Gender reassignment surgery is based on the false premiss that a change to the body equates to a psychological remedy. However, human sexuality and gender identity cannot be altered by the scalpel. It is far more complex than that. Human sexuality is not merely skin deep; it is rooted in the depths of the person’s being.
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, is perhaps best remembered for the life of sanctity, simplicity, and poverty he deliberately chose as a young man in strong opposition to the wealthy, pampered circumstances in which he was raised. Given the cultural context of today, there’s a great deal we can learn from the way Francis chose to live for God.
St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor
St. Jerome was heavily interested in classical literature and worldly culture as a young man—not a ready-made saint, by any means. He was baptized in Rome at about age twenty. His conversion to Christ eventually set his heart ablaze for not only a thirst for the truth but an ardent zeal for guarding and transmitting it.
Bearing Forth the Light of Christ
Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.”
The Last Will Be First, The First Will Be Last
The parable of the workers in the vineyard speaks of Christ, who is the landowner offering eternal life to those who work in his vineyard, bringing first themselves under his rule, then their families, neighborhoods, and societies for the purpose of building up the kingdom of Christ. All who enter this vineyard at the landowner’s invitation and labor therein will receive the generous and unfathomable gift of everlasting life.