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Introduction

The Character of a 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 is all about the two greatest commandments: loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves (cf. 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:

• Our words and deeds should 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.