Reviews
"I encourage many to read the following testimonial, which... bears witness to the mercy and goodness of God, to the efficacy of his grace, and to the veracity of the teachings of his Church." -- Cardinal Robert Sarah , from the Foreword; Author, God or Nothing p>"Daniel Mattson has written an honest account of the genuine struggles faced by those with same-sex attraction. Drawing upon a wealth of spiritual insights and wisdom from across our deep Catholic tradition, he shares with us how he has come to understand and accept God's loving plan for his life, as well as the beauty and richness of the Church's teachings on chastity. The tenderness and mercy of God is evident throughout and is a powerful reminder for all of us!" -- Cardinal Timothy Dolan , Archbishop of New Yorkp>"This powerful book reminds us that we need to accompany our brothers and sisters in their struggles with compassion and love, patience and understanding. I pray that this book will help many to discover God's love and to find happiness in following Jesus Christ and his beautiful plan for creation and our lives." -- Most Reverend José H. Gomez , Archbishop of Los Angelesp>"Dan Mattson is a profile in courage. This profoundly moving story of his experience of same sex attraction and his reflections on the hard-won truth that those attractions do not define him mark a way forward for others. I highly recommend this memoir to pastoral ministers accompanying our brothers and sisters in similar circumstances." -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, GCIH OFM Cap. , Archbishop of Boston "Saint Peter writes, 'His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature' (2 Pet 1:3). Dan Mattson sincerely embraces this promise. His story demonstrates that such a divine project is, through one's encounter with Jesus, well within our grasp." -- Most Rev. Michael J. Byrnes , Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Agaña, Guam p>"Mattson generously opens his own heart to the reader, sharing the deep suffering and remarkable redemption that have shaped his life... This book is truly a witness to God's ability to bring abundant life, peace of heart, and joy." -- Cardinal Thomas Collins , Archbishop of Torontop>"This easy to read, encouraging and personal witness of a man who found a way to peace may mark a turning point for the Church in getting ahead of this issue of our times and in offering a quiet Gospel space where many of its sons and daughters can be free." -- Most Rev. John Keenan , Bishop of Paisley, Scotland p>"Dan Mattson's witness is courageous and compassionate. It deserves the utmost respect." -- George Weigel , Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics & Public Policy Center "Mattson's book is honest, generous, wise, and very well written. This book resembles many of the spiritual classics and, indeed, may become one." -- Janet Smith, Ph.D. , Editor, Living the Truth in Love: Pastoral Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction p>If you read only one book on the subject of same-sex attraction, it should be this one. Yet Daniel Mattson's luminously truthful book is about so much more besides, such as humility, magnanimity, true manhood, purity of heart, and the gift and discipline of friendship. Superb." -- J. Budziszewski, Ph.D. , Author, On t
Synopsis
"Man is not merely self-creating freedom. Man does not create himself. He is intellect and will, but he is also nature, and his will is rightly ordered if he respects his nature, listens to it and accepts himself for who he is, as one who did not create himself. In this way, and in no other, is true human freedom fulfilled." - Pope Benedict XVI Daniel Mattson once believed he was gay, but no longer. Raised in a Christian family, and aware of attractions to other boys at age six, Mattson's life was marked by constant turmoil between his faith in God and his sexual attractions. Finding the conflict too great, he turned his back on God in anger and decided to live life the way the world said he should guided by his desires for men, he accepted that he was gay and found a man to share a life with. Yet he discovered the happiness and freedom that the gay rights movement promised him to be an empty mirage. In this honest and frank memoir, Mattson chronicles his journey from living a life as a gay man, to finding freedom in living out the call of chastity, rooted in humbling accepting the reality of his true sexual nature, given by him by God: he is simply a man, like any other man who has walked the face of the earth. Part memoir, part philosophy about reality, and part a practical guide for living chastely, Mattson draws lessons from his own fight for chastity, sharing wisdom from his own failures and successes. Relying on the rich deposit of the saints for wisdom, Mattson provides practical steps in battling for chastity, rooted above all else in humble reliance on Jesus as man's holiness. Recalling his own struggles in discovering the meaning of true friendship, Mattson reflects on the nature of friendship, and the temptations which can often enter the realm of friendship for a man like him. He explains the Catechism's difficult phrases about homosexuality, such as "intrinsically disordered" and finds within them liberating truth. His journey comes full circle when his lifelong search for happiness and peace is found in the realization that, above all else, what is true about him is that he is a beloved child of God. In his honest look at his own wounds, shortcomings and his battle with God, Mattson has written a book for everyone who has ever wondered who they are, why they are here, and where God can be found when we suffer. A welcome voice of sanity among the muddled thinking of modern society who believes that sexual identity is rooted in the realm of feelings and desires, Mattson urges the Church to unabashedly proclaim the Good News that Christ said while he walked among us: "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female?" ", Daniel Mattson once believed he was gay. Raised in a Christian family, and aware of attractions to other boys at age six, Mattson's life was marked by constant turmoil between his faith in God and his sexual attractions. Finding the conflict between his sexual desires and the teachings of his church too great, he assumed he was gay, turned his back on God, and began a relationship with another man. Yet freedom and happiness remained elusive until he discovered Christ and his true identity. In this frank memoir, Mattson chronicles his journey to and from a gay identity, finding peace in his true identity, as a man, made in the image and likeness of God. Part autobiography, part philosophy of life, and part a practical guide in living chastely, the book draws lessons from Mattson's search for inner freedom and integrity, sharing wisdom from his failures and successes. His lifelong search for happiness and peace comes full circle in his realization that, above all else, what is true about him is that he is a beloved son of God, loved into existence by God, created for happiness in this life and the next. Mattson's book is for anyone who has ever wondered who he is, why he is here, and, in the face of suffering, where to find joy, happiness, and the peace that surpasses all understanding.
