I have a theory -all Catholics need to read this!

[Ontheway]

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So what I’d like to do is to create a fraternal brotherhood for lay Catholic men based on balancing spirituality and responsibility. It should be guided by God and there should be 7 patron Saints including St Francis, St. Joseph, and 5 others… Every member must choose a Saint as their advocate to mediate between the fraternity and the Father through daily prayer. We would have to promise X amount of time in prayer each week.

There would be a monthly requirement, where we could have special evening Masses. We could organize lectures and meetings discussing priorities and agendas with recognized Catholic Apologists, monks, priests, bishops, etc.

Well, what do you think?

Tepo,

This is exactly what we need. The men’s clubs in our parishes need to evolve into something like this.

 

[HouseArrest]

I think it’s a good idea.

Many of the other problems stated can be avoided through a strong father.

 

[AnnArbor]

My theory goes as follows:

With dads being the visionaries and organizers of the family unit, they need to balance their focus between their work, politics, enforcing rules and guiding their families in a more spiritual atmosphere.
:

I am not sure why you think dad are the visionaries and orgnizers of the family unit – that doesn’t seem to have any basis in Catholic teaching. Also, it is not only men who must balance the focus of their lives among work, politics, enforcing rules and guiding their families in a more spiritual atmosphere – those are also the concerns of many women.

 

[eonporter]

My theory goes as follows:

The decline in Catholicism that has plagued the West is due to a lack of spiritual guidance through family unit fathering.

With dads being the visionaries and organizers of the family unit, they need to balance their focus between their work, politics, enforcing rules and guiding their families in a more spiritual atmosphere.

What I’m saying is that the fault cannot lay on Church priests, media, politics or whatever… The blame lies in a lack of spiritual strength within Catholic men, especially fathers.

So what I’d like to do is to create a fraternal brotherhood for lay Catholic men based on balancing spirituality and responsibility. It should be guided by God and there should be 7 patron Saints including St Francis, St. Joseph, and 5 others… Every member must choose a Saint as their advocate to mediate between the fraternity and the Father through daily prayer. We would have to promise X amount of time in prayer each week.

There would be a monthly requirement, where we could have special evening Masses. We could organize lectures and meetings discussing priorities and agendas with recognized Catholic Apologists, monks, priests, bishops, etc.

Well, what do you think?

It’s a good initiative, but just be sure that you are not trying to create something that already exists.

I think your perception is right, there is a lack of spiritual strength in western societies, due to the fact that people don’t bring their spiritual beliefs anymore to the ordinary activities of their daily life.

It seems almost like people go to church and forget their faith there, just to be something else in society.

I know that Opus Dei has the lead on that matter: they really enforce the role of faith while leading your family, managing your business, keeping your friendships, etc. They also have special obligations to their members, like spiritual retreats, recollections, spiritual direction, collective prayers, etc, etc. And they put a lot of emphasis on the personal responsibility of every catholic to spread their faith in society.

They are not restricted to men/fathers, but they do have very similar ideas to yours, so perhaps you should check on them and see if you are interested.

 

[Ohana]

Husbandry is the discipline of breeding and raising livestock (or agriculture)

How is fatherhood and being a husband more important than we might think? The Church teaches that these are important and valuable roles already.

Sorry, this sounds a little too “Promise Keepers” for me.

Yes, I agree. In your original statement, where is the spouse in this. One of the most important things a husband can do for his family is to love his wife, their mother - And she him When that is present, being a “sacramental” marriage / family seems to happen,

 

[Edward_H]

It’s a good initiative, but just be sure that you are not trying to create something that already exists.

I think your perception is right, there is a lack of spiritual strength in western societies, due to the fact that people don’t bring their spiritual beliefs anymore to the ordinary activities of their daily life.

It seems almost like people go to church and forget their faith there, just to be something else in society.

I know that Opus Dei has the lead on that matter: they really enforce the role of faith while leading your family, managing your business, keeping your friendships, etc. They also have special obligations to their members, like spiritual retreats, recollections, spiritual direction, collective prayers, etc, etc. And they put a lot of emphasis on the personal responsibility of every catholic to spread their faith in society.

They are not restricted to men/fathers, but they do have very similar ideas to yours, so perhaps you should check on them and see if you are interested.

Well said. Yes, there is a constantly recurring aspect to the spirituality of Opus Dei, which in my words is sort of summarized as “It’s, at least partly if not all, my fault”.

• Did I pray enough for my family today?
• Did I offer myself generously enough to my family tonight?
• Could I have smiled more in service to my wife and children?
• Could I have shouldered the work of my vocation as husband and father with a more sporting spirit?
• Did I maintain a more steady conversation with God today than I did yesterday?
• Could I have been more available to my family?
• Did I offer my work today out of love for God and my family?
• Did I bear well and cheerfully the big and little setbacks that I experienced today?
• Did I detach immediately from my preferences often?
• How did I make life today more pleasant for my family?

Don’t confuse this spirituality with being dourly masochistic…in fact, it’s really the opposite. There is a “stretchy generosity” that is encouraged by Opus Dei, that if lived well, will lead to a fairly constant joy in life.

Listen to this short video…listen for “It’s your fault” about mid-way through. If we search generously in our examination…we will see plenty of opportunities where we could be a bit more loving, or living with a greater spirit of generosity and quiet sacrifice. Little by little, a bit more loving every day. A bit less “self”. He must increase. I must decrease, as St John. says.

opusdei.us/art.php?p=49753

 

[RocketRM]

I think the spirit of the OP is extremely valuable but I would find it even more compelling if it spoke of both husband and wife as equal heads to the spiritual well being of the family.

Society fails when family units fail to teach and live the basic Christian spiritual message.

This includes the husband AND wife teaching their children (and themselves) the bible, the catechism, going to mass, praying, etc.

But it also includes (as one poster mentioned) living the authentic life - husbands and wives loving and honouring each other. Spending quality time as a family.

What needs to occur is not a fraternal/maternal organization but rather a wake up call to Catholic families to step back from the trappings and pitfalls of the real world and re-focus on growing together in faith. This could involve church-sponsored events but really the change needs to happen at the family level.

My two cents.

God Bless!

 

[Edward_H]

From:

opusdei.us/art.php?p=50013

To borrow from Scott Hahn, it was the moment I “got” Opus Dei: it was while watching a video of its founder St. Josemaria Escriva in the middle of a question-and-answer session before a large audience. A professional-looking man got up and asked St. Escriva, “can you tell me if there is any sign that would show me I am living the teachings of Opus Dei faithfully and well?” Anybody who saw that video or was actually there would never forget how St. Escriva, without missing a beat, without a second’s pause, give this answer: “if your wife is happy.”

Early on in my contact with Opus Dei, a priest told me that my only job was “to make your wife the happiest woman on the face of the earth”.

This may sound good, but somewhat “aspirational”…but it took me some time to more fully understand the inexhaustible wisdom in this spiritual guidance. I am still unpacking that advice, and putting it into effect.

By focusing on my wife…I stop focusing on my own little problems. My wife can’t be the happiest woman on the face of the earth, unless she is drawing nearer and nearer to God, every day. My wife can’t be happy if the children are not being well loved and formed with a generous and cheerful heart. My wife can’t be happy if she’s worried about losing our house, or sees the house falling apart. So this advice is so simple…as all great advice really is or needs to be…and yet it is very concrete and very divine.

 

[Marie5890]

No, I think you are trying to find a simplistic answer to something that is far more complex.

 

[JackieMom]

To become a member of this fraternity, you must first become ordained into the religious life… You must first become a Deacon.

So you have to be called to ordination as a permanent deacon if you want to join? This will limit your numbers significantly, since very few men with young children in the home are ordained deacons. On top of that, your group would exclude all fathers under the age of 35 years old.

 

[LSK]

there is a great men’s group known as the MEN OF ST JOSEPH (menofstjoseph.com/) that seems to address your concerns.

I think limiting it to those ordained to the Deaconate would be a real problem.

 

[Ontheway]

there is a great men’s group known as the MEN OF ST JOSEPH (menofstjoseph.com/) that seems to address your concerns.

I think limiting it to those ordained to the Deaconate would be a real problem.

These are few and far between. How do we go about initiating something like this?

 

[ahollars]

There is already a men’s group that addresses this issue:

The Knights of Columbus,

and they have failed miserably, for reasons that have been discussed up and down these forums.

The truth is that men need to suffer to grow stronger and protect their families. These men fulfill their obligations. We are overdue for some real persecution in the western world. Times will be coming, whether through war, economic collapse, civil unrest, or all three. Be prepared.

 

[TEPO]

So you have to be called to ordination as a permanent deacon if you want to join? This will limit your numbers significantly, since very few men with young children in the home are ordained deacons. On top of that, your group would exclude all fathers under the age of 35 years old.

I’d like to withdraw that statement. That was actually a bad idea on my part.