One thing I planned to do this year was post a newsletter each week. After going 0/3 to start 2024, I’m back on track, and committed to keeping it that way. But hey, it’s not like I don’t have an excuse! The week before Christmas I was named temporary administrator of a local church, I teach a senior class at the high school, chaplain at an elementary school, campus minister at a college, and just spent a week in Philadelphia on a mission trip with high schoolers.
Oh, and then there’s this online ministry… Just that little thing.
What I will say is that, despite not posting here, I have been making videos and I have been planning new things. Let’s get into it.
Don’t Settle for Just Okay
One of the most challenging lines of Scripture comes from Revelation: “I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” That is never something you want to hear.
This year, I want to recommend that many of us are more lukewarm than we think. We need a fire under us, passion to guide us.
Eucharist is More Than Adoration
Rightly so, the bishops have emphasized a renewed commitment to the Eucharist in recent years. I love it. What I don’t love is how narrowly focused it’s been so far. We need more.
The Bible has Little to say about homosexuality… but not Nothing
Whenever the Bible is invoked to support a political ideology, Christians should be cautious. It certainly has something to say to the world, but there are many who bend its words to support their ideas. Homosexuality is no exception. Let’s take a look at what the Bible actually says.
Serving the Lost and Broken
As I mentioned above, I spent the week chaperoning a group of students in Philadelphia where they served at St. Francis Inn, a soup kitchen run by the friars since the 70s. It was a cold, powerful, life-changing experience for many of them.
An End, a Hiatus, and Something New
Over the past 13 years, Breaking in the Habit has been many things. I said since the beginning that I wanted to use the media of the day to spread the Gospel, meaning that I needed to be open to adaptation as the world changed. With this in mind, 2024 is going to see some major changes.
For one, Everyday Liminality is going to come to an end. After five and a half years and over 175 episodes, Fr. Tito and I think it’s time to hang it up. We said from the beginning that our primary motivation for starting the podcast was to keep in touch, and that has certainly been accomplished. We’ve both enjoyed our weekly conversations, and think that at least a few people enjoyed listening to us, but the amount of time we were putting into it wasn’t matching the number of people we were reaching. Something new is needed (hold that thought.)
Similarly, Fr. Patrick and I need to put Upon Friar Review on hiatus. As much as we’ve both loved making these episodes, there are some things that take a higher priority than making YouTube videos. Hopefully more to come in the future.
But not everything is bad news. In fact, I’m really excited for this last bit. Starting in a few weeks, Fr. Tito and I will be replacing Everyday Liminality with a new podcast, something we think will have wider appeal and uniquely Franciscan. I don’t want to give everything away until we official release, but I think you’re going to have a new favorite podcast with this cast of characters.
We hope to record our first episode next week, so we’re right around the corner!
Peace and good,
Fr. Casey
Breaking In The Habit 
Be careful about preaching to people to not be “content”. While I understand where you’re coming from, the Bible is full of passages where God wants us to be exactly that: content. He has given us all we need and all we could want, if we only recognize it as that. So to simply say “don’t be content”, is missing the mark.
I’m glad I’m not alone in the need to readjust targets to accommodate changing circumstances and limitations; yet maintain the Ultimate Goal. As a shepherd and brother in Christ, your openness and vulnerability are a great example. Thank you.
Dear Fr. Casey Cole, OFM. I watched your video entitled “What The Bible Says (and doesn’t say) About Homosexuality.” Please allow me to make a number of observations. Firstly, I believe your remarks unfortunately are erroneous with respect to the topic of homosexuality, as Holy Scripture, Church Teaching, and the Early Fathers are all in agreement against your arguments. Since you have blocked comments on the video in question (due to perceived “sinful” behavior), I thought this forum would be the best place to interact with you.
HOLY SCRIPTURE:
As to the pertinent Scriptural references we can easily consider the following: I Corinthians 6:9: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor EFFEMINATE, nor ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES WITH MANKIND,” In Greek the text is: “ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι βασιλείαν θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν; μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται — Reference to ἀρσενοκοίτης arsenokoítēs, ar-sen-ok-oy’-tace; a sodomite:—abuser of (that defile) self with mankind. ἀρσενοκοίτης, -ου, ὁ, (ἄρσην a male; κοίτη a bed), one who lies with a male as with a female, a sodomite: 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10. (Anthol. 9, 686, 5; ecclesiastical writings.) … EFFEMINATE/Of A Male Who Submits His Body To Unnatural Lewdness/Homosexual, (μαλακοὶ/μαλακός/malakos). Malakoi, root malakos, nominative plural masculine, English-Effeminate. {see also Gen 19:5; Lev 18:22; Lev 20:13; Deu 22:5; Deu 23:17; Jdg 19:22; Rom 1:26,27; 1Ti 1:10}. For an in-depth analysis of these texts, along with other issues please consult: The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, by Robert A. J. Gagnon
CHURCH TEACHING:
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2357-2359 & Glossary, page 882
Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care
TEACHING OF THE CHURCH FATHERS:
As for the teaching of the fathers please refer to: Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, edited by Everett Ferguson, Michael P. McHugh, & Frederick W. Norris, American Society of Church History and The North American Patristic Society: Pages 434-436 – “The Church Fathers universally condemned male homosexual behavior. In a standard triad of sexual sins that includes adultery and fornication, arsenokoitia (same root as Paul’s term) appears interchangeably with paidophthoria (“perversion of boys”; e.g., Did. 2.2; Theophilus, Autol. 1.2, 14; Origen, Comm in Mt 14.10). Although the Levitical prohibition was not frequently cited (but cf. Tertullian, Marc. 1.29.4; Origen, Comm in Rom. 4.4; Eusebius, D.E., 1.6.67; 4.10.6; P.E 13.20.7; Const. app. 6.28.; 7.2), no evidence suggests that it was felt to be no longer binding or to condemn only ceremonial uncleanness. Many fathers emphasized the homosexual lust of the Sodomites (e.g., Methodius, Synp. 5.5; John Chrysostom, Hom. In Gen 43.4; Macarius, Hom. 4.22; Augustine, Conf. 3.8.15; Gregory the Great, Moral, 14.19). Some criticized other aspects of their depravity, but no patristic source excludes a homosexual interpretation of their conduct. Stoic influence reinforced Paul’s portrayal of homosexuality as unnatural, and early Christian writers regularly characterized it in these terms (Tertullian, Coron. 6; Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.8ff; Lactanitus, Div. Inst, 6.23; Ambrose, De Ambrahamo 1.6.52; Cyril of Alexandria, Ador 1).
The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration, Deseret Books, 2006, by Tad R. Callister, Page 212: “From the earliest of times homosexuality has been condemned of the Lord. One of the reasons Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed by fire was because homosexuality was so prevalent among its citizens (Gen. 19:5‑9; Jude 1:7). [page 213] “ …The command against homosexuality was clearly continued in the New Testament church (Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10 …” Page 214: “There is no suggestion, no intimation, no crack in the door that would offer any possibility, any proof that homosexuality was ever approved by the Lord. The evidence of its condemnation, as voiced by the early Church leaders, is staggering. Page 215: … “With uniformity the early Church leaders condemned homosexuality and any conduct associated with it … page 283: “Abortion and homosexuality were common practices in the Roman culture, but were strictly abhorred by the early Church.”