Cecilia Galatolo
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There are profound differences between love and lust, between tenderness and possession. Lust seeks only immediate pleasure: it uses a body. Love, on the other hand, recognizes a person: it looks at a face, lingers on a story, and cares about a soul. Those who care about you call you by name. Those who have no regard for your life feel no need to address you this way: a name belongs to love, not to use.
Peter experienced these truths—which are not abstract at all—as a member of the Catholic charism Courage, a ministry that reaches out to individuals who experience same-sex attraction.
What is Courage
The “Courage” charism is the mission of Courage International: to accompany, within the Catholic faith, people with same-sex attraction by offering spiritual support, friendship, and a journey of interior growth. It is based on the idea of living one’s Christian values with courage, through prayer, authentic relationships, and mutual support.
In Peter’s words
Peter’s words are shaking and thought-provoking, regardless of one’s background. Here is what he shares:
“I once invited a stranger to my apartment after picking up signals that he wanted a sexual encounter. While we were together, I asked him his name. He replied: ‘No name. Just sex. Now keep going.’ At that moment, I realized something was wrong. I could no longer keep telling myself that this was a fulfilling lifestyle. I began to turn to God in faith to get answers. It may seem strange, but while all this was happening, I believed in God. I attended Mass and prayed a lot, but I often found myself crying for no apparent reason. Then it happened. I started crying out to the Lord amidst my tears. I began to desperately ask for His help.
Peter had a difficult childhood: an absent father and an overly overbearing mother, who placed responsibilities on his shoulders that were too big for his age. We do not want to generalize or offer clichés. Peter’s story is uniquely his own. For him, things went this way. To protect himself from family problems, he took refuge in TV series, while real friendships and relationships frightened him.
Everything started from that night; everything changed because, without even knowing how to decipher it, he had felt a calling in his heart for something more. He didn’t even know that the Bible already contained the prophecy about his own life: “I have called you by name” (Is 43:1) and “You are precious in my eyes” (Is 43:4). Today, however, he is a witness to a rebirth that began in that very way.”
Conclusions
Peter’s story reminds us that the deepest desire of every person is not to be used, but to be recognized. There is an immense dignity in rediscovering one’s own name: it means moving from being a consumer object to being a person with value and a soul.
His rebirth demonstrates that loneliness is not cured with fleeting encounters, but with the solidity of authentic relationships. It was true friends, capable of calling him by name and looking beyond his wounds, who gave him the strength to reconcile with his past. Ultimately, Peter’s message is universal: none of us should ever settle for “no name,” because every single one of us is precious.
