Esto Vir
What does it mean to be a man?
To be a man is to be a man of virtues. The word virtues came from the Latin word vir which means man. Thus to be a man is to be a man of virtues. The meaning of authentic masculinity has been deconstructed in today's culture and society. This is probably because of the crisis of secularization and modernization that loses the sense of sin.
According to Fr. Larry Richards, the reality of our faith is "You become a saint or you go to hell". So the primary goal here on earth is to be a saint. According to St. John Vianney, the greatest deed of being a Saint is to PRAY and LOVE. Let's focus on these two points as our guide.
ON PRAYER
To be a good leader, you should be a good follower. Jesus Christ will only make you to be a man. It's good for us to remember our enemy. According to Roman Catechism, we are told that those who are still breathing members of the Church form the part known as the “Church militant.” It is called militant because it wages eternal war with those implacable enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil.
This is why we need prayer that will help us journey and fight against our enemies. But first, let's consider the basic concepts of prayer. Prayer, in a simple description, is our relationship with the Lord. It is not just saying words, litanies, and novena. The essence of our prayer is our relationship with God. And the end of prayer is union with God. Prayer is not an end in itself but it's a means for an end.
Fr. Richards reminds us whenever we pray, we should look at the Our Father. Always remember the verse in Mark 1:11 "You are my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased." No matter how weak we are every time we turn to Our Lord, he looks to you and said: You are my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. The only thing that will fill up your emptiness is when you know that you are loved by the Father. Let the hole in your heart be filled with the love of God, you need to let God love you every day, you need to know that you are a beloved son.
Fr. Richards shared three ways whenever we pray. The first is CONTRITION, asking God's forgiveness, saying to God "I'm sorry" for all the sins that you choose yourself rather than God. The second is SURRENDER, let God give what He wants and let God take what He wants which means you're not in control. "Jesus, I surrender my life to You, I exist for one reason, to do Thy will." Empty yourself and let God God fills you up with Himself. The third is the way of ENTRUST, praying "Jesus hold me." Change and become a child, a child of God. Let God love you. Seek the help of the Holy Spirit, let Him set you on fire, and conclude it by praying the "Our Father"
ON LOVE
St. Mother Teresa said the secret of the life of JOY, "Jesus first. Others are second. You're last". To love is to die. Every day I got to lay down my life for somebody else. I exist today not for me and not for my pleasure. God is first, others are 2nd and I am 3rd. Empty yourself. He will give you His life and love. When we live in the will of God, the expression of that is we have peace in our soul that's we know we're in God's will. In His will is our peace. Surrender is one of the aspects of loving, it is laying down one's life in love for other people. Our relationship with God is to lay down my life and love for Him Who lay down His life and love for me.
Our vocation is truly to be holy, to bring Christ to others so be Christ in the world. Christianity is always the forgetfulness of self, never the focus on self. If you strive for holiness' sake, you'll never get it because being a saint is a byproduct of being in love with God. All the saints are different, we are all called to holiness in different ways. When we surrender we become more fully who we are nevertheless who we are.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is our model. Let's sit at the feet of the Master by meditating upon the Scriptures. Let's Develop the attitude of the Master. Be transformed into the Master. The more we surrender our lives to Him, the more He starts living inside of us.
