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But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness,

godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. ~ 1 Timothy 6:11

Monday, January 28, 2013

My Childhood Ideas of Manhood

The following story is the evolution of my thoughts on what it meant to be a man as I grew up.  I know it might seem a little silly at times, but there is a point to the story.

Toddler

In my earliest memories, my father was the only adult male I knew.  If I'm honest, I can't even tell you if I knew I was going to grow up, but he was the only male figure in my life.

"If" I thought about growing into a man I would have assumed I would be like my father.

A real man was the big man.

The Big Man


Child

As early as the age of six I had realized that not all adult males were men.  Some were different.  Some led.  Some followed.  Men were distinct in a group of males as the ones whom the other males looked to.

My image of these men was that they were the best.  They were taller and stronger.  They were more masculine.  They were hairier.  And for the longest time, my idea of what a real man was was Tom Selleck.

A real man was a manly man.

The Manly Man


Teenager

As I drifted into my teen years, the manly man image became more and more old fashioned, to the point of irrelevance.  What I began to notice was that there were males that defined the trends others followed.

This could be seen in athletics, in fashion, and in business.  More and more, a real man began to be defined by being successful.  The moguls like Michael Jordan, Brad Pitt, and Donald Trump were the most successful in their field.  Success made you sexy, got you ladies, earned you respect, and lots of money!

The real man was the sexy man.

The Sexy Man


College

In college I hit a crisis in manhood.  I realized how shallow the prior definitions of manhood had been, but I had nothing to replace them with.

I knew I wanted to be a man.  I knew it was a lofty goal.  But I didn't know what a man was.  And what's worse, I couldn't find a role model.  Without an example of a man, I had no target to pursue.

I wrestled with this idea for four years in college.  I would talk about it with friends, bring it up in philosophy class, and occasionally write about it.  Finally, a new distinguishing factor between males became apparent.  There were those who acted and those who didn't!

It made sense.  There were those who were to afraid or unambitious to act on their dreams and those who grabbed their destiny by the horns.  The makers were the ones who had forged the world I was currently living in...buildings, cultures, governments, businesses...all from those who had been doers.

This was my new target.  To be part of males who acted when they saw a problem.  A real man was a man of action.

Man of Action

Today

The man of action served a good framework for years.  But there were questions that didn't make sense with this definition.  Villains, murderers, and terrorists could be called men of action, is it that right?  Could you be bad and still be a man?  If God made man wouldn't he provide a definition?

Eventually, the nagging questions piled up and toppled the man of action.  There just wasn't enough substance there.  So, I was once again without direction.

That is until earlier this year when I had an epiphany...which is the subject of my next post found here.


Lessons Learned

As I look back at the different definitions over the course of my life I laugh.  But I also think back to all of the energy and time dedicated to the pursuit of these incorrect ideas.  And I'm not alone.

How much time, resources, and passion have been wasted by the boys of my generation?!  All because we want for a compass to point us in the right direction.

How sad is it that there is not a clear "true north" for manliness in today's society?
How much could have been accomplished if the boys my age didn't wander blindly?
How big a travesty is it that our society can't point us to a hero of a man to be idealized?
And perhaps scariest of all, why isn't anyone else asking this?

I'm still exploring.  I want answers.  If you have an idea, please share it in the comments.


Keep pursuing,



Mini-Series on Manliness

Today we start a new series called Becoming a Man!  This series is dedicated to the pursuit of growing into a real man.

In this series I hope to tackle subjects such as:

  • What it means to be a real man
  • Exposing myths concerning manhood
  • Why real men are needed in this world
  • My personal journey/struggle with becoming a man
Some initial thoughts (that I am sure I will delve into in greater detail in future posts):

  • A boy is different than a guy is different than a man
  • How terrible is it that what it means to be a man has become lost in our society?
  • How bizarre is it that the majority males grow older but NEVER GROW INTO MEN?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Law Determines Life Begins at Conception

Intro

When discussing abortion, most disagreements center around whether abortion actually ends human life. Did you know that the courts have already made a ruling on whether abortion ends human life?


Background

The ruling from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals can be found at this link. Just in case it moves...it is case number 05-3093, it was filed on 6/27/2008, and it is entitled "Panned Parenthood v Mike Rounds".

For brief background, South Dakota passed a law increasing the information requirements for informed consent before an abortion. Planned Parenthood requested an appeal to a higher court in the hopes of eliminating the law.


Language in the Ruling

The ruling, while a step in the right direction, is not necessarily a huge deal.  However, the language of the ruling is incredible!  Here are a few excerpts:
"That the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being;" ~ Page 3 
"That the pregnant woman has an existing relationship with that unborn human being and that the relationship enjoys protection under the United States Constitution and under the laws of South Dakota;" ~ Page 3 
"The Act...amended to define “Human being” for the purposes of the informed-consent-to-abortion statute as “an individual living member of the species of Homo sapiens, including the unborn human being during the entire embryonic and fetal ages from fertilization to full gestation.” ~ Page 4
This is language that is written into law!  Approved by the judicial system of the US to be absolutely true.

Testimonies in Support of the Finding

This finding was supported by testimony from specialists in a multitude of fields including the following:

Marie Peeters-Ney, M.D., a physician and geneticist:
"Becoming a member of our species is conferred immediately upon conception. At the moment of conception a human being with 46 chromosomes comes into existence. These chromosomes, the organization, the chromosomal pattern is specifically human. The RNA, the messenger protein, the proteins are distinctly human proteins. So this new human being is a member of our species, and humanity is not acquired sometime along the path, it occurs right at conception."  ~ Page 6
David Fu-Chi Mark, Ph.D., a molecular biologist employed in the pharmaceutical industry, stated:
"the Act’s definition of “human being” as an “‘individual living member of the species Homo sapiens,’ including human beings living in utero, makes it clear that the statement [abortion kills humans] is stated as a scientific fact and nothing more. As such, it is truthful and scientifically accurate.”...The affidavit described in detail the DNA and RNA science supporting the accuracy of the statement. ~ Page 7
Bruce Carlson, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine and author of a widely used textbook on human embryology, stated:
"that “the post implantation human embryo is a distinct individual human being, a complete separate member of the species Homo sapiens, and is recognizable as such.” ~ Page 7

Conclusions

Long story short, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals (the penultimate legal authority in the nation) issued a ruling clearly stating that abortion terminates the life of a whole, separate, unique, and living human being.

So we now have the law, the Church, and science all agreeing that abortion ends a human life.  Raise these facts!  Send these links!  Do not let anyone get away with lying and saying that abortion does not end human life.


Keep Pursuing




Additional Materials

This post is part of a mini-series on when life begins.

Monday, January 21, 2013

The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer is a beautiful prayer that was first written by Reinhold Niebuhr.

This is how you pray it:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference. 
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. 
Amen.

Keep Pursuing

St Gertrude’s Prayer

This prayer was given to St. Gertrude by Jesus. Jesus promised that every time it was said, 1,000 souls would be released from Purgatory and allowed into God's Presence.

This is how you pray it:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. 
Amen.


Keep Pursuing




Thursday, January 17, 2013

Love

This is a landing page for all the posts about Love.

Q: What is Love?
A: Love is willing the good of another as one's own.


Main Posts:

Related Posts


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The 12 Tribes of Israel

These are the 12 tribes of Israel:
  1. Reuben
  2. Simeon
  3. Levi
  4. Judah
  5. Zebulun
  6. Issachar
  7. Dan
  8. Gad
  9. Asher
  10. Naphtali
  11. Joseph
  12. Benjamin

Keep Pursuing



Additional Resources

The listing of the 12 can be found in Genesis 49.  It contains the following:
Jacob called his sons and said: "Gather around, that I may tell you what is to happen to you in days to come.  "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.   
"You, Reuben, my first-born, my strength and the first fruit of my manhood, excelling in rank and excelling in power!  Unruly as water, you shall no longer excel, for you climbed into your father's bed and defiled my couch to my sorrow.  
"Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed, weapons of violence are their knives.  Let not my soul enter their council, or my spirit be joined with their company; For in their fury they slew men, in their willfulness they maimed oxen.  Cursed be their fury so fierce, and their rage so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob, disperse them throughout Israel.  
"You, Judah, shall your brothers praise - your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah, like a lion's whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts - who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, While tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage. He tethers his donkey to the vine, his purebred ass to the choicest stem. In wine he washes his garments his robe in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.  
"Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore (This means a shore for ships), and his flank shall be based on Sidon.  
"Issachar is a rawboned ass, crouching between the saddlebags. When he saw how good a settled life was, and how pleasant the country, He bent his shoulder to the burden and became a toiling serf.  
"Dan shall achieve justice for his kindred like any other tribe of Israel. Let Dan be a serpent by the roadside, a horned viper by the path, That bites the horse's heel, so that the rider tumbles backward. "(I long for your deliverance, O LORD!) 
"Gad shall be raided by raiders, but he shall raid at their heels.
"Asher's produce is rich, and he shall furnish dainties for kings.
"Naphtali is a hind let loose which brings forth lovely fawns. 
"Joseph is a wild colt ,a wild colt by a spring, a wild ass on a hillside. Harrying and attacking, the archers opposed him; But each one's bow remained stiff, as their arms were unsteady, By the power of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, The God of your father, who helps you, God Almighty, who blesses you, With the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the abyss that crouches below, The blessings of breasts and womb, the blessings of fresh grain and blossoms, The blessings of the everlasting mountains, the delights of the eternal hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. 
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; mornings he devours the prey, and evenings he distributes the spoils." 
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said about them, as he bade them farewell and gave to each of them an appropriate message. Then he gave them this charge: "Since I am about to be taken to my kindred, bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground.  There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah - the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites." When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was taken to his kindred.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Things about Jesus

Jesus is the single most influential figure in the history of the world.  You cannot find a facet of society or an area of the globe that has not felt the ramifications of His life and death.

What was so different about Jesus?  Why did He inspire such devotion?  How did He develop such monumental influence?  I think a great place to start is by answering the question: Who is Jesus?

This post will explore what type of person Jesus was, who He was to those around Him, and what Jesus meant to world.


Jesus is the Son of God
The Gospels report that at two solemn moments, the Baptism (Mark 1:9-11) and the Transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:5), the voice of the Father designates Jesus his "beloved Son". Jesus calls himself the "only Son of God", and by this title affirms his eternal pre-existence. He asks for faith in "the name of the only Son of God". In the centurion's exclamation before the crucified Christ, "Truly this man was the Son of God", that Christian confession is already heard. Only in the Paschal mystery can the believer give the title "Son of God" its full meaning.  ~ CCC 444
Jesus being the Son of God changes everything.  His words become promises.  His actions become the will of God.  His sacrifice becomes infinitely more humbling.

It also transforms God's relationship with man.  God sent His only son to die for us.  It's the story of Abraham all over again only this time the son is actually sacrificed.  What kind of love must He have for us to do such a thing?!


Jesus is the Messiah
"The woman said to him, 'I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.' Jesus said to her, 'I am he, the one who is speaking with you.'" ~ John 4:25-26
"Messiah" is the Hebrew word for "Anointed One".  References to "the Messiah" are scattered through out the Old Testament.  The Messiah was the title of the savior that would come to rescue Israel.  Moses and the prophets predicted the coming of the Messiah and the events of His birth, life, and death.

Jesus is the realization of every single one of these predictions and is, thus, the savior of Israel whose coming was foretold through the Old Testament.  The prophesies were fulfilled, the promises kept, and Israel was saved.

In addition, this also means that Jesus is the Christ because "Christ" is the Greek translation of "Messiah".


Jesus is the Bread of Life
"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst....'" ~ John 6:35
Just as food sustains the body, Jesus sustains our soul.  We need Him in order to live.  In receiving the Eucharist each Sunday we enter into communion with Him, anticipating eternal life.


Jesus is the Light of the World
"Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" ~ John 8:12
We humans stumble around blindly when in darkness.  And so it was without Christ, the entire human race was without direction and lost in sin.  Jesus came and brought light to the world.  We can see the truth in Him and follow in His footsteps to live righteously.


Jesus is the Good Shepherd
"I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." ~ John 10:11
There is perhaps no better analogy to describe our relationship with Jesus.  We humans are weak, stupid creatures that will follow anything that moves.  And Jesus, being a good shepherd, patiently guides us and defends us.


Jesus is the Gate to Salvation
"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." ~ John 10:9
We are beings made of body and soul.  When our mortal bodies die, our souls will remain for eternity in salvation (heaven) or damnation (hell).  Jesus is our entry point for heaven.  Without Him we cannot enter Heaven.  We enter into salvation by following Him.


Jesus is the Vine
"Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." ~ John 15:4-5 
My favorite analogy!  I cannot do anything without Jesus.  I can struggle all I want, but if all-powerful God is against me, what can I ever hope to accomplish?  Conversely, if I am working for all-powerful God, who can stop me in any endeavor?


Jesus is the Son of Man
"And he said to him, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'" ~ John 1:51
Jesus was fully human.  He was birthed into the world just like every other human being in history.  At the same time this title also marks Jesus as the savior foretold in Daniel 7:13-14.


Jesus is the Lamb of God
"The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God.'" ~ John 1:35-36
Throughout the Old Testament, as per God's covenant with the Jews, animals were sacrificed to God in reconciliation for sins.  God sent Jesus to forge a new and everlasting covenant, where His blood would be shed in reconciliation for our sins.

As a result, the price has already been paid for our sins.  If we accept the gift that Jesus offers and welcome Him into our life we are washed clean.  This means we are freed from slavery to sin and can enter into Heaven with God.


Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me...'" ~ John 14:6
In a world filled with lies and doubt, Jesus is the one true thing.


Jesus is the King of Israel
"Nathanael answered him, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.'" ~ John 1:49-50
Jesus is the ruler of the kingdom of God.  Its an interesting point that both the "king" and the "kingdom" were not what they were expected to be.  The truth ended up being much larger.  The kingdom was not just Israel, but the entire kingdom of God, all creation.  The king was not a lion of a warrior who took vengeance, but a lamb who loved so much He gave His life for us.


Jesus is the Word of God made Flesh
"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth." ~ John 1:14
"In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word - and he has no more to say. . . because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son [Jesus]. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behaviour but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty" ~ CCC 65


Jesus...Is

The examples above are just a few selections of the countless things that Jesus was and is to His followers.  He is all things to all people.

However, the last thing I want to leave you with is the most important:




Additional Resources

Father Robert Barron's Word on Fire Series:
Who is Jesus?

Aleteia provides a bunch of video, audio, and documentary resources to answer this question:
Who is Jesus?

The CCC on Jesus
The CCC on Christ
The CCC on the Son of God
The CCC on Our Lord



Keep Pursuing