OK, I know it’s Ash Wednesday, and it’s time for me to move into a penitent state of mind. Bashing Trump is a regular practice of mine; no one can deny it. I tried to “get my Trump-bashing sins out of my system” before Lent, but I don’t think I’m able to fast the entire Lenten season without at least a few punches against Trump. So I’ve decided to commit to an intermittent fasting of Trump-bashing schedule.
On Ash Wednesday today, I will fast totally and observe the food fasting as well based on a medically-modified fast. I’m not sure I’ll make it the whole day considering that would be a “cold turkey” attempt. I might have withdrawal!
Then until this Sunday, oo, I’m not sure if I’ll make it four days without bashing Trump, but I will try. I think I should set aside at least one day per-week to “get Trump-bashing sins out of my system,” maybe two days per week like Tuesday and Thursday. Now Holy Week is going to be a real challenge because I’m challenged to be extra well-behaved that week. Maybe I should fast from Trump-bashing all of Holy Week. Maybe with a little practice between now and Holy Week, I will make it the entire Holy Week without bashing Trump.
The question is, how will I do this? Well, I could do more outside of my professional and ministerial services, but community and national service will not fully reignite my relationship with Christ and His Church which I desperately need. I know I need to spend more time in prayer and in the Church building outside of Sunday morning. I have a confession; I’ve been hiding from local San Antonio alt-right Catholics who have a bounty on my head for my publications, maybe not that extreme, but not far from an outright bounty.
The San Fernando Cathedral, my downtown urban parish, is the safest, but the distance is too far without an assisting family member, so I’ll need to find a local Catholic parish for extra Lenten services which is not pro-Trumpian. In Texas, most non pro-Trumpian parishes and LGBTQ+ friendly parishes are urban parishes.
As I review the Archdiocesan map, the closest and most progressive LGBTQ+ friendly Catholic parishes I can find is located mission San Jose or Holy Rosary Catholic Church. https://holyrosarysa.org/index.html. You can also find them listed on the LGBTQ+ New Ways ministry website. https://www.newwaysministry.org/resources/parishes/
It’s going to be a bumpy Lenten season for me because I truly hate the idea of Trump’s re-election which is why I regularly bash the man. But the wear-and-tear of bashing him, standing up to the Catholic Right, and being a fully-supportive parent of LGBTQ+ kids is accompanied with great resistance and intentional marginalization from those who oppose these ideas, ie, the Catholic Right. Regularly following Pope Francis and how he responds to the Catholic Right is probably how I should respond to the Catholic Right since he is more honorable in his responses than I am. It’s undeniable that Pope Francis has taken a few swings against Trump and the Catholic Right, but I don’t believe they are as frequent and oppositional as my backlashes. I became Catholic mainly due to the Chair of Peter, so I believe following his lead this Lenten season is the best commitment I can make to find my love for Christ and His Church again. I followed his lead, and it saved a family member’s life. I need to follow it again this Lenten season.
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