“You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You, Lord.”
-- St. Augustine
As we start a new year, we often make resolutions to renew our health, habits, and relationships. But what about our spiritual resolutions? Our spiritual resolutions begin and end with the Word of God. If we don't have resolutions rooted in Scripture, they can become burdens. But when we commit ourselves to following God's will, we can find joy and peace. In the Grace of God, we can make progress in our spiritual lives.
“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul…Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.”
-- G.K. Chesterton
For example, in the past I recall times standing in line at the Catholic Charities food pantry, talking with the people and learning their backstory. Did you know that, most of the time, homelessness comes from a broken family relationship, not mental illness as you might think? God made us as men to take the lead, yes, but wise men still seek Him!
It is our search for happiness that can lead us to God. What are you looking for? Many people search for happiness but never find it. However, when we look to God, who is the source of all happiness, our search can lead us to true contentment. The Catholic Church has a system of teachings and practices that can help us find happiness and fulfillment. It doesn't require a lot of money, just a willingness to invest time in learning about and following Catholic teachings.
The Holy Family sets the example of family life, and man's role of spiritual fatherhood for headship as described in the Catechism as the domestic church. You don't need to pay for an app, for example, I refer you to the free Amen app if you need that. There is also the Consecration to St. Joseph that many men find meaningful. You can also search keywords and topics on the CMCS blog and resoruce archive (these are free because men like you have donated to make this available without a paywall, and the independence to not rely on funding from special interests). And, again, the Annual Men's Forum to come together right after Lent and Easter as community of men and then go back to our parish men's groups with encouragement and hope.
This brings to mind how early on when CMCS embraced the idea of
accountability partners, where two men (or a small group) would be accountable to each other about their spiritual journey. We quickly learned, short of the long, that men do better attending a Forum (instead of a conference) where they can talk about their experiences and compare notes with other men on their journey, and then later consult an experienced spiritual director for accountability. This is why I believe the Church already has a program, a much better program: traditional Catholicism. The role of CMCS is to encourage and support the practice of the fundamentals of our Faith.
“Our goal is to give men the spirituality they need to live their daily lives better, and keep them Catholic and Christian. It’s all part of the New Evangelization. We need to make Christ the center of our lives.”
- Bishop Joseph N. Perry, CMCS Co-Founder
So in the mystery of Christmas, may we as Catholic Men imitate the person of the Three Magi, who, following their own wisdom, sought out the Christ Child. By following the example of these faithful men, we may find hope in the midst of our hardships and discover what truly makes life worth living.
Deacon John Rangel contributed to this article.
