As men, we’re all a little rough around the edges. 

Not in a physical, unshaven,wrinkled shirt kind-of-way; but spiritually.  Even if we go to Mass every Sunday and say our daily prayers, our mind sometimes wanders during the homily or we nod off in the middle of the Rosary.  Deep down we love our families and know we should treat others as Jesus would; but living that out on a daily basis can be hard to do.  That’s why as men, we need each other for encouragement and strength. 

Two common thought processes we have as men are:

1) We can handle life on our own. 
2) We are the only ones who struggle with certain issues. 

Both of these types of thinking are dangerous because they separate us from God and put walls between us and those who can help us.  Instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with pride and shame.  Once this happens we cease living out the fullness of life God calls us to.  Men, it’s time to take responsibility for our actions and stop trying to do things on our own.  The verse at the top of this page from Proverbs deals with this issue. 

You would never try to cut wood with an old axe would you?  Of course not.  First, you would use a steel brush and remove the rust.  Then you would use a grinding stone to sharpen the blade.  Both of these procedures require time, effort to remove old, useless material to make the blade more effective.  Meeting with other men on a regular basis for prayer, study and fellowship is a great way to keep ourselves sharp and effective.  Doing so is vital to our spiritual growth in living out our lives as the men of God calls us to be.  I have witnessed this transformation in many men and experienced it first hand in my own life.    

your brother in Christ,

Dan Rouse
President
Catholic Men’s Fellowship