When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  (Luke 1:41-42)

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple. (Luke 2:25-27)

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days. (Luke 4:1-2) 

And [behold] I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49) 

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:3-4)

After their release [Peter and John] they went back to their own people and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them. And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord. As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23,24,31)

While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. (Acts 10:44-46)

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid [his] hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men. (Acts 19:5-7)

The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

It is often said that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten person of the Trinity. Why is this so when the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit permeates all of the Scriptures?  In the New Testament, even prior to the day of Pentecost, we see the Holy Spirit affecting the lives and decisions of so many people—even Jesus himself! Mary was compelled to say “yes” to the angel and become the Mother of God (Luke 1:35).Elizabethwas “filled with the Holy Spirit” when she said these words “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:41-43). Simeon was “inspired by the Spirit” to come to the temple and meet and prophesy over Jesus (Luke 2:25-27). Even Jesus was “Filled with the Spirit” and compelled by the Spirit to go into the desert to fast and pray (Luke 4:1-2).

This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. As Catholic men, it is easy to think of Pentecost as just a once a year celebration of a powerful event that took place 2000 years ago. It is certainly true that something radical happened in the lives of the apostles when they were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:3-4). They were filled with excitement and began speaking all about Jesus and his resurrection. Their hearts were burning with love for the Lord and with a desire to share his good news with everyone.

When the Holy Spirit filled the apostles, he opened their minds as well. He gave them spiritual revela­tion about God’s plan of salvation, opening up for them the mystery of redemption in ways that their own human minds could never have grasped. Because he was preparing his apostles for ministry, he wanted them to be clear. He wanted to impress upon them the fact that his gospel is about receiving “power from on high” (Luke 24:49). It is not just a moral teaching or a set of intellectual propositions. He wanted them to proclaim that his gospel means letting his Holy Spirit fill them and open their minds. And it worked! For the rest of their lives, the apostles—and Paul and so many others after them— preached this message.

Yet Pentecost was more than a one time event for the apostles and all their followers. After Peter and John were released from prison, all the people rejoiced and “raised their voices to God with one accord” (Acts 4:24). As they prayed, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Peter was compelled by the Spirit to visit Cornelius’ house, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Cornelius and “all who were listening to Peter’s message” (Acts 10:44-46). The same thing happened when Paul laid his hands on the disciples inEphesus, after he had baptized them (Acts 19:5-6).

What was true for the early followers of Jesus is also true for us, today. This “power from on high” (Luke 24:49), the Holy Spirit, has been “given” to us (Romans 5:5). We have received God’s revelation and our minds have been opened by the same grace that opened the apostles’ and the early disciples’—grace from heaven. The Holy Spirit wants to burn the knowledge of God’s love and mercy into each of our hearts. He wants to fill us with the same joy that the apostles knew— the joy of our salvation and the joy of knowing Jesus.

Every day the Spirit wants to play an active role in our lives, just as he did in the lives of these early believers. He wants to counsel us and give us just the right words to say to someone who is hurting. He wants to console us when we are feeling unworthy or hopeless. He wants to help us see our sin, and then lead us into the freedom of his mercy. He wants to convince us of God’s passionate love for us (Romans 5:5), so that we can walk through our days with our heads held high.

Pentecost Sunday Mass is a perfect oppor­tunity to experience a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and allow him to lift you up. When you hear the readings, let the Holy Spirit fill your mind with revelation. When you receive the Eucharist, ask Jesus to fill you afresh with his Spirit and use you more fully to build his kingdom. As you kneel and pray after communion, know that Christ is in you, and that he is your hope of glory. God loves to stretch our minds and fill us more deeply with his Spirit. What better way to experience it than at the table of the Lord on Pentecost Sunday, and every Sunday!

“O Lord, fill me with your Spirit once again, just as you did for the apostles. Let your Spirit move me, shake me, enlighten me, enliven me, and equip me to live a live pleasing to you. Let your Spirit empower me to be your witness to this broken world.”

Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing me to adapt meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission. 

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men 

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scriptures at the beginning of the article. What do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. The article begins with these words: “It is often said that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten person of the Trinity.” Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
3. The Scriptures, and the article, describe many examples of New Testament persons who were filled with the Spirit and lead by the Spirit. The article then goes on to challenge us with these words: “What was true for the early followers of Jesus is also true for us, today.”  In what ways has the Holy Spirit manifested himself in a powerful way in your life?
4. The power of the Spirit that came at Pentecost is not just a once a year celebration, or a one time Sacrament. It is meant to be experienced by each of us on an ongoing basis. Do you agree with this/ Why or why not?
5. The perfect place for us to experience a fresh infilling of the Spirit, as the article suggests, is atMass.We can ask for this as we hear God’s word proclaimed and receive the “bread of life” in the Eucharist. Beginning with this Pentecost Sunday Mass, are you willing to do this on an ongoing basis? Why or why not?
6. Take some time now to pray for a deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

Maurice Blumberg is the Director of Partner Relations for The Word Among Us Partners, (http://www.waupartners.org/), a ministry of The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) to the Military, Prisoners, and women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (http://www.nfcmusa.org/), for which he is currently a Trustee. He can be contacted at mblumberg@wau.org or mblumberg@aol.com.

We have passed from death to life

“We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.” (Romans6:4-6)

“In this tremendous sixth chapter of his letter to the Romans, St. Paul asserts that our dying and rising with Christ is an accomplished fact.  It is not something we have to achieve by our own efforts; its comes to us as pure gift, a gift to be accepted by faith in all that the Lord has done for us.  When we were baptized and put our faith in the Lord Jesus, we left our old self-centered existence behind and entered upon a new life.  Our task now is not to earn this new life but to live it, to enter into the riches of Christ’s redemptive work and to allow the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection to enter into our daily lives; for when the Lord Jesus took his seat at the right hand of the Father, he poured out his Spirit on his Church, the Spirit whose mission is to make available to all believers the salvation Christ has won for us.

The power of the redemption is available to us here and now. 

“Each year the Church unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from his incarnation and birth to his ascension and the day of Pentecost.  In this way his redemptive work is made present to us here and now; by our faith we can lay hold of its power and be filled with Christ’s own life.  The things that Jesus did and taught for the world’s reconciliation are not simply a matter of past history.  They are fully operative now in those who believe in him.  The events of his early life contain a divine power, and that power has been communicated to the Church which is his body, so that when the whole body together commemorates those events in the yearly cycle of the liturgy they are made present in a special way, and the power which is, as it were, encapsulated in them is released and communicated to all his members.

“It is true that Jesus, the Son of God, was born at a particular moment in history.  He grew up atNazareth, matured to manhood, then suffered and died; with his resurrection from the dead the labors he had undertaken for us in the humble conditions of a human being were completed. Yet because all the mysteries of his life are made timelessly present to us in the liturgy, the entire body of believers is crucified with Christ on Good Friday, raised up with him at Easter, and set at the Father’s right hand with him at the Ascension.  Although we are called one by one to become members of the Lord’s body and may be separated from each other by time and space, once we are born anew in baptism we share Christ’s life all together, and the whole body together shares in his passover.

“Renouncing the devil, professing faith in God, passing from the old life to the new, casting off the image of the earthly man and putting on the heavenly – all this is a dying and rising again.  Christians are not the same after baptism as they were before; the bodies of the baptized have become the body of the crucified Christ.  It is Christ who lives and acts in them.  As they have died with him and have been buried and raised to life with him, so they bear him within them, both in body and spirit, in everything they do.”

All praise to you, Lord Jesus. Through the power of your Cross and resurrection, you have set me free from sin and death and raised me up to share in your risen life. Help me to reject everything that keeps me from living this truth.  

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Spend a few minutes reflecting on Romans 6:4-6. What do you believe the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you through this Scripture?

2. St. Leo says that in Romans 6:4-6, “St. Paulasserts that our dying and rising with Christ is an accomplished fact.”  In what way have you experienced this truth in your life? In what ways have you not experienced this truth?

3. St. Leo goes on to say that: “The events of his early life contain a divine power, and that power has been communicated to the Church which is his body, so that when the whole body together commemorates those events in the yearly cycle of the liturgy they are made present in a special way, and the power which is, as it were, encapsulated in them is released and communicated to all his members.” As you continue to celebrate the liturgy during the remainder of this Easter Season, what steps can you take to open yourself more to receive this “divine power” in a deeper way and make what you celebrate more present in your life?

4. Reflect on these words of St. Leo: ”Renouncing the devil, professing faith in God, passing from the old life to the new, casting off the image of the earthly man and putting on the heavenly – all this is a dying and rising again.” Why do you think St. Leo refers to these actions as a “dying and rising again”?  What steps can you take to make this dying to the old life and living the new life in Christ a greater reality?

5. Take some time now to pray for the grace to live out the words ofSt. Paulin Romans 6:4-6. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

Maurice Blumbergis the Director of Partner Relations for The Word Among Us Partners, (http://www.waupartners.org/), a ministry of The Word Among Us(www.wau.org) to the Military, Prisoners, and women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (http://www.nfcmusa.org/), for which he is currently a Trustee. He can be contacted at mblumberg@wau.org or mblumberg@aol.com.

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. (Romans 8:38)

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

Be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” Thus we may say with confidence:“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5)

How easy it is to have great trust in the Lord when things are going well, our health is good, and his plan for our lives seems to be on target. Yet, how easy it is for our trust in him to weaken, and our fears to increase, when we are going through difficult circumstances. This is true not only for you and me as Catholic men, but it was just as true for Jesus’ disciples. In the incident described in John 6:16-21, Jesus’ disciples were rowing in a strong wind on the Sea of Galilee. They were working hard, keeping the boat afloat despite the wind and the waves. The situ­ation wasn’t totally desperate. After all, these were able watermen who knew the sea, and they thought that they could make it to the other shore in these conditions. Still, something hap­pened, “and they began to be afraid” (John 6:19).

It wasn’t just the wind or the waves that caused their fear. It was Jesus, appearing at a place they didn’t expect: right in the middle of the lake! As far as the disciples knew, he had gone off to a mountain to be by himself. What’s more, he was doing something they had never consid­ered possible: walking on the water! No wonder they became afraid!

Isn’t that how it is with us, when God doesn’t do what we expect? He doesn’t solve our financial problems, he doesn’t heal us, he doesn’t restore that relationship. Maybe he acts at a time we hadn’t imagined he would and not in a way we prefer him to. When he doesn’t do what we want him or when he shows up outside our comfort zone of time or place or expectations of any kind, what happens? Fear begins to stir up in us, and our trust in him begins to waver.

Jesus dealt with his disciples’ fears just as he wants to deal with us—by revealing himself. “It is I. Do not be afraid” (John 6:20). The literal translation of the Greek here is I am, just as in the Book of Exodus, when Moses asked God for his name, and God replied “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).

It is I. Do not be afraid. Jesus wants to speak these words to you every time you are in a difficult circumstance. He may remind you that in all things he promises to work good (Romans 8:28) and in all things we can “conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us” (8:38). He may remind you of his great love, knowing that “perfect love drives out all fear” (1 John 4:18). Perhaps, he will reveal something new about who he is or what he wants to do in your life. Above all, he wants you to focus on who he is, even as he catches you off guard. He is all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient, always good, always loving, always merciful, always just.

Sometimes God allows things to happen that redirect the paths of our lives. Sometimes he invites us to find him in unusual places or unexpected people. Sometimes he is “hidden in plain sight” in unlikely circumstances. Any of these can be just as bewildering and unsettling as seeing Jesus walk­ing on water. And when it happens, we need to trust that the One who is good and loving and kind and pow­erful and sufficient for everything is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

“Lord Jesus, you know me and you know my fears. I trust in you and I believe your perfect love for me can drive out all my fears. I believe that you are always sufficient for all my needs.”

Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing me to adapt meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scriptures at the beginning of the article. What do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. The article begins with these words: “How easy it is to have great trust in the Lord when things are going well, our health is good, and his plan for our lives seems to be on target. Yet, how easy it is for our trust in him to weaken, and our fears to increase, when we are going through difficult circumstances.” Do you agree with these words? Why or why not? Give some examples to reinforce your answers.
3. Jesus’ disciples, prior to the incident in John 6:16-21, had already seen Jesus turn water into wine (John 2:1-11), heal a royal official’s son (4:46-54) and a crippled man (5:1-9), and multiply five loaves and two fish (6:1-15).  Why do you think they were still afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the water? What do you think your reaction would have been? Why?
4. We all have fears of some kind, whether they are health fears, family fears, financial fears, etc. How would you describe your fears?
5. What are the obstacles in your life are that can keep you from overcoming your fears? In what way can the Scriptures referenced in this article help you overcome these fears? In what ways are you allowing the support of other Christian men to help you overcome these fears?
6. Take some time now to pray for the grace to trust the Lord in all things and to allow him to “drive out all fears.” Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

Maurice Blumberg is the Director of Partner Relations for The Word Among Us Partners, (http://www.waupartners.org/), a ministry of The Word Among Us(www.wau.org) to the Military, Prisoners, and women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (http://www.nfcmusa.org/), for which he is currently a Trustee. He can be contacted at mblumberg@wau.org or mblumberg@aol.com. 

Now that the Easter Season is upon us, let us take time to reflect on the extraordinary and undeserved gift we have received through Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection — our sins have been forgiven and we are now sharers of eternal life with Christ. The second reading from the Easter Sunday Mass says that we too have been raised to life with Christ (Colossians 3:1).

Even though we celebrate Easter once a year, it is not intended to be a once a year event in our lives. We should continually reflect on Jesus’ resurrection, and experience more deeply our own risen life in Christ on an ongoing basis. Just think, because of what Jesus Christ accomplished through his passion, death, and resurrection, our Heavenly Father has “delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

He Has Risen, Alleluia! The first part of the title for this article: “He Has Risen” comes from Matthew 28:6, when the angel said to the women at the empty tomb the following words:

He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. (Matthew 28:6)

The centrality of the resurrection of Christ forms the whole basis of our faith. Listen to howSt. Paulstates this in Romans 10:9:

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

And St. Paul goes even further in stressing the importance of this truth in 1 Corinthians 15:14

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Corinthians 15:14)

We Have Risen With Him, Alleluia! The second part of the title: “We Have Risen With Him” comes from Colossians 2:12 and 3:1-4.

You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Colossians 2:12

You have been raised to life with Christ, Set your heart then on things that are in heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Let your thoughts dwell on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life lies hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ, and when he appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

This important truth is also expressed in other Scriptures as well:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

If we really believe in our hearts what we profess with our lips, then not only has Christ died and been raised to life for us, but we too have been crucified with him. In Christ, we have died and have been buried, and on the third day we too have been raised to life again in him. How do we know this? Isn’t this what these Scriptures tell us?

Obstacles to Living out the Truths of Our Faith: Because we are fallen human beings, living out these truths is still a work in progress. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says it this way:

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The Lord desires to transform each one of us into his image and likeness, so we can live out the new life he won for us. Unfortunately, we are sinners and so we all have obstacles that can get in the way of doing this, including:

• Past hurts, wounds, memories, disappointments
• Our fallen nature, e.g.,
• Impatience, anger, intolerance
• Wanting to be in control
• Judgmentalism, negativity, critical spirit
• Self-reliance, independence, isolation
• Self-centeredness, self-love, selfishness
• Balancing family, work, and service to the Lord
• Health issues
• Etc., Etc., Etc.

Promises of God: Yet in spite of these obstacles, we have these wonderful promises of God.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5,6)

Overcoming Obstacles: What are some ways to overcome these obstacles?

• Believe in and surrender to God’s love for you.
• Rely on the truths of who you are in Christ, not the lies of the evil one or your flesh.
• Remember the promises of God as you come before the Lord in prayer each day and during the day
• Believe that God can and desires to heal you
• Believe in the power of prayer.
• Frequent partaking of the graces that flow from the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation

No matter where we are right now in our walk with the Lord. No matter what issues we have in our life:

• Christ’s victory over sin and death is our victory.
• Christ’s risen life is always available to us
• Jesus is true to his name. Jesus is “Immanuel”: God with us.
• Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.

Let’s ask the Lord for the grace to live out these Easter truths everyday of our lives. He Has Risen, Alleluia! We Have Risen With Him, Alleluia!

Dear Lord, during this grace-filled Easter season, I ask you to continue to deepen the experience of your risen life in me, so I can bear witness to it to others.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scriptures in the article. What do you believe the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you through these Scriptures?

2. Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so central to our faith?

3. How frequently do you reflect on the fact that Jesus Christ is risen and you are risen with him? What steps can you take to do it more often?

4. We all have obstacles that keep us from living the risen life, the new life in Christ. How would you describe the obstacles you have?

5. The article lists several ways to help us overcome these obstacles. Which of these are you using in your life right now?

6. What additional steps can you take to overcome any obstacles in your life?

7. Take some time now to pray that you would experience more deeply the transforming power of the risen life of Christ during this Easter Season. Use the prayer at the end of the article as a starting point.

We are in the final weeks of Lent, and if you are like me, you are trying to be faithful to your Lenten disciplines with varying amounts of success. Now is not the time to “throw in the towel.” Let’s use the remaining time of Lent as a unique opportunity to spend additional time in prayer to ask, seek, and knock in accordance with Matthew 7:7-11. As we do this, let’s expect our Heavenly Father to touch us deeply as we come to him with humble, contrite, and grateful hearts. Let’s expect a deeper outpouring of his love and healing upon us. Let’s expect to be transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus.

Ask, seek, and knock. These are action verbs that Jesus used to describe how he wants us to relate to our Heavenly Father. Notice, too, that Jesus didn’t put any limits or qualifiers on these words. He didn’t say to ask the Father for something only when we are in trouble or distress. He didn’t say to seek the Father only when we feel that we have lost our way. He didn’t say to knock only when we feel that all other doors have been closed to us! We can ask, seek, and knock at any time, even when things are going just fine!

The promise of the gospel is that we can be in touch with our Father throughout the day, no matter how bad—or good—a day we are having. Are things going great? Terrific! Thank God and ask him to be with you even more. He wants to do so much for us, not just help us out of a jam. Wouldn’t a good father want to encourage his children, provide for them, and form them at all times, not just during the tough times? So why should we think any less of—or expect any less from—our Heavenly Father?

Lent is a good time to open up our whole lives to the Father, not just those areas that may need healing or those paths that need redirection. At times, it can be so hard to accept the fact that God loves us and wants the absolute best for us, but it is true nonetheless!

So turn to your Father today and ask him to shine his light in all areas of your life. Ask him to give you even more growth in your talents and abilities or for new insight into those areas that are going well and those that are not. Knock on the doors of new opportunities for witnessing to him in your family, at work, and in your neighborhood. Seek even more spiritual growth, unity, and peace in your family and within your parish, even if everyone is getting along already. He is a generous Father who delights in giving good gifts to his children.

“Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and care. I open my life fully to you.  Fill me with more of your grace and your presence, and help me to grow in ways that are pleasing to you. Use me to bring your love and your mercy to others.  I want to be more like your Son.”

[Many thanks to The Word Among Us (http://www.wau.org/) for allowing me to adapt some material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.]

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men 

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scripture verses at the beginning of the article. What do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. How have you tried to open your life more fully to your Heavenly Father and Jesus during this Lenten season? What steps can you take to open yourself even more deeply to their love and healing between now and Easter?
3. The article says that, “We can ask, seek, and knock at any time, even when things are going just fine!” How well do you do this? How can you improve in doing this?
4. How would you describe your image of your Heavenly Father? Is it the image of God the Father in Matthew 7:7-11, that is, a loving father who delights in giving good gifts to his children? Or is it one of a stern taskmaster, a cop in the sky, or of an indifferent father? If any of these latter images ring true to you, are you willing to have some trusted Christian men pray for you to be healed of these mistaken images, especially if they come from your relationship with your earthly father? If not, why not?
5. We hear these words in Matthew 7:11: “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” What good gifts would you like to ask your Heavenly Father for during this Lenten season of grace? With expectant faith, add these to your times of prayer during Lent.
6. Take some time now to pray for the grace to know and experience more deeply the great love of your Heavenly Father. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

Maurice Blumbergis the Director of Partner Relations for The Word Among Us Partners, (http://www.waupartners.org/), a ministry of The Word Among Us(www.wau.org) to the Military, Prisoners, and women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (http://www.nfcmusa.org/), for which he is currently a Trustee. He can be contacted at mblumberg@wau.org or mblumberg@aol.com. 

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22) 

The next day he decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” (John 1:43)

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

“Follow me.” These two words changed every­thing for Levi, for Simon and Andrew, for James and John, for Philip, for many unnamed disciples—and for us. Jesus is not pleading or begging. He is inviting, earnestly and lovingly. Isn’t it amazing that Jesus Christ, the all-holy Son of God, would give you and I, as Catholic men, the same choice as well? Follow him, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Follow him, who is the light in the darkness, the spring of water that never fails, the One who promises to guide you always.

Let’s look more closely at what these two simple words, “Follow me,” mean for you and me.

Follow me. Not because you’re par­ticularly good or talented or holy. According to Jewish law, Levi was “impure” because of his association with Gentiles. He was also proba­bly dishonest and greedy. Peter was impulsive, hotheaded, and stub­born. James and John wanted places of honor. All of the disciples had issues, but Jesus called them just the same—just as he is calling you.

Follow me. For those who respond, the glory of those two words is summed up in Peter’s first letter: Once you were no people, and you had not received mercy. But now you are God’s people, and you have received mercy. Once you were in darkness, and now you are in God’s wonderful light. You are chosen, royal, holy, a people belonging to God himself (1 Peter 2:9-10). That is who you are. That is how your heav­enly Father sees you.

Follow me. It’s true, you may not start out as an ideal disciple, but as you follow, your heart will begin to change. What you are now isn’t an obstacle to what you can become— not to the Lord. He has had a vision for your life from the moment you were conceived. And that vision is one of blessing, not of curse. It’s a vision of fullness, not emptiness. It’s a vision in which every part of your personality—all of your talents, your character traits, and even your unique quirks—is filled with his life and is used to build his kingdom.

Of course, Jesus won’t force us to follow him; he simply calls us and it is up to us to make the right choice. But what is this choice? The choice is to give our lives to Jesus, and follow him, or to try to live life on our own. It’s a choice between actively believing in Jesus or pas­sively accepting a kind of “default” life in which we just go along with the rest of the world.

But if we want to choose to follow Jesus over the default, it would be really helpful to understand who this Jesus is. That’s why, throughout this Lenten season, the Scripture readings are revealing Jesus to us and the call he is giving us  They are showing us that he is not just a good man whose example we should follow; he is the holy Son of God who became man so we, as Catholic men, could become beloved sons of God. They also show us that he is not a God who tests our faith by making us suffer; he is the Lamb of God who laid down his life so that we could be transformed into his very image and likeness!

Seeing Jesus for who he is will also show us the difference between walking with the Lord and going it alone. If during Lent, we choose to follow Jesus every day, our lives will change—and dramatically. We won’t just be living as “mere mortals” anymore. We will find ourselves filled with the grace and power of Almighty God! We will experience what it means to be a new creation. We will be able to love the unlov­able, to forgive the unforgivable, and to overcome the insurmount­able.

We all know that following Jesus has its ups and downs. It may be costly. It may require denying ourselves and taking up our cross (Luke 9:23). But this does not mean we are to live a life of continual suf­fering by passively accept­ing whatever trials come our way? Not at all! There may be challenges and difficulties along the way.  But no mat­ter what challenges we may face, we can always face them knowing that we belong to Jesus, and that he will never abandon us. For not only are we following Jesus; he is leading us. Thus, we can be confident that as we choose to follow Jesus each and every day, our lives will be marked by confidence and hope. “Follow me.” (Luke 5:27)

“Lord, thank you for inviting me to follow you. Yes, Jesus! I will follow you. I want to walk in your light every day of my life. I trust that you will bring to fulfillment all of your great and gracious plans for my life.”

Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing me to adapt meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission. 

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scriptures at the beginning of the article. What do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. When Jesus called his disciples to follow him, they left “everything behind” to follow him. What are the obstacles in your life that can keep you from leaving everything behind to follow Jesus?
3.  The article ascribes various meanings to Jesus’ words: “Follow me.”  What do these words mean to you?
4. The article describes the costs and the advantages and disadvantages of following Jesus. How would you describe them?
5. The article goes on to say that “throughout this Lenten season, the Scripture readings are revealing Jesus to us and the call he is giving us.” Why do you think this is an important element of the Scriptures that are chosen for Lent? What are some ways you can use these Scriptures during Lent to come to know Jesus in a deeper way?
6. The article ends with these encouraging words: “But no mat­ter what challenges we may face, we can always face them knowing that we belong to Jesus, and that he will never abandon us. For not only are we following Jesus; he is leading us. Thus, we can be confident that as we choose to follow Jesus each and every day, our lives will be marked by confidence and hope.” What gives you “confidence and hope” in following Jesus?
7. Take some time now to pray for the grace to “leave everything behind” to follow Jesus during your Lenten journey. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

Maurice Blumbergis the Director of Partner Relations for The Word Among Us Partners, (http://www.waupartners.org/), a ministry of The Word Among Us(www.wau.org) to the Military, Prisoners, and women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (http://www.nfcmusa.org/), for which he is currently a Trustee. He can be contacted at mblumberg@wau.org or mblumberg@aol.com.

Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks without meaning when it says, “The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy”? But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. (James 4:4-8)

It is easy to read Jesus’ words about saving and losing our lives (Mark 8:35-37) and never ask the question: “What do these words mean for my life?” Of course, his words would inspire only fear in us if all we looked at were pain and loss. Praise God, then, that he wants to open our eyes to see a fuller picture of his plan of sal­vation. Jesus didn’t die just so we would lose our old lives. He died so that we could receive his risen life! Isn’t this what this grace-filled season of Lent is all about? We should look upon our journey this Lent with awe, wonder, and anticipation of the good things God promises. Why? Because our hearts can be cleansed and our minds made anew through the power of Jesus’ cross and resurrection.

This Lent, Jesus invites us to new life, not just in heaven someday, but here and now. We can exhaust ourselves by giving in to fallen desires and being a “lover of the world” (James 4:4). But if we do, we risk losing the treasure of the life God intended for us. As we come to “deny” ourselves and turn our lives over to Jesus, we are given a new and better existence.

Jesus isn’t asking us to deny our­selves every pleasure—that’s not the point. He wants us to deny the sinful drives within us that seek to control our lives. Through the Lenten disciplines of fasting, almsgiving, and penance, Jesus wants us to “Draw near to God” so that he will draw near to us (James 4:8). He wants us to turn our hearts to God so that the Holy Spirit can empower us to live according to the new life we received at baptism. Independence, unforgiveness, legalism, worldly approval, self-glorification, perfec­tionism: They only lead to unhappi­ness. These are the things that Jesus came to put to death in us.

Yes, there is loss through the cross and through self-denial. But what do we lose? Slavery to sin. And what do we gain? A cleansed conscience, freedom from patterns of sin, intimacy with God, and a rediscovery of who we are in God’s sight! Jesus longs to see us stop thinking we must gain vic­tory on our own over the things that threaten our spiritual well-being. He longs to see us surrender our self-sufficiency so that we can receive the power of his Spirit to live a new life.

So make sure your Lenten plan also includes increased time for prayer and receiving the Sacraments (especially the Eucharist and Confession). Make it a point to fast not only from certain kinds of food but also from things like mood­iness, anger, and a sharp tongue. For in the final analysis, Lent is far less about giving some­thing up, just to prove we can do it, and far more about mak­ing ourselves more available to God. If all we do is avoid eating sweets or watching too much television— without taking the opportunity to seek out the Lord more deeply—we will have missed the primary pur­pose of this holy season.

Lent can be a season of deep trans­formation for all of us if we use it to draw near to God and look to him for our heal­ing and deliverance.

“Father, show me what I must lay down at the foot of the cross so that I can become the person you intended me to be. I want to trust Jesus’ promise that whoever loses his life will save it. Lord, I want to know you more this Lent. Show me how to purify myself and draw near to you during this season of grace.”

Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing me to adapt meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scriptures at the beginning of the article. What do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. The article begins with these words: “It is easy to read Jesus’ words about saving and losing our lives (Mark 8:35-37) and never ask the question: ‘What do these words mean for my life?’” How would you answer this question?
3. The article goes on to say that God “wants to open our eyes to see a fuller picture of his plan of sal­vation. Jesus didn’t die just so we would lose our old lives. He died so that we could receive his risen life!” How would you describe the new life that you have received through Jesus’ cross and resurrection.
4. The article focuses on seeing Lent as more than just denying ourselves certain things. In particular, our Lenten plan should also include “increased time for prayer and receiving the Sacraments (especially the Eucharist and Confession).  In what ways are these a part of your Lenten plan?
5. The article goes on to encourage us to “Make it a point to fast not only from certain kinds of food but also from things like mood­iness, anger, and a sharp tongue. For in the final analysis, Lent is far less about giving some­thing up, just to prove we can do it, and far more about mak­ing ourselves more available to God. If all we do is avoid eating sweets or watching too much television— without taking the opportunity to seek out the Lord more deeply—we will have missed the primary pur­pose of this holy season.” How would you describe the primary purpose of “this holy season”?
6. What steps are you willing tou take to make your Lenten journey “a season of deep trans­formation” and a time of “heal­ing and deliverance”?
7. Take some time now to pray that your Lenten journey would be all that the Lord desires for your life, your family, and all your loved ones. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, “The kingdom of God is at hand for you.” (Luke 10:9)

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38)

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. (Mark 6:4-6)

Do not be afraid; just have faith. (Mark 5:36)

More than once, Jesus told his fol­lowers that the Kingdom of God was near, or had come, or that they would know it was coming by certain signs (Mark 1:15, Luke 10:9). The trouble is, the human mind can so easily argue away such statements. This is especially true if our experi­ence differs from what we’re told or if it just doesn’t make sense to our logical minds. But when the king­dom is demonstrated right before our eyes, we have no choice but to believe in the reality of the Kingdom of God in our midst.

Jesus’ compassion and love really shines out in the many miraculous events that took place in his ministry, as described in the Gospels. Moved with pity (Matthew 9:36), he showed great mercy toward people who were in distress and without hope. It’s not surprising, then, that Jesus’ mira­cles have frequently been called the good news made visible. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “Christ’s compas­sion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that ‘God has visited his people’ and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand” (CCC, 1503).

Every now and then, undeniable miracles do happen in the church today. But most of the time we would say that Jesus did greater things than we are doing—even though he said we would be the ones doing the greater things (John 14:12). If we were performing undeniable mira­cles on a regular basis, just as Jesus did, our churches would be growing and filled to overflowing!

What is Expectant Faith? Some healing televangelists would say that it is the kind of faith you need to “claim” your healing, i.e., “if you have enough faith, you will be healed.” I believe this is a poor definition, since it implies a faith in our own faith rather than trusting in God’s faithfulness, love, and compassion. It also adds an unreasonable burden on the person receiving the prayers. In his book, “The Practice of Healing Prayer,” Francis MacNutt says that expectant faith is not about believing that everyone we pray for will be healed, but more to do with trusting in God’s goodness and mercy. It means knowing that God loves the person for whom we are praying, and it means believing that he hears our prayers. Because of this we know even if the healing we have prayed for doesn’t occur, we still believe that God will respond to our prayers and touch the person in some way – this is expectant faith.

Day by day, God continues to work miracles to bring us to whole­ness and deeper conversion. We may not understand why everyone is not healed when we pray. Still, while some are not healed, others are! Even if we haven’t experienced God miraculously healing, many of us know of wondrous deeds that he has done in our midst—perhaps a parishioner whose brain tumor inexplicably disappeared after prayer or a friend whose hearing improved dramatically just moments after she received the Eucharist or a family member who had a dramatic conversion to Christ before he died.

When Jesus came to Nazareth, he performed just a few small heal­ings (Mark 6:5). There was too much doubt in the environment. Let’s not let that happen to us! Jesus said that “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37).  So, let’s believe in the power of prayer and be those laborers in the Lord’s harvest. Let’s pray for a new boldness and an increase in expectant faith in us and all Catholic men. Let’s pray for an increase in miracles and healing. And when we do see or read about a miracle, let’s treasure it!

Jesus wants us all to have confidence in his pres­ence and in his power to heal, save, and transform. He wants to tell us the same thing he told Jairus: “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mark 5:36). And he wants each of us to grow in expectant faith – filled with a joyful hope!

“Heavenly Father, I trust in your great love for me and all your people. I ask you to unleash a wave of miracles and healings throughout your church through the prayers of your people. Touch the sick and the suffering, and restore them to wholeness and well­-being. Lord Jesus, I ask for the grace to pray with expectant faith for my brothers and sisters who are hurting and in need of your healing touch. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see the kingdom of God all around me. Help me to recognize your presence and your work in the people I meet, and to be responsive to people I encounter who are in need of prayer.”

Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing me to adapt meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect on the Scriptures at the beginning of the article. What do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. The article states that “Jesus’ mira­cles have frequently been called the good news made visible.” This is consistent with the quote used from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Christ’s compas­sion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that ‘God has visited his people’ and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand” (CCC, 1503). Why do you think miracles and healings are signs of God’s kingdom in our midst and “the good news made visible”?
3. How would you describe your attitude when you hear of modern day miracles or miraculous healings? Do they increase your faith or do they increase your skepticism? Why?
4. Have you ever experienced a miraculous answer to prayers through your own prayers? What was the impact of it on your own faith and your attitude towards personally praying for others?
5. How does the article define expectant faith? Do you agree with this definition? If not, how would you define it?
6. What steps can you take to grow in expectant faith?
7. Take some time now to ask the Lord for an increase in miracles and healings in the Church through the prayers of his people. Ask him for the grace and courage to be willing to pray with expectant faith for others who are hurting and in need of healing. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5)

The Gospels describe how Jesus called his Apostles, Zacchaeus, and many others to be his disciples (Matthew 4:18-21; Luke 19:5). A previous article, “The Call to be Disciples as Catholic Men,” described how Jesus has also called each of us as Catholic men to be his disciples. Do you believe you have been called to be a disciple of Jesus? Before answering this question, it is important to first consider the cost of being one as described by Jesus.

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

“If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  . . . everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26, 27, 33)

Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

These costs can be summarized as follows:

• A disciple must love Jesus even more than his immediate family. (Luke 14:26)
• A disciple requires self-denial, complete dedication, willing obedience, and total commitment – even unto death  (Luke 14:27)
• A disciple surrenders everything for Jesus. (Luke 14:33)
• A disciple remains true to Jesus’ words and teachings. (John 8:31)
• A disciple loves others as Jesus has loved him. (John 13:34-35)

The Catechism defines a disciple this way: “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it“ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1816). Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the famous German Lutheran martyr, wrote a book called “The Cost of Discipleship.” If I had to summarize with one word how he described this cost, it would be “obedience.” In Acts 13:22, God called David “a man after my own heart.” .He called David that because “he will do everything I want him to do.” I believe this is also part of our call as Jesus’ disciples.

When we consider all these “costs” associated with being a disciple, we realize that living out this call requires each of us to be “transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2) and be “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This transformation is a process that is ongoing throughout our lives, and it requires an ever deepening infilling of the new wine of the Holy Spirit. However, we know that this “new wine” cannot be poured into “old wineskins.”

“No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” (Luke 5:36-38)

As Jesus’ disciples, our Father wants each of us as Catholic men to be witnesses of his Gospel and servants of his kingdom. Becoming “new wineskins” means embracing the cross, dying to sin, and saying no to all those things that are opposed to God’s com­mandments. It means spending time every day with the Lord in prayer and Scripture. It means continually turning to the Lord, asking him to fill us with his Spirit and asking him to transform us into his image and likeness. It means frequently available ourselves of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As we do this, it will lead to the kind of transformation that we all long to experience, the kind of transformation that will allow us to fulfill the “cost” of being the disciple Jesus has called us to be.

“Lord Jesus, I want to be your disciple, no matter what the cost. I believe this is your call for my life, and I say yes to this call. Your grace is sufficient to transform me and make me faithful to this call. Your grace is sufficient for me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow you. I want to be a witness to your Gospel and a servant of your kingdom.”

Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing me to adapt meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Several Scriptures are quoted in this article. Take some time to meditate and reflect on them. In light of the title of this article, what do you think God is trying to reveal to you through them?
2. The article states that Jesus “calls each of us as Catholic men to be his disciples.” How would you describe your own call to be a disciple?
3. The article lists several Scriptures in which Jesus describes what it means to be his disciple. What do these Scriptures tell you about the cost of being a disciple?
4. The article also describes the need for us as Catholic men to be transformed if we are to fulfill the costs of being Jesus’ disciple. How would you describe this process of transformation, especially in your own life?
5. What are some areas of your life that the Lord wants to change from old wineskins to new wineskins, so he can fill you even more with the new wine of his Holy Spirit?
6. Take some time now to pray for the grace to not only say yes to Jesus’ call to be his disciple, but also for the grace to live it out. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

As a husband and father of a very busy family, I can understand: at work I get to exercise my mind solving complex problems on a daily basis and I get rewarded for doing so. At home, I referee petty disputes between three toddlers over a stuffed animal (and am usually rewarded by at least one child throwing a tantrum).

I’m an engineer, and at my work we prize efficiency and competence. I delegate a task to a coworker who, like me, has a four year college degree (at the very least), and he takes care of it expeditiously. It’s like we form a whirring engine with all pistons firing precisely. At home, it is often more like a chaotic train-wreck: potty training mishaps, rudimentary communication via garbled English, misbehavior, and toddler-clumsiness. Another strike against family life.

Is it any wonder that many men choose to work long hours, often leaving before the children wake up and coming home an hour or so before bedtime? The fact that most salaried jobs nowadays come with the expectation of working more than 40 hours per week only makes the decision to stay away from home easier.

How awful a feeling it must be to dread going home to spend time with your family, yet it is something that many men feel–some often, many at least occasionally. Is there a solution to this dilemma?

I would propose that the only real solution is a long-term one: growth in virtue via deeper conversion to Christ.

Before I married Katie, I had steeped myself in learning about the Catholic teachings on marriage and the family: John Paul II’s Letter to Families, Mulieris Dignitatem, Guardian of the Redeemer, Humanae Vitae, Evangelium Vitae, theology of the body, and so on. I made one or two weekly holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament and prayed for my future wife and children. By God’s grace, doing these things helped prepare me to more fully appreciate the gift of my vocation to marriage and the beauty of the family.

And now that I am married and have been blessed with children, I’ve continued to ask for God’s help: sometimes that means asking him for the desire to want to spend time with my family when I would rather be quietly reading a book, going for a walk by myself, staying at work to play Quake, or checking facebook.

Also, talk with your wife about your struggles: no doubt “she can tell” when you seem to always have to work long hours. It is hard to hide your reluctance to watch the children so that she can get a much-needed break, so be honest with each other. Try to figure out what, exactly, is difficult for you. Perhaps she has ideas to make your child-watching task easier. Many times Katie offers me a suggestion for an activity or a better way of handling a situation which helps me keep my sanity and gives the children a more engaging project. If nothing else, your wife can offer her sympathy and provide you emotional and spiritual support: she spends most of the day with the children and knows how challenging it can be.

Finally, don’t be harder on yourself than you need to be: God knows the difficulty you have and wants to help you grow in selfless love through it. Preferring a place where you get accolades on a regular basis and don’t have a little person spitting up all over you is understandable, but God has called us to be fathers, and that requires balancing the dual tasks of providing for our families and spending time with them to foster their growth in every aspect of life.