Overcoming “Casual Catholicism” in Men – Meet Jesus in Scripture

Vast numbers of Catholic men today are Casual Catholics, men who don’t know their faith, don’t practice their faith…and don’t pass their faith along to their children.

Each man gives himself to something, committing energy to the pursuit of pleasure in all its many forms, the accumulation of wealth or engaging in politics or the pursuit of knowledge. Many look up to and follow various other men and women; politicians, sports figures, celebrities, writers, media commentators and various “gurus” of all sorts.

At the core of the lack of faith in Catholic men, is this simple fact:  men give themselves to the wrong things and the wrong people…and they have never really met Jesus Christ.

Men who have encountered Jesus, who have really reflected on who Jesus is, can not but come away awed.  For Jesus Christ is the Perfection of Man, infinitely above all other men; of course, this is because He is God.

To awaken men who are asleep in the faith, starts with approaching Jesus Christ, to meet Him.  Here you can find a variety of topics to get to know Jesus better.

Knowing Jesus, starts with meeting Him in the Gospels.  Reading the Gospels with the goal of seeking Christ’s Awesomeness gives a man plenty to be awed about.

For example, in today’s Gospel (Matt 8:213-27), though only 5 short verses, is packed with the astounding power of Jesus Christ;

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

And they went and woke him, saying, “Save, Lord; we are perishing.”

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Consider:

• Jesus leads into the boat and men follow.  The men who knew Jesus, followed Him.  Jesus was a powerful leader.
• The boat is swamped with waves, yet the Lord remains asleep.  Who can sleep through a massive storm in a small boat?  What kind of inner peace does Christ have that nothing can shake?
• “Lord, we are perishing!”  The disciples are in great fear.  But these are men who are fishermen, who have made their living, day in and day out, on the very same waters.  They have been buffeted by waves before, and yet this storm is such magnitude that they are sure they are going to die.
• Jesus, in His Divinity, uses the event to teach the disciples about faith.  Not just faith in God, but faith in Him, as God.  This is remarkable, the men have come to Him and He tells them to have faith…in Him.  He is a master of using life’s storms to teach us even today.
• Jesus rebukes the winds and the sea; and He has control over it.  Complete dominion.  Now, most have been in a savage storm, perhaps even caught out on big water when it is stormy.  Imagine being with a man who makes the storm stop!  Imagine a “storm chaser” seeing a man make a tornado disappear.  This is an astounding event.  And it happened.
• The confusion of the apostles.  They are really confused about what they have just seen.  Jesus is like no other man.  He has powers that are beyond the comprehension of those who see Him act with their own eyes.  We need to see through their eyes and be impressed.

The surest way for a Casual Catholic man to become a Committed Catholic man, is to meet Jesus in Scripture and reflect on His Awesomeness.