The Struggle Through Lent
Lent can be very trying. So often, we embrace Lent early on as a way to purify ourselves from all the bad habits we have, but fail miserably at fulfilling our intentions for the entire forty days. I notice that lots of people make Lenten devotions that are nice and good, but not specific to the things they really should be working on. For instance, someone may need to increase prayer, but instead, they give up eating chocolate. This is missing the point of Lent – a purification of our sinful ways towards a life in Christ.
Another problem I see pretty regularly is that we lose sight of the point of giving something up and fail to recognize what we need to include/add something to counteract the deprivation. For instance, if you give up chocolate to improve your will power, but constantly complain about not being able to eat chocolate, you aren’t working on your will power. Personally, I gave up music while driving. I didn’t give it up to simply give it up, I gave it up to 1. increase my prayer life (which means I have to pray while I’m driving, instead of listening to music) and 2. experience some silence, even if it is distracted silence.
Often times, we set lofty goals for what sort of Lent we expect to experience and then get frustrated and disappointed that we aren’t as “holy” as we had hoped. This is often referred to as “dryness.” Sometimes it works out, but often, we fail to meet our goals. The frustration, doubt, anger and uneasiness that comes from a “bad” Lenten experience is what the devil wants from you. Don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that you were frustrated.
So, with only a few days left for Lent 2010, you can still make your Lenten devotions strong. If you’ve been doing poorly, you can get back on track and make a change in your life.
Man up!
Happy Feast of St. Joseph! The Man!
Happy Feast of St. Joseph! Every year, I grow in deeper understanding of how great St. Joseph was. The man was chosen to be the “Most Chaste Spouse” of Mary the Mother of God AND God-made-man’s adoptive father. What a role to fill! I looked back at what I wrote about St. Joseph last year and thought it would be good to post here again. Enjoy the feast day!
“…Eliud, the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.”
Matthew Chapter 1 “The Genealogy of Jesus”.
Today (March 19) is the Feast of St. Joseph. St. Joseph was Jesus’ earthly foster father, the husband of Mary (Jesus’ mother) and a faithful Jewish man. We don’t know much about St. Joseph from Sacred Scripture, but we can deduce many things about his character, his demeanor and his effect on the world. For men, we should strive to be like St. Joseph – holy, upright, honest, hardworking and just. He was also a faithful man, a man of prayer and he allowed the Lord to work through his life. Can you imagine being selected by God to be the foster father of the Messiah? Obviously, Mary was selected as special by God to be the God-bearer (theotokos), why would God not also select a special man to be her husband and the protector of the God-bearer? He knew the role he was undertaking and accepted it whole-heartidly. He never failed to set the example of manliness for his son, Jesus. As we look to Christ to learn what He taught us, we must believe that He learned a great deal of what He knew from his earthly father, Joseph; therefore, telling us a great deal about Joseph.
As a father, I see characteristics in St. Joseph that I know I must possess. His example of virtue is second to none. In order to pass on faith, tradition and a legacy, I must first act out of love – setting the bar high for my children – so that my actions always precede my words and never contradict them. St. Joseph, the model for men – father, husband, man of faith and prayer, worker, protector, servant to the Lord. St. Joseph, pray for us.
Man up!
RMCMC 2010 – One Day Away
The 2010 Rocky Mountain Catholic Men’s Conference is only one day away. Saturday, March 20, 2010 proves to be an epic event and I encourage any local (Colorado) men to make it a priority. There are plenty of seats available and you can pay at the door. The event takes place at the Pikes Peak Center in downtown Colorado Springs… merely an hour’s drive from Denver from the north or Pueblo from the south. Here’s why an event like this is important.
- As men, we thrive off brotherhood. Brotherhood may be considered, simply, when men spend time together, preferably doing manly things. Imagine what boys growing up together do – then make it relevant to adulthood and things that actually matter… that’s what this conference (and hopefully all men’s conferences around the country) are about. Together, as men of faith, we encourage one another to grow in holiness, Sacramental behavior, daily prayer, and hopefully, to be better men.
- Men need encouragement. Think of this like an over-sized team huddle, when your team is in a vital spot and really needs to score a touchdown, or that gigantic defensive stop to win the game. The quarterback or defensive leader should be trying to pump his team up so they pull off the incredible play. The encouragement from the speakers, vendors, priests and bishops and the other men in attendance can be just the thing that most of us need to get our act together and win in the game of life.
- Men need to continue to grow in holiness. No matter where a man is in his faith journey, he can be a better man. Events like a men’s conference show us the path to holiness, especially if we’re open to what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.
I encourage all of us to think about at least one man that we know that needs an invitation to something like this, and then make the invitation. If you’re a man who’s attending a men’s conference, just extend the invitation. If you’re a woman who knows of a man who needs to attend an event like this, it would be best to have another man extend the invitation at your request. An invitation isn’t pressure to go, it’s a simple way of showing encouragement and extending a friendly hand. Don’t be weak in your invitation and don’t be a power-monger either. Be genuine and see what happens… it can’t hurt to ask. Maybe you don’t live in Colorado and can’t get to the Rocky Mountain Catholic Men’s Conference, that’s okay. There’s an event like this somewhere near you, and if there isn’t, I want to know! (I’ll work to get something there!) A men’s conference may be the thing that encourages a man to change his life for Christ.
To see more info, click HERE to go to the conference website.
Man up!
Play Through the Whistle
We’re into the second half of Lent, and I think some encouragement would do us all some good. In 18 days (plus Sundays – these are feast days in the liturgical calendar and do not “count” towards days of fasting) Christ’s passion, death and resurrection will be remembered. Whatever you decided to “give up” or add for Lent this year should bring you closer to this mystery of our faith. It should unite your knowledge of what Jesus went through for you and me with the physical sacrifice in which you make for Lent, thus making Lent more meaningful and more purposeful.
Lent isn’t about impressing anybody with what we give up or with what Lenten devotions we increase, it’s about personal conversion – a turning away from sin and a turning towards God. I’m struggling this Lent, anybody else? There’s a lot on my plate and my Lenten devotions have gone by the wayside multiple times. I try to remind myself that through perseverance we obtain holiness. I really need to “get back on the wagon”, so to speak, and continue persevering through my laziness and indifference. I encourage you, if you’ve let your Lenten sacrifices ride, to take the time and energy to decide if you really need(ed) the penance or not. If so, keep doing it. If not, find something else, more important for you. Have a great rest of Lent.
“Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel.”
Man up!
Abortion Funding Showdown
I recently received this letter from Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson. Brother Anderson is the head of the Knights of Columbus based out of New Haven, CT. We have a chance to do something, to stand up for a social (in)justice and to push the truth. If this bill goes through, it will be the most devastating assault on pro-life since Roe v. Wade in 1973. Here is what Brother Anderson wrote last week:
The debate on health care legislation has now reached its final and most critical stage, with final votes expected in Congress within the next two weeks. The legislation is being fast-tracked through Congress using a rare parliamentary maneuver known as “reconciliation.” This procedure will push the bill through Congress over the objections of a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives that wants to remove abortion funding from the bill.
Very soon the House will be asked vote on a Senate bill containing provisions that would overturn the thirty-year federal policy against tax-dollar funding of abortion. If the Senate bill is approved by the House, it goes immediately to the President’s desk and will be enacted into law. A second “reconciliation” bill will then be voted on by both houses to make changes to the new law. These changes will not amend the abortion mandates enacted through the Senate bill.
The American Catholic bishops oppose the Senate bill, calling it “deficient” because it contains multiple pro-abortion provisions and federal subsidies for abortion. It allows for federal dollars to flow to abortion providers in community health centers; it allows for federal subsidies for overall health plans that cover abortion. Lastly, it provides no conscience protection for those who refuse to participate in abortion. A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including brother Knight Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI), is working to ensure that health care legislation contains language that would ban abortion funding. They need the support of brother Knights from across the United States.
I urge you to encourage every Knight in your state to contact their representatives in Congress. Ask them to go to the Knights of Columbus homepage at www.kofc.org for instructions on contacting Congress. Your immediate action is critical. If the Senate bill becomes law, it will be the largest expansion of abortion in our country since Roe v. Wade.
Carl A. Anderson
Supreme Knight
Fighting for Manliness Video
February 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Blog, Faith, Fatherhood, Virtue
I finally got some of the video edited from my talk at the 2010 FOCUS National Conference in Orlando, FL on New Year’s Eve 2009. The talk was titled “Fighting for Manliness” for the Men’s Impact Sessions. The crowd for the two sessions totaled around 1,500 college men.
The video below is only part 1 of the 50 minute video.
In this talk, I highlighted some major points, including: What is Manliness?, Manly Leadership, Living Virtue, Fighting the Giant of Pornography and more.
If your content is removed by your server, click HERE to view the video on YouTube.
Ask an Expert – Relationship with God, No Church?
My latest Ask an Expert response on iibloom.com:
QUESTION: Can I have a relationship with God without going to Church?
ANSWER: I know this question is on the hearts and minds of lots of folks, so thanks for stepping out and asking it. The short answer is, yes, you can have a relationship with God without going to Church. After all, He created you! However, that relationship is going to be a bad one. Think about it this way… imagine that you’re married and that you and your spouse have completely opposite schedules. You never talk, you never see each other. You never go on dates, you don’t snuggle at night and you never eat a meal together. What kind of marriage are you going to have? Not a good one. I DON’T think this is what you’re getting at.
Imagine now that you never become intimate with your spouse, that you never share or participate in their sacrifice for you. Imagine that you have barriers between you and your spouse that eliminate the ability to fully understand each other. What kind of marriage is this? An even worse marriage than the other. This, I think, IS what you’re getting at!
“Can I have a relationship with God without going to church?” Being in relationship with God is about much more than simply going to church. Being in relationship with God is about being involved in His life. God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to take on human flesh. Once Jesus became man, He gave fully of Himself in a sacrificial way. This sacrifice is what we celebrate at Mass, and is the “source and summit” of our faith. This sacrifice is The Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Eucharist! When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we are more intimately connected with Him than at any other time in our lives. There is no other single way to be more closely related to Him than this! He dwells in us, physically, after we receive Him. What a great honor and privilege!!!
Previously, I stated that you could have a relationship with God without going to Church. I don’t actually believe that. In order to be in relationship, which means to be connected to someone else, you have to participate in their life. Jesus gave His all for His bride, the Church. His life was service to His spouse. If we’re going to be in relationship with Him, we have to participate in the life of the Church, the bride of Christ.
[If you read in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, Christ institutes the Eucharist. These passages are vital for a Catholic understanding of what Christ did on the cross for us.]
