Over 100 men attended a powerful morning of fellowship, Sacraments and talks from Bishop Alfred Schlert among others at the annual half-day Lenten Reflection March 1 at St. Catharine of Siena, Reading.
Sponsored by the Diocese of Allentown's Commission for Men, “Hope” was the theme of the event. It aligns with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope, for which Pope Francis encourages everyone to be "pilgrims of hope" and help others “gain new strength and certainty.”
The morning started with Mass celebrated by Bishop Alfred Schlert and these main concebrants: Father Philip Maas, Assistant Pastor of St. Thomas More, Allentown and Chaplain at Allentown Central Catholic High School; Father Brian Miller, Pastor of St. Catharine of Siena; and Father Van-Vien (JV) Nguyen, Assistant Pastor of St. Catharine of Siena.
“Sharing in the community and gaining understanding” are some of the reasons Sam Milici, parishioner of St. Rocco, Martin’s Creek, attended the event. “There’s always a nuance in the faith that can set your soul on fire,” he said.
“I always learn a lot from my brothers,” said Christopher Hartman, a parishioner of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton. He brought along a friend who has been away from the Catholic faith for 13 years.
Aaron Sadowski, parishioner of St. Francis de Sales, Robesonia, said he looked forward to “listening to good speakers.”
Bishop Schlert gave the opening talk, discussing hope from a masculine perspective. “Hope is one of the theological virtues, along with faith and love, also called charity,” said the Bishop, “because they come directly from God.”
He said hope is often considered a “soft and passive” virtue, which is a misunderstanding. “Hope is a confident expectation that something good will happen because we’re trusting in God.”
The Bishop quoted St. Thomas Aquinas, who said, “Hope is a movement of the will toward a future good,” adding that having hope can be challenging for us because we don’t always “immediately see the answer.”
Bishop Schlert also spoke of the “lack of hope” in younger generations, specifically those popularly referred to as Millennials (ages 28-43) and Gen Z (ages 11-26).
“They didn’t learn the things we learned in a non-Covid world,” said the Bishop. “Their sociability is electronic,” where they feel less risk, and they’ve “grown up in a world that’s been very cruel and isolating. They don’t see hope.”
The Bishop recognized that older people can also experience challenges to hope “because of bumps and bruises” encountered throughout life. “Sometimes, life experiences, betrayals, and bad breaks make us not want to trust and hope,” he said.
Bishop Schlert encouraged the men to look to St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Mother and earthly father of Jesus, as “an example of masculine hope.” He described St. Joseph as “a silent man who protected his family” and “a model of hope and action.”
Of St. Joseph, Bishop Schlert said, “He didn’t understand what was happening, but he trusted God had a plan.”
Reflecting on Bishop Schlert’s participation in the event, Mark McDevitt said, “His support for this group is unwavering.” McDevitt is a parishioner of St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring and Director of Communications for the Commission for Men.
Continuing the theme of hope, Father Maas spoke later in the morning about the need for men to equip themselves to be “men of hope through the Sacraments.” He identified the three Sacraments of hope as Baptism, the Holy Eucharist, and Confession.
He said that the Catholic journey begins with Baptism, as we’re “born into God’s Church and family.”
He called the Eucharist the “source and summit of our Christian faith,” which “gives us glimpses of Heaven to sustain us” throughout life, and he called Confession, “a great Sacrament of hope,” where “we’re restored to our Baptismal life” and brought “closer to Heaven.”
In closing, Father Maas quoted St. Padre Pio: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
The Commission for Men of the Diocese of Allentown encourages and supports the evangelization of men and enriches them in their roles as sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. For more information, go to www.menaliveinchrist.org.
Photos by Vargas Photography.
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