Hey guys
Here is your off-week refresher and reminder of when the next meeting is.
I added a couple of the new faces or guys who couldn’t make it to this weeks reminder but I wont keep you on the list after this week unless you ask me to. Usually I ask you at the meeting if you want this email on the off weeks or not but I forgot to this week. I don’t want you to think you are stuck on some sort of mailing list now if you didn’t ask for it.
Last week we talked about the concept of giving our wealth away to follow Jesus and how hard that might be to accept. In the Bible when He said that to the rich man, he walked away dejected as he was not willing to give everything away. When we look at those who are in the Holy Orders, many of them live a life of poverty, giving up social comforts and property to submit to the life that God has in store for them. Does that mean that we all fall that much short of the request of Jesus if we don’t all do the same thing? Obviously, that’s a hard thing to come to terms with and any amount of reassurance sounds like someone making excuses or justifications to get around it. The Bible does say that God isn’t asking us to give everything up. However its clear that any gifts we hold here, really are not for us. They are for us to provide glory to God. That seems to be the line in the sand we need to watch for. When are we putting our luxuries and comforts above Him. Do we prioritize money and wealth over Him? Do we worship at the alter of money or the alter of God. It does not seem like there is room to do both.
There has been a popular teaching for many years that leads people astray on this as well. Currently its name is the Prosperity Gospel, but the concept is not new. Heresy seems to flare up, knock people off the path, fade away and then circle back, recycled with a new name, fresh paint job, new shiny lights and posters, but its all the same as before. The concept here is that God says “ask and you shall receive” so that must mean that you can ask for money and property and wealth and security and happiness to your hearts content. God wants you to prosper in this life. He wants you to be wealthy and have power. And while you’re at it, He also wants a cut of the pie to be donated to this church or that pastor. Its all in the name of God.
But you can see where a persons priority is then. It does not lay at the foot of the cross. It lays at the bank. Or worse, at the altar of self. And this theology reduces God to a tool that would be used and controlled for our own selfish gains. Anyone who tries to play that game will lose. If I pray for this or do that or produce this sacrifice, then God will produce a prescribed result A, B or C for me. The concept of “if I do this, then I will get that” is a form of control and it just isn’t possible with God. God will NOT be controlled. It is a fruit of selfishness at its core and doesn’t bring glory to God.
This ideology is everywhere in our world today. How many times do you hear young people talking about “manifesting” some kind of result from the Universe. Where they basically will themselves something they want, and magically it will present itself to them with the least amount of effort. It’s the same heretical theology infecting these who refuse to even acknowledge God. Honestly I’m not sure which is worse. Belief in a God you can control, or non-belief in God but belief in a universal will that will yield to your wishes and reward you upon request. But guess how easy it is to manipulate someone who is trying to heal a hurt, fill a hole in their lives, or just plain old weak in faith and as a result susceptible to the temptation to exert control where there is none to claim. We are a broken people for sure and easy pickings for the evil one. All the more reason we need strong faithful men and women around us.
We talked about accepting the parables and biblical stories at face value or not. Did God create in 6 days really? What does it mean? Can we reconcile what we think we know with what we think we believe when they seem to conflict at times? Do we doubt that its possible for Him and therefore need to find a way to explain it away?
Paul shared some insight into the meanings behind some of the numbers we see repeatedly in the Bible. #3 meant a job well done. All correct. #6 meant a job done doubly well. Super star stature. Top of the class. #7 represents the number of perfection. When we apply that to the creation story, God created in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Perfection.
We talked about the importance of the old testament in contrast to the revelation and new covenant of the new testament. I personally don’t believe we can just ignore the Old Testament in favor of the fullness of revelation of God in the New Testament, but I am not overly confident in my knowledge and ability to defend that belief. I also can clearly see and appreciate the argument in favor of a dedicated focus on strictly the New Testament. But that has to be a flawed approach to the Word of God right? Can anyone else in our group shed better light on that than I can? I would love to hear any other thoughts on this.
There is so much that connects us to the Old Testament directly. For example if you study the Biblical foundations of our Catholic mass, much of it comes directly from the Old Testament. Leviticus specifically (thanks Kurt for reminding me of this). It’s where we get the blueprint for how we build our places of worship and how we interact with God. Here is a short video course online that we just wrapped up with the Young Adult group and it talks about this too. I think online access to it is $8 if you want to check it out. https://ascensionpress.com/search?q=biblical+walk+through+the+mass&options%5Bprefix%5D=last
We discussed how Jesus referred to the scriptures that are now considered the old testament and related prophecy in his time. In Mark 14: 53-65 at his trial they challenge him on his identity and he makes reference to Daniel 7:9-14. Without knowing the scriptures, it seems like the priests have a dramatic over-reaction to his words. But seeing those words in context of the reference He makes to scripture, it now makes so much more sense.
The new testament isn’t a form of correction where it rights the wrongs in the previous scriptures. If all scripture is Divinely inspired, and even more importantly, if Jesus is The Word become flesh, then its all connected and related and it all matters. We can’t learn and live the fullness of the Gospel without the fullness of the whole Word. There are many lessons and teachings in the old testament that apply even today. Just ask any practicing Jew.
Having said that, there are church teachings that allow us to decipher what is relevant to social teaching of the day vs what are moral obligations and law for us eternally. This is part of what allows us to say we don’t need to cut of hands as punishments or marry our sister-in-law when our brother dies. Again there is another course from Ascension that I completed with another Adult study group recently that talked about these things clearly. https://ascensionpress.com/products/fulfilled-uncovering-the-biblical-foundations-of-catholicism-part-i-and-part-ii-online-video-access?_pos=6&_sid=0ef482800&_ss=r
We talked about the definition of Hell. It’s been described as the lake of fire, but is it really that? Paul described it as “the darkness without”. Richard mentioned eternal condemnation. We talked about it being a complete separation from the love and glory of God that we enjoy in this life, despite our ability to pretend its not there around us. Imagine only realizing at the end when it has been removed from you what you have given up and lost. The cold, lonely, darkness. The darkness without. Is that more accurately what context we could mean when we proclaim in the creeds that He died and went to hell. That He went to a place where the Love of God has been withheld or absent. What would have happened when God appeared there. What exactly was the business there? If God is omnipresent through all of time, then He has already been there but at the same time is it still yet to come? If I were to die and go to Hell tomorrow, would I be there when Jesus arrived from the cross?
We discussed the book of Revelation. Russ suggested that we all read it. Several times. And use it to try and better interpret the rest of the Word.
We talked about fear of the unknown and seeing Satan everywhere you look like a hypochondriac sees disease everywhere. We talked about looking for the correct context in the Word so we aren’t running amok with our own internal interpretations all of the time. While we need time to quietly and independently sit and read and listen, we also need time to discuss and share and understand with each other.
Some of the Bible verses we reviewed or suggested to each other:
– Matthew 23:12-15 – Jesus denounces the Scribes and Pharisees
– Luke 12:49-53, 14:25-23 (we talked about the harshness of the word Hate in these lines and what it means)
– Psalm 62 – Trust in God
– Deuteronomy 30:11 – What I give you is not out of reach
There is a challenge on the table for us.
We have talked about sewing the seeds of faith everywhere we go. Some seeds will take and grow, some may wait for years before taking any root, some will not take root at all. Its not for us to determine that. We are sewers and God is the leader commanding life of them. Its not usually our privilege to water, care for and harvest the specific seeds we plant. We have to surrender our desire and will to God who will provide the next workers to tend the garden we have sewn. Often the context here is just giving the faith and folly of our children to God. They know us at our worst and so its hard for us to inspire their best. However they will respond to others who God places in their paths. We just have to trust Him on that and live our best example faithfully. Keep sewing.
But we also need to be prepared to be the gardener for seeds that others have planted. We need to be open to those who need a little water or care. Those who know they have a question or ache in their heart for something more, but don’t quite know what that is or why. We need to be open to helping them grow and find faith. We need to tend the sheep. Once we have found our footing in faith, we need to offer our hand to others who need stability and guidance.
The challenge becomes, look for the lost sheep. Don’t shy away from those who God has put on your heart to reach out to. Make the phone call. Stop in for a visit. Turn to the person next to you at mass and shake their hand, ask them how they are. And listen. Give of yourself. Be there. Walk with them. Share God with someone who needs it. Water the seeds. This is not hunting. This is gardening. When you sew seeds, you can walk away after. When you tend a garden, you visit it over and over again. Doing the work. Taking care of the small things diligently so God can do His work. You cannot force something to happen in a garden. Control is a tempting illusion, but don’t fool yourself. You don’t have any control. You can’t always get the results you hoped for. All you can do is care for it and see what happens.
This is what we hope to ask of you all. We have learned how to sew the seeds and how important that is. Now its time to learn to tend a garden and let things grow as they were designed to grow. Facing the Sun. Facing the Son. You merely do the labour to create the conditions and care for them. The men of our faith need to be able to stand up proudly in faith, confident in your role and offer support to others. God doesn’t need perfect men. He needs strong men filled with the Holy Spirit to lead our families and our communities. That’s the goal. That’s how we revive people in the faith and community, and bring ourselves and others to God. By being the men God intended us to be.
When you are ready, even probably before you are ready…in fact most definitely you wont feel ready…God will put someone in your path and you will feel that He is asking you to somehow love them for Him. When you do, regardless of how it goes, He will give you another. And then another. And before you know it, showing love to people that God needs you to care for, will become second nature because you will have lots of practice. You will have an endless supply of those who need your care and attention for God. Sometimes you just need to live a good example. Sometimes He will ask you to do the difficult things. And you will get better and better at it over time. And some of those you come across will in turn start to offer their hand to others and show love to others. Because God showed them how, by using a flawed and fragile man like you, who lives with the strength of his faith. You will walk on water when He needs you to, and you will always point people to Him.
Small steps. This is a gradual thing. No one expects you to jump into the deep end of the pool here. If He expected that, he would send a rush of wind and divided tongues as of fire down upon you. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time that happened though. (Acts 2:1-4) So keep your eyes up. He may just ask something much bigger of you yet.
Next meeting for the men’s group will be Wednesday, December 3 in the KC room at 7pm.
Come if you can make it. Don’t lose sleep over it if you cannot. Just keep reading that Bible, finish Revelations a couple times, pray over it and let everyone know what you come up with when we see each other again, wherever that may be.
There is a great website for inspiring men to be great Catholics. I came across it at the last Men of Integrity conference (next one is March 2026 in case anyone wants to go with us this year. Dale has been a dedicated attendee and I have been to several over the years. They are always great. https://www.catholicfamilyministries.com/copy-of-past-events). One of the speakers was promoting this program to create mens groups. This one was called Heroic Men. It’s North America wide and provides resources and encouragement to create local groups. I haven’t really taken advantage of that and our mens group was strictly not-a-program from the get go. I have no desire to change that. However I found a 10 day course that seems like a Novena or Chaplet in structure that I kinda liked, so I thought I would share it. Its called St. Joseph Terror of Demons. Just has a daily reading and prayer meditation on the life and struggles of St. Joseph. You can find it here https://brotherhood.heroicmen.org/courses among others. I found that I needed to sign up with a profile but there is no charge or fee to do that. There is an app for your phone too if that’s easier for you. We are truly blessed to have such a vast array of faith based resources like this at our fingertips.
See you guys on the 3rd or sooner if I’m lucky.
Thanks
Chris
