To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Catholic Men's Devotionals, Week 9 – Dance Like No One is Watching...But Be Ready for a Little Ridicule

As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. … And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” And David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD — and I will make merry before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.”

2 Samuel 6:16, 20–22

Do we know how to celebrate our Catholic Faith with all our heart, mind, and soul? Do we respond to the mystery and majesty of our life in Christ with the same passion and enthusiasm we display for our hobbies or sports teams? Or has our Catholicism become routine? We shout at the top of our lungs when a superstar makes a winning score or sings our favorite song, yet we yawn our way through Sunday Mass, unmoved by the great mystery of the Eucharist unfolding before us. We hang on every word as a remodeling expert shows us how to tackle the latest home improvement project, but we barely remember the message of the latest homily. Something is very wrong with this picture.

Catholic men need to gain a new perspective on what it means to belong to Christ. We need to follow the example of King David, who danced like a madman before the Ark of the Lord. How can we begin to live a more unashamed love for our faith? This week we will consider five key realities that can help us with this:

1.         God has given us his best, and we owe him our best.

Just as God gave his presence to the people of Israel, he gives us the presence of Christ in the word and the Eucharist. Every celebration of the Mass should bring us great joy, and we should respond with our deepest love.

2.         Our faith is not an exclusive club membership.

We often forget that salvation is a gift we have been given, not a privilege we deserve. Our chosen status should be a call to proclaim the greatness of God, who gave his Son for our sins.

3.         What some dismiss and despise, we wear as a garment of praise.

Yes, the world may look at our enthusiasm for our faith as a kind of insanity, but that should not curb our passion or stifle us into submission. Instead we should hold our heads up high and press on with joy.

4.         God’s power and presence lead us to overflowing gratitude.

Psalm 100 is a perfect example of the thanksgiving that should flow from our lips. God’s goodness to us leads us to joyful service, humble submission, thankful praise, and perfect rest.

5.         Our thanksgiving should manifest itself in words and actions.

Not only should praise flow naturally from our lips in our prayers and our speech, but we should be moving through our days with the grace-filled joy of a holy dancer, knowing we are moving in step with our loving God.

A Call to Action

There are few things as powerful as a man who is unashamed about his faith. This week determine to show others that you are blessed to be a Catholic man. Let every word and every action celebrate and shout to the world the joy you have as a man of faith. Meditate on your ever-deepening relationship with your Savior, who has graced you to live an abundant and immensely joyful existence as a member of his Mystical Body.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE