To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Catholic Men’s Devotionals, An Introduction

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Is it about spreading the word of God to others or living a holy life free from mistakes and sin? Is being a disciple a task or a lifestyle? Is it both, or neither, or something more? These are important questions.

For Catholic men, these questions take on even greater significance. We are called to be salt and light to the world and to serve one another in love. We are part of a body of believers whose mission is to share the message of Christ with all those we meet. How we carry out our faith as men matters. It might not feel easy to follow Jesus; yet he has told us that his yoke is easy and his burden light (Mt 11:30). For us as Catholic men, the key to the Christian life lies in understanding what it means to be a man of faith: to be called by God, redeemed by Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out our faith in a broken world.

Culture and Catholic Perspective

These days, the culture has blurred the lines of what it means to be a man. Television programs, commercials, and movies present men either as incompetent weaklings, or as burly, beer-drinking, gun-toting, fast-and-loose players. In truth, neither of these pictures is truly accurate. Real men — at least as far as Catholicism is concerned — are both strong and meek, courageous and in touch with their hearts, ready to face the challenges of life and ready to surrender to the will of the Father. Men who are true followers of Jesus are sold on the cause of Christianity, determined to stay the course, and dependent on Christ to supply the strength they need.

Integrating our faith into all we do presents a challenge, but it is not impossible with God on our side and the Church to help us stay strong. We have the Living Word to sharpen us, the sacraments to sustain us, and our brothers in arms to lift us up and hold us accountable. But we must accept the challenge and run the race that has been laid out for us. This means setting aside time for prayer and Bible reading, participating in the sacraments and the life of the Church, and seeking out other men to walk the road to heaven with us.

We witness not just with our words but with our actions as well. A true disciple is one who leads others to Jesus and walks with them as they journey toward heaven. And a manly disciple answers that call confident in the cause and surrenders to the cross. Jesus promised, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This is both a promise and a command. God provides the power to accomplish the work he calls us to do and sends us forth into the world as witnesses — from our homes and communities to our nation and beyond, to all the places where there are souls longing to know the love of Christ.

The Character of a Godly, Catholic Man

In our world today, it has become normal to judge and label others based on things like race, sex, political affiliation, or religious beliefs. We identify people based on these characteristics, and we place them in categories and assess their worth as individuals and groups. (The color of a person’s skin, for example, becomes more important than the content of his or her character.) For Catholics, this should never be the way we view our fellow human beings. As a Church, we are a diverse people whose worth is grounded in the cross of Christ. What matters most is who we are as followers of Jesus and how we live out our lives as members of the body of believers.

Character stands above all other factors, for our true identity as Catholics lies in the character of the One who died to set us free. To be men of Catholic character is to reflect the image of Christ in our lives.

Godly character involves many things, but in a mysterious way it’s all about the two greatest commandments: loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mt 22:34–40). The underlying principle for developing this godly character is the selfless, sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. We are to imitate his example in our words and deeds. As Catholic men, we must live out his call to love the lost and build up believers in the Faith. Every day, we are called to embody the sacramental life of the Church as we are broken and poured out for the world:

†      We must allow our words and deeds to be filled with passion and poetry as we witness the power and presence of our Savior to the world.

†      We must cultivate a culture of love as we walk the path toward heaven with others.

†      We must allow the living word of God to live within us.

†      We must be disciplined disciples, men of prayer who embody the grace of the sacraments each day.

†      We must be committed to the cause of Christ as we run the course set out for us by our faith.

†      We must be willing to die to ourselves in order to be raised up as new creatures in Christ, joyfully accepting our calling to seek heaven with all our heart.

†      We must embrace our frailty and our weakness so that God can use them to show forth the power of the cross.

†      Finally, we must be lovers of peace, givers of comfort, and seekers of perfection and purity, as we daily examine our lives and join our burdens and our pain to the healing grace of our Savior. In this way, we will be able to walk with others who struggle along the same path toward our heavenly home.

As you seek to understand what it means to develop godly character, remember that the journey of faith is meant to be one of spiritual abundance, strength, and joy. Let the next ten weeks of this devotional become an awesome challenge, a test of what it means to be a man. May it shape your life and your witness to the world. Dig deeply into each of these studies, letting the word of God inform you, the Spirit of God refine you, and the love of God perfect you as you conform more and more to the image of the One who gave his life for you.

Character Matters – Upcoming Devotions

Subsequent articles will offer sample daily devotions in Catholic character from the To the Ends of the Earth Catholic men’s devotional series. The series is a four-volume deep dive into what it means to be a Catholic man. Each book in the series contains ten weeks of meaty studies providing thoughtful commentary on how you can grow in your walk along the road of Catholic manhood. The first volume, To the Ends of the Earth: Character, is a study in those godly character traits that should define us as Catholic men. It offers a challenge to take stock in who we are as followers of Jesus Christ.

A man’s Catholic character is more than just a group of positive traits that define his faith and influence his decisions. Our character is a reflection of the Spirit, who has given us life and purpose. It is the breath of God that moves within us to bring the kingdom of God to life in the world around us.

The book is both a personal daily devotional and a tool for group study with other men. Each week features a theme that is fleshed out in the readings and commentary. It begins with a Sunday reflection, tying the theme to the Mass and setting the pace for the week. Each day, you are encouraged to read through the day’s devotion, pray and meditate on the message from God’s word, and reflect on the questions provided. On Saturday, you are encouraged to look back on your week of study, reflecting on the progress you have made, thanking God for the work he has done in your life, throwing any mistakes into the ocean of God’s mercy, and committing to personal goals in areas where you would like to see improvement in the coming week.

Taking the Next Step

For those who want to take things a step further, you are encouraged to keep a journal where you write your reflections, track your progress in Christian living, and dialogue with the God who is leading you on this journey of manhood. You can then use your journal to help you share your insights and discoveries with other men.

The key to growing with this study involves two things: (1) taking time to read and learn each day, and then (2) living out the message through practical acts of love. This means taking the reflection questions and turning them into action steps that you can do as you love your family, serve your parish and community, and lift up your brothers in the faith.

Once a week, you are encouraged to come together with other Catholic men to share your thoughts on the devotions, the insights you have gained in prayer, and the ways you have put these principles into practice in everyday life. The leader of your study group will facilitate a discussion, focusing on those passages, reflections, and actions that have meant the most to the men in the group. After a general sharing of thoughts about the daily devotions, the leader can focus on the Saturday “Go Deeper” questions. As each man shares ideas, the leader will encourage the other men to build on the ideas raised and add their own unique voice to the discussion.

As you make this journey, determine to spend more time in prayer, study, and worship to grow in your faith. Look for opportunities to interact with your brothers, as you build one another up, carry one another’s burdens, and hold one another accountable before God. Love your families and your com- munities with the same uncompromising love that Christ has poured out onto you. Look for ways to make this world a better place by being a man who represents Christ and his Church well. And look forward to all the blessings that are to come in God’s good time!

You can learn more about the devotional series HERE

Watch a Promo Video HERE