The problem today is not that some people are hearing the voice of God, but that most people aren’t. Unfortunately, while we continue down the road of “progress”, many of us--especially us men who are being looked to to step forward and lead by giving our lives away in unselfish love--choose not to spend time even trying to place ourselves in an environment where we give the Father the opportunity to speak to us and form our hearts. Perhaps the greatest crisis in our culture and in our own inability to become the men we have been made to be is that we do not take prayer seriously, and we do not seriously pray.

So the question remains and is offered each day to us: who shall be my king? Who shall I live for? Whom shall I serve? Me? My money? The path to what is cheap, easy, and comfortable? Another imperfect person? What is popular and accepted by the world? My friends? Anything or anyone other than Christ?

Now I want to be clear. I am not condemning being a good father or husband. Nor am I suggesting you should never find rest. It’s important to be aware that what will bring us true joy and lasting happiness is our relationship with God here on earth, and God willing, with Him forever in Heaven. It seems like St. Thomas understood this truth with his request of Our Lord. As a Doctor of the Church and a canonized saint, it is obvious that St. Thomas lived this out. But what about us? How can we discover this?

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31)

Without Christ as the object and source of my rest, I’m filling myself up with things that will only make me crave true rest more. Not only that, it will provide the strength needed to respond to the call when I’m needed, no matter how tired I am. I encourage each and every one of you to order your rest to Christ. Let Him re-create you into being the Beloved Son of God the Father that you truly are.

Our answer to suffering lies in two questions: Who am I? Who are You? If we ask ourselves these questions, we can begin to submit ourselves to God’s Will. We can begin to understand that we are like small children who don’t understand what is best for us, and that God is really a loving Father who desires our happiness more than we ourselves do. Will we let Him try today?

Now, there have definitely been times when I’ve focused too much on the game and missed half of a lecture. Either way, it was in these lectures and podcasts that I was first introduced to the wealth of wisdom that is Venerable Fulton Sheen. Randomly, Fulton Sheen popped up on some suggested videos on YouTube, and I was hooked.

Nevertheless, there are only two instances where we hear directly from God the Father in the Gospels. And this message is so important, that each of these instances can be found in each of the Synoptic Gospels. His message is essentially the same both times and this message speaks volumes for our own identity as beloved sons of God the Father.

Vocational discernment is often a long, confusing, and what can be frustrating process. If we are lucky, through prayer we will know where God is leading us and direct us in this. Or, things may get confusing and worrisome.

Of all of the many rejections of the invitation to love and to be loved that have been experienced throughout the ages, there is one that stands out above the rest.  It’s the rejection of the invitation from the Son of God to love Him and to allow ourselves to be pursued and totally won over by Him.

Even though there is not much in the Canon of Scripture that details the events of Joseph’s life, we can be assured that he was a man of deep prayer based on the little we do know of his life. We can assume from the unique mission he was selected for in caring and providing for Our Mother and Christ, the appearances of angels and the words spoken to him in dreams, are all evidence for a life of prayer that is consistent, constant, and centered on God the Father.

If you’re experiencing doubts in the love that God the Father has for you, gaze upon the Crucifix with fresh eyes. Imagine Jesus on the cross looking at you straight in the eyes and saying the words that John Krasinski signed with such passion, “I love you. I have always loved you”. Try to imagine (because it is true!) that God the Father is offering His only Son, for only you.

It is so important (and I have learned this the hard way!) that we choose to love the Lord and others so completely and unselfishly that it hurts us; constantly emptying us of ourselves; ridding us of the power and lies of the Enemy who tries to convince us that suffering love is not the path to true joy!

My Lent wasn’t perfect, and while I am slightly bummed out about it I am beginning to realize that it will never be perfect. The truth is the longing we experience is actually the longing for Union with Christ, something we may not ever fully realize this side of Heaven. But this does not mean we should settle for mediocrity.

“Fear, in all of its forms, is a liar. It does not lead to the abundant life for which we have been made and redeemed by Christ to share in...! The voice of fear and the voice of Truth are irreconcilable. Fear never comes from God and its voice leads only to doubt, division, indifference, and insecurity which brings with it a desire for control, self-reliance, and the compartmentalization of our lives…” –Ven. Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton Sheen

As I prepare for marriage to Emma, I’m becoming more and more aware of the need to welcome sacrifices, both big and small. The cross assures us that struggles and hardships are almost a given in the Christian life. Society tells us to flee from these, yet Christ calls us to lift up our crosses and follow him.

In contrast, while many Christian movements have indeed done a lot to help men become men again, there can also be a temptation to work the crowd into a kind of warrior, Christian soldier, go-take-on-the-world froth. While defending life and truth are noble, this too falls short of real manhood.

There is a certain jealousy, a jealousy that is rooted in the felt-neglect on the part of the father. Although the two sons appear to be entirely different in their relationship to their father, both are searching for the same thing. Each son longs for an understanding of who he is as the father’s beloved son.

These wounds occur when we wage the battle for purity, the battle for holiness, and win. It’s only through the Grace of God and our cooperation with that Grace that we are able to be victorious. But in waging these battles and in holding the line, not only do we come out stronger, but we act in accord to our nature as men.

This trick is a deep one. Not only have men been duped, women have been deceived about their true beauty. It’s sad. The Enemy has chosen to make a mockery of God’s greatest creation: a woman.