Monday, February 6, 2012

Time for a "Resurrection"

I know, Easter is still about 8 weeks away! In this case we're talking resurrection of my blog. I've got some  exciting stuff coming up in the next few weeks and missed sharing some other things in the recent past.

One of the upcoming events is the 5th annual "Men's Spirituality Conference", aka "Man up Philly", which is being held on Saturday March 3 at Archbishop Ryan High School in northeast Philadelphia. We anticipate well over 1,000 men will attend this year. I did a "pulpit talk" at all the Masses at my parish over the weekend and quite a few men said they would either sign up or consider signing up. Just being there will bring a joy to you that is hard to explain. To see this many men in one place who share a love for God and His Catholic church is both reassuring and invigorating.

Men have a very difficult time talking with other men about personal things. And nothing is more personal than a person's relationship with God. When we finally open the door just a little and begin to talk to other men about our faith we realize that we are not alone in our struggles: struggles to balance home and work-life, family and friends, and sometimes our faith and the rest of our lives. Learning that our faith is not a distinct part of our life but an integral part of every other part of our lives is something I have learned over the years. Learning how other men have started to accomplish this tells me that I can, too! Sitting at home watching TV, reading a book or hanging out with the family is not how I learned this. Stepping out and becoming a part of this conference, in addition to a few other activities in my life did!

All the details for the weekend can be found at http://www.manupphilly.com/. Please consider joining us for what should be the best conference to date!