The Holy Family by Raphael Flores

Dear Friends,

I hope that the first few weeks of Lent have been a grace-filled time for you. March will see our prayer and sacrifices intensify as Holy Week approaches, even as the Church punctuates this month with moments of indescribable joy. On the 19th, we will celebrate our heavenly patron Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and foster-father of the Lord. And on the 25th we will commemorate the Annunciation, when "the angel Gabriel was sent by God ... to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph," to announce the unfolding of our salvation in the coming of Christ into the world. The Incarnation of the Lord and his Passion, Death and Resurrection are intimately intertwined: one beautiful journey that Christ makes from the wood of the Manger to the wood of the Cross.

I was reminded of this mystery in an unexpected way recently, when I first came across the beautiful painting at the top of this month's newsletter. The Holy Family (sometimes called The Holy Family at Work) was painted by the Mexican artist Rafael Flores in 1857. It depicts Saint Joseph in a familiar pose, standing at his workbench, while Our Lady, seated at his side, "puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle", recalling the "worthy wife" of Proverbs 31:19. Seeing his parents at work and wanting to share this moment with them, the Child Jesus, hammer in hand, proudly shows them his first carpentry project: a delicate wooden Cross, probably made with scraps from Joseph's shop. It has obviously caught Saint Joseph off-guard, as he seems to be leaning on the plank he is sawing to steady himself. Our Lady's face, though more placid and accepting of the meaning of her Son's offering, is also moved with great emotion. This otherwise ordinary moment in their daily lives has given Our Lady and Saint Joseph an extraordinary prophetic glimpse of the identity, the mission, and the destiny of their Son.

Writing in 1986, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) observed that men and women who experience same-sex attractions "are called to enact the will of God in their life by joining whatever sufferings and difficulties they experience in virtue of their condition to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross." Passive resignation is not enough, he noted, nor repression of emotion and desire that becomes "a pointless effort at self-denial." Rather, what is needed is a willing, intentional joining of our lives to Christ through the choices and sacrifices we make each day. "To celebrate the Paschal Mystery," the mystery of the Cross, he said, "it is necessary to let that Mystery become imprinted in the fabric of daily life" (Letter on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, no. 12).

The point of our Lenten penance and sacrifices is to remove distractions and obstacles that prevent us from encountering Christ in our daily lives, and to overcome selfishness, pride and other vices that hinder us from loving and serving Him and others. I pray that the fellowship and support that we share in our Courage and EnCourage groups will further strengthen our ability to recognize those moments — some very ordinary, others quite surprising — when the Lord calls us to take up our daily Crosses and follow in his footsteps. As we approach the solemn feasts of the Paschal Triduum, may Our Lady and Saint Joseph help us to embrace and share in the Lord's redemptive mission, right in the heart of our own homes and families.

We received a very special invitation for the Courage family from our beloved, longtime Manhattan Courage chaplain:

The Mass is on Monday, April 5, 2021, at St. Paul's at 7:15 pm. The Church is located at 59th Street and 9th Avenue. The entrance is through the side door at 405 West 59th Street. Social distancing is observed. The church is huge.

There will be priests and nuns and religious brothers; Catholics and Jews and Protestants; doctors, teachers, cops, and housewives; and friends, old and young. If you can't come, the Mass will be streamed through the Paulist website. In any event, be with me in spirit.

Listen to Fr. Lloyd's encouraging message from Lent 2017. He even mentions Courage! Then go on to enjoy more pearls of wisdom on his YouTube channel. Many of these talks were addressed to his Courage chapter

March 13 will be the 40th anniversary of the day on which Courage was named. In his book that tells the story of our apostolate, Courage: A Ministry of Hope, James Beers recounts the story as remembered by those who were there:

That night, it seemed impossible to achieve a majority for any of the names. Harvey G. recalled that it was young Robert S., who settled things. Robert was very tall, quite thin, and fair-skinned, with unforgettable blue eyes, and he had been a member of the committee that drafted the Five Goals. In the midst of the heated discussion, Robert got everyone's attention and simply said, "Courage! Courage is what we are, and we have to have courage." Courage was now a reality.

For more of the story, purchase James Beer's book, Courage A Ministry of Hope

The details are still being worked out, but one way or another, we will be coming together for our annual Courage and EnCourage family reunion in July. Watch for more information in the April newsletter and on the conference page.

"Frequent reception of … the Holy Eucharist" is a core part of the goals of both Courage and EnCourage. Bishop Thomas Olmsted, the shepherd of the Diocese of Phoenix and a longtime supporter of Courage, recently wrote a pastoral letter to his flock announcing his forthcoming Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist, which is due to be released on Holy Thursday. It is his desire to "assist and accompany [his readers] to an ever-increasing knowledge, love, and commitment to this great gift of our God."

We invite you to read Bishop Olmsted's pastoral letter, which he begins with the example of Blessed Charles de Foucauld, whose "clarity about the transformative power of the Holy Eucharist… unleashed in him an unshakeable confidence and love." Then mark your calendar to return to the Diocese of Phoenix website on April 1 to be further inspired by the full exhortation as it is published on the day we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.

Throughout our anniversary year, we will be featuring many Faces of Courage on our 40 Years of Courage page, including those of some of our chaplains.

Courage Chaplain

Father Scalia spoke at the 2019 Courage & EnCourage Conference on Praying in Times of Crisis. In some ways, his presentation is even more applicable to 2021 than it was to the time in which he presented it. Father explains that "Every crisis we encounter is an opportunity to go deeper in our prayer. … A crisis is allowed … so that we will recognize more that we need Him." Father elaborates on what it means for us to be able to pray as children of God with gratitude, confidence, mercy, boldness, and unity.

Be sure to regularly stop by Courage's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for words and images that will bless and inspire you, along with news and event announcements. Then announce the Good News and promote our apostolate by sharing our posts on your own social media accounts.

On January 31, Father Bochanski preached at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull, Connecticut, sharing a powerful testimony to the freedom, peace, and joy found in virginity and celibacy for the kingdom of God. He drew from the Second Reading (1 Cor 7:32-35) — and Nacho Libre! While he was speaking particularly of his priestly vocation, his message applies in many ways to anyone who is single.

The Courage Women’s Retreat is a beautiful weekend of prayer, edifying talks, group discussions, a Courage meeting, and the time and space to develop good, lasting friendships — because there's nothing like being with other women who just get it. Our theme is taken from the Litany of Let Love written by the Sisters of Life. Join us for this special weekend and let the Lord fill you, heal you, inspire you and call your name.

Karl M.

Allision Ricciardi, the founder of CatholicTherapists.com, talks in this video about being prayerful and vigilant in fostering family unity and minimizing needless division especially regarding children who have abandoned their faith. She directs listeners to her Parent's Spiritual Warfare Power Pack for more resources.

Courage members were recently invited to respond to some questions from EnCourage members. Here is Manny Gonzalez's response to, "What should EnCourage members know about what their loved ones are thinking and experiencing?"

Check out Manny's blog, What a Beautiful Cross

Courage Internacional website in Spanish

The Truth & Love blog has been resurrected. The introductory message explains that the target audience is "anyone in a helping relationship with those who experience questions about sexuality, gender, chastity, orientation, or other similar areas, who wishes to share the fullness of Truth & Love found in the teachings of the Catholic Church in a loving and compassionate manner."

As explained in the next post, "Man O' Man," the blog entries over the next few months will examine the nature of the human person in his theological, philosophical, and psychological dimensions. Different writers will be invited to contribute from a variety of perspectives to "lay out a truth about the person from perennial philosophy or the Church’s teaching," to "present the Church’s practical or catechetical teachings," or to offer "the perspective of someone experiencing same-sex attraction." "The point of this blog is to encounter the truth and then to engage compassionately the … lived experience of a person."

To receive an email whenever there is a new post, just go to our subscription page and check the "Truth & Love" box.

While the fortieth anniversary edition of the Handbook for Courage and EnCourage Chaplains was written especially with our chaplains in mind, the content is helpful to others involved in ministry as well as to our members. The chapter entitled "Support" focuses on the fourth of the Goals of Courage, "To be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian life and in doing so, to provide encouragement to one another in forming and sustaining them." 

This chapter goes into detail about the art of accompaniment on the part of the chaplain, the nature of chaste friendship, and the importance of community.

We hope to move forward with the in-person events listed on our 2021 calendar, while always being mindful of the health and wellbeing of our members. Please be aware that, as the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we may be required to postpone, cancel, or move these events online. If you have any questions or concerns, you may review our statement or contact us. Watch our events calendar for updates.