Where Men are Men

I attended the 4th Men’s Catholic Conference, ( https://www.ctcatholicmen.org/ ) this past Saturday.  See the terrific article that appeared in The Catholic Transcript written by Jack Sheedy who is the News Editor of the Transcript.

This year the Men's conference was held in Southington Connecticut at the Church of the Parish of St. Dominic. Doug Barry of Radix and also of EWTN's Life on the Rock, one of the Guest Speakers at this conference, spoke very directly and very powerfully to the men, encouraging them to foster the warrior spirit within them, the combative spirit of the soldier, the chivalrous knight, the defender and protector of the weak, of women, children, families and defenders of the souls of those entrusted to his care. 

Doug Barry at CT Men's
Catholic Conference

Doug reminded us, that this warrior spirit resides in men naturally, but today it is only mostly prevalent in sports, football rallies that take place days before a football game, World Series parties and when men are in participating in and playing video games and the enthusiasm seen for watching television shows religiously, TV specials, Blockbuster Movies, but rarely is this combative spirit and enthusiasm about our Catholic faith, or in or love of God and His Church. Faith is seen by modern mad as weak, docile and boring, something left for the wife, the woman of the family to do with their children.

It’s okay in societies terms Doug told us to be excited about sports, to hold pep rallies and parties and special events for sports, but it is surely not cool or even thinkable to even arrive 20 minutes early for Mass, to pre read and to become familiar with the Mass readings before Mass begins, to even pray the Rosary, but yet we know all the players on the teams we root for, their stats, batting averages and the highlights of their careers. But we know nothing of the life of Christ, or the Saints. We heard what we needed to hear, without pulling punches, Doug's word delivered with charity and love for us, for Christ and His Church.

I myself can see personally that today, men are weak, feminized, no longer leaders, neither in their families, nor in the community. Spiritual strength is seen as physical weakness and worse, men are lax in their defense of the family, for many men are absent from their family, they are divorced, or uninterested or just caught up in themselves, in their own selfish interests and are absent in defense of family values, family morals and absent in building and protecting the spiritual realm of their families. Many are wounded, caught up in sin, in personal immorality, in pornography, in themselves. "Men"...quotes Doug Barry.."would be right there defending their family if some thug broke down the household door"..."They would take a bullet for their wife and children but in the spiritual world, they leave their family defensless and un-protected." 

The men I saw at this conference were not at all like these modern weak men, in that most saw what their role was, but they just needed a plan of action, they just needed to see who was on their side, they needed to hear a plan layed out before them, to show them what they needed to do, they need a rally cry and at this conference, the rally cry was “Be Men!” More to the point, be authentic Catholic Men; Men who love God and want to Know Him, Love Him, Serve Him…the theme of this conference. In other words, Be like our Lord.

Here, at this conference men saw that they must become more like the Saints who longed to be like Christ and to also, as Doug Barry showed us, never let down your guard for one moment. For in the spirit world, the enemy never sleeps, never tires, never relents. And when it appears Satan, the devil and his minions have turned away, that is when we let our spiritual guard down and when we are most vulnerable. This is when our families are most at danger. So, be men, be defenders, be combatants in this world and in the spiritual world. Be lovers of women and our wives, defenders of purity and innocence, not pursuers of selfish pleasures. Pray, fast and give alms to the poor. Stay strong by frequenting the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, by fervently and devoutly and reverently receiving Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

After the day ended it concluded with the celebration of Holy Mass. And when we finally left, after having received nourishment in the fraternity of other men, in receiving the sacrament of confession and in receiving the Holy Eucharist, more "men" returned home to their families, wives and children. Not more men in the in numbers of men, but that they were more real, more genuine and more trully men than when they arrived. Thanks Be to God!