As Catholic men we have a responsibility to build up other Catholic men. We must pass on and nurture the core values of our faith in other men, especially young men. As boys grow into men, they will be influenced as to what kind of man they will be. This influence will come from the “world,” or it can come from their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and uncles that live by the values of the Catholic faith. This is a call for us to live by and set an example.
I have thought about this much as I see the commitment of men wane. Men seem to be too often, more absorbed with themselves than anyone else, including their wives and children. The question has been how I, we men, are to turn the tide on this slipping away of strong Catholic men in the family and society. The answer I see is that it will be by prayer, especially to Our Lady and St. Joseph, and by being that living example. And in so doing this we need to be ready to share this with other men and call out the improper behavior in a charitable and loving way. This latter part can be a challenge for me, as I assume for many others, due to my direct nature and conviction. I share the following ideas as something to consider regarding how to be effective in modeling Catholic manhood.
We should live within the beatitudes, especially in our family life. Let our children see this. Explain to our sons the importance of this. They are indeed a roadmap of how to live.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:1-12)
We need only emulate these behaviors to show the perfect example of how to live and treat others. It is a tall order, but the point is that we have the blueprint! It is only a matter of striving to follow these better each and every day. As we do this, the way we treat our family will change for the better. The more aligned with the Beatitudes we become the better we will treat others outside our families. As our behaviors improve, our sons and other men will notice, and this can cause them to take inventory of their behaviors and strive to improve upon things. We can invite others to look at the Beatitudes as a roadmap to successful Catholic life and use them also to call out inappropriate behavior, suggesting an alternative.
Scripture gives us the greatest commandment. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? And he said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it. You should love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40) So it makes sense that the best way to love God is by loving others. If we live within the Beatitudes, we cannot help but to love others! We are told this again in 1 John 4:21, “And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.
Taking this a step further, one can also do the same with the Corporal works of mercy:
- To feed the hungry
- To give water to the thirsty
- To clothe the naked
- To shelter the homeless
- To visit the sick
- To visit the imprisoned
- To bury the dead
And the Spiritual works of mercy:
- To instruct the ignorant
- To counsel the doubtful
- To admonish the sinners
- To bear wrongs patiently
- To forgive offenses
- To comfort the afflicted
- To pray for the living and the dead
To purposefully follow the Beatitudes and to live out these works of mercy gives us a purposeful life and an example to those around us. To pattern our life in such a way will give us the confidence and the drive to share this with other men and challenge them to do the same and provide that example to others. This is the answer to strengthening Catholic manhood. It starts with us, in our own homes. Then we take it to our parishes, our workplaces, and our communities. The amazing thing about it is that it is all laid out for us! We just have to choose to do it. God will never force us! We choose to be with Christ or against him. “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23)
Living in the framework of the Beatitudes and Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy we will be with Christ and will be gathering people to Him and not scattering! And this is all done in love. God is love so it is all done purposefully in God’s name. So let us love and be an example of Christs love and teach others to love.
“Perfect love means putting up with other people’s shortcomings, feeling no surprise at their weaknesses, finding encouragement in the slightest evidence of good qualities in them.” (St. Therese of Lisieux)
Men's Rosary 
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