Spirituality of Courage
Five Goals of Courage:
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 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 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 celibate Christian life — to encourage one another in forming and sustaining them.
5.To live lives that may serve as good examples to others with homosexual difficulties.
Twelve Steps of Courage: (Based on Twelve Steps of Alcoholic Anonymous)
We admitted that we were powerless over same-sex attraction, and our lives had become unmanageable.
We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
We made a decision to turn our will and our lives to the care of God as we understood Him.
We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of our character.
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make direct amends to them all.
We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
We continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry it out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
A Spiritual Growth Plan
1.Develop the ability to RELAX — to slow down and be at peace in the presence of a loving God. Good exercise and / or a hobby can be very helpful in this regard.
2.Practice an Examination Of Conscience that helps you see yourself as Christ sees you — with love, respect, forgiveness. Keeping a small journal can help you see the virtue in your life as well as any faults.
3.Choose a Spiritual Guide — someone who can help you keep in touch with the forgiving and creative presence of Christ in you life. A regular confessor is the best starting place for personal spiritual direction.
4.Read and meditate each day on the life of Jesus Christ and His teachings. A slow prayerful reading or scripture with the Lord is an excellent starting place.
5.Pray each and every day — especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, if at all possible. But the Rosary and other devotions are also important aids to spiritual growth.
6.Finally, Serve — volunteer your time and energy, your mind and heart, to help others come closer to Jesus Christ and His Church. Give of yourself — the value of a Christian life is not defined by sexual orientation.