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!
