Divine Mercy
"The Importance of Living the Message"
by Dr Byran Thatcher
Audio...
Sunday Night Session, May 4, 2014
Monday Night Session, May 5, 2014
What are Catholic men's small groups? Catholic men's fellowship groups are gatherings of men, usually from the same parish, who get together to discuss their lives in the light of their Catholic faith and to share their faith and experiences through friendship, prayer, and fraternity. Most groups generally meet for sixty to ninety minutes to pray, reflect on Scripture, socialize, discuss their faith and the issues they are grappling with in their lives. They meet on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis (we recommend at least bi-weekly). They support, affirm, and share insights about the difficulties men encounter in both their home and work lives. They also seek God's help in dealing with the issues they confront every day. Members strive to reinforce Christian values in their home, reach out to share those values with others in their group, and support other men who are struggling to do the same.
Men need to be challenged and affirmed by other men who have like catholic beliefs and lifestyles. We must be held accountable to other men. Men have found that by attending a Faith Sharing Group for Men they make friends among their fellow parishioners, have fun, and learn from one another how to be a better husband, father, son, employee, and Catholic parishioner. Men say it has been a growth experience, which has enabled them to form stronger, happier families and marriages, and has helped them to learn how to better cope with the inevitable stresses inherent in the workplace. They also seek God's help in dealing with the issues they confront every day. Members strive to reinforce Christian values in their home, reach out to share those values with others in their group, and support other men who are struggling to do the same. Small men's groups represent an excellent, ongoing method of growing the spirituality of participants and strengthening parish life. They create a spiritual foundation from which men can step out and participate and/or lead or become involved in other parish service groups.
The only requirement to starting a small men's group is simply someone who has the energy to talk with your pastor about starting the group, contacting a few friends and fellow parishioners, and then holding your first meeting. You don't have to be a faith expert to start a men's group; you only need to want to grow in your Christian vocation by discussing faith and life with other men. The first suggestion is to go to a men's small group in another parish and get a feel for how they get together.
E-mail Keith Doucette at keithdoucettedm@gmail.com