spiritdaily.org/Quickhive%20articles/realmen.htm
I’m going to be frank here, the church needs its men back. God bless the priests, without them we have nothing. But I’m talking about the men, the working class, the first line of the family, the everday guy to get down on his knees in front of the Lord and plead for mercy. The guys who will defend the church.
Before I came into the church i really viewed it as an old lady thing to do, and God forbid i ever pick up a rosary…that’s for old ladies! Praying? I dont do that! Confession? Why would i have to do that…miracles? i dont think so… If you can imagine, i am 6’ 3, and 220 lbs, lean athletic build. I wear a WW2 era bomber jacket and sport a full beard. I might be the last person you expect to find in a church. But why? Where did this stereotype come from.
It wasn’t until i watched a tape of this cocaine snorting, prostitute frequenting, ferrari driving, drug dealing, dishonest man who lost it all and became a priest. He was talking about spiritual combat, souls falling into hell like snowflakes over sexual sin ( i remembered that one!), the devil, angels, and Jesus Christ who saves. Each of his words was a pointed command to my soul, like hellfire and brimstone. This really turned on the Holy Spirit inside of me. This priest by the way, is Fr John Corapi. He is the bomb.
Fr Corapi was a blessing in my life. Watching his immortal combat series changed my outlook on life. If you can inspire the men in your parish, it will flourish with piety. There is something about a man genuflecting deeply and holding it for a prayer, different from a woman doing it. Today after I left the confessional i looked up and there were three elderly women smiling like idiots at me, lol. It was not something you see every day i guess.
Jesus has be feminized a little. Or maybe we are too homophobic to say we are in love with Jesus. It’s not normal for a man of this day and age to have a Lord, right? We forget He was the man of all men. The men He chose as disciples were the wild bunch! Read the bible, St. Peter cut off a soldiers ear for gosh sakes!
Remember that “feminine rosary”? I made my own. It’s made of parachute cord, plastic pony beads, and a rugged crucifix. It looks like it belongs in Operation desert storm. It’s my combat rosary. It inspires me to pray. The bible? I read the scripture like crazy, it’s full of useful information in combating the enemy. Why pray? Because it saves souls! Pray for the weak, the dying, the addicted, the tempted, the young, the aborted, they need it! Not addicted to sin? Try to stop for 1 week then come back and tell me that.
I’ve been mulling over ways to approach it, and the two ideas i had were:
- Male only “prayer groups”, but don’t call it a prayer group. Prayer groups are for…you guessed it…old ladies! joking… Men need a place to meet and discuss pertinent faith issues, morals, etc.
- Devote one homily a month to an important theme from Catechism. Importance and significance of confession, reverence for the Eucharist, and other doctrine of the faith. People are HUNGRY for this information, they want to know it.
As soon as i finish RCIA I want to let the fire inside me out, and start to do something about it. I feel strongly that this is why I was called back to the church, I just get so upset to no confession lineup, and 20 minute communion line ups, no reverence at all of the sacrament, listlessness during the most important prayer hour of the week…
And thus ends my rant.