I’ve heard homilies on today’s gospel reading that reduce Jesus’ words about forgiveness to a sort of action plan to correct wayward sinners–to bring them back to the fold. As a queer Catholic, I have had countless people attempt to “correct” me.
As a queer Catholic, sometimes I sit in Mass and wonder if our church leaders are reading the same scripture that I am. Today’s readings are one of those moments.
To other queer folx, I hope you hear in the Beatitudes an affirmation of your journey.
When we meet Jesus, both at the end and in our daily encounters with Christ in the people and world around us, will we be found doing what we should be doing?
We are also called to a radical welcome. A welcome that does not ask someone to change or leave parts of themselves at the door before they can walk in, but one that simply says, “welcome, sit next me.”
What keeps us from hearing God’s words through the prophet Isaiah when he writes, “I have called you by name, you are mine, you are precious to me and I love you”?