Thanks to everyone for their prayers. I had a great retreat, preceded on March 20 by an opportunity to preach a day of recollection to the Courage group in Philadelphia. I was very edified by this group of very serious Catholics who are struggling, like everyone, to keep the faith. I had the privilege of meeting Fr. John Harvey.
I here attach a translation of an excerpt from the writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe on the question of human happiness and our last end. Know your end. Not altogether unfitting for Holy Week.
I recommend preparing your families for the Truce of God. This will begin on Holy Thursday with the beginning of the Triduum and end on Easter Monday. It should not be all that heroic, though given human nature and domestic rivalries it may seem virtually impossible. Try anyway. In any case, I am giving several days notice to acclimate yourself to the idea.
Mary Victrix 
Hello, Father – Resentment is surely a problem you meet a great deal in the Confessional. Back in my Methodist pastoring days, I met folk who held grudges literally for decades, allowing it to devour them in bitterness from the inside out: tragic and horrific.
I am grateful that Our Lord gave us the grace to forgive “7 x 70 times” whenever the old wound comes back to our minds and hearts. I’m sure you wish more folk wouldn’t wait till Holy Week to engage in this holy warfare of forgiving and being forgiven. Best/blessings
The group, Courage, looks very interesting and I commend these men and women who are fighting a culture that is actually encouraging them to live as they know they ought naught. I forwarded this on to our Youth Minister because there is a link on their website for ‘youth’ … it’s not complete yet but I hope it is soon. Teenagers right now are fighting against this MORE THAN EVER … well, they’re NOT fighting against it … they’re embracing it! The Church needs to get bold to speak up but they’re so afraid of offending people and, truly, I can sympathize with this. We all know people who are either struggling with homosexual tendencies or who have children who are struggling. What do we say to them? How to we approach them on the subject? I truly feel we are all called to seek these people out and HELP them but we struggle knowing the right way to do that.
As for the truce, some of us (eh-hem) need it more for a particular child than a spouse. I’m shooting for the entire Holy Week because we truly NEED the peace. Please pray for us …
Ave Maria!
Yes, Jeff. It is the great scandal of Christians, the lack of charity and forgiveness. My little truce is a really only a lesson. How difficult it is for us to live in peace with one another, or to engage in the necessary strife without indulging our worst qualities.
Jen,
I am not aware of any other ministry that aids those with same-sex attractions—and is orthodox—save Courage. There is also Encourage which is for family members of those with the attractions. Much suffering there as well.
The greatest risk is young people in high school and college where personal difficulties become exacerbated by the seduction of the culture and peer pressure. So much corruption is shoveled at kids today, so much indoctrination and the cultivation of anger.