Video – Conf #174: Courage2012-8 – Karl: Testimonies
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Ave Maria!
Audio Only - Karl gives his inspirational testimony of his experience with SSA at the 2012 Courage Conference at Mt. St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD. He relates how getting involved in a life of sin, including drugs, alcohol, and pornography lead him away from the Church and into a homosexual lifestyle with all its loneliness and despair. He then shares how he came back from this darkness into the light of faith as he started to attend Courage meetings, which gave him the much needed support of spirituality and friendship.
Ave Maria!
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I keep seeing these talks about homosexuality. Does that mean that there’s a problem with this freanciscan group? I’ve peaked into this website for quite some time and only recently do i see so much talk about homosexuality and courage. what’s up with that
Ave Maria!
Darial,
Thanks for the comment. It’s good to talk about this.
First, Courage is a Catholic organization approved by the Church hierarchy that helps people who have temptations against chastity whether they have SSA or not. So just as it implies no problem with the FI when AirMaria regularly airs material from groups that encourages people not to have an abortion, so too, in regard to helping those with this temptation.
That being said, it is quite common to make this connection. People accused Jesus of being sinful because of his association with tax collectors and prostitutes and this is quite natural. Yet he was unfazed and continued to work with them, resulting in some of the greatest saints. I think we have a similar potential here.
Courage is a unique apostolate that deserves our full support. Their goals are:
1. To live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.
2. To dedicate our entire lives to Christ through service to others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and of the Holy Eucharist.
3. To foster a spirit of fellowship in which we may share with one another our thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that none of us will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone.
4. To be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible, but necessary in a chaste Christian life, and to encourage one another in forming and sustaining them.
5. To live lives that may serve as good examples (role models) to others.
In our modern world homosexuality is being treated as honorable and to even suggest that someone should not act on such attractions is considered outdated at best, if not evil. So to have an organization that tries to encourage people with this great burden is itself very courageous. We feel here at AirMaria that we should be leaders in showing this support and we consider it a great honor to be involved.
Fra Roderic
Thanks Karl for your beautiful testimony. It is very educational for those of us who are not familiar with the gay lifestyle and in a big way your video gives people like me, who are always praying for wayward souls to not give up praying! I too was once a very far away Catholic who left the church at age 14 and returned finally returned at age 40 – I too led a real painful life until I got home to the Catholic Church. Thanks again and remember you are worthy Karl and Jesus loves you immensely! Courage is a wonderful organization and I appreciate so much the videos airmaria shows so that I can learn more about same sex attraction and the struggles of those who experience it.