My brothers in Christ,
Being men of the world, we are often buffeted by the prevailing winds, both good and bad. As Peter and the disciples were, we can find ourselves alone in a boat, in the dark, in turmoil and sometimes in fear. There are times when we may forget that Christ is as close as reaching out through prayer, personal reflection, the Mass and scriptural reading.
We must never forget that we are followers of Christ first, and members of his church. When we are torn this way and that, by requests for charity or the winds of societal change, we do well to step back from the cares of the world for just a moment and ask ourselves, "where is Christ in all of this?"
A simple rule for me and many others is to give to Catholic charities first, and if not exclusively, then preferably. Did you know that the current ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is raising money towards a cause that uses embryonic stem cell research? That isn't OK with us as Catholic men, though many of us know people who have been affected by this disease. These are the storms of conscience in which we find ourselves as men of good faith.
God be with you gentlemen. Take a few moments from your day and spend it with Christ. The decisions may not come any easier, but the peace of a calmed and well formed conscience will.
