"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18

I have thought a lot about the so called "Catholic 'Man-Crises' " that our Church is presently faced with.  I ponder the dilemma because I am, by nature, a problem solver.  As I am out in the world, I am usually on a fact-finding mission related to one thing or another in an attempt to resolve something.  For now, I am watching the goings-on at the  Church.  I am counting heads. I am listening to the men who represent our faith: past, present and future.

I have good news!  We are going to be better than fine.  I was reminded of  this only after I re-read the words of our Lord to His disciples this morning:  “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”   Despite the temporary peak in our pop culture's embrace of the secular spirit or tendency to reject all forms of religious faith and worship,  many men (and women) continue to gather in Christ’s name.  And our Lord continues to keep his promise to us. He is in our midst!  I see this more and more now that I am paying attention.

I have a delightful boy in my Faith Formation class.  His name is Jonathan.  He often shares with us the formation of his faith through the experiences he has at home with his family.  There, too, is a man in our parish, late 50's, a "John Wayne type", who after receiving the Eucharist, genuflects pressing two fingers to his lips and blows a kiss up at the crucifix.   He does this at every Mass he attends.  These are but a few ways that I see our men engaged in their Catholic faith.  I have written this poem to honor our Catholic men.

Grandmother
               
Blessed are you who brush dust
from the eyes of the Madonna;
wiping her porcelain face free
of our detritus with your hair.

Blessed is the man who strains
to hear the echo of your voice as
it was once raised in prayer;
                      blessed, too
is he who summons
the memory of the aged one
to his beside:  Rosary in her lap,
Hail Mary on her lips,
she is determined
to give you this one thing.

Blessed are you who will
never forget where you came from; will
never forget that it was she
who walked  ten thousand miles
on her knees
to bring you here,
to offer a kiss of gratitude
upon the cross on which He hangs.