Identity Crisis

Have you ever stopped to ask who, or what you are? It seems an odd question to ask. But please, humor me. We live a life that is so focused outward on the activities and aesthetics of our lives that we seldom look inward at ourselves for any significant reason. I gave this some thought the other day and came to the realization that much, if not most of the time, I as well as many others have no idea how to answer this question. We fall victim to a series of lies and misdirections that keep us away from the awesome truth of who and what we really are.

The first temptation, and the one I struggle with most personally, is the temptation to think that "I am what I do". I AM a teacher. I AM a student. I AM leader, friend, or youth minister. I AM (insert responsibility here). Simply put, we identify ourselves by our jobs and positions. Well, what happens if you lose your job? What happens if you rid yourself of responsibility? What happens if you don't do that job well? Do you cease to exist? No! We are something greater than anything we can do or say.

We're also tempted to think that "I am what others say about me". This is a hard one to fess up to, especially in our individualistic society, but imagine the following scenario. You give a presentation to a group of 50 people. 49 say how great the presentation it was, but one person says he hated it. He say's you wasted his time. Who are you going to remember? It almost seems, at least in my own life, that I identify myself with the NEGATIVE things others say about me, and try to do better. However, I don't try to improve in an effort to better myself. I'm trying to better the things people say. It's another lie! We can be so focused on the things that people think, that we will begin to reflect those feelings, or even overcompensate to improve other people's opinions. This is a black hole we simply cannot fall into.

The third and final temptation that we fall into is to think "I am what I have done". We look for affirmation in our achievements. Look how many trophies I have! Look at the good I've done in my church/community! Look at my degrees. The danger here is that it keeps us looking behind us. And why not? The past is concrete. It's safe. We know everything to know about yesterday and always will. But what happens when we seek comfort in our accomplishments to the point where we ignore the present? The lie here is that there is a past or a future. There is only now. The past has faded away, and the future is only a vague idea of "nows" to come. The only thing that really exists, and the only place where salvation can truly be found, is the present moment.

Can we see the lie that runs rampant throughout all three of these temptations? It's that we ARE external. We ARE only what we can feel and touch with our two hands. We are what we can do. The enemy is playing us! What we ARE far outstrips anything that he says we are. We ARE beloved sons and daughters of the Lord, God almighty! Think about that for a moment. At the Jordan, when Jesus was baptized, the voice of the Father came from heaven saying "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased". He is saying that about every single one of us. We are loved by a God who thought us into existence and maintains us at every moment. We are beloved sons and daughters of God! Nothing we have done or can do can take that away. Nothing that anyone says can strip us of it. Let it sink in! We are children of the almighty God, and nothing less.

One final thought. When God spoke to Moses from the bush, and told Moses his name, he simple said "I Am who Am". He didn't say I Am Creator, or I Am Father. He only said "I AM". We are made in image and likeness of a God who just IS. I pray that we can all remember this truth, and live it in our daily lives so that, at the end of time, He can look upon us and say "This is my beloved child, in whom I am very well pleased".

May the Lord, or God bless us
St Joseph, model of manhood, pray for us

A Re-Post if You Will....

Last week, a dear friend of mine sent me an article entitled, "Stop Hanging Out With Women and Start Dating Them". I tried and tried to come up with anything that would add to the effect of the article, but I came to the realization that it really speaks for itself.

The author runs another blog called "The Art of Manliness", which has talks about everything from how to dress for a job interview and find a job, to how to take care of children and budget for a family. It's a kind of how to guide for being a man in today's world.

This article focuses along the same lines as my earlier post on extended adolescence. He asserts that as a species, men have become lazy, wimpy, non-thinkers who would rather just hang out with women than define the relationship and actually date. He urges men to step up and be the driving force in the relationship. He also gives some pointers and things to remember when asking a girl out, and while taking her out on a date.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did. I urge you to read it, and bookmark the site for future use.

Here's the link: <http://artofmanliness.com/2008/01/16/stop-hanging-out-with-women-and-start-dating-them/> 

May the Lord our God Bless us
St Joseph, model of manliness, pray for us

When the Saints Go Marching In...

I had a conversation with a good friend today. We started by listening to a bunch of music, and then, being the super cool people we are, we got onto the topic of what the legacy of the Church in the early 21st century was going to be. My thought process was that we have so much music and art from hundreds of years ago which just exemplifies the prominence and the beauty of the Church in those days. I just didn't think that we had that. "We're leaving nothing behind for future generations.", I said.

But then we got to thinking. The world we live in today is so tumultuous, and the world has rarely ever looked so poorly on the Church as they do today. We've have priestly scandals, a devaluation of marriage and family,and a disrespect for life among so many other things. But then the thought came up that changed everything: God only allows for such evil to exist because it has so much potential for good. It's a two way street!

A realization hit us that the world we live in today may be in turmoil, but that turmoil comes from a battle that's going on between great evil, and even greater good. Think for a moment. Every problem that faces our world is being counteracted by forces of equal or greater good. The priestly scandal was going on while even greater young priests and religious, who were on fire in their faith, were being ordained and are now taking a leadership role in the Church. Marriage may be threatened by society, but Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" is taking the world by storm, helping men and women to form strong Catholic marriages and families. The culture of death is being overtaken by an even more enthusiastic youth culture that has a zeal to protect and preserve life. The list goes on and on!

We live in dark times, but we belong to a Church that is fighting back with everything she has. Not only that,  but she's winning! I foresee a litany of saints and prophets, priests and religious, theologians and evangelists coming from this generation and setting this world ablaze. We are at a turning point in our Church's history that will shake the very foundations of this earth, showing once and for all that we are the Church Militant, and we have a mission to complete. I envision a procession of life and love lead worldwide by great saints of our time; the likes of John Paul II and Mother Theresa. These and many others will carry the banner of our Lord, changing this world forever.

Before time, Lucifer was the brightest of all the angels, and fell irredeemably away from God. He had the potential for amazing good, and it was because of this potential that he was able to fall into such evil. Our world has the same potential for good, but it has fallen. The difference is that we HAVE been redeemed, and we CAN live our potential. We are now, and will continue to change this world for the better.

What will our legacy be? I think that our legacy will be that of a generation who stood up and took up the mantle of Christ Victorious. Our legacy is and will be stronger than any before us. In the 20th century, there were more martyrs than and other century before the. The blood of these brave men and women is the seed of the Church. The reward of their courage is the new springtime of which JPII spoke so enthusiastically. We are that springtime. Take courage. Live in hope.

May our Lord God bless us
St. Joseph, model of manliness pray for us.

Overbooked and Overwhelmed

One of the things that I've noticed as I get further and further along in my college career is that the same questions and complaints keep coming up for me, and those around me. "Why did God only put SEVEN days in a week?", and, "I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day", and most of all for me, "I wish I just had some downtime".

The fact is that we're loaded up. We're taking on jobs and school work, most of which is full time. Some of us are in leadership positions in student or church organizations. Others of us have girlfriends and groups of friends that demand our time and attention. Some of us live at home or with other people, which in turn demands attention to the responsibilities of the home and being a good roommate. Our attention is drawn in a thousand different directions, and some things are bound to get lost.

Now, as men we are workers. It's a good thing that we have things that fill our time. Joseph was a worker. St. Francis of Assisi literally rebuilt churches. Pope John Paul the Great, soon to be Blessed John Paul the Great, worked tirelessly for the church, especially for the youth. Jesus himself was a carpenter, and our Father worked to build and maintain creation. As men we are drawn to complete our tasks and to take on work. This desire is a good and holy thing. It means that we're acting in the way were designed.

The problem is found when we fill our time with things that don't benefit us, or fill our time to the point where we neglect other, more important things. Things such as prayer, relationship and rest. The irony is that these things that we neglect are the very things that we need most, and should be prioritizing above all else. These things are made to refresh us and keep us strong and holy. We live in a world that requires us to move at blinding speeds and work constantly just to keep up with the person sitting next to us in class or in the office. We are seldom really present because we're thinking about what we need to do next. This extreme drive is dangerous, in that it has the glaring risk of taking us out of the moment and damaging that which we should hold most dear. That is, our relationship with God and other people.

What we need to do is prioritize. Take the time, yes from something else, and lay out your schedule for a normal week. Make sure that the things that you are doing are helping your growth as a man. If an activity is overly stressful or impeding your growth, cut it out. I want to challenge you to give yourself an hour a day where you can rest. Also, make time for 20 minutes of daily prayer in which to tell the Father what's going on in your life, and to ask for help. Finally, and seemingly most difficult, I want you to give yourself one day and/or one night a week off. Use this time to relax, spend time with friends, or just decompress. However, for your own sake, don't schedule what you do during this time. It kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?

My prayer for everyone is that we can work in ways that are holy and healthy. I know that I'm just as guilty of falling into the hustle and bustle as anyone else, but I want to change that. We need a balance of  of work, and living life. A radio personality I listen to once said something that I think is poignant. "There are 24 hours in a day. 8 to work, 8 to sleep, and 8 to live". I think if we can find a way to discipline ourselves into that pattern, this world will change for the better.

May the Lord our God bless us

St. Joseph, model of manliness, pray for us

Where, Oh Where...

An article last month in the Wall Street Journal documented a shocking shift in our society (link posted at the bottom). Apparently, according to the author, men in their 20's are living a kind of extended adolescence. Men are living a sort of aged frat boy lifestyle which avoids any type of the real commitment and responsibility that men 40 years ago embraced at a much younger age. These men would rather sit around at night and play video games than do anything of substance, and would rather go to Vegas with the boys than spend time with a significant other.

This article, while somewhat bitter, speaks to a real problem. Men are refusing to be men. The idea of a family is abhorrent and seemingly far off to many, and the thought of actively pursuing a career takes a backseat to living the college frat boy lifestyle for as long as possible. And, worst of all, our culture is not only accepting this reality, but encouraging it. In the meantime, society is left to flounder for a lack of authority and responsibility among a demographic that should be carrying this country forward.

The Lord, at the beginning of time, told Adam to "fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen 1:28). He gave Adam, as a man, the unique opportunity and responsibility to rule the earth, and to protect all that inhabited it. As we know, he failed to protect his bride from the enemy, and as a result we are all marked with his sin. Brothers, we are given the same opportunity and responsibility to protect this world, but instead we have decided to follow the example of our first father, Adam. As men, we absolutely cannot refuse to take up our yoke and protect this world, and everything in it. Everything from the smallest children, to the beautiful women who's attention we try so hard to attract. This cannot happen if we decide to take the easy way out and sit around drinking and playing video games instead of stepping up and making real decisions. This world is falling into chaos as a direct result of men refusing to be men. It's time for a change.

My name is Perry. I'm a 20 year old college student in Northern Virginia, and I've decided to write this blog as a catholic man trying to live life to it's fullest in a college setting. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a brotherhood of other men who are seeking the same end, but not everyone is so lucky. We need to encourage and challenge our fellow men to step up and be what we were created to be. I hope that in the following posts I can support the cause in the best way possible.

May the all power Lord bless us.
St. Joseph, true example of manhood, pray for us.

Where have all the Real Men Gone: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704409004576146321725889448.html