Gay and Catholic; A homily
The Gospel call to rage
Tony Robertson February 6 1999 St Mary’s Catholic Church South Brisbane
On Sunday February 3rd 1974 a 20 year old young man, wearing the simple but neatly tailored habit of the Capuchin Friars, stood in the sanctuary of Nazareth House, Wynnum North and declared:
” I Brother Anthony, vow and promise to almighty God to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to our holy father, St Francis, to all the saints and to you, Father, to observe for one year the Rule of the Friars Minor, confirmed by our lord, Pope Honorious, living in obedience, without property and in chastity.”
The young man had heard today’s Gospel (Matt 5:13-16) many times and had seen it lived out in his family where religion and politics were formative experiences. The call to be light for the world had stirred a passion in this baby boomer. He had marched in the great Vietnam moratorium marches of the late 60’s and like many of his era sang the songs of protest that come from the likes of Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez..
He lived in the excitement of the promises of the time following the Vatican Council in which “Good Pope John” had called for the opening of windows to allow a fresh spirit and more light to move through the structures and communities of the church. His church community seemed pleased to welcome his light in a public ritual of vows and community living..
However, deep in his heart he sang another song for his was a restless dream
“Hello darkness, my old friend,
I’ve come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains,
Within the sound of silence.” (Paul Simon)
For this young man also knew that his light could not shine brightly for he had been taught by his church to believe in a darkness. And the name of that darkness was homophobia. For too many years he lived the sound of silence about his sexuality and tried to hide his light under the tub of regular observance and an active public ministry. Along the way his church communities of friars, parishes and schools preferred not to know the full brightness of his light. Those communities found other ways of acknowledging his light by naming it as “different” “interesting” and “eccentric”. But the integrity of his light was recognized by good friends, by the young people with whom he worked and by other marginalised people who had come out into their own light. However, when the integrity of his light become obvious in church communities he had to “move on” searching for a community that would allow his light to shine brightly and dispel the darkness.
And now approaching middle age he stands before you because he believes that here at St Mary’s he has found a community which as St Paul tells us today is formed by its knowledge of Jesus as the crucified Christ (1. Cor 2:1-5). A community that welcomes the light which dispels the darknesss.
As we all know, light has a way of breaking through any darkness. And many of you who come to this church are here because, you have also found a community where your light can shine. A community where there are no ecclesiastical dimmer switches to control that light. A community that rejects the darkness whose names we know as racism, sexism, abuse and homophobia. This is the meaning of today’s scriptures. The call to be light for the world is a pathway to God who saves us from darkness and the shadow of death. Those who live in the light are living in the integrity of that original relationship which we recall from the first words spoken by our God: “Let there be light” and there was light. God saw that the light was good….(Gen 1:3-4)
St Mary’s is a community that is committed to this origin of relationship in the light. .It is a community committed to the God of Jesus who calls us to the sharing of bread and the giving of shelter. The God who calls us to the healing and reconciliation of relationships through lives of service and non-violence. The God who promises us that our light will rise and scatter the darkness that threatens to engulf us.
So, twenty five years on, this baby boomer still dreams of being a troubadour like St Francis; still dreams of that radical service and social transformation that was nurtured in his family life; still dreams of his light shining in the community that has been so formative for him. He has left behind his “friend” darkness and has certainly moved beyond the sound of silence as those of you who know him can testify!
It is customary in our Church to mark the jubilees of public commitment by renewal of vows and promises. The public commitment of the middle years of faith in the context of today’s readings can be best expressed in the words of the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas.
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. You are light for the world.
