Good morning!

Most of us are familiar with the story ‘The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe” and how behind a seemingly innocent wardrobe was a mystical land of good and evil!

The wardrobe seemed just normal and yet behind the outward veneer was a forest of life!

In a way each one of us is a wardrobe and behind our outward appearance of normality can lie terrible pain and battles known to nobody!

It took the innocence of a child to open the wardrobe and free Narnia!

At times I see our catholic church as a big wardrobe and locked inside is a terrible battle of good and evil that remains somewhat hidden by the external structure!

People are trained to walk around like mini-wardrobes locked tight with the keys of fear and silence!

As I meet more and more gay catholics I find it sad that the place they feel the most rejected is the church!

Many, after years of struggle come out of the gay closet and accept their sexuality only to be then put into the catholic closet or wardrobe!

And just like Narnia, behind the fur coats is a multitude of catholics from all walks of life who are gay!

There are professionals, clergy, young, old, married and they live a hell of shame, silence and rejection!

Jesus desires truth and to open the wardrobe of vulnerability and to free the gays!

Not free them into a godless lifestyle but free them into a godfilled lifestyle where they can be fully integrated and accepted in the church for who they are without pretending!

This requires our church leaders to have hearts of love, compassion and mercy and a thirst for justice, equality and truth and to return to its origins as a divine institution run by God rather than a human institution run by men!

So whatever your closet is, open wide the doors and be yourself! Jesus made you to be you and there is no shame in that!

Come Lord Jesus, free us of all shame, fear and silence and may our church by a place of love, freedom, acceptance and vulnerability that will draw all people to you!