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!
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!
What We Should Be Most Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving 2009 everyone! It’s quite easy for us to forget about things in our life that we are (or that we should be) thankful for. It’s easy to go through life taking for granted the wonderful blessings we have. Sometimes, especially when it seems like the entire world is falling apart around us, we can’t see the blessings. I tend to think that we can’t see those things because we can’t get past our own wants and desires and our attitude gets in our own way.
What we should be most thankful for is the perfect blessing, the greatest gift… the Eucharist. Did you know that the world eucharist means thanksgiving? When you’re down and out, struggling and allowing your poor attitude to get in your own way, do you run to the Eucharist? When you’ve got everything going for you, and you are striving for holiness, do you run to the Eucharist? No matter where you are in life, or how good or bad your day has been, the Eucharist should be your stronghold. I think that men sometimes struggle with the teachings of the Eucharist because men are called to submit fully to Christ and this gift. Typically, men don’t like to submit; submission is a sign of weakness and loss of control. In this case, submission to Christ in the Eucharist is key! If you want to grow in TrueManhood and you want to live the virtue of love (the GREATEST VIRTUE!), run to the Eucharist!!!
Christ instituted this gift, a pure gift of Himself, to sustain us and to guide us. The Eucharist is the one part of our faith that unites us most intimately with Christ. We give thanks for this “bread from Heaven”, what the Church refers to as “the source and summit”. We tend to think of movie characters like William Wallace or Maximus Decimus Meridius when we think of leadership, sacrifice and real manliness. Christ outshines them; this gift was an incredibly hard sacrifice to make… the hardest ever. Christ lead the Church towards His Father through this miraculous gift. I invite you to learn about the Eucharist and then, as I stated above, run to the Eucharist!
For those who either aren’t Catholic or who aren’t educated Catholics, I want to encourage you to read what the Catholic Church teaches about the Eucharist. This is the MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR FAITH and many believers don’t know about it nor could they explain it. To start learning, please click this link for more info.
Man up!
Back to Campus
With most schools starting recently (or soon), I thought it would be good to address some issues about how a TrueMan behaves on campus. A college campus, as we all know, can be a hostile place for an ardent follower of Christ. It can be a treacherous minefield of explosive situations, abusive and vulgar language, uncomfortable environments and disagreements with unbelievers. In order to deal with these difficult issues, here are a couple suggestions.
- Be yourself. If you love and serve God, don’t be ashamed of it. Live it out, your witness will come through – people will want what you have.
- Don’t give in to negative peer pressure. Negative peer pressure is stupid… Real friends don’t force you into bad situations and surely don’t lead you into sin. We call these people “nasty friends”. If you’ve got ’em, get rid of ’em. Don’t ruin your life holding on to people who are ruining theirs.
- If you are struggling, and think that you’ve got it bad or that you’re really suffering for the increase of the Kingdom, read about St Paul in 2 Corinthians 11/12. That’s some good perspective, huh?!
- There’s a big difference between being a strong Catholic man who stands for something good as compared to a “culturally manly” guy who wants the “glamorous” lifestyle of money, power, women and stuff. College campus life increases these bad desires exponentially.
- Many women on your college campus won’t understand the chivalry you extend to them. Do it anyway, with charity and a smile. Be a radical change on your campus.
- Being a Man of God doesn’t mean you can’t have anything to drink, or that you can’t go to any parties. It means that you put yourself in good situations, that point you towards heaven and you act in moderation and with prudence. Remember, Jesus hung out with sinners, but not when they were sinning.
- Strive for excellence in all things. Start by being sober and chaste. If you conquer these two areas, you’re well on your way.
- As much as it seems untrue, women don’t want to marry the dirtball, drunkard, C-minus-student types. They want a gentleman, a man who’s going to provide for them, a man who loves them and shows their love by respecting them and by being self-sacrificing. They want a man who is going to be a great dad and a hard worker. There’s nothing wrong with stacking the deck on this topic! Put all the cards in your favor from the get-go!
All in all, college is a great time for a young man. Live it up. Enjoy it. In all things, be focused on Christ, live virtue and especially, live joy.
Man up!
Memorial Day – Not Just Another Day
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend… a weekend that typically includes barbecues, picnics, trips, hangouts and lots of other “holiday weekend” events. Memorial Day, however, is not just another day. So often we are consumed by our busyness, our schedule, our “to do’s” and we don’t stop and think about others and their sacrifices. Memorial Day is a day where we should stop and give thanks to those who have and do serve in our military and those who have died for us, our country and our freedom. We must remember them, for if we forget the fallen, their death is in vain. POW/MIA/KIA Never Forgotten.
Memorial Day brings to mind many of the sacrifices that I’ve heard about from battle-stories and it reminds me of the many military funerals that I’ve attended as a volunteer member of the Patriot Guard Riders. Many men and women of our great nation have fought and died for us. Can you imagine dying? Can you imagine dying for someone else? Your death means that someone, or many others, may have life. Can you grasp the scope of your sacrifice? It’s difficult, but important to think about.
Compare the sacrifice of a soldier to our greatest model and example of a TrueMan, Jesus. Jesus was a servant of the people. He gave willingly of Himself and His efforts. He was a servant-leader, leading by example of how to treat others. He took time to prepare for the tough times (prayer/fasting), and was always prepared to give an account of His reasonings. Our military men and women do this on a daily basis. Thank a soldier today.
I posted this over a year ago on my family blog to my family members and friends… a Thanks.
Most of all, Grandpa Tony. You are my hero Dad. I love you. Thank you for my freedom. You are a wonderful Grandpa to Lily. 30 years in the Air Force is amazing. To me, two tours in Viet Nam is even more amazing. We’re proud of you SMSgt.
Grandpa Gary… thank you for your 20 years in the Air Force. We will always tell Lily about the sacrifices you made for our country. Now, as you ride for the Patriot Guard, I am so proud to call you Dad. I can’t wait until I am able to join up and ride with you to honor our fallen service men and women. Thanks SMSgt.
Major (Select) Uncle Andy… You are a great man. I am proud to call you my brother and my friend. So far, 9 years in Active Duty, 4 years at the Academy. Two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom and one coming soon. Thank you so much.
Major Aunt Laura… I am honored to be your brother, and for you to be my brother’s wife. Thanks for your sacrifices. You are setting a great example for your daughters.
Captain Tracy… 20+ yrs of saving lives and property, along with protecting our Marines at Quantico. What an amazing sacrifice you make. Thank you for protecting the American people. You are an inspiration to me.
Uncles Richard, Frank, Bob U., Ray, Randy D. and Roy D.… thank you all for your time of service. My daughters will know about what you did for us.
Shawn O’D… your sacrifice doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you so much.
Jobe M… I didn’t forget about you. Rick W… You either. Our sailors.
To our friends: Lt Kuetemeyer, Lt. Col. Waller, Chief Laura, Sgt. Ric, Officers Griffiths, Lts. Alberico, Hale, Patino, Valle, Hunt and the others that we know… you are all so amazing. If I forgot anyone, I am truly sorry.
Man up!
Evangelization Linebacker Follow-Up…
Yesterday I posted a hilarious video, the “Evangelization Linebacker”; check out the post so you know what I’m referencing today. So, for some folks, in your face evangelization-tactics work. For most, it pushes others away. Therefore, you can’t be “blowin’ people up” and expecting them to “come with you” on the journey. It’s imperative that you create a relationship with the other person and allow them time to gain trust in you. Once trust is gained, respect usually falls in place and then you gain moral authority with them; moral authority allows you to speak the Truth to open and willing ears. If you don’t have trust, respect or authority, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. [Always remember, respect is received ONLY AFTER respect has been given.]
Gaining the trust comes from meeting people where they are. If it’s young people, you have to get in their lives and meet them in their element. For me, with the cadets, I spend as much time with them doing fun, social stuff as possible so they can see that I’m normal and easy to talk to. Once they come to fun stuff, they’re more likely to join us for religious education stuff and then to start joining us for Mass regularly. Once that happens, they are willing and capable of listening to the Truth of Jesus. We can’t expect people to immediately change their ways and “get it”. It takes time, and usually, some pushing, challenging and proding.
Most of the time, it’s scary for a person to step out and evangelize, but the Linebacker’s got it right… we’ve got to share our faith. You need to do it the specific/unique way God created you to do it. And always, without fail, you must back up your words with your actions. I’ve written about this a lot, but it requires LOVE and LOVE is a verb. Go and live Love!
Something, besides fear, that holds people back is their lack of knowledge and/or readiness. Lots of people think that they aren’t ready because they don’t have enough knowledge, experience or time as a Christ-follower. You’ve got to start somewhere, so today’s the day. Go out and, even in little ways, be an example of Christ to the world.
Wanna know more? Email me at proveritasspeakers@gmail.com.
Man up!
Pontius Pilate, What You Did Was NOT Manly
I thought several times throughout Holy Week, as well as when I watched “The Passion of the Christ” on Friday night, that Pontius Pilate (pronounced pon-chus pi-lot) was not manly in his decisions to condemn Jesus to death. He tried, yes, at first, to tell the people that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Where he went wrong was when he worried about what sort of uprising the Jewish high priests would start and what the people would do. He let self-preservation win out over justice.
He’s infamously remembered by Catholics in our Creed (our profession of faith) “…He (Jesus) suffered under Pontius Pilate…“. This is because Pilate had the power to prevent Christ’s horrible torture, scourging, carrying of His cross and His death, but failed to act; all out of fear. He was a coward. Even the movie “The Passion of the Christ” (picture above from a scene with Pilate and Jesus) shows Pilate’s wife as a hero and a servant, with compassion and deep sorrow while Pilate simply looks on, worried about himself. Pilate leaves us with a good example of what not to do.
Christ tells us that we’ll be persecuted because of Him, because we follow Him and because we love Him. We should be ready and prepared to persevere. We prepare for this by training (prayer and fasting, mostly). When it comes down to it, who will you side with? Will you take the easy way out and deny Christ or will you stand firm in your beliefs, in your faith and in HIS love and witness for Jesus? Only time will tell.
Again, society tells men that we must look out for ourselves and self-preservation. Christ, the Church and TrueManhood.com say something different. We all say “defend Christ, defend Mother Church, defend Truth” – God will provide for us and will raise us up on the last day. A True Man does this. A man like Pontius Pilate doesn’t. What kind of man are you?
Man up!
