Catholic Men's Fellowship of St. Barbara's

The 2010 Gathering of Catholic Men is Almost Here!

2010-04-04T14:50:00.003-04:00

The 2010 Annual Gathering of Catholic Men will soon be here! Come to the A.J. Palumbo Center April 10, 2010 for this powerful and inspiring event!
If not already registered go to www.CMFPitt.org to do so.

This year's theme is Get Into Spiritual Shape! The featured speakers are the entire "Crossing the Goal Team" from EWTN. Additional speakers include Most Reverend David A. Zubik, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Fr. Matt McClain, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Deacon Ralph Poyo, Founder of New Evangelization Ministries, and Damian Wargo, Co founder of the King's Men Apostolate.

Whether you are a grandfather, father, single ,man, or son, whatever your level of faith or whatever your level of Spiritual fitness, come and see how your life can be changed!

The New Church

2008-07-18T21:30:00.002-04:00

Catholics are busier now than ever. There are so many very important things to do. Does God really expect us to go to mass every week? Isn't that just a lot of rules made up by a lot of people a long time ago? Perhaps you should check out this new church (click below)...

God does not ask for much. He gave us everything. EVERYTHING, there is nothing you have that God did not give to you. He even gave His only son to death for your sins. All he asks for is one hour each week. But that's OK, he'll probably understand that you're too busy for Him. However, you may want to start thinking about what you will say to Him if you meet Him in heaven. If you don't want to spend time with Him now, why would that change?

Deliver Us From Oprah

2008-06-18T10:11:00.009-04:00

Many of our brothers are participating in our newest discussion group on Apologetics and new age religions. Please look at this video about the Church of Oprah. She is spewing forth new age religion all over the networks, and is promoting anti-Christian new age writers, such as the one interviewed here. Remember that from the beginning, Satan has sought to spread lies and doubt, to make us question God and his Word. This is the original sin -- "you will be like gods" (Gen. 3:5). Satan is very good at blurring the lines and causing us to doubt God's word: "Did God really tell you not to eat... You certainly will not die." (Gen. 3:1,4). Oprah is just the latest tool to spread lies and doubts among Christians promoting that it is all about me and living for me, as opposed to the Truth -- that it is all about God and turning away from self -- living for God and doing God's will. We must not be sucked into this fuzzy logic and thinking that is opposed to God and his plan for us. To do so would make everything Jesus did a lie and a waste of time.

A Good Confession

2008-06-10T16:44:00.004-04:00

Many of the men from our group attended the Annual Gathering of Catholic Men in Pittsburgh in April 2008. One of the speakers was Father Larry Richards from Erie, PA and The Reason for Our Hope Foundation. Fr. Richards gave a very thought provoking talk on confession which he encourages us all go to once per month. Highlights from his talk are included below.

Lent is Coming Quickly...

2008-01-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and the season's blessings continue into the New Year!...

As we move into 2008, we are excited at the opportunities forming around our continuing CMF activities to help us grow ever closer to our Lord, grow stronger in our faith, and grow in our ability to do His work according to His will. You've all heard in general terms some of the thoughts and plans coming from the Core Team in conjunction with Msgr's spiritual direction for the coming year, and it's time to provide more specifics. See these below, and in particular, take note of the requested actions identified to help us in our preparations.

Many thanks to all who have helped in planning and discernment. Please pray that God would continue to bless us in these initiatives, and pray that he would lead us to share them with those he is calling to and through them. May God continue to shower you with His graces in all that you do...onward and upward!

God Bless,

Pat and Vaughn

Signposts. Continues to meet on alternating Saturdays throughout Lent at 8am in the St Barbara Room; Divine Mercy Chaplet precedes at 7:30am in the Eucharistic Chapel. New participants are welcome to come on board at any time.

Rosary. The Rosary prayer continues on Saturdays alternating with Signposts, see calendar on our web site for dates. New participants are welcome at any time.

Monthly Study Groups (1st & 3rd Thursdays).
1st Thursday Group. The current topical study, "Grasping for the Wind" deals with the secular influences of modern history which challenge our faith and shape our culture. The last session of the series next week will be on the second Thursday in January, 1/10, instead of 1/3. The topic will focus on contemporary issues from the 1960's to the present. The next topical study for this group, "The Catechism of the Catholic Church", will begin Thursday, April 3, 7pm, CLW Room.

3rd Thursday Group. The current topical study, "Beginning Apologetics", will have its last session of the series on Thursday in January, 1/24, with a completion of the "Bible Answer Man Debate, James Akin vs James White" and discussion. The next topical study for this group, "The New Age and Atheism", will begin Thursday, April 17, CLW Room, 7pm, CLW Room.

Requested Action:
All those continuing on with these Study Groups beginning in April, or those interested in coming on board, are requested to respond via e-mail as soon as possible, but preferrably before the end of January, to confirm their intention so that we can order a base of materials in appropriate numbers. As always, new participants in either of the final two sessions on 1/10 and 1/24 are welcome.

>>>>>Click here for more details on our Parish Lenten Program - Disciples in Mission

Are You a Strong Man?

2007-11-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

All men are strong. Men are the stronger sex. These stereotypes have weighed in throughout history, and verdict is that men are supposed to be strong. Superheroes, knights, gladiators, soldiers, and athletes are often used to illustrate men’s strength.

When we say that a man is strong, we refer to his physical strength. Today’s society has placed a high value on men who are physically strong and have a muscular build. This is reinforced through a never ending supply of young, buff actors, models and athletes used to sell products to men and women alike.

How do these men get their strength? Well, part of it is a natural gift from God, of course. However, like any gift, it must be developed. Strong men work out regularly to keep in shape and strengthen themselves further.

But there is another type of strength – an inner strength and strength of faith. And just like physical strength, you must work out and exercise your faith daily to get stronger. This type of strength is not embraced by Hollywood and it certainly doesn’t sell products.

But even without Hollywood, there are plenty of examples of men strong in their faith who can serve as role models for us all. Certainly, our Holy Father is a wonderful example. But how many ordinary men do you cross paths with each day who are also role models of spiritual strength? They are all around us. We just need to look a little closer.

As men, we need to exercise to stay physically fit and maintain our physical strength. In addition, we must commit ourselves to daily workouts to strengthen our faith as well and acknowledge that we can do nothing without our Lord. Our current culture encourages us to focus only on ourselves and our own physical needs.

We will never find complete happiness by satisfying only our physical needs because we will always want more. We must get our strength from Jesus. He told us, “Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Let us pray each day for strength to focus on what truly matters most and that we will commit ourselves to a new fitness routine – our own spiritual fitness.

Loving Savior,

I pray that you will help me to gain strength.

Help me to become a strong man—

A man strong in my faith.

Send the Holy Spirit to give me the gift of strength,

and guide me as I struggle to become spiritually fit.

Help me to commit to a daily exercise of my faith,

That with each new day I may become stronger than the day before.

Amen.

Be Sealed With the Gift of the Holy Spirit

2007-10-26T14:41:00.000-04:00

In the sacrament of Confirmation, we hear these words, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Through Confirmation, we are awakened to the power of the Spirit within our lives.

All of us need the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our world is filled with all types of temptations towards sins of all types and we need the Holy Spirit to help us through each day.

There are 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit as identified in scripture (Isaiah (11:1-3)).

Fear of the Lord. Respect for God, our Creator, and the desire not to offend Him.
Piety. Also known as reverence, we honor and worship God our Father.
Fortitude. EWTN’s Mother Angelica refers to this one as strength and guts. It is the strength to do good and to endure suffering.
Counsel. Often referred to as our ‘conscience’, it is our ability to discern right from wrong.
Knowledge. This refers to our ability to reason things through, make the correct decision and act accordingly.
Understanding. Our ability to know the “truth.” This gift can help us to better interpret the meaning of scripture and how to apply it to our own lives.
Wisdom. This refers to our ability to reason through our thoughts and beliefs and to accept the “truth” presented to us by God.

How well do you accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit in your daily life? All of our individual talents are also gifts from the Holy Sprit given to help us serve the needs of others. Do we use them for their intended purpose?

Pray today and everyday for the gifts of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Christ Jesus, before ascending into heaven,
You promised to send the
Holy Spirit to Your apostles and disciples.
Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in our lives
the work of Your grace and love.
Grant us the Spirit of Fear Of The Lord that we may be
filled with a loving reverence toward You.
the Spirit of Piety that we may find peace and fulfillment
in the service of God while serving others;
the Spirit of Fortitude that we may bear our cross with You
and, with courage, overcome the obstacles
that interfere with our salvation;
the Spirit of Knowledge that we may know You and know
ourselves and grow in holiness;
the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our minds with
the light of Your truth;
the Spirit of Counsel that we may choose the surest way
of doing Your will, seeking first the Kingdom;
Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom that we may aspire to the
things that last forever;
Teach us to be Your faithful disciples and animate us in
every way with Your Spirit.
Amen.

Men and Faith... Do You Stand Out?

2007-10-08T09:48:00.000-04:00

Men are not known for our willingness to stop and ask for directions when we are lost. Neither are men known for our willingness to ask for help when a task is simply to big to handle on our own. So, it is not surprising that so many of us men wander blindly along in our faith. We think we know all we need.

But how many of us can say that we are on fire for our faith? When we hear these words, images of religious extremists come quickly to mind. Yet this is not what the Lord means when he asks us to know Him in our daily lives, not just on Sundays. Remember those who came and said, “’Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But He said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’” (Matthew 25:11-12)

The question we must ask ourselves is this: Do we truly know our Lord on a first name basis, or are we just another face in the crowd?

A short prayer attributed to Thomas Aquinas goes as follows: "God, grant me to desire ardently, to investigate prudently, to recognize truly, and to fulfill perfectly what it is that pleases you." For Thomas, to fulfill this prayer is to find one's truest self, one's happiness and fulfillment. In a time and culture when so many are seeking to 'find their self," is this the message you are hearing?

Seek opportunities to explore your Catholic faith and to learn more about our Lord. Find ways to incorporate little activities into your daily routines where you can give a few minutes in prayer, thanks, or learning. Whether during commutes to and from work, in your morning preparation, or just before bed. Live your life so that our Lord will recognize you among the crowd.

Character Building... God's Way

2007-09-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

Have you considered that…sometimes it feels like we've got the world on our shoulders, like we're in it all alone. Our Faith can provide a means for lifting the load, for providing support along the way and keeping things in perspective -- do we make the most of all it has to offer? If not, why not?

God uses circumstances to build our character. If you are feeling overwhelmed or are facing difficulties right now, try to figure out what it is that God wants you to learn from your current situation. Every problem is part of God’s plan to shape us the way he wants us. “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.” (Isaiah 64:7) We must work with God allowing him to use these situations to mold us.

“Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Remember the apostle, John? John stayed close to Jesus before and after his death on the cross: in the upper room, in the Garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of his cross, and at the tomb of his burial. Do you think John was happy his friend Jesus suffered the fate he did? Of course not. John did not give up on Jesus after his death, he stayed close despite the difficulty of the situation, and was around on Sunday morning to discover the miracle of the resurrection!

What about you? How do you deal with being stuck between yesterday’s tragedy and tomorrow’s triumph? God changed John’s life through a tragedy. How do you think he may be using your situation to transform your life?

“The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 5:10-11)

Use Your Gifts Well

2007-09-01T17:51:00.000-04:00

Have you considered that… at the end of our time, Jesus may ask "What did you do with the gifts I gave you?" How comfortable would you be with the answer?

The gifts that God gave each of us make us unique. But we must remember to be generous with these gifts that God has given to each of us and use them to the benefit of others and not just ourselves. This is the challenge. We are reminded that “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

“A story is told about a schoolboy who was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother knew he’d set his heart on it, but she was afraid he wouldn’t be chosen. On the day the parts were assigned, she drove to school to pick him up. Her son rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. Then he said some words to her that should remain a lesson to us all: “Oh Mom! I have been chosen to clap and cheer!

“If only we could live life with this schoolboy’s enthusiasm. The root of his excitement, of course, came from his deep trust in his director’s choice of a role for him that she felt would fit the boy perfectly!

“Our Master Director, Jesus Christ, has chosen parts for us to fulfill in the ‘play of life’ that fit us perfectly as well. But often we, as the actors on stage or as a part of the behind-the-scenes crew, grumble and complain because we don’t understand how vital our part is to the total performance. Whatever our role, the whole play would be lacking if we weren’t doing what we were created to do.” (Phyllis Bennett, “Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts”, Zondervan Publishing House, 1998)

Pope John Paul II tells us to offer this prayer that we may use our gifts as God intended:

“Loving Savior, I want to open my heart to the widest horizons, but I always seem to hold back. I am afraid that I will have to give too much. Help me learn to trust that you will never ask more of me than I can give. I need your gift of generosity.” (Walking in the Light: 30 Days with Pope John Paul II, Twenty-Third Publications and Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, 2004)

This is Your Life

2007-08-24T06:59:00.000-04:00

Have you considered that… when pressed with the question of the meaning of life, God sometimes turns the question around on us..... "You tell me...what is the meaning of your life?" That is, when it's all said and done, what is the message or meaning proclaimed by the way you've lived your life, by the choices you've made? Would our Heavenly Father look favorably on your answer?

One of the great stories in the Bible is of David, a rags-to-riches story that has Hollywood written all over it! David started out as a shepherd and ended up as a king. David’s actions weren’t always godly:

He was a warrior that shed too much blood (1 Chronicles 22:8)
He committed adultery with a married woman named Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:4)
His adulterous relationship got Bathsheba pregnant. He resolved the issue by assigning Bathsheba’s soldier husband, Uriah, to a forward battle position where he was left to be killed (2 Samuel 11:5-17)
He had multiple wives (2 Samuel 3:1-5)
He was a negligent father, and his family was plagued with tragedy and turmoil (2 Samuel 13:15-18, 28-29)
He did not follow the Lord’s command and pridefully numbered his troops, causing 70,000 of his people to die in a plague (2 Samuel 24:10,15)

David was human, a man who committed many sins. But, over his life, David sought to be righteous and his heart desired to do God’s will. For this, God stated “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart…” (Acts 13:22)

We are all sinners, not a single one of us is perfect. God does not expect perfection. But all sin is an act of selfishness. In fact, if you look at the word sin, right in the middle is the letter ‘I’. Steve Wood, noted Catholic author, even spells it as sIn to help remind us that all sins start within us in our minds. Jesus said, “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” (Mark 7:21-23)

Consider all that David had done wrong in his life, yet God could still say that David was a man after his own heart. Where is your heart? Does your heart desire to follow God? A song by Switchfoot asks, “This is your life, are you who you want to be?” You may take three steps forward, and one or two back on your road to follow God. But remember that God looked at David’s heart, and this is what he will look for in us too.

Giving Your Time to Others

2007-08-17T08:25:00.001-04:00

Have you considered that...your most precious gift is time since you only have a set amount of it? While you can make more money, you cannot make more time. Giving someone your time is giving them a portion of your life that you can never get back. Because your time is your life, it is the greatest gift you can give someone. "For God so loved the world that he gave..." (John 3:16)

For many it is elderly parents who need some extra time and care, for others is it is adolescent or even young children who need their time, or perhaps it is close friends, brothers or sisters, or perhaps grandparents, aunts or uncles, nieces or nephews. We all have those who need our time and attention.

As men in today’s busy world, time is one of the most precious things we have. There’s just not enough of it—God gives each of us only a limited amount of it and it up to us to decide how we use it. It is easy for men to get caught up in our work and trying to provide all the things we and our families need. Yet we often find that those we love the most are not satisfied with that alone – they want more. What do they want? They want and need our time—undistracted by work, bills, chores. Giving our undivided attention and presence is an act of love where you completely forget about yourself for the moment and concentrate on another.

Giving our time is also a sacrifice, and sacrifice is what love is all about. Jesus was the greatest example of this: “Live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering…” (Ephesians 5:2) Our sacrifice is time.

Steve Wood, a noted Catholic author, tells the story of when he was a youth pastor and asked children to complete the sentence, “I love my dad because…” He remembers one boy’s reply was that he loved his dad because he took him to the dump every Saturday morning. What the young boy was saying was that he valued the regular time he had to spend with his dad every Saturday morning, not that he enjoyed going to the dump.

In the end, those you love most will value your regular presence and focused attention more than any other gift or trips to an amusement park or other destination. The amount of focused time you spent with those you love is what they will remember when you are gone.

“Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong;

Most of them are sorrow and toil; they pass quickly, we are all but gone….

Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.” (Psalm 90: 10, 12)

Calling All Men: Catholic Men’s Fellowship Expands at St. Barbara’s

2007-08-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Do you experience the pressure of society’s demands on you as a Catholic man? Does time seem too short? Are your responsibilities sometimes overwhelming? Do you feel that traditional values have eroded? That many community support structures have collapsed? Do you, like many men, find it more difficult to stay true to yourself and your Catholic faith and values?

St. Barbara’s Men’s group recently joined up with the Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Pittsburgh (CMF Pitt) to provide greater opportunities for men to deal with these difficult issues. CMF is part of a growing national men’s ministry, the National Fellowship of Catholic Men. Catholic men’s fellowships and men’s groups are springing up all over the country to respond to the needs of men. St. Barbara’s is now part of this growing phenomenon.

Our men’s group, formerly St. Joseph Covenant Keepers, has been active for the past seven years, offering opportunities to married men and fathers to grow in their spiritual lives and to become the kinds of husbands, men and fathers God wants them to be. This has been done through ongoing studies of the Catholic faith and helping men develop their spiritual life through prayer.

With the formation of the National Catholic Men’s Fellowship and CMF Pitt, St. Barbara now has the ability to grow and become part of something much bigger. This will allow us to direct our efforts and offer opportunities to all men, married or single, to help them become more involved in their faith, and to grow their spiritual life.

As part of this new direction, Catholic Men’s Fellowship (CMF) of St. Barbara’s will begin a new informal fellowship group this October, “Signposts: How To Be a Catholic Man in the World Today.” This series focuses on issues men face in their everyday lives and will meet every other Saturday morning at the church. There is no commitment to attend all sessions, participate in as many sessions as you are able. The nice thing about the Signposts study is that it is open to all men who may join at any time and sessions will be kept to one hour on Saturday mornings.

St. Barbara’s CMF will sponsor a men’s weekend retreat to St. Emma’s November 2-4, 2007. We will also promote and be a part of the Annual Conference of Catholic Men in Pittsburgh, which in March 2007 drew over 1,700 men to Palumbo Center for a day long conference of International Catholic Speakers, Eucharistic Adoration and procession, and Holy Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul Bradley.

CMF will continue to offer the same kinds of learning opportunities and studies that it has offered in the past as well. We will continue to strive to bring ourselves closer to Our Lord through through prayer and study.