Should I have been shocked or what?

[Holly3278]

Hey everyone. I was at Communion Service earlier and part of it is when people announce their own prayer petitions. Well, a guy asked for prayers “That gays would be loved, accepted, cared for, and ministered to in our community”. I tell you, my eyes practically bulged out of my head when I heard that. I didn’t know if this man was protesting in our church, if he was making a legitimate prayer request in line with Catholic teachings, or what. What would your reaction have been?

 

[formerlysure]

His prayer as stated is not inconsistent with Catholic teaching. Love the sinner, hate the sin. I would not have been at all offended by it.

However, if the prayer also included that we pray for the church to accept homosexual acts or for the church to bless homosexual “marriages” I think I would abstain from participating in the prayer, of course.

 

[Rascalking]

His prayer as stated is not inconsistent with Catholic teaching. Love the sinner, hate the sin. I would not have been at all offended by it.

However, if the prayer also included that we pray for the church to accept homosexual acts or for the church to bless homosexual “marriages” I think I would abstain from participating in the prayer, of course.

Sums up what I was thinking as well.

You don’t have to agree with everything on the homosexual agenda to offer prayers of love and acceptance toward them .

 

[Theophorus]

Hey everyone. I was at Communion Service earlier and part of it is when people announce their own prayer petitions. Well, a guy asked for prayers “That gays would be loved, accepted, cared for, and ministered to in our community”. I tell you, my eyes practically bulged out of my head when I heard that. I didn’t know if this man was protesting in our church, if he was making a legitimate prayer request in line with Catholic teachings, or what. What would your reaction have been?

While Homosexual acts cannot be condoned or encouraged, the person is more than the sum of their acts. Those who are in such a position and/or are carrying the Cross of same sex attraction should indeed be loved, accepted, cared for and ministered to in our communities,as they are in need of such care as any other member of the Church.

The phrase I see here is love the sinner(and pray for him/her) but hate the sin.

 

[Joe_5859]

I think the previous posters are correct that the request as stated can be interpreted in a way that is consistent with Catholic moral teaching (though, of course, it could also be interpreted otherwise as well).

That said, I still would be a bit taken aback if I were in your shoes.

To me, it highlights why the General Intercessions are not a free-for-all time for everyone in the pews to chime in with whatever they feel like. To do so leaves the door open for all sorts of petitions that are at odds with Church teaching. What if someone were to pray for a protection of a woman’s right to choose? And then everyone just mindlessly says “Lord, hear our prayer.”

Not that I feel strongly about it.

 

[lauraabarlow]

Like I told my teenager, who identifies as a male, it isn’t a sin in itself to identify as a homosexual, it is acting out that is a sin. Same with heterosexuals, any relations out of a marriage (between man and woman, of course) is a sin. God loves us all. My uncle, who is gay attends mass but doesn’t partake of the eucharist because of being in a relationship with another man. He knows it’s a sin yet well—struggles with it. He did have a stroke last year and thankfully, his partner has been with and making sure he gets to his doctor’s appts and therapy. Despite his and his partner’s sinful lifestyle, the good is that he was there for him when he was down and out. So sometimes good comes out of the bad. We are all God’s children, it is how we deal with our crosses and acting out that can and does lead to sin.

While Homosexual acts cannot be condoned or encouraged, the person is more than the sum of their acts. Those who are in such a position and/or are carrying the Cross of same sex attraction should indeed be loved, accepted, cared for and ministered to in our communities,as they are in need of such care as any other member of the Church.

The phrase I see here is love the sinner(and pray for him/her) but hate the sin.

 

[EasterJoy]

The Church teaches that the number of those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. There is some confusion in the Church about whether or not it is OK to admit to these tendencies as a matter of identity. It is just as OK to pray “that gays would be loved, accepted, cared for, and ministered to in our community” as it would be to pray “that alcoholics and those prone by nature to alcohol addiction would be loved, accepted, cared for, and ministered to in our community”. Neither is an advertisement for either homosexual acts or alcohol abuse.

Having said that, I think the incident illustrates why having “open mike” general intercessions can be problematic. This one is OK, but there is no telling what sort of petition someone might want the entire assembly to offer with them. What is to be done when the petition is fundamentally opposed to Church teaching, worded in an accusatory or divisive manner, or merely rambles on interminably? I suppose some presiders might find a graceful way to handle it, but I think that offering people a moment of silence in which to offer their petitions in silence is preferable. If you have a petition you’d like to be offered out loud, it can be given to and approved in advance at the parish office, where the pastor or a member of the staff can have a chance to review it.

 

[DianaCC]

Hey everyone. I was at Communion Service earlier and part of it is when people announce their own prayer petitions. Well, a guy asked for prayers “That gays would be loved, accepted, cared for, and ministered to in our community”. I tell you, my eyes practically bulged out of my head when I heard that. I didn’t know if this man was protesting in our church, if he was making a legitimate prayer request in line with Catholic teachings, or what. What would your reaction have been?

That’s why it’s always a bad idea to have petitions called out by the congregation.

I would have followed with a petition of my own, “That the authenic, perennial, and infallible teaching of the Church on the key moral issues of our day, would be studied, understood, believed, proclaimed, and above all lived, especially in the communities with greatest need for the light of truth, Let us pray to the Lord”.

People use the opportunity to make inappropriate political and social statements. Here are others I’ve heard:

• “For John and Mary, who just got engaged this weekend” [turn and smile at them], etc etc - it’s just a social announcement
• “For Tim X, whose father just passed away, and his family, and their extended family, and for all who have lost loved ones”, and so on - praying for everybody except the dead
• “For Maisie T, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer” - ok so now everybody knows her personal medical issues
• “For our troops, fighting a war they didn’t choose…” - political statement
• “For Jack N who is taking his bar exam this week…”, “For our students as they go into exam week…” - legitimate but kinda frivolous
• Nervous, self-conscious college kid, “For an end to abortion…”, followed by less than half the congregation responding “Lord, hear our prayer”.
• “For am numum bumnum umnumum…” trailing off into a second or two of dead silence followed by an almost inaudible “Lumnum prum tumnum Lord”.

 

[Hastrman]

Like I told my teenager, who identifies as a male, it isn’t a sin in itself to identify as a homosexual, it is acting out that is a sin. Same with heterosexuals, any relations out of a marriage (between man and woman, of course) is a sin. God loves us all. My uncle, who is gay attends mass but doesn’t partake of the eucharist because of being in a relationship with another man. He knows it’s a sin yet well—struggles with it. He did have a stroke last year and thankfully, his partner has been with and making sure he gets to his doctor’s appts and therapy. Despite his and his partner’s sinful lifestyle, the good is that he was there for him when he was down and out. So sometimes good comes out of the bad. We are all God’s children, it is how we deal with our crosses and acting out that can and does lead to sin.

Who “identifies” as a male? Uh, absent a few fairly rare physical conditions, you either are or you aren’t.

I mean, humans suck, but nobody gets to just “identify” as a jaguar.

Otherwise, good on your uncle for at least not going to communion.

 

[Catholic90]

Hey everyone. I was at Communion Service earlier and part of it is when people announce their own prayer petitions. Well, a guy asked for prayers “That gays would be loved, accepted, cared for, and ministered to in our community”. I tell you, my eyes practically bulged out of my head when I heard that. I didn’t know if this man was protesting in our church, if he was making a legitimate prayer request in line with Catholic teachings, or what. What would your reaction have been?

Nothing wrong with it. People who are gay are also loved by God. Unfortunately, many are not accepted by humans, especially certain members of the Catholic church.

I just heard of someone today who has come out as having SSA to her parents, and her parents, strict Catholics, immediately disowned her. That is not right.

 

[Debora123]

Like I told my teenager, who identifies as a male, it isn’t a sin in itself to identify as a homosexual, it is acting out that is a sin. Same with heterosexuals, any relations out of a marriage (between man and woman, of course) is a sin. God loves us all. My uncle, who is gay attends mass but doesn’t partake of the eucharist because of being in a relationship with another man. He knows it’s a sin yet well—struggles with it. He did have a stroke last year and thankfully, his partner has been with and making sure he gets to his doctor’s appts and therapy. Despite his and his partner’s sinful lifestyle, the good is that he was there for him when he was down and out. So sometimes good comes out of the bad. We are all God’s children, it is how we deal with our crosses and acting out that can and does lead to sin.

GREAT POST!!!

Originally Posted by Hastrman
*Who “identifies” as a male? Uh, absent a few fairly rare physical conditions, you either are or you aren’t.

I mean, humans suck, but nobody gets to just “identify” as a jaguar.

Otherwise, good on your uncle for at least not going to communion.*

:nope:

 

[ahs]

His prayer as stated is not inconsistent with Catholic teaching. Love the sinner, hate the sin. I would not have been at all offended by it.

However, if the prayer also included that we pray for the church to accept homosexual acts or for the church to bless homosexual “marriages” I think I would abstain from participating in the prayer, of course.

Ditto.

 

[fred_conty]

That’s why it’s always a bad idea to have petitions called out by the congregation.

I would have followed with a petition of my own, “That the authenic, perennial, and infallible teaching of the Church on the key moral issues of our day, would be studied, understood, believed, proclaimed, and above all lived, especially in the communities with greatest need for the light of truth, Let us pray to the Lord”.

People use the opportunity to make inappropriate political and social statements. Here are others I’ve heard:

• “For John and Mary, who just got engaged this weekend” [turn and smile at them], etc etc - it’s just a social announcement
• “For Tim X, whose father just passed away, and his family, and their extended family, and for all who have lost loved ones”, and so on - praying for everybody except the dead
• “For Maisie T, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer” - ok so now everybody knows her personal medical issues
• “For our troops, fighting a war they didn’t choose…” - political statement
• “For Jack N who is taking his bar exam this week…”, “For our students as they go into exam week…” - legitimate but kinda frivolous
• Nervous, self-conscious college kid, “For an end to abortion…”, followed by less than half the congregation responding “Lord, hear our prayer”.
• “For am numum bumnum umnumum…” trailing off into a second or two of dead silence followed by an almost inaudible “Lumnum prum tumnum Lord”.

I like this one. “That all those who do not know their
faith sufficiently find our catholic library downstairs so that they become good christians again like they should be in the first place so that we could pray for the things that this
community needs instead of alway praying for those who not sufficiently up on what this
church teaches.” It seems like longer means better. I’ve heard less is more.
Like “Lets pray for the poor.” “the sick need our prayers, let us pray”

 

[Jkimbo]

I would only question the word “accepted”