Some friends recently shared a song with me that I find beautiful, inspirational and challenging. It is entitled “Blessings” and is sung by Laura Story. It can be found on YouTube. One version has the lyrics. If you are reading this on our website, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/helovesusanyway#p/a/u/0/eOOFAaUGfRE

The song invites me (and hopefully you) to take a different look at the trials and pains of life and their meaning. I know I resist the pains of life. Our Lord invites us to take up our crosses and follow Him.

I want to thank you for your love and supportive prayers over these past two months. You have helped me. God has brought me to a different place: a place of trusting Him. I fought Him tooth-and-nail. Ultimately, I still struggle with God, but find that His message to me is coming through my thick headedness: “I love you. You can’t always be in control and fix everything. Trust me with the concerns of your heart. I won’t disappoint you. I will not be outdone in generosity.”
    
I know that there have been mixed reviews of my sharing of myself in the “Heights” back in early June. Some of you, especially those of you who suffer with depression, wrote emails and notes thanking me for standing with you. Some of you found out that priests are human and applaud this. Others found out that priests are human and don’t like this. (Sorry folks: we are more like you than you realize.) Some of you thought I made a mistake by sharing my vulnerability: that people would be hesitant in coming to me to share their problems so as not to burden me.

The message I received growing up from family and the culture is that we males are to be strong, invincible, and non-vulnerable. I also learned that “what happens in the house, stays in the house.” I freely chose to share myself with you because I needed your prayerful help. I also freely chose to share myself because as is said in the 12-step programs: “We are only as sick as our secrets.” I choose to be healthy. I choose to be an instrument of God’s healing if that is what God desires.

Thank you again for your prayerful support no matter what your opinion of my revelation. I know that your love and support have brought me to a new place in my relationship with God. For that I love you.