence but not arrogance. I in my jeans, and ball cap, felt happy to just walk amongst them for those 2 days.

In Sevilla we rented a car to drive down to Malaga, the southern coast of Spain. We arrived and ate at a place on the beach. We had no idea that it was not the Malaga we were booked to stay at. Malaga de Ronda was where we were booked.... and that was quite a ways off. We had no idea we took the "path less traveled" as we drove round and round, up a steep mountain to get to our hotel... my Priest friend had choice Spanish expletives, and I frantic that the godddamn road had exceeded my patience and faith.... that we would not survive this leg of our journey! However, once we were there we laughed at each other and ourselves... the view from our hotel was nothing short of spectacular. Isn't that how Life often is?? We take the long road or the wrong path and get frightened and frustrated... only to find that it has brought us to this place. This wonderful place in this point of time. This is an astonishing surprise for two reasons; 1. because you overcame the hardship of that winding fear and 2. because you have no idea how amazing the view is once you get there... again, words fail here...

Then we drove to Granada. So many people there were very old tourists... inching their way to see the 11th century mosques at La Alhambra. I at this point was extremely exhausted and took pictures of everything... and ate too much. I people watched and picked up rocks and stuffed them in my pockets. I closed my eyes and imagined people walking on these grounds 500 hundred years ago....Holy with History.... and then, I blend in with the backdrop of the purple plum trees and red rocks. I breathed in and out and etched that moment forever...

By the time we reached Toledo... I didn't give a crap. I was so tired, too tired and I can't even stand myself when I'm that bitchy. I walked around the hotel court yard and that was the extent of my tour of Toledo.... I slept most of that afternoon.

Finally we made it back to Madrid and caught our flight back home. A friend of mine asked if I had caught "wander lust" and wished to return there soon?... I'd have to say "no". I prayed to my ancestors while there... and touched the ground Teresa d' Avila walked. My dreams regarding Spain have been sanctified.

D.

Spain 2009 (part 1)

It seems so long since I've blogged.... that I don't know where to start but I will fumble through and see where it goes.

April 8th I had oral surgery and had 2 teeth pulled... my nerves were shot and I thought, "I am NOT going to make our scheduled trip to Spain April 14th.' My face broke out in fever blisters, a BIG sign that I'm over stressed... I worried and thought this was a sign not to go. A friend of mine, who just happens to be Pastor, (don't hold that against her) reminded me not so long ago that God is not as culpable as one seems to think. What was really at play here--- was a host of fears manifesting in my predicament. The nagging thoughts like, "who are YOU to realize a life long dream? What have you done lately that deserves to make this expense? The money you have is best saved because ..." and that rap went on and on in my brain. Another good friend, who happens to be my ex, but doesn't hold that against me:) said, "Del, why the hell NOT go!! You really deserve this..." and with that plus other votes of GO, GO, GO!! I mustered up that proverbial "seed" and prayed it would turn out as God meant it for me... even if that meant crashing into the Atlantic Ocean, or developing gum disease and in hellish pain in another country..." I am happy to say, that none of these scarey things were Diosita's will for me. Now on to the trip...

eeps, a friend from the Rio Grande Valley just called and is in the area. . . gonna log off and finish up later... I hate long blah, blah, blogs! Don't You???


Delighted to be blogging again!

Delizza

A.A.'s FREEDOMS
We trust that we already know what our several freedoms truly are; that no future generation of AAs will ever feel compelled to limit them. Our AA freedoms create the soil in which genuine love can grow. . . .LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 303

I craved freedom. First, freedom to drink; later, freedomfrom drink. The A.A. program of recovery rests on afoundation of free choice. There are no mandates, laws or commandments. A.A.'s spiritual program, as outlined in the Twelve Steps, and by which I am offered even greater FREEDOMS, is only suggested. I can take it or leave it. Sponsorship is offered, not forced, and I come and go as I will. It is these and other freedoms that allow me to recapture the dignity that was crushed by the burden of drink, and which is so dearly needed to support an enduring sobriety.

Most if not all of us who came to AA had no idea how rich our lives would become in helping others. The Gospel talks about keeping things simple and helping our neighbor, etc. etc. It was not till I got to AA and Alanon that I actually got the chance to live the Gospel's message..... and its been one not always easy to live... but certainly worth Living!

no mas o menos

Ya no Corazonsito
No me digas eso...
Mejor vivir sin el sueno
O dulce beso...

Pero que dices?
No es real...
A tener la aqui...
Nunca cirer igual

Yo por me parte- no puedia hace mas que soy...
Y ella nunca cera menos ....
No derecho tengo
Esperar lo que no puede, y no pretendo.

What is it to live with suffering?



Suffering is the necessary feeling of evil. If we don’t feel evil we stand antiseptically apart from it, numb. We can’t understand evil by thinking about it. The sin of much of our world is that we stand apart from pain; we buy our way out of the pain of being human.
Jesus did not numb himself or withhold from pain. Suffering is the necessary pain so that we know evil, so that we can name evil and confront it. Otherwise we somehow dance through this world and never really feel what is happening.
Brothers and sisters, the irony is not that God should feel so fiercely; it’s that his creatures feel so feebly. If there is nothing in your life to cry about, if there is nothing in your life to complain about, if there is nothing in your life to yell about, you must be out of touch. We must all feel and know the pain of humanity. The free space that God leads us into is to feel the full spectrum, from great exaltation and joy, to the pain of mourning and dying and suffering. It’s called the Paschal Mystery.

The totally free person is one who can feel all of it and not be afraid of any of it.
from Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 209, day 218 (Source: Days of Renewal)



Current mantra:Prayer and suffering are the two primary paths of transformation>

Dear Lord... soo many things come to mind... but not much of it is making any sense. Primarily I think of Country's preoccupation with money, money, money... no one wants to feel the fear of being fragile... who wants to admit to that? And what have our Corp gods done to rescue us from this sinking ship?? Well it seems they have taken the life preservers for themselves... and we should not be surprised after all... all goes to Ceasar which is Ceasars... and Let us, although afraid and unsure, give to God what is Gods.....
We are only passing through this place, after all.

A WAY OUT OF ....

As Bill Sees It" Free Of Dependence,"( p. 63 )

I asked myself, "Why can't the Twelve Steps work to release me from this unbearable depression?" By the hour, I stared at the St.Francis Prayer: ..."It is better to comfort than to be comforted."Suddenly I realized what the answer might be. My basic flaw had always been dependence on people or circumstances to supply me with prestige, security, and confidence. Failing to get these things according to my perfectionists dreams and specifications, I fought for them... And when defeat came, so did my depression....

Reinforced by what GRACE I could find in prayer, I had to exert every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty emotional dependencies upon people and upon circumstances.

Then only could I be FREE to Love as Francis had loved.-----Grapevine, January 1958


The St Francis Prayer is amazing..... and I'm glad it found its way to A.A. there is an element of "awe" when I hear this Prayer read in an AA meeting... I dunno... its a beautiful intertwining of saints and sinners... and that we might, just might be able to do the right thing for 24 hours... cause thats all we really got.

Winds of March blowing hard today.... and so comes another change of Seasons...