The Three Marks of Manhood: How to Be Priest, Prophet, and King of Your Family by Dilsaver G. C

Author:Dilsaver, G. C. [Dilsaver, G. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: patriarchy, manliness, manhood
ISBN: 9780895559739
Publisher: TAN Books
Published: 2010-01-07T00:59:21+00:00

Core Values Must be Catholic

In order for a father to direct the activities of his family and himself so as to bar the secular and create a Catholic culture, he must have core values that are truly Catholic. One’s core values are not necessarily those one professes, but those that in practice dictate one’s behavior, pursuits, and content of life. What exactly is proper Christian behavior in a given circumstance is sometimes debatable. What is not debatable, however, is that Catholics must be willing to contradict a world that is increasingly inimical to the Faith. Without a constant growth and striving to be ever more Catholic, a man, or a family, or a community will slowly succumb to the powerful influence of secular society. Catholicism is not meant to be an easy, comfortable religion, nor are its adherents meant to be smug and complacent. If a family’s core values are truly Catholic, that family will be, unavoidably, countercultural. The Church gives the highest honor to her martyrs, and Catholics from childhood are regularly encouraged to follow their heroic examples and be willing to die for Christ. But such exhortations are reduced to pious platitudes if the faithful are not willing to accept the everyday countercultural ramifications of following Christ.

It is for the father to prudently chart the course of Catholic enculturation for his family. In the realm of the family he must continually and ever increasingly implement the truths and practices of the Faith, in fulfillment of his duty, to create a Catholic lifestyle. A father must wield a strong, steady hand at the helm of the family if he is to successfully negotiate the currents of secular society. He must be willing constantly, but gradually, to push the parameters of Catholic enculturation. And he must understand that one can never be “too Catholic,” for the more Catholic a man is, the more conformed to Christ he is.

Although the enculturation of the Faith is not an exact science, it does require the formulation and upholding of strong standards. Such standards must be applied with consistency to every facet of life. They must include comportment and speech, attitude and dress, habits of work and leisure. Not one aspect of life should remain unchallenged, for not one aspect of life is immune to the ubiquitous and virulent influence of secular society. An instance of such an “enculturation” of the Faith can be seen in the virtue of modesty. In the current age, pastors of the Church are highly hesitant to prescribe the style of dress required for the proper manifestation of Christian modesty (today one is hard pressed to find such prescriptions even for Mass attendance). Still, the Church’s timeless teachings on the virtue of modesty, custody of the eyes, and the occasion of sin remain unchanged. This leaves it up to the Catholic laity to discern and implement standards of modesty by taking the teachings of the Church to heart and living them out with integrity.

For a father to discern the

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