#ChurchTriumphant

[elfpuddle]

My mother is right now (7:23PM EST on April 18, 2023), calling the cops to do a wellness check on my baby brother (46) because he needs psychiatric help and is suddenly off the deep end. Prayers, thoughts, whatever you’ve got, I’d appreciate them. Thank you!

St. George and St. Dymphna, pray for him!

[elfpuddle]

Pop culture reduces It’s a Wonderful Life to that last half hour, and thinks the whole thing is about this guy traveling to an alternate universe where he doesn’t exist and a little girl saying, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” A hokey, sugary fantasy. A light and fluffy story fit for Hallmark movies.

But this reading completely glosses over the fact that George Bailey is actively suicidal. He’s not just standing there moping about, “My friends don’t like me,” like some characters do in shows that try to adapt this conceit to other settings. George’s life has been destroyed. He’s bankrupt and facing prison. The lifetime of struggle we’ve been watching for the last two hours has accomplished nothing but this crushing defeat, and he honestly believes that the best thing he can do is kill himself because he’s worth more dead than alive. He would have thrown himself from a bridge had an actual angel from heaven not intervened at the last possible moment.

That’s dark. The banker villain that pop culture reduces to a cartoon purposely drove a man to the brink of suicide, which only a miracle pulled him back from. And then George Bailey goes even deeper into despair. He not only believes that his future’s not worth living, but that his past wasn’t worth living. He thinks that every suffering he endured, every piece of good that he tried to do was not only pointless, but actively harmful, and he and the world would be better off if he had never existed at all.

This is the context that leads to the famed alternate universe of a million pastiches, and it’s absolutely vital to understanding the world that George finds. It’s there to specifically show him that his despondent views about his effect on the universe are wrong. His bum ear kept him from serving his country in the war–but the act that gave him that injury was what allowed his brother to grow up to become a war hero. His fight against Potter’s domination of the town felt like useless tiny battles in a war that could never be won–but it turns out that even the act of fighting was enough to save the town from falling into hopeless slavery. He thought that if it weren’t for him, his wife would have married Sam Wainwright and had a life of ease and luxury as a millionaire’s wife, instead of suffering a painful life of penny-pinching with him. Finding out that she’d have been a spinster isn’t, “Ha ha, she’d have been pathetic without you.” It’s showing him that she never loved Wainwright enough to marry him, and that George’s existence didn’t stop her from having a happier life, but saved her from having a sadder one. Everywhere he turns, he finds out that his existence wasn’t a mistake, that his struggles and sufferings did accomplish something, that his painful existence wasn’t a tragedy but a gift to the people around him.

Only when he realizes this does he get to come back home in wild joy over the gift of his existence. The scenes of hope and joy and love only exist because of the two hours of struggle and despair that came before. Even Zuzu’s saccharine line about bells and angel wings exists, not as a sugary proverb, but as a climax to Clarence’s story–showing that even George’s despair had good effect, and that his newfound thankfulness for life causes not only earthly, but heavenly joy.

If this movie has light and hope, it’s not because it exists in some fantasy world where everything is sunshine and rainbows, but because it fights tooth and nail to scrape every bit of hope it can from our all too dark and painful world. The light here exists, not because it ignores the dark, but because the dark makes light more precious and meaningful. The light exists in defiance of the dark, the hope in defiance of despair, and there is nothing saccharine about that. It’s just about as realistic as it gets.

[elfpuddle]

[wakingeve]

“Let us not forget that Jesus not only suffered, but also rose in glory; so, too, we go to the glory of the Resurrection by way of suffering and the Cross.” - St. Maximilian Kolbe Painting: "St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr of Charity" by Nielson Carlin. #feastday #saintmaximiliankolbe #maximiliankolbe #saintwisdom #martyr #saint #churchtriumphant https://www.instagram.com/p/CD4VtGsgYlN/?igshid=10i1w8w9yzbuh

[elfpuddle]

[chicoinematt7]

Catholic Meme Monday— Issue 19

Catholic Meme Monday— Issue 19

Hope you had Blessed All Hallows Eve! 🍁🎃❤️ And Happy All Saints Day. 😊 Time for another Catholic Meme Monday. Starting off with a dad joke. 😆😅 It’s true! #churchtriumphant #churchsuffering What’s your funniest Catholic typo? One of the holiest three day periods in the liturgical year. 🙏 I’m definitely not this cool! ☝️ Satan: NOOOO!!! An oldie but a classic Catholic meme. 😆😊 The meal…

[elfpuddle]

My parathyroidectomy, the surgery I’ve been waiting for for years, is today. Thank you in advance for your prayers.

St. Blaise, St. Servatius, and St. Roch, pray for us.

Our Lady, hold us close.

Holy Lord, have mercy upon us.

[lgbt-catholics-exist]

An updated(ish) list of LGBT Catholic Resources

I made this list a while back ago (actually I think it was one of the first posts on this blog). Anywho.. there is still probably a lot of work to do, but this is what I’ve got for the time being. Any input of suggestions are more than welcome!

Organizations:

Catholic Association for Lesbian and Gay Ministry: http://www.calgm.org/

DignityUSA: https://www.dignityusa.org/

New Ways Ministry: http://www.newwaysministry.org/index.html

Pastoral Letters/Messages/ Etc.:

“Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers”

“Sexuality: God’s Gift”

“Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care”

“What Pope Francis Taught Me about Being a Lesbian”- Victoria A. Brownworth (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victoria-a-brownworth/what-pope-francis-taught-me-about-being-a-catholic-lesbian_b_8214884.html)

Books

A Big Heart Open to God: A Conversation with Pope Francis

Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith- Eve Tushnet

Gays and Grays: The Story of the Gay Community at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Parish- Fr. Donal Godfrey

Good Catholic Girls: How Women Are Leading the Fight to Change the Church- Angela Bonavoglia

Hidden: Reflections on Gay Life, AIDS, and Spiritual Desire- Richard Giannone

Homosexuality and Religion: An Encyclopedia- Jeffrey Siker

Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence- Nancy Manahan

Not Less Than Everything: Catholic Writers on Heroes on Conscience, from Joan of Arc to Oscar Romero- Catherine Wolff

Sexual Authenticity: An Intimate Reflection on Homosexuality and Catholicism- Melinda Selmys

This Remarkable Gift: Being Gay and Catholic- Fr. Maurice Shinnick

YouTube Channels

ChurchTriumphant (https://www.youtube.com/user/ChurchTriumphant)

The IN Network [LGBT Catholic Series] (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaVes-rPoOOO8f5qCvIfdfyw9UaEjp1g)

Mary B. side [this is just one video that seemed particularly relevant] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NtBEi9_Jc4)

Catholics 4 Marriage Equality (https://www.youtube.com/user/c4meminnesota)

ItsnotFebruary [Ramblings abut being queer and Catholic etc. playlist] (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaJuD608ORre0r5GtTVMivNczGOrte17a)

OwningOurFaith (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGLz8g7O0RUKI0iWkzNjAxg/about)

Michael Brooks (https://www.youtube.com/user/msb400/videos)

Styled In The Bay [I would just type in Catholic on his page’s search for relevant videos] (https://www.youtube.com/user/ilikejoaquin)

The Lane Center at USF [Is It Ethical to be Catholic? Queer Perspectives playlist] (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA2C79FE0C8981790)

DignityUSA (https://www.youtube.com/user/DignityUSA)

Blogs (Not on Tumblr), etc.

gaysubtlety - “Jordan” (https://gaysubtlety.wordpress.com/)

A Joyful Stammering- Matthew Jones (http://www.matthewfranklinjones.com/2013/07/05/a-step-into-the-open/)

The Catholic Transgender - Anna Magdalena (https://catholictrans.wordpress.com/)

Steve Gershom - Joseph Prever (http://www.stevegershom.com/)

Eve Tushnet- (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/evetushnet/)

Gay Catholics- Our Stories (http://gaycatholic.info/)

Mudblood Catholic- Gabriel Blanchard (mudbloodcatholic.blogspot.com)

A Queer Calling (Reflections on the experiences of a celibate, LGBT, Christian couple)- Sarah and Lindsey (aqueercalling.com)

Catholic Authenticity- Melinda Selmys (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/catholicauthenticity)

Spiritual Friendship ( Musings on God, Sexuality, and Relationships)-              Ron Belgau and Wesley Hill (https://spiritualfriendship.org)

Eleison- Gregg Webb (https://eleisonblog.org): [This is actually is from the perspective of a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which I though was cool]

[dopespoonhansonbush-blog]

The Wind that Shakes the Barley - #stpatricksday #irish #folksongs #singers #artistsoninstagram #performance #coversong #ballads #its5oclocksomewhere #italyisforlovers #agsac #dshbc #pinkapplewhites #saints #churchtriumphant #knightsofcolumbus

[arkangelgabriel]

How do I know there are Saints? ... 'Cause my brother is one of them and he points skyward daily to remind me where I need to be! In Loving Memory of Jose Ruben Rivera. #allsaintsday #heaven #churchtriumphant #angels

[elfpuddle]

Not Magic 8 balls indeed! Prayer is not tarot, and really shouldn’t be confused!

Protestant: do NOT ask the saints to pray for you that is HERESY and IDOLATRY! 😤

Exact same Protestant .05 minutes later: can you guys please pray for a special intention 🥺

[kixionary]

The stuff my momz pop up with. I've seen this pic bootlegged so much and my Momz has the 1973 Original. I need to know the value a this joint. #RasDanielHeartman #churchtriumphant the peice is called #PrincessDesta (Taken with Instagram at Kixionary )

[elfpuddle]

[elfpuddle]

Did Elfie Leave?

No, no, no, I didn't. Well, not really.

The week before Memorial Day, my parathyroid flared up again. With it came the instant pseudo-gout and swelling of everything. (TMI, but without my bidet, there was going to be no hope of hygiene, because my hips and thighs had swollen enough that tp wasn't going to get anywhere it needed to.) And, of course the pain. The level 10, I'm not human anymore pain. I spent my fiftieth birthday in a wheelchair wishing that I could just get a friend to get this stupid little gland out of my neck. It took more than a week to get a hold of my endocrinologist because his staff is the literal worst. I do have a new doctor, an otolaryngaologist who is both an endocrine and ent surgeon. He's a teacher, a director of an ent / endocrine center in nearby Atlanta, and just all-around welcome member to my medical team.

I see him tomorrow. Please pray for HubbyTMC & my travels there and back...it takes me a solid arduous hour of work just to get from this spare bedroom to the bathroom across the hall. Getting ready to go, into the car, and then driving to Atlanta in the heat wave we're having is going to tax me beyond all my limits. I'm hoping that the next step is surgery, and that it is soon, like "oh, I have an opening today" kind of soon. My body is exhausted, my pain meds aren't enough, and everything except for my right ear hurts, and that's where my tinnitus is coming from.

Yes, I'm offering it all up. It's a huge blessings to be able to unite my sufferings to those of our Savior, and know that it all is being used for someone's good. But just because I endure it for the sake of others' souls doesn't mean I enjoy it or want it to last any longer than it already has.

I'll be back when I can. In the meantime, enjoy the food queue that I've been saving up for probably years. Keep HubbyTMC and all those caring for me in your prayers, and help me endure this for the sake of the souls who need the redemption. Sts. Blase, Servatius, and Roch, pray for us. Our Lady of Sorrows, hold us close. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, stand with us and guide us.

[elfpuddle]

Don't forget cupcakes for St. Agatha and heading out in April with a light jacket.

Using tumblr is like living in a low class apartment building. You just get used to the landlord not fixing things, and then someone new moves in and you’re helpfully like “oh yeah don’t drink the tap water, it’s got stuff in it that makes you sick” and then your neighbor you’ve had forever goes “oh they took the stuff out actually” and you’re like “what? when was this?”

“like two years ago”

“you mean i could’ve been drinking the tap water all this time?”

“yeah. they gave us individual mailboxes too finally, you don’t have to dig through the communal bin anymore”

“are you for real right now?? i just redirected my mail, i didnt know”

and the new tennant is like “why did you guys even live here if it was so bad”

“we like it.”

“I kinda miss the communal mail bin tho”

[elfpuddle]

Yes, surgery is the next step. I have pre-op on Friday and surgery is scheduled for the end of the month. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.