Check out this year’s kickoff video, then take some time to reflect on the questions below. Bonus points if you can answer the questions with a small group or accountability partner. When you’re done, share at least one meaningful insight you gained in the comments below.
Archbishop Aymond Discussion Questions
Archbishop Aymond reflected on the 2020 Men’s Conference being a “historic” day in the Archdiocese. Were you there?
If you were: What do you remember about that day? Looking back, what impression did it make on you? Was it just a single good day, or did the day have a lasting impact? Explain.
If you were not: What was your experience of what was shared about it? In what ways can a community of men sharing their spirituality with each other help you draw closer to God?Archbishop Aymond pointed out that right after last year’s Men’s Conference, the COVID-19 pandemic began in our area. Many of us experienced darkness and loneliness as a result of the pandemic and its effects on all aspects of society and life.
What struggles and difficulties have you faced in the past year? How have you coped? What role has your faith and your friendships (your male friendships in particular) helped? What could we as men do to support one another better going forward?
Archbishop Aymond shared that in St. Joseph we find a man of strength and courage, a man who experienced great fear, but trusted in God as he embraced the anxieties and ambiguities he faced.
What aspects of St. Joseph’s life and witness stuck out to you? How does St. Joseph’s life and example help you to find strength in seeking goodness & seeking God?
Archbishop Aymond felt as if St. Joseph were saying to us this year, “I held Jesus in my arms, but, fellow men, I want you to hold Jesus in your heart.”
How can we hold Jesus in your heart? What are the practical steps? How can we help each other hold Jesus in our hearts?
Fr. John Brown, SJ Discussion Questions
Fr. Brown suggested that St. Joseph’s role as father was important to Jesus as not only protector and provider, but as model for Jesus of what a father’s love looks like.
What does it mean to be a father? What experiences have contributed to your understanding of the meaning of fatherhood? What experiences have obscured your trust in fatherhood? What does it mean to you to call God “Father,” as Jesus did?
According to Fr. Brown, God shares with us a “creative responsibility.” In this sharing, God is always present with us and active in our lives, but wants us to feel the consequences of our actions – even if that risks getting a little hurt – in order to grow and become better men.
What do you think about that statement? When have you experienced this type of growth that comes from feeling the consequences of your actions? Have you felt God close or distant from you during that time?
God doesn’t always answer our prayers. Rather, Fr. Brown said, God loves us like a Father and wants us to feel the consequences of our own actions – even though He knows that doing so risks a little bit of hurt. Fr. Brown said it makes us better men when that happens.
Is that true? When was there a time when God didn’t answer your prayers, when He seemed absent or far away? Did that experience shake your faith or make you doubt? Was there a way that experience made you a better man?
Fr. Brown reminds us that, because we are called to share in this creative responsibility, “there’s no quitting the family business…especially when times get tough. When things are tough, we’re just that much more responsible for our share in the Father’s business of loving the world.”
How do we answer this call to be a force for good? How can we, as a group of sons and of friends, help each other better fulfill our responsibilities in the “family business”? How can we better work together to share God’s love for the world, especially when things get difficult?
Danny Abramowicz/ Men’s Group Discussion Questions
Jesus personally calls all of us men to live a life of holiness, and something inside us tells us we could be great and that we are made for more. What do you think prevents you from setting the bar high concerning your Faith walk?
Getting into physical shape requires a time commitment and perseverance on our part; getting into spiritual shape requires a time commitment and perseverance also. Are you willing to make this time commitment and persevere in the effort in order to get into spiritual shape? What are some of the steps you will be willing to take with the help of the Holy Spirit?
What areas of your life are you living by worldly principles? What areas are you living by Godly principles? How can you improve on the Godly principles?
Christianity is not lived in isolation and that is why Jesus called 12 men together to form a small men’s group. Why do you think it is so important to join a men’s small accountability group? How do you think this would benefit you?
Do you think sharing with your brothers on a consistent basis would help you grow spiritually? Why?
