Protect as Man
About a month ago, I attended a local Catholic men’s retreat in my archdiocese. If I had to pick something that resonated positively with me (and hopefully others), it would have to be what came from the first talk given on the first night of the retreat.
The speaker was attempting to outline that there are indeed differences between men and women. Good. He brought his audience to the book of Genesis and focused on Adam’s role as a man, as that was fundamentally different than that of Eve. Making his way to the Hebrew understanding of Adam’s function as man, a driving point that the speaker made was that of one of Adam’s primary roles: to protect.
This is a fundamental and imperative role for men, especially Catholic men. We are to protect and serve the marginalized; whether that’s women, children, clergy, the poor, whomever. It is in our very nature to protect the less fortunate and the incapable. This is something that is largely lost in American culture, as the act of protecting seems to insinuate that those who need to be protected are weak and lack the capacity of self-sufficiency. The idea of needing help is repugnant to the self-serving warriors of our day and they shun any thought of receiving help of any kind, especially from Christian men.
So what? Who cares? You are called to protect and provide for those who are unable. It is in our very makeup to do so, and to avoid it is contrary to who we are as men and I would say creates confusion for us. When we engage in the protection of others, we align ourselves with the will of the Lord and we may come to experience in our own lives.
The act of protecting can take on many forms, and can include many types of groups or people. An immediate example that comes to mind is protecting the lives of the unborn. There are countless outlets to join the pro-life fight to protect the rights of the unborn and save their lives. There are many places to engage in the good fight and many ways to plug yourself in. This is just one of many causes you can join to protect.
Perhaps another area where you can protect and guard would be your family. The family is under heavy attack in our day and age, and the father is required to protect. The home is the domestic church, and it is the father’s responsibility to protect and lead it to sanctity. There are several ways this can be done, and can begin with speaking highly of and defending our wives in the public forum. Whether we’re with some of our buddies, or at the workplace, we can defend the integrity of and lift our wives up with praise for what they do to love our families. Too often this goes unchecked.
If we step back and look at who is being victimized, we need not look far for opportunities to grow in virtue and protect others who rely on us.
