The purpose of The Every Catholic Man Daily Gospel Devotional is to help a man fulfill his ultimate purpose in life which is to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. To help a man get to know Jesus better, the Devotional has used a systematic way of observing the Divinity, Humanity and Mission of Jesus Christ.
The need to know Jesus to have a vibrant faith
Many Catholic men, despite being Baptized and Confirmed, lose interest in the faith, becoming lukewarm, drifting away, or becoming apostates or even atheists. This sorrowful situation happens because a man has failed to truly know Jesus; for them, Jesus is a myth, conceptual, abstract, a historical figure, a pretty good man among many, or a feminized “lady with a beard.”
Any man of good will who comes to truly know Jesus cannot help but be impressed and even awed. Reigniting every Catholic man’s faith begins with starting from the beginning and focusing on getting to know Jesus better.
The first step of “knowing” is the first essential step towards sainthood because a man cannot love and serve Jesus, if he doesn’t really know Him.
Knowing Jesus Christ has two parts: knowing about Jesus and knowing through relationship with Jesus:
Knowing about Jesus
Knowing about Jesus is a critical first step in which a man becomes aware, has interest, and learns about Jesus: His identity, personal characteristics, family, history, personality, virtues, beliefs, and mission.
Knowing Jesus through relationship
Moving beyond biographical characteristics because he has been impressed, a man moves to draw closer to Jesus by knowing through relationship: speaking to Jesus in prayer, hearing Jesus’ response to prayers, receiving the Sacraments, being moved by God the Father and experiencing God through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Getting to know about Jesus in the Gospels
To help a man take the first step to better know Jesus, the Devotional uses a “lens”, like putting on a pair of glasses, to better “see” various aspects of Jesus as reflected in each daily Gospel passage. The “Jesus glasses” are “trifocals”, which gaze upon three major categories of describing Jesus: the Divinity of Jesus Christ, the Humanity of Jesus Christ, and the Mission of Jesus Christ. Going deeper, below the three major categories, there are over one hundred subcategories which provide an expansive and fascinating look into the life of Jesus Christ.
In the Devotional, the many ways of seeing Jesus are noted each day in the Awed by Jesus Christ section of the daily devotions and highlighted in italics and cataloged in the Index for reference and study.
The Divinity of Jesus Christ
The Divinity of Jesus is demonstrated by His Divine Identity, Divine Knowledge and Divine Power:
Divine Identity
The Divine Identity of Jesus is revealed in various acts and titles, including: Son of God, Son of the Father, Person of the Trinity, Son of Man, Son of David, Lord, Messiah/Christ, Lamb of God, etc.
Divine Knowledge
The Divine Knowledge of Jesus is confirmed by many revelations and acts that are only possible as a result of His Divinity, including: knowing the will of the Father, knowing the reality of the supernatural beings (Angels, Satan and demons) and being able to recognize them, knowing information about the motivations of those in the Old Testament, knowledge about the future, knowledge beyond human knowledge (e.g. knowing how to instantly diagnose and heal the sick), knowledge about the inner thoughts and motivations of men, etc.
Divine Power
The Divine Power of Jesus is demonstrated by His power to do supernatural things, including: His supernatural presence that is recognized by many, demonstrating dominion over Satan and demons (the Temptation, casting out of demons), power over large scale natural phenomena (storms, wind, schools of fish), power to make material things appear (a coin in a fish’s mouth, pallets of wine, truckloads of bread), power to make material disappear (fluid from man with dropsy), power to instantly heal every type of disease and defect, power to raise from the dead, powers of His resurrected body (disguise appearance, appear and disappear, walk through walls, levitation).
The Humanity of Jesus Christ
The Humanity of Jesus is revealed through His Human Body, Personality, Knowledge, Relationships, and Virtues:
Human Body
The reality and characteristics of Jesus’ Human Body are revealed multiple ways with the capacities of His Body, including: Appearance, Gaze, Voice, Strength, Stamina, and Toughness.
Personality
Jesus’ Personality is revealed through His: Presence (Charisma, Awe), Emotions (Joy, Peace, Anger, Sorrow, Compassion/Empathy, Humor, Zeal/Enthusiasm), thinking skills (strategic, analytical, creative) and Influence Styles which used Reason (appeals of Ethos/Character, Pathos/Heart, and Logic) and includes positive motivation (use of Encouragement, Comfort, Inspiration, Rewards) and negative motivation (Rebukes, Admonishment, Harshness, Shame, Punishments).
Knowledge
The Human Knowledge of Jesus is revealed through His Knowledge: grasp of Scripture, history, intuitive understanding of human emotions and behaviors, encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture, the functional skills of carpentry, mastery of the religion of Judaism, knowledge and love of nature, knowledge of human endeavors (agriculture, building, business, military, fishing), knowledge of politics (deep insight into the various political factions, including Romans, Pharisees, Sadduccees, Herodians).
Relationships
The Relationships of Jesus were revealed through His: familial relationships (Son of Mary, Son of Joseph, various kin), relationships with the disciples (Apostles, other disciples) and His interactions with thousands of people across His public ministry.
Virtues
Jesus, the Perfection of Virtue, demonstrates His excellence of Virtue through His exercise of the Theological Virtues and the Cardinal Virtues:
Theological Virtues
Jesus perfectly demonstrates:
- Faith and Hope (though He neither needs or has either, for He is a Divine Person) and,
- Charity, including the Corporal Works of Mercy (Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Welcome the Stranger, Clothe the Naked, Comfort the Sick, Visit the Imprisoned, and Bury the Dead) and the Spiritual Works of Mercy (Instruct the Ignorant, Counsel the Doubtful, Admonish the Sinner, Comfort the Sorrowful, Forgive Offenses, Pray for the Living and the Dead).
Cardinal Virtues
Jesus perfectly demonstrates the Cardinal Virtues:
- Prudence – Drawing Lessons from Experience, Docility, Comprehension, Shrewdness, Disciplined use of Reason, Foresight, Circumspection, Cautiousness.
- Justice – Religion, Piety/Obedience, Observance/Courtesy, Gratitude, Vindication, Truthfulness, Fraternity/Affability, Generosity/Liberality, Kindness, Responsibility/Duty, Defense/Protection.
- Fortitude – Magnanimity, Magnificence, Perseverance, Courage, Patience.
- Temperance – Humility, Meekness, Abstinence/Sobriety, Chastity, Diligence, Studiousness.
The Mission of Jesus Christ
The Mission of Jesus is revealed through His offices of Divine King, Divine Prophet, and Divine Priest:
Divine King
Jesus demonstrates His Office of Divine King through His acts as: one having Authority, Leader, Protector, Provider, and Judge.
Divine Prophet
Jesus demonstrates His Office of Divine Prophet as He: knows and understands Salvation History, has the perfection of Wisdom, replaces the Old Covenant with the New Covenant, correction of Moses, offers comprehensive teaching across all areas of human holiness and sinfulness, symbolic prophetic acts, and through His powerful oration.
Divine Priest
Jesus demonstrates His Office of Divine Priest through His: establishment of the Catholic Church, healings, prayer, and the giving of the Sacraments (Baptism/Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Matrimony, Divine Orders, Anointing of the Sick).