Outstanding College Council Award – Council 8200

Congrats to the Knights of Columbus, Council 8200 at the United States Air Force Academy for being named the 2009-2010 Outstanding College Council!  This council is near and dear to me, as it is and has been my council since 2004.  Congrats, men!  I am a lucky man to be a part of this great council and apart of so many of the lives of the Knights in 8200.  For any Catholic men who are reading who might not be a Knight, I highly encourage you to join.  If your council is inactive or “deadlocked”, as we sometimes refer to it, then take the bull by the horns and start something.  Resurrect the council and get others excited to be Knights.  Pope John Paul II once said, “All Catholic men should be Knights.”  Take his advice, and my push, and get involved today.

Knights of Columbus is a fraternal, service organization and has the tenets of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.  Here is an article about the award-winning council.

“To be named Outstanding College Council is an exceptional distinction; and it requires exemplary achievement across the spectrum of program categories. College councils know that their challenge is to foster a culture of life on their campus and to strive, through their actions, to build a civilization of love.

This year’s winner demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, social justice and spiritual formation. An outstanding college council not only knows and accepts these challenges, but faces this task with a sense of dedication and determination that elevates the entire Order and promotes a new evangelization.

Last year, Brother Knights at Our Lady of the Skies Council 8200 at the United States Air Force Academy offered service to Mary’s Choice, a home and helping hand Program for young women that provides them opportunity to reflect and learn in a loving, structured home for the duration of their pregnancies with ongoing support. By cutting ten cords of firewood, they saved the facility thousands of dollars on heating expenses. The council also collected winter clothing for families assisted by Mary’s Choice.

To offer spiritual formation for Catholic men, the council organized several annual retreats, as well as bimonthly dinners featuring guest speakers on Catholic manhood and vocational discernment. Exemplifying the chivalry that marks true Catholic gentlemen, the council also hosted a dinner to honor the women of their community.

To affirm the bonds of fraternity, this council organized a wide of variety of social activities, including mountaineering expeditions, and held outdoor activities and sporting events. The council also sponsored a “Man Talk” freshman recruitment event that drew in a large number of prospective members.

These men embody Father McGivney’s founding vision for the Knights of Columbus. When a student’s young brother died suddenly, these brother Knights intervened personally to raise funds to pay for the cost of her airfare home and to assist her family with funeral costs.

In recognition of their exemplary accomplishments and service, Our Lady of the Skies Council 8200 at the United States Air Force Academy was named Outstanding College Council for the 2009-2010 academic year.”

We’ve Only Just Begun to Fight – Conference Call

I’m excited to announce an exciting opportunity for men all across the country.  On Monday evening October 18, 2010, Joe McClane, the Catholic Hack, along with Mark Houck (co-founder of The King’s Men) and I will be presenting on three topics: Choosing to Fight the Daily Battle and How To Win! by Joe McClane, Self Mastery by Mark Houck and The Vision of The King’s Men by me.

The call will feature ways to help fight the battle of sexual immorality and sexual sin.  Maybe youdon’t currently fail in this area, but I’m certain that one of your buddies does.  This could be just the tool you need in your arsenal to help your fellow man fight his addictions.  Consider joining us on the call.

For the men who do fail in these areas, make today the last day!  Fight for purity, fight for goodness, fight for your salvation!  There is freedom and you can experience it.  The three of us (Joe, Mark and me) collectively were addicted to porn for over 55 years!  But there’s good news!!!  We all now experience freedom from sexual sin and so can you!  It’s liberating, freeing and opens your life to goodness that you could never have imagined for yourself.  This call may be just the catalyst you need to get started in your battle.

For all the info, check out Joe’s site, catholichack.com or this address HERE.

Please RSVP to Joe at CatholicHack@gmail.com.  (You may remain anonymous on the call if you prefer.)

TrueMan up!

A Father to a Son

My new name is Dave DiNuzzo Sr… yep, we found out that we’re having a boy!  I am excited beyond words. I love all of my children, but to know that I now have the responsibility to raise a boy into TrueManhood is an honor and privilege. God has entrusted me with many things in life (such as being a father to daughters! – what a task!) and I couldn’t be more excited to embrace the challenges, peaks & valleys, and joys that will come in my life.

Recently, I received an email from a mother whose teenage son has been getting into some trouble and coming home drunk.  He’s the new kid at school and really struggling.  She asked for advice on what to do for her son, here’s what I wrote to her:

“First, what is his relationship with his father like?  This is the foundation of a young boy – how he sees his father will dictate much of what he does in life.  If his father is not involved, GET HIM INVOLVED.  All fathers must show their sons (and daughters – but that’s another discussion altogether) that they 1. love them 2. cherish them 3. are proud of them.  A father has to prove to his children, with his actions, that he cares.  One great way is simply by spending time with the child, doing something the child enjoys.  Many times, the child likes to do what the father likes to do, simply because the child knows that they’ll be able to be with him.  A son learns by his father’s example, first and foremost.  If a father loves and cherishes his children, they will know.  They will then be much quicker to correlate the love of their father with the love of God the Father!  If his father isn’t involved, stress the importance of his involvement.  A son wants to please his father, but if they are fighting, disagreeing and at each other’s throats all the time, the son will “protect” himself and will disengage.  “Fight with my father all the time or spend time with other kids that don’t like their parents either?”  — easy decision, if you’re 17.

A potential problem here is the influence of the kids at his new school.  Being the “new kid” is never fun, unless you show to all the other kids that you’re cool enough, smart enough, have enough “game” (as they call it) and that you deserve to be welcomed in.  The peer pressure for a 17 yr old boy to fit in is intense.  Ask him about this sort of topic and see what’s weighing on his mind.  If you attempt to talk to your son, which I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE AND RECOMMEND, do it as you would any adult.  Choose to respect him and his developmental stage enough to talk clearly and openly with him.  Showing him you love him will open his barriers, and hopefully, after a period of time, you will be able to get in.  If you’ve never talked to him about something like this before, start slow.  Don’t be a bull in a china cabinet, be soft and gentle, yet firm and clear with your expectations.”

Clearly, I could have continued on, mentioning many more tactics and ideas, but that’s not the point.  I want to draw your attention to the first part, about the father’s role.  As fathers (or one-day-fathers) we should all be aware of our influence on our children.  This is the most important human relationship we have, second only to our relationship with our spouse.  As fathers, we must strive to get better at being a dad.

Look at your life and your interaction with your children.  Look also at the interaction with your wife.  Are you being the example you really want to be?  Are you loving as Christ loves?  Are you giving your all?  Are you being selfish?  If you aren’t where you want/need to be, work to get there!

TrueMan up!

An Act of Heroism

This clip isn’t easy to watch, and my heart goes out to this mother and child.  What a great example of virtue and TrueManhood from this husband and father.  The man’s father puts it well by saying that love will fix the situation.  It may seem ridiculous to some, but love heals.  Afterall, do you think God liked seeing His Son dying on the cross?  Not a chance.  But, the love which Christ poured out for us, by giving up His life, was love at its core.  This man, Brian Wood, knew what it meant to love.

 

 

 

This piece shows me several things:

1. Our society has a drastically obvious double-standard about pro-life issues.  Notice how this pregnancy happens to be a baby – in this setting – but in most others, it’s simply a blob, a tissue-mass or an embryo.
2. Our society drastically misunderstands virtue.  If you notice, several times the gentleman’s actions were misinterpreted, saying that he made a choice and acted.  Although he did make a choice to sacrifice himself, he acted out of virtue.  The virtue of courage was obviously a part of this man’s life.
3. Our society will likely see a video clip like this and continue to abuse alcohol and drugs.  Selfishness runs rampant in our culture.  Fight it by not being selfish.  Be a selfless servant.

My condolences to the family.

TrueMan u!

Support TM – Shirts on Sale

Small ministries, like TrueManhood.com, rely on the faithful donations of men and women who believe in the mission of the ministry.  For that reason, I ask you to consider purchasing a TrueManhood.com t-shirt.  They are on sale at Aquinas and More at 30% off.  The sale of these shirts goes to help fund the various costs associated with running and maintaining a small ministry.  Currently, only one design is available – more may be available in the future.  The shirt contains the third stanza of The Divine Praises, a prayer that is prayed at the end of benediction.  The shirt reads: “Blessed Be Jesus Christ, True God and TrueMan.”

If you are local to Colorado Springs, you are welcome to head in to Aquinas and More Catholic Goods in person to save on shipping costs.

I trust that you may have similar experiences as I have had while wearing my shirt.  It takes guts to boldly witness to Christ’s truth, to His divinity and to His humanity.  Wear it with pride and be assured in your witness – “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:10.

The story of how this stanza became the slogan for TrueManhood.com may sound simple – The Divine Praises came first, so obviously TrueManhood came from the prayer, right?  Nope.  When I decided to start the blog, I had a list of about 25 different names that I was thinking about using.  I finally decided on truemanhood and quickly checked to see if the web address was available for purchase.  It was, so I got it.  It wasn’t until approximately 9 months after having founded TrueManhood.com that I was kneeling in Adoration and it hit me.  Our priest was praying the prayers of benediction and as we do each Wednesday, the congregation repeated the prayers of The Divine Praises.  “Blessed Be God… Blessed Be His Holy Name… Blessed Be Jesus Christ, True God and True Man.”  It hit me!  What a perfect saying for TrueManhood.com!  I had heard this prayer hundreds of times – why hadn’t I noticed it before?!  I think it was God’s providence, allowing me to be affirmed in the apostolic work we were trying to accomplish as well as encouraged by understanding fully that God was watching over us.  He gives us what we can handle, when we can handle it.  This was a great day in the life of the ministry.

“Blessed Be Jesus Christ, True God and TrueMan!”

TrueMan up!

TrueManhood.com on CatholicTV.com

I’m excited to announce that TrueManhood.com will be featured on CatholicTV.com on Friday, August 27, 2010!  I am honored and privileged to have been invited onto their program called “This is the Day”.  The show airs on Friday, LIVE at 1030am EASTERN, with rebroadcasts all week.  Please join me in celebrating this new endeavor for our ministry!

Although I’ll only be visible via internet video (hopefully the technology works properly!), it will be a big step and lots of exposure for us!  Tune in.

For more information, please visit CatholicTV.com.

Sweet Spot Between the Sacred and the Secular

“God, Sex and the Universal Longing”…

An incredible event is happening in my hometown in just about one month. It’s already happened in a few cities around the country, and will most likely be coming to a city near you in the coming months. The event is called Fill These Hearts (FTH). FTH is a four hour long info-concert, centered around beauty, art, music, philosophical teachings on the “Theology of the Body” and an all around incredible night that will open eyes and win hearts.  Christopher West and Mike Mangione & The Union Band will present an awesome night that is sure to please.

I don’t promote every event that comes along, but want to promote this event for a few reasons:

1. Everyone needs to hear, learn and live the Church’s beliefs found in Theology of the Body.  (Christopher West makes these teachings/principles livable, relevant and understandable.)
2. Men, especially, enjoy visually stimulating images.  This event has that.  This event is great for men of all ages and for men at every stage along a faith journey. 
3. Beauty, in our society, has been so distorted.  Christopher and the rest of the FTH team are diligently working to win back beauty.   Beauty raises our hearts and our minds to God, the source of all true beauty.
4. Theology of the Body has converted hearts, won over marriages, encouraged births, saved men from pornography and many other wonderful things.  Theology of the Body is not just a set of teachings but is a way of life. 

I highly encourage everyone to get to the next Fill These Hearts event that is in your area.  For more info, or to buy tickets, go to the FTH website at http://fillthesehearts.com/.  (Check out the trailer on the TrueManhood.com Home page.)

TrueMan up!

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