I have this belief that the words or phrase 'Merry Christmas' really does bring joy into our lives. These words, you may recall, have not been used in recent years until President Trump suggested that Americans should wish each other a Merry Christmas again.

 

Have you noticed this happening?

For example, the people I think most affected by this are the retail clerks because of the commercialism in our society.  I recall at Christmas until a couple years ago the cashiers would always say “Happy Holiday's”, when I then responded "Thank You and Merry Christmas to you", they would then more often than not smile back and say something like "Merry Christmas to you too".  But the last couple years these same retail clerks just came right out and said Merry Christmas  ..  with joy!

So, for this reason, and more, I think it is even more important this year with COVID in our lives that when we make our phone / video calls, send our Christmas greeting cards and letters, and hopefully gather around the Christmas tree on the big day, that we wish each other a Merry Christmas.

 

Words said with meaning really do make a positive difference. Simple moments have big impact.

What an amazing God we have!  Jesus came into this world to bring us peace through Him!

 

It’s been a year of difficulty and change, but through it all, our heavenly Father is still in charge. I’m amazed and grateful for how faithful the Lord has been to Catholic Men Chicago Southland (CMCS). We’ve always made it our goal to trust God, and function debt free, looking beyond what we can see to what He sees.

Since our founding in 2004, we've poured our efforts into evangelizing local Catholic men. More than 1,500 men in our Vicariate VI, in the south end of the archdiocese, and beyond view our weekly messages, and over 700 men have attended our events over the years, several returning with others. When the COVID-19 outbreak began to spread worldwide, thanks to the keen vision of the CMCS-Team, CMCS was ideally positioned to encourage and support these men confined to their homes. They were looking for hope, and our strategy was the perfect way to reach them.

God has used this year to develop His purpose for me personally, as well. At His guidance, I combined my art photography efforts into CMCS, Frank J Casella Photographs. Not to withdrawal, but to focus my efforts on CMCS and take our apostolate into this new era of heavenly growth, to reach as many men as possible with 'Living the Goodness of a Catholic Man' and to disciple them on their journey with Christ. Donations over expenses contribute towards part-time work of this director, and, though I don't write books, some think all my blog entries combined should become a book.

In fact, we all have this responsibility of discipleship, so let me encourage you to over the holidays reach out to your friends and family to make the first connection. To help you with this, since CMCS has used much of the phone and conferencing technology, I would like to suggest a few that are free and easy to use: For unlimited phone calls / texts Free on WiFi check out Talkatone or TextNow. For one-click video calls (no app needed) try Skype 'Meet Now', and Whereby is like Apple Facetime for Android  - though it works on the browser both on iOs and Android, as well as your computer.  ( Any links to third party sites outside of Catholic Men Chicago Southland are provided for information purposes only. This is not an endorsement of the service providers).

As 2020 draws to a close and we head into 2021, let me take this moment to encourage you. You are God’s beloved child, and you, too, are called according to His purpose. Your heavenly Father can and does use you for the glory of His name. Cultivating the right mindset is an important thing you can do to prepare for opportunities. If your heart is in the right place, you’ll be poised to act when they arise.

To do this, as CMCS-Men, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, practice ‘Bishop Perry's Virtues of a Catholic Man’, and pray each day 'A Man's Prayer':

As Catholic men seeking motivation to live a deeper holy life, to foster family and Christ as the center of your home and your life, to be an example of goodness in society, and to develop progress and hope for your future, I invite you to take a deeper look into CMCS.  And donate your time, and donate your prayers to CMCS.

 

What you feed your brain is what your life becomes.

 

Men — In the home moms do the nurturing … dads build identity

Here are some good habits to start with:

 

1) Make the time to pray ‘A Man’s Prayer’ (PDF) each day. It will transform your outlook on life …. one day at a time.

 

2) Develop the “Virtues of a Catholic Man“ (PDF). Start with one Virtue at a time, only then move to the next one. Your goal is to insure Christ is the center of your life.

 

3) Develop and nurture your most important relationships, your family, and (if you’re married) your marriage. It takes considerably less time to maintain a loving relationship than it does to repair a broken one.

 

4) Invite Jesus to show you the way, and watch what happens!! Pray each day and mean it: ‘Lord Jesus, I surrender myself to you, please show me the way’

The name Catholic means universal or Community, so know that you don’t go the journey alone.

 

Looking forward, together, to the doors God will open in 2021.

 

Merry Christmas!

Frank J Casella