the seeds of faith from growing? What can I do this week to start to till the soil and make room for God to do his work?
What relationships in my life need the most cultivating right now? What is one concrete action I can commit to this week to start doing that work of cultivating?
Praying with Scripture
“And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it’” (Gen 1:28).
Monday
A cultivator takes responsibility.
For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Titus 2:11–14
As we walk the narrow way of Christ, we are called to be responsible stewards of the grace God has given us. This means being men who live with our eyes focused on the glory to be revealed in Christ. Because we are being trained by the grace of God, we must seek to share the gospel in our world through our words and actions, always discerning God’s plan for his people. Wherever our spheres of influence reach, we are called to nurture relationships of faith, hope, and love, doing good as God has gifted us. We are to love our families as sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers who follow the way of the Lord with soberness and fidelity. We are to work for the Lord and not for men. As members of the Church, we are to use our specific talents to shape the Body of Christ, which so powerfully shapes us. Our ultimate goal should be to cultivate a kingdom of purity, passion, and persevering faith as we await the return of our Savior.
Today, praise God for the strength he gives you to bear your responsibility in the world. Thank him for the privilege of joining him in his work. Take delight in sharing the growth in your life with those who instruct and inspire you. As you continue to take responsibility for cultivating the life God has given you, never stop working to respond to the cry of this broken world.
Questions for Reflection
What defines your world as far as the people within your sphere of influence, your particular gifts, and your responsibilities to cultivate a kingdom ready for the return of Christ?
What are some of the areas in your life where you think God might be calling you to greater responsibility, and how can you respond to that call?
Praying with Scripture
“Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor 16:13–14).
Tuesday
A cultivator is a man of integrity.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Take heed to the path of your feet,
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
Proverbs 4:24–27
Though honesty and integrity may seem like outdated values, a true cultivator knows that they are essential to reaping a harvest for the kingdom of God. Just as a farmer must keep his eyes on what is directly ahead in order to plow straight furrows, Catholic men need to keep their focus on the narrow way of Christ. We cannot accomplish this if we stray from the path of truth.
We are called to shine as beacons of integrity in a darkened world. Our words and actions must be grounded in our faith and stand as examples of what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ. Our integrity cannot be something we pull out only on Sundays, but we must also carry the call of the gospel out to our world during the week. When others see Christ in the way we live, their hearts will become more open to the seeds of truth we sow in their lives. We will be able to walk with them like a team of oxen, sharing the load and bearing our burdens together as we work toward the goal of heaven. Hikers watch their steps as they move along a narrow mountain path. In the same way, we must fix our eyes on the goal of our faith, to make sure we do not stumble or cause others to stumble along the way. Remember, the world is watching!
Questions for Reflection
How important is it to you to be a man of integrity?
Do your words and actions during the week reflect the sacrament you participate in on Sunday?
What steps can you take to cultivate honesty and integrity in your life?
Praying with Scripture
“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; / he turns it wherever he will. / Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, / but the Lord weighs the heart. / To do righteousness and justice / is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Prov 21:1–3).
Wednesday
A cultivator submits in humility to God’s call on his life.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1–6
How many of us see ourselves as “prisoners” of Christ — captured and bound in his service? This does not mean that our faith is a prison sentence that strips us of our freedom and fun. On the contrary, real men understand that only in submission to Christ do we find our true freedom and strength. We are broken men in need of a Savior.
A submissive spirit is an open spirit, ready for the life-changing work that God will do in our lives. Our brokenness allows God to cultivate the soil of our souls, planting his law of love within us and producing a harvest of good works in his name. As we surrender to our calling as Catholics, we receive the strength to become worthy men who live out the grace we have been given in Christ. We accept our place within the Church, our call to look to our fields of labor within this broken world, and our duty to help shape other broken hearts as the Spirit has shaped ours.
A life lived in surrender to the gospel yields a harvest of unity, peace, faith, and hope, because God can take our shattered dreams and transform them by his perfect plan of love. Then we can reach
