Questions from Credo ... follow up

Last week I answered several questions from the Credo youth retreat related to same-sex attraction.  Hopefully they were helpful to you.  If you'd like to read all of those posts, you can find them here.

I also wanted to share a few sources that might be of interest if you are looking for more information.

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church on homosexuality (paragraphs 2357-2359).
• Courage -- a support group for those with same-sex attraction who desire to live chastely.
• "One Man, One Woman: A Catholic's Guide to Defending Marriage" by Dale O'Leary
• The Ruth Institute -- an organization dedicated to assisting young people in appreciating the gift of marriage. 
• Marriage: Unique for a Reason -- This website sponsored by the US Bishops includes great information about the Church's teaching on marriage, gender and same-sex attraction. 
• "Homosexuality and the Catholic Church: Clear Answers to Difficult Questions" by Fr. John Harvey
• Chastity Project -- Jason Evert's new website includes videos, talks, quotes and blog posts about chastity, same-sex attraction and related topics.

I hope that in all of the posts in the last week, you were able to see the beauty of the Church's teaching -- beautiful but difficult.  It is only because God loves us so much that we are challenged to live in a way that corresponds with the dignity God gave us.  

It's also important to remember that the Church holds two things together at all times -- the dignity of the human person, regardless of who he or she is attracted to and the understanding that same-sex actions are wrong.  It can be easy to overemphasize one or the other, but we must hold both together.