What’s Coming Next?
My apologies for not posting anything the past week. Since I don’t have sponsors, paid advertisements and/or endorsements (hint hint, wink nudge) I don’t feel too guilty. Actually, I was out of town visiting my very elderly grandmother and some of my extended family with my wife and children, computer time was very limited. TrueManhood.com has definitely been on my mind, but not a priority because much needed time with them was taking precedence. So, since I haven’t written anything lately, I wanted to let everyone know what they can expect in the coming days.
Depending on what I see/hear about/come across/etc. “out there” in regards to TrueManhood, I’ll be posting whatever I think is worthy of a post. Besides those stories, you can expect something on the following topics soon:
- Struggling with Lenten devotions, the struggle of Lent (general) and the tough days during Holy Week.
- Major League Baseball, Opening Day Special
- Holy Thursday – The Vortex, “Judas Today”
- An article about “supertaskers”
- A post about an irate hockey coach. Temper, temper.
- A Dating Article
- A Eucharistic Miracle Video
- Plenty of other great stuff!
Until the next post, keep fighting the good fight!
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!
A Dirty Conundrum
One of the mysteries of the Catholic faith is why Mass attendance on Ash Wednesday is so high. It truly baffles me. When attending Mass on Ash Wednesday, you see droves and droves of people coming to receive dirt on their foreheads. The dirt (actually ashes, created by burning last year’s palm leaves) signifies our mortality, and is a reminder of our sinfulness. Do people turn out in record number because they like dirt? Do they think it’s a holy day of obligation (opportunity)? Do they enjoy receiving something? Is there another reason? The baffling part about it is that they could faithfully receive the Eucharist each and every Sunday (an actual holy day), or everyday if they so desired… how much better is the Eucharist than Ash Wednesday ashes?!
Another element about the fair-weather crowds on Ash Wednesday is the assumption (or maybe ‘sense of entitlement’ is the better phrasing here) that they can receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist isn’t simply a snack, or a party favor. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity! The Eucharist is reserved for Catholics, in the state of grace, who fully proclaim and live the truths of the Catholic faith.
Why do I bring this up? Partly to vent, because it’s frustrating to me. But, more importantly, because we need to realize the importance of catechesis and of witnessing to non-Catholics and others we come in contact with. We have to be reminded of what’s happening to our Church, and as men, step up and lead others to a deeper understanding of Christ and His Church.
Man up!
Ash Wednesday Parody
Although Ash Wednesday is rarely joked about, this video clip is pretty darn funny. A good laugh before we start 40 days of penance couldn’t hurt. Click HERE if the content has been removed.
Opening Day (Holy Week)…Opening Day (MLB)
April 6th, 2009… opening day for two important institutions. One, as you will read quite obviously, is much more important than the other. [The other simply lasts much longer than the first.]
The first “opening day” is Monday of Holy Week- the week leading up to the Triduum and Easter Sunday. Technically, Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. Holy week signifies a time in our lives where we remember (commemorate) Christ’s passion, death and resurrection from the dead. It’s incredibly important. Easter begs us to ask the ever-philosophical “chicken or the egg” question – is Christmas or Easter more important? I won’t get into that here. Easter, whether more/less important than Christmas, is incredibly important for us because it signifies the culmination of salvation history in Christ’s conquering of death on the cross. Christ – the ultimate servant leader. I encourage everyone to make special time this week to take part in the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday – actually one continuous liturgy). Open your heart and your mind to what God is calling you to. The end of Lent can still be a fruitful time for you. Give it a great deal and you’ll receive a great deal in return.
The other institution (although, a bit difficult to talk about following that Holy Week piece) is Major League Baseball. MLB has been a part of my life since birth. Now, I’m not trying to convince the baseball-haters of the world that baseball is a great sport – heaven knows that soccer fans won’t convince me that soccer is a great sport – I simply want to call to mind that opening day for the 2009 season is today. This marks a special day for baseball fans everywhere when we know that basketball is ending soon 
and we have sunny summer days at the ballpark to look forward to. Double-plays, stolen bases and home-runs.
A thought… if the Pirates win today, I suggest that they end the season early and end their pitiful 16-year streak of playing sub-.500 baseball. It would be a great thing for us Pirates fans to have a “winning season”. Just kidding – I guess.
Either way – Man up!
The Power of a Purposeful Lent
Today is the start to the Liturgical Season of Lent. Lent is often times looked at as a set of rules about not eating meat on Fridays and a time of giving something up; a fairly militaristic/dictatorial outlook if you ask me. I’m not going to get into the specifics about fasting and why we do it, or about what the Church teaches about Lent. What I want to get into is the power that a purposeful Lent can have for a person. As with most things, if we choose to “get by” with the minimum, we’re not going to get much out of it. If, however, we decide to embrace the teachings and challenges of Lent, I believe that we will gain a great deal.
For many of us, Lent tends to be a time of re-commitment, year after year. In order for Lent to be powerful and to make a difference this year (as opposed to Lent being just a period of 40 days that bore no spiritual fruit – like last year), we must be purposeful in our decisions and lifestyle. I suggest that you write you plan down. After you write your plan down, read it regularly. I also suggest that you tell someone else your plan so that they can hold you accountable to your word. Do the same for them.
I suggest that everyone not only give something up (broccoli and peas don’t count) but add some things as well. I typically add a form of prayer, a form of discipline and a form of service to my fasting choice(s). This year, my wife and I (for our family) decided to only purchase the essentials at the grocery store (milk, bread, vegetables, fruit, etc. – the stuff that goes bad quickly) and to eat what’s already in the house, including, no meals out. It’s a fiscal decision and a simplification decision. I’ve made a commitment to making a workout a priority again, to praying the stations of the cross every week, whether by myself or in a group and I’m going to volunteer at least one day at Habitat for Humanity. The “give up” part of my Lenten devotion this year is to only consume water as a beverage, no other liquids (Pepsi, tea, etc). Ouch! In your journey, it might be too much to add a bunch of stuff. Add something, even if it appears to be small. If you can’t handle the small stuff, you’ll never be able to handle the big stuff. May your Lent be powerful.
Man up!
