New Bishop, Great Example
I just became aware of a new bishop for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. His name is Bishop Thomas John Paprocki. At the Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast last Friday, Bishop Paprocki addressed the crowd with the words found below. I firmly believe that we need more bishops like Bishop Paprocki, who will stand for the truth and will, if needed, give his life for the faith.
As you may know, Pope Benedict XVI has appointed me to serve as the ninth Bishop of Springfield in Illinois. As the date of my Installation Mass, I have chosen June 22nd, the Feast of the English martyrs, Saints Thomas More and John Fisher. This day is appropriate because St. John Fisher was a Bishop, while St. Thomas More is a special patron saint for me not only because I am named Thomas and I served as Chancellor, as Thomas More did, but also because Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers and politicians. I think his intercession will be vitally needed in my pastoral ministry as shepherd of our state capital.
My favorite movie of all time is “A Man For All Seasons,” about the life of St. Thomas More. In the screenplay written by Robert Bolt, there is a very poignant scene towards the end of the story of the trial of Thomas More, who was charged for High Treason for his refusal to sign the Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII the head of the Church of England. Sir Richard Rich has just perjured himself on the witness stand by giving false testimony by which More would surely be convicted. Before Sir Richard leaves the witness stand, More says, “I have one question to ask the witness. That’s a chain of office you are wearing. May I see it?” Rich allows More to examine the medallion, whereupon More says, “The red dragon.” More then asks Cromwell, who is conducting the interrogation, “What’s this?” Cromwell answers, “Sir Richard is appointed Attorney-General of Wales.” More we are told, looks into Rich’s face with pain and amusement and asks, “For Wales? Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world . . . But, for Wales!”
Unfortunately we live in a time when many other politicians are quite willing to give their souls for even less than Wales! As we gather for this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass preceding the Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast, we pray for the intercession of Saints Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher, that politicians and all government officials may follow their courageous example of faithful adherence to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Today’s Mass is celebrated as a Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, who lived during the time of Saints Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher. The pontificate of Pope Pius V was one of the most glorious of the 16th century. He enforced the decrees of the Council of Trent, published the Roman Catechism and revised the Missal and Breviary. We pray for his intercession as well. Our liturgy today also continues the celebration of the Easter season. Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us of the life of the early Christian community. Then, as now, courtroom trials depended on the testimony of courtroom witnesses. Conviction or acquittal can depend on what a person has experienced and how credibly the person expresses that experience to a judge or jury. If we expect people to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, there have to be credible witnesses. St. Paul cites the companions of Jesus as witnesses to the resurrection. He passes on their testimony as well as their own. We are called to bear witness to Jesus as the way, the truth and the life. Jesus shows us how to live by His example of selfless sacrifice. He teaches us the truth
about God, about ourselves, and about the world. He gives us eternal life through faith and the living of our sacramental life. Everything we say and do should convince people of the Gospel message. The Eucharist we are about to receive fills us with the presence of Christ so that we may be credible witnesses to the good news of eternal life with our Risen Lord.
May God give us this grace.
Unnerving Situations in D.C. and All Over
I’m overwhelmed by what’s taking place in our country. The decision by our nation to elect Barack Hussein Obama as president is proving disastrous. What’s a TrueMan to do about all of the mess being made in Washington? I’m at a loss.
I would really appreciate your comments and questions on this post because I think that a healthy dialogue among men who see what’s happening (whether it be with the health(death)care bills, socialist ideals, deceitful politicians hiding behind the title “Catholic” or other) would be good. It would help me, I know that for certain. But what’s a TrueMan to do when he sees his government wielding unhealthy amounts of power and influence? [It’s not new, but it’s worse than it’s ever been – my humble opinion.] Do we grab our guns and start a revolt? Do we stand by and watch socialist politicians ruin America? Do we do something else? I don’t know that there’s any good answers right now. Obviously, one thing we should be doing is praying for the conversion of Obama’s soul, as well as his elected officials, we should be praying for the end to abortion and we should be praying for a quick and just fix to government run healthcare.
Please comment.
Man up!
Tools and Resources
TrueManhood Men’s Ministry offers various tools and resources for men. If you don’t see something on this site, but are curious if we have anything for you, please ask. Find us on social media, or email us at Info@TrueManhood.com.
Regarding pornography addiction: There are numerous resources available for men (and women) who have addictions to pornography. The essential element in dealing with an addiction is that the FIRST STEP towards recovery takes place. The next important step is the continual work. The journey is long and hard but the freedom that comes from breaking the chains of an addiction to pornography is almost overwhelming. I highly recommend checking out TrueManhood’s Guide called “5 Step Plan” and then determine what sort of resource(s) you need to make your plan effective. Here are just a few ideas, and a few resources.
- Serious prayer and a life full of the Sacraments!
- Your PLAN is essential, figure out what it needs to be, then put it into action.
- Accountability with your accountability partner. This person needs to be a man and should not be your female friend, sister, girlfriend, fiancée, or wife.
- Spiritual Direction with a priest. I recommend seeing a priest regularly so that you can obtain necessary graces from the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Sexaholics Anonymous – check your local area for locations and times.
- Counseling/Coaching (Email us at ContactUs@TrueManhood.com for more information.) Group Counseling may be a good option as well.
- Support Groups/Men’s Groups
- Books, Prayer Guides, DVDs, CDs, Podcasts, Websites, etc.
- Internet filters, software and firewalls.
I also highly recommend installing Covenant Eyes on all of your devices (including each and every device you have access to). For a reasonable monthly fee, Covenant Eyes offers accountability and filtering. Click HERE to receive a free month of Covenant Eyes.
TrueMan up!
All Eyes On Me
All eyes on me… and you…
I know Dennis Rodman said “I never asked to be a role model”, but he’s in the spot light. And you – although probably not in the spot light – probably never asked to be a role model either. Guess what? You are a role model. You’re a role model whether you want to be or not. Whether you are at home (with siblings, parents, spouse, children or friends) or at work, or at Church or in public… all eyes are on you. Maybe you didn’t ask, but it’s the fact of the matter.
So why does this matter? So what if everyone is watching me? It matters because all of those eyes are connected to brains that are forming impressions about you. And you don’t only represent yourself, you represent all men, everywhere. If you are a father, you represent fatherhood. If you are a Catholic, you represent Catholicism. If you’re doing a great job of setting a great example, then great! Keep up the good work! If, however, you are setting a poor example, then you are making my job much more difficult. If women look at you and think that the behavior you live out is what a man is, shame on you. If children look at you and think that the behavior you live out is what a man is, how dare you. If non-believers look at you and think that the behavior you live out is what a Christian (man) is, may God have mercy on you.
You might not ask for it, but all eyes are on you. You can make this seemingly gigantic task have an incredible outcome if you live as a TrueMan should. How does a man live as a TrueMan? First and foremost, he is virtuous. This includes being faithful to God and being loving. After these two vital virtues, he respects others, honors his wife and children and is hard working. I could continue on for pages. Summed up, a TrueMan is a virtuous man.
Man up!
