Eyes on the Cross
Men… this Easter, I urge you to look towards the ultimate example of manliness – Jesus Christ. He exemplifies all of the traits that we innately desire… courage, strength, prudence, wisdom. He is our guide. He is our model. He is our way. His sacrificial gift on the cross doesn’t end, it goes on.
If you ever have trouble praying, or simply want to attempt to prevent distraction and daydreaming in prayer, I suggest that you get a well-made crucifix or a well-done painting/picture of Jesus. Gaze upon the crucifix and allow the reality of His sacrifice to sink in. Personally, I used to carry around a very special St. Benedict crucifix that was gifted to me from a friend who attended the Toronto World Youth Day and had it blessed by Pope John Paul II. (I say “used to” because all the time in my pocket, day-in and day-out, wore the metal of the crucifix down and the corpus of Jesus became distorted, so instead of continuing to damage it, I stopped carrying it.) On my home office desk, I have a crucifix statue that stands near my laptop. In every room in our home, we have a crucifix. At all times, I carry a Rosary in my pocket with the crucifix. Why? So that I can, at any time, gaze upon the man I want to be like. I want to serve like He served. I want to be strong like He was strong. I want to love as He loved.
For many of us, we’ve heard “Keep your eye on the ball.” or, “Keep your eyes on the prize.” I say, Keep your eyes on the Cross.
TrueMan up!
PS: If I get a request from at least 3 readers, I’ll explain more about the significance of the St. Benedict crucifix that was purchased for me at WYD in Toronto. Send them via the comment section below or via email!
Archbishop Promotes Fight Against Porn
January 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Blog, Faith, pornography, Virtue
Great work, Archbishop Naumann! This is my favorite quote, from a great Shepherd! “We fail our people if we’re not courageous in preaching about chastity, as well as offering opportunities to help those seeking to live chastely.” – Archbishop Joseph Naumann. Read below.
Kansas City archbishop promotes fight against porn
By T. Baklinski. KANSAS CITY, January 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City has developed a website (http://www.loveisfaithful.com/) that promotes the archdiocese’s My House Initiative, a program devoted to protecting families and healing couples from pornography.
The website invites people to become aware of the teachings of the Catholic Church about love and sexual intimacy through John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.
The site contains information including internet accountability software, testimonies, Theology of the Body small groups contact info, counseling resources, support groups, men’s and women’s ministries, and other resources to help families and couples.
“When I was a child, there were social barriers that protected the young from pornography,” Archbishop Naumann told the Catholic World Report (CWR). “But in this age of personal computers and cable television, we have an entirely different environment.”
“People say that pornography is a victimless sin. But that’s not true,” continued Archbishop Naumann. “Many are exploited in the porn industry and we know it causes devastation in marriages.”
The website refers readers to an article by former porn actress April Garris, who, speaking from personal experience in the porn industry, now works to unmask “the deception of pornography, exposing the lie, and bringing all of these myths crashing to the ground.”
Titled “10 Myths Exposed,” Garris’ article brings to light the horrific realities of the pornography industry.
“If you have held to one or more of these myths,” Garris writes, “then you have been sucked into the deception of porn. I hope that laying out these myths has opened your eyes to the reality of porn … a reality that is dark, disgusting, and destructive.”
A video presentation of the My House Initiative has been shown in nearly all of the 110 churches in northeast Kansas, according to the diocesan office. The video and the My House Manual were sent to every U.S. diocese in 2007. This resulted in six dioceses adopting the program, with 36 others expressing interest.
The website calls attention to other aspects of Archbishop Naumann’s fight against porn, including a billboard on the 18th Street Expressway near Kansas Ave, sponsored by donations and viewed over 18,000 times per day; a prayer service to be held near a porn store (Cirilla’s, located at 7528 State Ave.) on February 3, 2011, 4:00 – 5:00 pm; a downloadable handout called 7 Steps to Protect your Family from Pornography; and many other resources.
“We pray that the information on this site will continue to spread to other families, churches, and individuals,” the My House Initiative website states. “We also pray that the thousands of people who are waiting to be rescued from the pornography industry will find hope and healing.”
Archbishop Naumann told CWR that he believes priests have an obligation to promote the virtue of chastity, particularly among the young, while being sensitive to the ages and individual circumstances of their congregations.
“We fail our people if we’re not courageous in preaching about chastity, as well as offering opportunities to help those seeking to live chastely,” Archbishop Naumann said. “When we live chaste lives, we are witnesses of our faith in the world. Chastity also frees us from those things that can enslave us and leave us feeling isolated and sad.”
Self Evident Truths
Representative James Lankford from Oklahoma, just last week, proved to be a great man of virtue, a TrueMan. He successfully stood and presented an absolutely dynamic oratorical argument to the right to life for all humans. For it is self evident, as he and the founding fathers stated, that all humans have these unalienable rights.
His courage to stand and speak these truths, even in the House of Representatives where we all know truth is not something they hold to hard and fast, is a great example. Although most of us will never have the chance to stand and speak in this sort of forum, we do have the chance to stand and speak in the small situations. When confronted with the issue of abortion, we, as men, must stand and defend those without a voice.
Good on you, Mr. Lankford.
“To Be Thankful…”
November 24, 2010 by admin
Filed under Blog, cultural manliness, Faith, Fatherhood, manliness, Virtue
I’ve been thinking that a number of my posts have been negative examples of males lately, or simply negative in
nature in one way or another. I wanted to post this video of an incredible man. Nick Vujicic is an awesome inspiration. You may have seen him before, but I suggest that you watch this video all the way through. Shortly into the video, he shares some principles for life. The first thing he says is simple, and important considering that tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. He says, “I’ve learned to be thankful.” Simple, but true.
“It’s a lie to think that you’re not good enough. It’s a lie to think that you’re not worth anything.” From Nick Vujicic, the man with no arms or legs. Believe this!
Watch the video, then think of all the times that you’ve wanted something you shouldn’t have, and in turn, have been completely lacking in thankfulness for the things you do have. This guy doesn’t have any arms or legs, for goodness sake! He swims, plays soccer, fishes, drives boats! This man is incredible… what do you have to complain about? Nothing!
I thought a part of the story that is important for men who are either newly married, engaged to be married or hoping to one day be married, was the part of the story when he spoke about not needing hands to hold her heart. Powerful.
TrueMan up!
Men’s Formation Groups
October 25, 2010 by admin
Filed under Blog, cultural manliness, Faith, manliness, pornography, Virtue
Interested in joining a men’s formation group? Sometimes they are referred to as a “small group”. (If you are interested, I can connect you with a group in your area or teach you how to start one on your own.)
If you are in the Colorado Springs area, a new group will be meeting weekly. Any man is welcome to join, at anytime. The format of the meetings follows the highly tested and proven model created by The King’s Men. No matter what stage of life a man is in, no matter his education or experience, no matter his marital status or career, a formation group is good for every man. A small formation group is intended to be multifaceted. Men may experience some or all of the following from being in a small group: friendship, accountability, challenge, spiritual fortitude, fraternity, strength, encouragement, purpose, virtue!
The meetings typically go something like this:
- Group prayer – the Rosary is suggested. 15-20 minutes.
- Discussion based on a masculine resource. 30-45 minutes. (Masculine resources might be “Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue”, “Be a Man!”, an encyclical/papal letter, “Signposts” or something similar.) The discussion time is facilitated by a leader and kept on-time by the time keeper. The discussion is not a “teaching moment”, but a formation moment where each man has time to share if he so desires.
- The 4-Cs. Commit, Confess, Challenge, Confirm. Each week, each man makes a commitment to something he is going to do over the next week. The next week, he comes back and “confesses” how he did with his commitment. This process continues each week. If a man needs to be challenged, another man may do so. If a man deserves to be confirmed, another man may do so. 30 minutes.
- Closing prayer, including each man’s intentions. 5 minutes.
- Total meeting should be 1.5 hrs or less.
Groups should be kept to no more than 10-12 men. Once a group grows too large, it should be split into two separate groups. This is done so that each man has the ability to share, seek guidance, be formed and grow personally. If a group is too large, it stifles men’s ability to grow.
For more information on formation groups, especially the Colorado Springs group, contact me at Dave@TheKingsMen.org.
Sweet Spot Between the Sacred and the Secular
August 18, 2010 by admin
Filed under Blog, cultural manliness, Faith, For Women, manliness, pornography, Scriptural Examples, Virtue
“God, Sex and the Universal Longing”…
An incredible event is happening in my hometown in just about one month. It’s already happened in a few cities around the country, and will most likely be coming to a city near you in the coming months. The event is called Fill These Hearts (FTH). FTH is a four hour long info-concert, centered around beauty, art, music, philosophical teachings on the “Theology of the Body” and an all around incredible night that will open eyes and win hearts. Christopher West and Mike Mangione & The Union Band will present an awesome night that is sure to please.
I don’t promote every event that comes along, but want to promote this event for a few reasons:
- Everyone needs to hear, learn and live the Church’s beliefs found in Theology of the Body. (Christopher West makes these teachings/principles livable, relevant and understandable.)
- Men, especially, enjoy visually stimulating images. This event has that. This event is great for men of all ages and for men at every stage along a faith journey.
- Beauty, in our society, has been so distorted. Christopher and the rest of the FTH team are diligently working to win back beauty. Beauty raises our hearts and our minds to God, the source of all true beauty.
- Theology of the Body has converted hearts, won over marriages, encouraged births, saved men from pornography and many other wonderful things. Theology of the Body is not just a set of teachings but is a way of life.
I highly encourage everyone to get to the next Fill These Hearts event that is in your area. For more info, or to buy tickets, go to the FTH website at http://fillthesehearts.com/. (Check out the trailer on the TrueManhood.com Home page.)
TrueMan up!
God Must Really Love Me
Great perspective from one of my favorite country music singers, Craig Morgan. I think there’s a lot in this video that we can each connect with. I hope it helps give you the perspective you need today. Blessings.
“When I showed the worst, He saw the best. He pulled the world right off my chest. Every day I wake up, I feel blessed. God must really love me.”
Men’s Formation Groups
Interested in joining a men’s formation group? Sometimes they are referred to as a “small group”. (If you are interested, I can connect you with a group in your area or teach you how to start one on your own.)
The King’s Men currently have over 20 active men’s groups that meet weekly with more on the way. Any man is welcome to join, at anytime. The format of the meetings follows the dynamic and highly effective, not to mention time-tested and proven, model created by The King’s Men. No matter what stage of life a man is in, no matter his education or experience, no matter his marital status or career, a formation group is good for every man. A small formation group is intended to be multifaceted; men may experience some or all of the following from being in a small group: friendship, accountability, challenge, spiritual fortitude, fraternity, strength, encouragement, purpose, virtue!
The meetings typically go something like this:
- Group prayer – the Rosary is suggested. 15-20 minutes.
- Discussion based on a masculine resource. 30-45 minutes. (Masculine resources might be “Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue”, “Be a Man!”, an encyclical/papal letter, “Signposts” or something similar. Each group’s core team leadership has the autonomy to decide on the resource that is right for their group.) The discussion time is facilitated by a leader and kept on-time by the time keeper. The discussion is not a “teaching moment”, but a formation moment where each man has time to share if he so desires. Great trust and bonding, as well as Scriptural “sharpening” (Prov. 27:17) takes place during this portion of the meeting.
- The 4-Cs. Commit, Confess, Challenge, Confirm. This is the accountability portion of the meeting and what really sets The King’s Men apart from the typical men’s group. Each week, each man makes a commitment to something he is going to do over the next week. The commitment should help him to grow in holiness and virtue. It should be attainable, tangible and should be realistic. The next week, he comes back and “confesses” how he did with his commitment. This process continues each week. If a man needs to be challenged, another man may do so. If a man deserves to be confirmed, another man may do so. Approx. 30 minutes.
- Closing prayer, including each man’s intentions and the general intentions of The King’s Men. 5 minutes.
- Total meeting should be 2 hrs or less.
Groups should be kept to no more than 10-12 men. Once a group grows too large, it should be split into two separate groups. This is done so that each man has the ability to share, seek guidance, be formed and grow personally. If a group is too large, it stifles men’s ability to grow. Some groups choose to remain a large group for prayer, reading and discussion and then choose to split up for The 4 C’s, which is a viable option.
For more information on TKM Formation & Accountability groups, contact me at Dave@TheKingsMen.org or check out the list of active groups by clicking HERE.
AFA Football Video
I love my job. I have the distinct pleasure of serving the great young men and women of the Air Force Academy as the Catholic Campus Minister. This video shows a glimpse into the real importance of the Air Force Academy as an institution, not just the football tradition. Leadership, Integrity, Courage, Strength, Compassion, Force, Humility, Determination… all great characteristics of a TrueMan. Go Falcons!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-8z1LLVh3s]
Man up!
