Men, many of us can count ourselves lucky to have friends. How much of a grace is it to count another human being as one of your companions in life? I aim to write on what is called virtuous friendship. This is not to take away value from family members or spousal relationships. However my main focus is to consider what virtuous friendship truly is; what it looks like in theory and in practice. To go in depth, we will tap the intellect of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas about the subject, thoughts on different kinds of friendship and how they fit in with being a virtuous, Catholic man.>Let us first begin with what Aristotle understood as friendship. The legendary philosopher broke down friendship into three categories; Friendships of Pleasure, Friendships of Utility, and, most importantly Friendships of Virtue. Off the top of your head, you could probably identify and categorize your friends just by these titles alone.>

Friendships of Pleasure

Friends in this category are simply people whose company we enjoy. A good example of friendships of pleasure are your casual “drinking buddies”. Whether this type of friendship hinders or helps us in our life, the relationship itself is predicated on the simple fact that they are fun to be around. It is important to point out that friendships built on pleasure and passion also have shallowness to them. Aristotle claimed that they would not last forever because of this aspect.

Originally published in Catholic Manhood. Read original article

“Be Firm. Be Virile. Be a Man. And Then….Be A Saint” – St. Josemaria Escriva>

Men, the very essence of Catholic Manliness needs to be addressed. How can one aspire to be the epitome of a good, catholic man, without someone first clearly defining just what that looks like? Catholic Manhood is here to do that. We will properly define manliness through an authentically Catholic lens. Let us begin with what manhood is NOT.>It is not based on how many beers you can get down your gullet. It is not based on how many women you “court” at the same time. It is not based on how much you know about football and it is definitely not measured by how high your truck is lifted. We live in the era of the man-child. It is depicted on goofy sitcoms and Barstool Sports. The stereotype of the dumb, messy guy with a sharp, gorgeous, iron-fisted wife has run rampant through society. This is not ideal, nor does it have anything to do with what the marks of true manliness looks like. So what is manliness then if there is a deeper meaning to the word than football, beer and horsepower? Even further, what is Catholic manliness?

Originally published in Catholic Manhood. Read original article

Men, the family is not merely a social unit. It is a battlefield.>Any man who believes otherwise has not been paying attention. The modern Catholic household is under constant pressure; spiritual, psychological, and moral. These pressures do not usually arrive as dramatic evils. They arrive quietly, disguised as exhaustion, anxiety, discouragement, and fear. Left unchecked, these vices corrode a man’s interior life and weaken his leadership in the home. A Catholic husband and father must therefore think and act like a commander. He must know the enemy, understand his tactics, and deliberately cultivate the virtues that drive vice from the field.>As Liber Christo by Dan Schneider, PhD rightly demonstrates, spiritual combat is not fought with vague intentions, but with specific virtues, practiced habitually and enforced firmly. Below are five common vices afflicting families today and the virtues Catholic men must reclaim to defeat them.

Originally published in Catholic Manhood. Read original article