To the Ends of the Earth. Mark C. McCann

       To the Ends of the Earth

      Character

       To the Ends of the Earth

      Character

       Mark C. McCann

       OurSundayVisitor

      www.osv.com Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Huntington, Indiana 46750

       Nihil Obstat

      Msgr. Michael Heintz, Ph.D.

       Censor Librorum

       Imprimatur

       Kevin C. Rhoades

      Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

      September 18, 2018

      The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book is free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

      The Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible — Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition), copyright © 1965, 1966, 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Where noted, other Scripture texts are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

      Excerpts from The Roman Missal, copyright © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.

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      Copyright © 2019 by Mark C. McCann

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      Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750; 1-800-348-2440

      ISBN: 978-1-68192-382-6 (Inventory No. T2266)

      eISBN: 978-1-68192-383-3

      LCCN: 2018959183

      Cover design: Tyler Ottinger

      Cover art: Shutterstock

      Interior design: Lindsey Riesen

      Printed in the United States of America

      To my father-in-law, Gerald Davino, who taught me that a Catholic man is both a strong leader and a solid friend, a tireless and tender provider for his family, and a serious and sober defender of the Faith. You are a true follower of Christ — a believer with an open heart, a humble worldview, and a willingness to grow as a man of God. Thank you for being a shining example of Christian manhood and for accepting me into your family. Thank you most of all for nurturing the daughter who became my beautiful bride and shared God’s salvation story with me.

       Table of Contents

       Preface

       Introduction

       Week 1: The Cultivator

       Week 2: Lover of the Word

       Week 3: Man of Discipline

       Week 4: The Fighter

       Week 5: The Warrior Poet

       Week 6: The Grain of Wheat

       Week 7: Man of Joy

       Week 8: Frail

       Week 9: The Comforter

       Week 10: Man of Conscience

       Conclusion

       Acknowledgments

      Preface

      What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Is it about spreading the word of God to others or living a holy life free from mistakes and sin? Is being a disciple a task or a lifestyle? Is it both, or neither, or something more? These are important questions.

      For Catholic men, these questions take on even greater significance. We are called to be salt and light to the world and to serve one another in love. We are part of a body of believers whose mission is to share the message of Christ with all those we meet. How we carry out our faith as men matters. It might not feel easy to follow Jesus; yet he has told us that his yoke is easy and his burden light (cf. Mt 11:30). For us as Catholic men, the key to the Christian life lies in understanding what it means to be a man of faith: to be called by God, redeemed by Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out our faith in a broken world.

      These days, the culture has blurred the lines of what it means to be a man. Television programs, commercials, and movies present men either as incompetent weaklings, or as burly, beer-drinking, gun-toting, fast-and-loose players. In truth, neither of these pictures is truly accurate. Real men — at least as far as Catholicism is concerned — are both strong and meek, courageous and in touch with their hearts, ready to face the challenges of life and ready to surrender to the will of the Father. Men who are true followers of Jesus are sold on the cause of Christianity, determined to stay the course, and dependent on Christ to supply the strength they need.

      Integrating our faith into all we do presents a challenge, but it is not impossible with God on our side and the Church to help us stay strong. We have the Living Word to sharpen us, the sacraments to sustain us, and our brothers in arms to lift us up and hold us accountable. But we must accept the challenge and run the race that has been laid out for us. This means setting aside time for prayer and Bible reading, participating in the sacraments and the life of the Church, and seeking out other men to walk the road to heaven with us.

      We witness not just with our words but with our actions as well. A true disciple is one