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A blog for Catholic men that seeks to encourage virtue, the pursuit of holiness and the art of true masculinity.
Catholic Men, Let’s Rise Up
February 12, 2018
Being a man today can be confusing. We are shamed for our “toxic masculinity” and told we should be less masculine if we want to get ahead in life. Fathers are mocked in TV and movies, and men in general are often portrayed as either low-functioning, ill-bred beasts, or as cruel and violent. Add to this the pressures on men to perform, to succeed, and to never show weakness or vulnerability, and it is no wonder men are struggling to live up to their full potential.
The truth is, the world needs men. And the Church needs men. Our masculine vocation, our unique gifts are given to us by God. We are called to be sons, brothers, fathers, and spouses; to be leaders in our homes, in our workplaces, and in our parishes.
Now more than ever, it is critical for us men to discover our true identity, embrace it, and live it. It is time for us to rise up and be who God has called us to be. That’s why I’m exited to share RISE: A 30 Day Challenge.
RISE is designed for men like you, men with busy schedules and many commitments. It’s designed to help you reconnect with your identity and grow as a man of God in just a few short minutes a day.
I recently sat down with Chris Stefanick of Real Life Catholic to talk about what inspired him to create RISE, what you can expect, and his hopes for every man who takes the challenge.
What are you waiting for? Embrace our identity. Rise up and take the challenge.
The next RISE challenge begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday.
Guzman were you falling asleep ?
1735099a1 says
Absolutely – let’s rise up.
Let’s reform the church so it can be rescued from its self-destructive tendencies.
Let’s start with married clergy (after all, priestly celibacy only became a serious point of disagreement between the Eastern Orthodox and the Western Roman Catholic churches post A.D. 1054). Then we could ordain women. There is evidence that women were deacons within the Christian community. For example, Paul’s letter to the Romans, written in the first century CE, mentions a woman deacon:
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.” — Rom 16:1,
The current practice is revisionism.
Let’s reform a patriarchy that has supported child abuse in the church across the world. Where I live, (Australia) is a prime example, although there is a history of this everywhere, including Ireland and the USA – https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/
I write this as a Vietnam veteran, a retired school principal, and a practising Catholic, married since 1976 and with four children.
My qualifications to comment are as credible as yours, Sam, and I am angry at what the church has become. If this decline continues, the sea of grey that I see each Sunday in my local parish, will quickly transform into empty pews.
I stumbled on this site from the Blessed Is She site. I was interested in this topic and had to watch. I so agree that men today have a real struggle to know what they are supposed to be. As a woman, it breaks my heart to see how society, and to a great extent, women, have put men in the position of almost having to deny their masculinity. Thank God for men like you and Chris for the work you are doing. Know that you have many women praying for you and others like you. May God richly bless you in this important ministry.
Jennifer
Wouldn’t it be great if you could just buy a “product” that would make you a better Catholic?
Sorry, but life doesn’t work that way.
Stefanick is the fad-of-the-day in Catholic media. He’ll be gone soon.