Into the Breach - An Apostolic Exhortation

Into the Breach 

An Apostolic Exhortation by Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix

10-16-15

We are

 under attack.

Satan wants us to burn in Hell.

What are we going to do about it?

My brothers and Sisters - the simple truth is - we have a decision to make. We have to pick sides. Either we give of ourselves, and join up with Heaven and the army of Saints, or we put our selfish ambitions and feelings of pleasure first, and join sides with Hell and the army of demons. 

Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix recently wrote an apostolic exhortation on the present state of our culture, and called out men in particular. He called men "Into the Breach." Too often, men (yes, I'm talking about myself) find themselves standing on the sidelines of the battle for souls, the battle that is going on every single day.

  Men! We have a call! 

This isn't something that can take lightly. There is a real calling to fight today! Bishop Olmsted focused on men in particular in his exhortation because he knows how much men are resisting the call, and how our world is suffering because of that. 

He doesn't waste any time sugar coating the situation, but is very clear and concise.

He asks three questions:

1) What does it mean to be a Catholic man?

2) How does a Catholic man love?

3) Why is fatherhood, fully understood, so crucial for every man?

With these questions, he invites man into an examination of self. Change can only occur once there is a realization it needs to happen in the first place.

With question one, "What does it mean to be a Catholic man?" he starts by speaking about how Pontius Pilate says of Jesus, Ecce Home which means, "Here is the man!" What a statement! Underneath it, we realize he is talking about God, and how God became man, so he could save us. "Nowhere else can we find the fullness of masculinity as we do in the Son of God!" (Into the Breach, pg. 9)


After talking about the example Jesus was, he tells us to look at the saints!
These men knew that Jesus was the best example of man, and tried to live like Him as best they could. Bishop Olmsted compares them to some of the great baseball players who spent their lives learning how to best perform, but doing so in various ways. The way Henry Aaron played was different than Derek Jeter, but both were successful, as true with the saints. St. Francis of Assisi was very different from St. Ignatius of Loyola, but both gave their lives to the service of God.

He continues, speaking of the importance of our identity, and having it formed in Christ. Once we realize that we have a God who made us in his image and likeness, we can begin to better live out the message of love, and fight the battles that are right in front of us: the battles of the flesh, of possessiveness, of pride. Bishop Olmsted hits on the point that Jesus fought all three of these and defeated them. We too can do the same.

To finish off that first question, Bishop Olmsted hits on the need for continual practices that can be done to strengthen our relationship with God. Just like a baseball player will eventually fail without practice, a man, no matter how strong his character may be, will fail in his relationship with God, unless he picks up habits and practices that are life giving. He calls man to pray daily, go to Mass, examine his conscience, read Holy Scripture, and keep the Sabbath. He also urges men to go to confession monthly, and build relationships with other men, so as to strengthen the bonds of virtue (Into the Breach, pg. 15-17). 

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Question two asks, "How does a Catholic man love?" In Scripture, Jesus tells us to "love one another as I have loved you," (John 15:12). We come to realize the type of challenge this is as we reflect on the conversation that Jesus has with St. Peter following His resurrection. Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, with an Agape love, which is the highest form of love, that loves fully and without reserve. Peter tells Jesus that he loves him, but it is a filios love, which is a brotherly love (John 21:15-19). Due to our human frailty, we have to be honest with ourselves, and admit that we cannot love and do not love God like we should. Even still, we do have a duty to love Him the best we can, frailties aside.

Bishop Olmsted states that, "Love is not a side job: it is a mission itself" (Into the Breach, pg. 17). We must fully dive into His calling of love, and look to try and follow the true love of Christ, which is "centered on willing the good of the other, on pouring oneself out in charity for others... Sacrifice is at the heart of love” (Into the Breach, pg. 18).

From there, Bishop Olmsted reflects on three types of love: Friend, Husband and Father.

When it comes to that love formed in friendship, he talks about a "Band of Brothers" and gives examples of holy men who sought sanctity together, and through that, ended up in the choir of saints. Ever heard of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier? Or St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic? These men helped one another in their struggle to live virtuously for Christ. In scripture it says, "A friend is a friend at all times, and a brother is born for the time of adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). Sainthood is to be achieved with help from others who are seeking the same thing. (Into the Breach, pg. 20)

Following friendship, Bishop Olmsted talks about the love of a husband, and quotes St. Josemaria Escriva, "there is a need for a crusade of manliness and purity to counteract and nullify the savage work of those who think man is beast, and that crusade is your work." He is not calling man out, but calling him on! We have a mission. Man is called to lead his wife, and she is called to follow.

 

This can only be done if the man is preparing beforehand. Yes, preparation is key! The building of virtue is not only for older people, but instead, for people of all ages. The French playwright Paul Claudel says, "Youth was not made for pleasure, but for heroism." Heroism is not founded on selfishness, but on selflessness. The call to pursue virtue begins now! Prepare yourself for your future spouse (Into the Breach, pg. 21).  (Need a good prayer to pray? Check out St. Anthony's Be Satisfied with Me.")



This love is not only for men who get married, but also for priests, religious, and single men. St. John Paul II spoke of a "spousal meaning of the body," which is a "love that gives life, seeking the good of those to whom the man has committed" (Into the Breach, pg. 22). How can we fulfill this? We must look to live a life of chastity! This is an ongoing struggle for most men, but it can be repaired, and is done so through self-reflection, and admittance to one's own struggles and failures. With chastity, whether married or celibate, we are free from "the enslavement to sin and our passions" (Into the Breach, pg. 23).

He also talks about the need to build purity of heart, and through this, "You will not only see God in the women in your lives but also in yourselves, also the "image of God!"” A hopeful message to say the least! (Into the Breach, pg. 25)

Question three, just as loaded as the last two, is, “Why is fatherhood, fully understood, so crucial for every man?" To start this section off, Bishop Olmsted begins with the strong words of, "Fatherhood changes History" (Into the Breach, pg. 26). It does, in fact, change history, but it also needs to be fully understood. Satan does not want this. He does not want man to understand the crucial role of the Father, because if man does come to realize its significance and importance, it will give a glimpse of what God's fatherhood looks like (Into the Breach, pg. 27).

With a true understanding of fatherhood, people can come to know God greater, and with that, family life can be changed for the better. The man's presence within the family is irreplaceable. I can personally attest to that! I would not be the person I am today if it were not for my father and the role he played and still plays in my life. Fathers have a "God-given role as protector, provider, and spiritual leader of their homes" (Into the Breach, pg. 28).



This call is for all men! Men, we must step up, and go "Into the Breach!"

Lastly, Bishop Olmsted gives his concluding remarks:

 "Our life in Christ is not one of "do's and don'ts,"

 but an adventure in authentic freedom. 

Embrace that freedom in order to place your life at the service of Christ,

 beginning in your home and radiating into the world." 

(Into the Breach, pg. 31)

To read the full Apostolic Exhortation - Into the Breach.

Thank you to all who took the time to read this! Let us continue to pray for one another and our ongoing call to serve God and his people! Give God everything, and he will give you so much more!

God Alone.

"He died for me, so I will live for Him." 

Life After College - Northern Virginia Edition

Life After College - Northern Virginia Edition

10-6-15

Today I can raise a glass and celebrate - I've made it three months. Three months of working for the Diocese of Arlington, three months of living in Northern Virginia, three months of settling into a totally new environment, three months of being an adult. 

Three months that God has given me! Praise Him!

Five months ago, I graduated from Franciscan University, and quickly after, found myself having the best summer of my life at Lifeteen Camp in Georgia. I can look back at that experience and not only speak highly of it, but also remember the memories. It changed the person I am today. (If you want to hear about that experience, check out my last blog.)

But that time has passed. It's been three months since I was jumping in mud pits and screaming my lungs out with teenagers during praise and worship. 

I left camp, and a week later, was starting the job I am working now - Young Adult Coordinator for the Diocese of Arlington. 

And now, its October. 

Crazy. Time really does fly. 

Now the question becomes, how have these past three months gone?

In truth, I had very few expectations coming to this area of the country. There were some certainties of course, like the fact I knew I had a job, and I knew I'd be living with my brother and very close to my sister, but besides that, I was going into this new chapter of my life blind. 

I had never met the people I was going to be working with, and all I knew about my job was from a little paragraph under the job description. 

Even still, I knew I'd be working for the Church, and that God wanted me here. The rest of it? I trusted God would make it all clear in time.

Well, three months in, and in truth, I'd say things are still fuzzy. 

I want to first say that I really love what I'm doing, and I know there is a real reason I'm doing it. God didn't place me here just because. I remember Senior Year someone asking me what I was planning to do upon graduation, and without really knowing what I was saying, I said, "Probably working for the Church for the rest of my life in some way." 

That wasn't just water under the bridge. I know that those words came out not so much for the person I was talking to, but for me. God told me what he wanted, and he did so by letting me say it out loud. I majored in communications, not theology, yet God has made it clear he isn't really concerned about that. 

But like I said, things are still fuzzy. He convinced me I'm called to serve Him in a very ministerial way, but that doesn't mean I have perfect clarity. My vision is still a bit blurry. 

I can see bits and pieces of his never ending plan for me, but due to my own deficiencies, it isn't making a whole lot of sense. There are days that I find myself working, and I ask myself, "Is this really what you want from me Lord? There has to be something else you want from me, cause this is not me." I've begun to realize I'm mixing "my plan" with "God's plan" and hoping I can make mine become His, 

In truth, I've done before; it's definitely not a new concept.  

Good can be done through this!

 But in the end, Jesus tells us, "I will show you a more perfect way," and does so for a reason. He wants the absolute best for us and from us. God is a loving Father, and because of that, wants us to take the very best path available, 

He doesn't just want us to be doing good, to be feeling good. He wants us to be doing our best, to be feeling our best! 

We will never be perfect.

I will never be perfect!

But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try. And how do I accomplish this? Little by little. 

I'm called to give it all over to Him, for His greater glory.

And believe me, since moving to Virginia, He's loved asking this of me.

At first, it was living in a house where I had no room, and no place to store my stuff. I was basically sleeping in the living room nightly. I was away from my usual comforts. It wasn't too much of a sacrifice, but it stretched me. 

Then it happened when I came to realization I didn't have the community I had while in school. I wanted to be with people every day, but God asked me to instead spend that time with Him. Again, I was being stretched. 

Then it was working a real job, with larger responsibilities then I was used to, and having to follow steps and regulations that seemed to get in the way of doing things "my way." It was getting corrected for, gasp, doing something wrong, and being asked to correct it. 

It was moving into a new home a month in, and having to try and be aware of the other people I was living with, and be respectful of their ways of life. 

The list goes on... and on... and on... 

It feels like he just keeps asking for me to give things over to Him, and I just want to scream: 

"ARE YOU DONE YET? HAVEN'T YOU ASKED ENOUGH OF ME?"

 But that is when I come to realize he is a good, good Father, and He is only asking this from me so I can come to love Him in a greater way.

 For that, I should be infinitely pleased and grateful.

Isn't it funny how we get so frustrated at God for asking a lot out of us, even though we know if we give it to Him, it will change us for the better? At this I have to sigh and think, silly Brendan. You're not as smart as you think.

And with that, I can look at these past three months and say, yes, they've been fuzzy, and in truth, hard at times, but I know that God has a plan. I just have to trust Him, knowing that  He'll continue to reveal to me things I need to know, when I need to know them. 

This life is a journey. 

One day at a time. 

"God Alone," 

St. Louis Marie de Montfort

"He died for me, so I will live for Him."