Every Catholic Man - Sunday Gospel Bible Study
Learn more about how a man can grow in happiness at EveryCatholicMan.com, including daily Gospel devotions from the Mass for every day of the year. The EveryCatholicMan.com podcast can help a man draw closer to Jesus Christ, learn the Catholic faith and grow in happiness by becoming a better Catholic Son and Catholic Father. In every episode, a man can hear the Gospel reading from the Holy Catholic Mass, hear what Jesus is accomplishing, discover what can lead a man to be more awed by Jesus Christ, grow in happiness, learn from the Catechism, and take action to practice what Jesus and the Catholic Church is teaching in the Gospel. Matthew James Christoff is a Catholic convert and evangelist of Catholic men. Matthew's extensive work to help Catholic men draw closer to Jesus Christ and grow in happiness can be found at EveryCathoilcMan.com. At EveryCatholicMan.com can find daily Gospel devotions from the Mass for every day of the year and a comprehensive set of tools that can help a man grow in holiness and happiness. Matthew is a co-founder of the Catholic Men's Leadership Alliance and HeroicMen.com, the founder of the New Evangelization Project and CatholicManNight.com, and is featured in the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Video Series. Matthew's professional career includes being a strategy consultant for Fortune 50 companies and a brand manager in a major consumer products company. Matthew has a Masters in Theology from the Augustine Institute, a Masters in Business and a Civil Engineering degree from Purdue University. Matthew is married to his childhood sweetheart, has four married adult children and grandchildren.
Every Catholic Man - Sunday Gospel Bible Study
Episode 221 - God’s plan for families to be led by fathers with their wives is celebrated in the Feast of the Holy Family - Sunday December 29, 2024 - Lk 2:41-52
God’s plan for families to be led by fathers with their wives is celebrated in the Feast of the Holy Family. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Obedience so he can be obedient to God’s call to headship and by growing in the Virtue of Duty so he can more perfectly imitate the sacrificial leadership of St. Joseph.
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God’s plan for families to be led by fathers with their wives is celebrated in the Feast of the Holy Family. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Obedience so he can be obedient to God’s call to headship and by growing in the Virtue of Duty so he can more perfectly imitate the sacrificial leadership of St. Joseph.
Commentary
In Luke’s Infancy Narratives (Lk 1-2:40), the Blessed Virgin Mary gives a firsthand account of Jesus’ early years. God selected holy and observant Jews to form the Holy Family for His Son; the Blessed Mary and St. Joseph closely kept all the required Jewish religious practices.
When Jesus is twelve, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph depart with a large caravan after the Passover, but at the end of the first day, realize Jesus is missing. Anxious, they travel a day’s journey back, look for a day, and finally find Jesus in the Temple on the third day. Jesus, demonstrating both His divinity and the excellent job St. Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, have done in teaching Him, amazes (literally, thunderstruck) the learned rabbis in the Temple; at only 12 years of age, Jesus is listening and questioning like a seasoned rabbi. Ironically, some 20 years later, Jesus will again teach at the Temple during the Passover, and be betrayed by Jewish priests and crucified by Pilate.
When the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph ask why He has caused them great anxiety, Jesus offers His first recorded words in the Gospels, “Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?”; the Blessed Virgin Mary recalls that she and St. Joseph did not understand Jesus’ response, but she pondered His mysterious words in her heart. Rather than becoming student/disciple of one of the top rabbis in the Temple, Jesus, in obedience to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, returns to Galilee to grow in the fullness of stature of manhood.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be awed by the 12-year-old Jesus in the Temple: Person of the Trinity, with Divine Knowledge, Jesus is the Creator of all knowledge, including the small portion of knowledge the rabbis in the Temple understand; in His Human Nature, Jesus has, even at an early age, developed profound Human Knowledge, surpassing the most learned men on earth; with Divine Presence and human Charisma, Jesus captivates and amazes highly educated adult Jewish men for three days.
Be obedient to God’s call to headship
Realize: Despite the recent efforts to undermine the importance of men, God the Father’s plan for humanity has always been built on the leadership of men (patriarchy): God calls Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus; Jesus chooses and forms 12 men to be His Apostles; Jesus appoints Peter and successive popes to lead His Kingdom on Earth; Jesus establishes the male priesthood.
Believe: Reflect upon God’s deliberate Plan of Patriarchy (CCC 261-267, 1297, 1312, 1577, 2214, 2571).
Pray: Almighty and Most Gracious Father, help me build the Virtue of Obedience (a part of Justice) so I willingly submit to, and actively support, Your deliberate plan for men to be sacrificial leaders in the Church, in families, and in society.
Imitate the sacrificial headship of St. Joseph
Realize: God’s plan for men to be the leaders of their families is confirmed by God’s choosing of St. Joseph to be the head of the Holy Family, the first Domestic Church, the smallest part of the Church Militant, one of the three parts of the Church (Church Militant – the Church on earth; Church Penitent – Purgatory; Church Triumphant – Heaven).
Believe: Reflect upon the Domestic Church Militant (CCC 954, 962, 1655-1658, 1666, 2204, 2210, 2685).
Pray: St. Joseph, pray that I grow in the Virtue of Duty/Responsibility (a part of Justice) so I can lead, provide for, and protect my family, and I willingly sacrifice my selfish desires for the good of my wife and children.