Manhood Monday: The Maximum Happiness Out of Life

From Today’s Readings:

Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time.

Alleluia  MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

When you buy an automobile, the manufacturer gives you a set of instructions. He tells you the pressure to which you ought to inflate your tires, the kind of oil you ought to use in the crankcase, and the proper fuel to put in the gas tank. He has nothing against you by giving you these instructions as God had nothing against you in giving you commandments. The manufacturer wants to be helpful; he is anxious that you get the maximum utility out of the car. And God is anxious that we get the maximum happiness out of life. Such is the purpose of His commandments.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

God bless your day.

Catholic Men Chicago Southland Apostolate (CMCS)

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Frank’s Photo of the Week

In America, we live in a culture that says more is better, but is this a lie?

We all have our stuff packed away in the basements of our homes, sometimes extending to storage sheds that we pay to put our stuff. And, no matter our social rank, the more stuff we have, whether possessions or in our head, the more we get distracted from the true meaning of life.

Recently I went through my stuff, with the mindset that if I die tomorrow what of it will end in the trash. It turned out most of it.

I haven’t touched this stuff in years  …

The poor in spirit: in the Old Testament, the poor are those who are without material possessions and whose confidence is in God, who recognized their complete dependence on God.

Do you allow yourselves to become attached to your possessions? What came with this for me was a form of spiritual poverty, as small as it was  …

When we are free from stuff, we free ourselves from distraction. God’s will is that we depend on Him, what more could you want?

Thanks for Reading.

Make it a great week. See you back here again next Monday.

Frank J Casella,
CMCS Executive Director

A larger collection of photographs can be viewed on my portfolio.

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Donate What You Can

As Catholic Men, This Is Our Salvation In Jesus ….

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
“I am the bread that came down from heaven, ”
and they said,
“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say,
‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Jn 6:41-51

One day, at my parish men’s group discussion based on the Gospel reading above, one man spoke about how he is a convert to the Faith, and how this scripture came to life convincing him to change his life verse to John 6:54 – ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.’. You see, he says that when he was a Protestant this was never talked about, however, as Catholic’s this is our salvation in Jesus.

As a Catholic man you may not have heard of a life verse, but in Protestant circles a life verse is known for a Christian to attach oneself to a scripture verse that speaks to them or illustrates their life mission in Jesus. But you don’t have to be a Protestant to have a live verse, for example, mine is Luke 9:62 – Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Do you have a life verse? If not, what do you think it might be?

Also, I’m sure you’ve heard of being Born Again, this is when a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, prays the sinners prayer, and works then to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. They can then call themselves a Born-Again Christian.

As a Catholic, when we eat the bread (Host) and drink from the cup at Mass, we have Christ in us. Jesus at the Last Supper gave the Disciples the power to consecrate bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. A Catholic Priest is a decedent of the Disciples. This is why when you come to an CMCS Bishop Perry’s Men’s Forum we not only have Mass, but we challenge you to grow in holiness. That you develop your salvation with Christ, through the Catholic sacraments, to be the center of your life.

Back when I was in college, I was a ‘steeple chaser’ in that I traveled from one denomination to another seeking what I believe and why. Often at these church services the pastor would do what is known as an Altar Call. This is when members of the congregation were invited up to the church platform so the pastor or a minister could pray over us as we accepted Jesus as our Savior and we made a commitment to developing this relationship. This brought me to the realization that every Sunday at Mass, us Catholic’s go forth to the Altar to receive the living Eucharist and to present ourselves before the Lord as a living sacrifice.

So, I ask this question, do you believe that the Eucharist is the living Body and Blood of Jesus Christ?
Do you believe that when you receive this living Eucharist, this is your salvation in Jesus?
Two simple questions, yet with a positive, powerful, lasting impact.

‘whoever eats this bread will live forever’.

At CMCS you will find along with our mission statement that we believe “It is a defined dogma of the Catholic Church, revealed by the Holy Spirit and preserved from any possibility of error, that the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ are truly and substantially present in the Most Holy Eucharist.” CCC 1373-1375. Eucharist is not a symbol. The Mass is not a pageant or play acting or a skit anymore than the Lord’s horrendous death on the cross was a skit.

If only we knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.

Saint Padre Pio 1887-1968

Thank you for reading. Enjoy your day!

Frank J Casella, CMCS-Director

Manhood Monday: How to Be the Light of Life

From Today’s Readings:

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr.

Alleluia  JN 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

* [8:12–20] Jesus the light of the world. Jesus replaces the four torches of the illumination of the temple as the light of joy.

When Jesus tells his disciples to be persistent in prayer He cannot mean be persistent in self-serving or dishonest or arrogant prayer.  Who are we to tell God what He should be.  We can only rely on the mercy of God.  Honest prayer comes from a stance of humility. We are children of God, not God’s equal.  Honest prayer opens us up to God, searches for God’s Will, not our own, prepares us to remove any off-limits signs in our lives that we know it all, thereby allowing God’s grace to touch our entire lives – our words, our thoughts our life’s pattern.  God’s Word is always trying to influence our lives completely.

Bishop Joseph N Perry

God bless your day.

Catholic Men Chicago Southland Apostolate (CMCS)

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Frank’s Photo of the Week

We all go through the dark moments in life. If you’re like me, you try to take the easy way out in moving towards the light. The thing is, often times until we go through the struggles we really don’t learn the full story.

Thanks for Reading.

Make it a great week. See you back here again next Monday.

Frank J Casella,
CMCS Executive Director

A larger collection of photographs can be viewed on my portfolio.

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Not signed up yet? Click here.

Please Donate What You Can

We rely on contributions from readers and members of our community to keep Catholic Chicago Men Blog free. If you’d like to pay what you can for the service, we’d greatly appreciate it. These contributions touch the lives of many and help us keep investing in new technologies and better content.

Thank you for being the best part of Catholic Chicago Men Blog! Your contributions make a difference. On behalf of Bishop Joseph Perry, and all of us at Catholic Men Chicago Southland, and all of those that will be helped, thank you.

Donate What You Can

The SALT Principle

The highest and best way to love others is to apply the SALT Principle:

See others as Jesus sees them.

Accept others as Jesus accepts them.

Love others as Jesus loves them.

Touch others as Jesus touches them.

Ike Reighard

Too often we get wrapped up in our own little world, and we’re consumed with our own needs without even noticing the needs of those around us. Or we’re so exhausted at the end of each day that we can’t imagine giving out to anyone else, especially to demanding kids or a spouse who is at least as tired as we are.

We have to break this cycle, back up, regroup, and bring some sanity to our lives so we’ll have the perspective, energy, and compassion for the people we see each day, and especially those who live under the same roof with us.

Then we can love them like we love ourselves. ….

God created us to function best when we are fully devoted to Him. When we do that, each part of our lives comes into alignment – or drops away because it’s no longer important. When we fail to put God first, everything seems equally important, and we spend all our energies trying to please people, proving ourselves, or hiding from risks. God’s first commandment demands complete devotion, and it makes perfect sense. It’s the way he created us to live.

From The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar and Dr. Ike Reighard.

Bishop Joseph Perry: It Is a Graced Moment

Crossing the Line – Photo Copyright 2018 Frank J Casella

A range of emotions stir inside us these days and admittedly it’s a challenge sorting through these feelings.  We might ask ourselves – ‘what should be the response of Christians in times such as these?’

Thank you, each of you, for your efforts all along at bringing people together. It’s part of our job description as Christian leaders.  We cannot rest assured that neighborly regard is structured effectively – even within the Christian community.

As if the health crisis wasn’t enough to stretch nerves to the breaking point; a series of policing incidents around the nation resulting in the deaths of several African Americans have ignited a powder-keg of frustration – exposing wounds festering for months, years and beyond with no clear solutions in sight. 

We have so much in common as human beings but are shortchanged by our lack of contact, lack of mutual understanding, people with different experiences, different world views and even different assessments as to the foundations of today’s unrest.  We are reminded that bigotry and indifference are woven in the fabric of America. Racial and economic inequality goes on. Systems and institutions and government have historically different approaches to white, black and brown thus erupting in situations out of control. 

To make matters worse, COVID-19 alone has left untold numbers unemployed, under-employed, numbers ineligible for government stimulus, leaving people with no money yet with families to feed and mortgages and rents to pay. And when black and brown people push back hard mainstream America wonders why everyone’s upset. The surprise itself becomes an insult.

It is consoling to see the many people from around the country, white, brown, black, Asian, as peaceful protestors in wake of the Breona Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd killings.  It is an encouraging sign that the concern is widespread and that there are many people out there wanting to be agents of good-will.

We are faced with the unfinished business of race in this country, the unsolved issues of poverty, opportunity vs lack of opportunity.  We have hardly given second thought to the stratified society we live in thinking it to be normal –if you people would just pull yourself up by your bootstraps, it is often commented. But untold numbers of people have no boots with which to pull up straps.  

Structures in a materially rich society have left large numbers disenfranchised from life such that they cannot, to use the words, “breathe” the air of a free and prosperous society like ours. While we are all the same, humans with sweat and tears, the differences allowed to fester among us are huge.  And some insidious factions looking on are intent on keeping it that way.

We are believers.  Instead of focusing on our anger, or attributing blame to whomever, feeling inconvenienced by the recent mayhem, maybe empathy is the right feeling for the moment – for the poor and the displaced and the mistreated and the forgotten are always just around the corner, down the street, and even the next door neighbor.  How can law enforcement reorient themselves in face of individuals and communities in crisis so that the dignity of human life remains uppermost with methods of keeping order?  How can we re-educate ourselves away from the visual and emotional dissonance provoked by skin color?

Our Church lives and works amidst these realities. Our gestures in all instances must be welcoming of everyone, corrective in face of injustice, formative in bringing people together across neighborhoods and natural boundaries and separate enclaves we have built for ourselves.  We should be busy about the business of defying our comfort levels with single-racial churches, ministries and projects and going out of our way to schedule diversity in the things we are and do as church.  It’s a daunting task in respects with its own level of fatigue. But we can’t give up. So much is at stake as evidenced by the messages issuing forth from the protests and demonstrations crying for something different. We Catholics can help lead the way.

An old rabbi once asked one of his students, “How can you tell when night is over and day has begun?”  The student thought a moment and said, “Could it be when you see an animal in the distance and can tell if it is a sheep or a dog?”  “No,” answered the rabbi, “think again!”  The student did, but to no avail.  The rabbi then said, ‘It’s when you can look into the face of another and see that it’s your brother or sister. If you can’t see this, it’s still night.”

So, what tends to keep me from seeing a brother or sister in the face of another?  We are frightened when the image from close-up or from afar is black!  Martin Luther King once said: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Thank you, each of you, for your efforts all along at bringing people together.

May your gift of the Spirit O God continue to enflame our hearts, that we might bring your peace and justice to a troubled world.  Instill in people of every language, race and culture, a commitment to live justly and a desire to be one with you and with your Son, Jesus Christ.  We acknowledge You to be Lord, forever and ever.  AMEN

Bishop Joseph N Perry

2020

Jesus shows us the way to be a Catholic man

Photo: ‘Men in Holiness‘ Copyright 2014 Frank J Casella

Our first job as a Catholic man is to get ourselves to Heaven. Then, if married, to get our families to Heaven. This provides the foundation for God working through us towards making a positive difference in the world. Here are some things to reflect on how Jesus shows us to live as a Catholic man:

Matthew 20:26-28 – Serving is greater than being served.
26But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; 27e whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. 28 Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus was on mission with God’s vision for having and sharing a servants heart. His leadership / lifestyle comes from the actions that supplemented His words.

Proverbs 31:8-9 – Use our gifts and authority for others.
8Open your mouth in behalf of the mute, and for the rights of the destitute; 9Open your mouth, judge justly, defend the needy and the poor!

Look for your neighbors in need, and try to connect with helping them develop. Imagine the investment you would be making using the advantage you have to lift another person up.

Matthew 7:7 – Offer our acceptance.
7Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Many times in Jesus’ life He was know to accept people who approached Him, and the way they should go. Like Jesus, we should not be selective and never force someone to change, but encourage and pray for them to keep seeking God’s transformation in their life.

John 8:7, 10-11 – Provide others grace.
7But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. 10Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

The one thing about offering someone grace is it opens for them to reflect on their own heart instead of to defend an accusation. The result from this brings freedom from bondage with a fruitful repentant heart.

Luke 23:34 – Be compassionate towards people.
34[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”] They divided his garments by casting lots.

Compassion was the foundation for Jesus’ ability to forgive. This requires for us a connection to the Father, as Jesus did nothing without the will of the Father. Think of the relationships and broken places in your life, and pray to find compassion and for Jesus to meet you there.

1 Corinthians 13:3 – Serve as Jesus did.
3If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Jesus made our giving possible because He became our vine. If we remain in Him, we can bear fruit from Him to give to others with a servant heart. Because we have been served, we can now serve as Jesus did, and live the goodness of a Catholic man.

Jesus and Coffee

Glorious Morning – A breakfast sandwich with coffee and the morning sunlight.
Copyright 2015 Frank J Casella on Fine Art America

It is the job of the husband and father, as the priest of his family, to make sure his family goes to church, goes to religious ed, follows the sacraments, and prays together.

I often say, that when a Man leads his family to the pew and lives The Virtues of a Catholic Man it will transform the Church and the Community like no other movement.  Studies tell us that Dad’s determine the church habits of their children and thus to a significant degree their eternal destiny.  According to one study, if a father doesnʼt go to church no matter how faithful the mother is, only one child in fifty will become regular church goers.

If only we knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.

St. Padre Pio 1887-1968

A few short years ago had to give up coffee as a sacrifice to provide more important needs for my family.  I know coffee seems to be simply an everyday commodity but, when you separate your needs from wants, and when you need to put gas in your car (among other things), you look at what is really important. 

This sacrifice has helped me to realize one thing I put before my relationship with Jesus Christ – we all have a hole in our hearts, and we choose to either fill that hole with Jesus and the Eucharist, or something else – coffee is a want that provides me a temporary fix, and the Eucharist is a need that provides me lasting benefits out of this world!

The gift of the Eucharist clearly gives evidence that Jesus incorporated such ritual into his interaction with his disciples. Jesus made powerful use of parables, metaphors and similes to communicate his message and he obviously used words with untold skill and charisma to comfort, to chastise, to challenge and to command, to teach and to guide his own. It is clear, though, that the gift of his body and blood is a ritual, a physical embrace, a kiss that holds us to his heart.

Bishop Joseph Perry

We are blessed so far to live in a country that we’re not forced to give up the Eucharist for some government regulation or more transient pleasure of this world! If you’re not going to Mass on Sunday or bringing your family with you – your legacy – what has stopped that from happening?

As a husband and Father we’re to get our family to Heaven.

The striking thing about the Holy Eucharist is the bond it establishes between love and suffering in the Lord’s own life and in our experience.

Bishop Joseph Perry

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Frank J Casella