Gentleman, let’s talk about your masculinity. First off what is it? It derives from the word masculine.
adjective
1. pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men
2. having qualities traditionally ascribed tomen, as strength and boldness.
I think we as American men have fallen into the pitfalls of how the media wants us to view masculinity. What are some examples of this?
Take for example the Hardee’s or Karl’s Jr. commercials. Why is it necessary for them to sell hamburgers with scantily clad women? Mind you this is all in view of young, impressionable boys. So now, they see woman wearing next to nothing and start equating that to beauty. And when they start dating that’s what they look for. This is what they chase after and if the girls don’t dress that way or act that way then they don’t feel like they’ve acquired what they believe is the perfect woman. So, the chase starts over again.
We are so desensitized to the advertisement game that we don’t even notice the sexual innuendos that are strategically placed in these commercials. Do yourself a favor and take a commercial t.v. break and see how many you can spot. It’ll blow your mind. But how did we get this far? I’ll tell you how, that darn Lucifer! Paul Harvey in his famous poem ‘If I were the devil’ puts it perfectly:
“I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the mind of every family member for my agenda”
Can’t you see that he’s got his grips on today’s media? Whether it be mainstream media or social media. That’s why we see so many cases of cyber bullying and as a result more cases of suicide. Our relationships boil down to tags on Facebook and Instagram or to mentions on Twitter. And our identity that was supposed to be rooted in Christ is lost by the number of likes or retweets. Because the more you get the better a person you are, right? Insert thumbs down emoji.
How are we going to beat the devil at his own game? We first have to understand that we cannot do it alone. Let’s invite God back into our lives and give him full reign over it. Secondly, we have to limit ourselves over how much time we allow ourselves to be exposed to all the works of the devil. Unplug from the chaotic culture and plug into the serenity that is one on one time with Christ. It could be going for a walk while praying the rosary, reading scripture and reflecting on God’s word, sitting with Jesus in adoration or going to daily mass. Just know that we cannot be exposed in the culture without being enveloped by the culture.
When the devil shows us perverse photos and videos to try and redefine a woman’s beauty, we have to remember that those women are all God’s children. Those are His daughters that are being portrayed as nothing more than an object of pleasure for us men. To beat the devil back we need to turn off the TV and focus on true beauty, which we can find in true chastity. Wait… Isn’t chastity for nerds who can’t get girls to go on dates with them? Again, that’s what the world wants you to think, that’s what the father of lies wants you to believe. Remember how, in Genesis, he doesn’t come out right away and lie, he’s too cunning. He wants to blur the lines of right and wrong, to gray the areas of black and white. He starts by questioning Eve asking,”Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”(Genesis 3:1, emphasis added) Now we know from scripture that Eve tells the serpent in the subsequent verse that its ONLY the fruit in the middle of the garden they couldn’t eat “lest you die”. Then comes the first lie in Sacred Scripture,”You certainly will NOT die!” Talk about a butterfly effect!
We can go on and on about how Eve disobeyed God’s commandment and Adam was just punished as an accomplice, but if you look at it closer, Adam failed as a man. Didn’t he say, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”? DUDE! Where were you? You were given the gift of protecting a woman because “for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken”. Not only did you NOT protect her, you blamed her (and God!) when God called you out! In verse 12 of the same chapter of Genesis, “The woman whom you put here with me — she gave me the fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” Come to think of it, have we really gone so far from that? Has the apple fallen so far from the tree? Especially when we say things like,”she was asking for it by wearing that low cut blouse, or short skirt, etc.”
How does the story of Adam and Eve relate to chastity and masculinity? Our first parents, like us, fell prey to temptation, to lust. They sought to seek their own wisdom apart from Almighty God, who has a plan for everything! A timing for everything! “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.” (Eccles. 3:1) He even has a plan for your chastity, your sexuality.
“The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift.” (emphasis added CCC #2337)
Our plan is a call. A call to a love of self giving. We are immersed in a culture that asks, what can I take from you? It may be a photo sent via text or snapchat or it may be the gift that was supposed to be saved for God’s plan of union in a marriage. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31) The next verse, St. Paul says that we men should “love his wife as himself”… Guys, if we really loved these beautiful daughters of God like we love ourselves we would be asking, “how can I help serve you and protect you for God and His plan for you”?
Gentleman, its time to be real men of the faith.
Disciples At The Ready 