Today, it is almost a reflex to place one’s personal interests ahead of everything else. Ego and pride are often the fuel that drive men to seek status, recognition and accolades as the ultimate measure of success. However, putting one’s interests ahead of others is completely counter to living an authentic Christian life. It is Christ Himself at the Last Supper who told His disciples that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). The following day, those who shared this final meal with Jesus witnessed what this meant as He willingly gave His own flesh and blood for the salvation of everyone else on Calvary. St. Joseph also lived a life that was oriented towards the interests of those who God placed under his protection. Had he been driven by ego and pride, he likely wouldn’t have even trusted in Gabriel’s plea to take Mary as his wife.
Recognizing that we have been placed on this earth to serve others is one of the pillars of the Men of St. Joseph. More than acts of charity, being a man for others means that we must resist worldly temptations that get in the way of living as Christians in the modern world. The Men of St. Joseph strive to be become men for others through practices that emphasize the importance of self-possession in order to live lives that are free and unbound.
Men are capable of accomplishing many things that modern culture values and believes to be important. However, more meaningful and substantive feats can be achieved in this life when a man is able to live free, as a beloved son of the Father, like Christ, who lives selflessly for others. The Men of St. Joseph support each other as we strive to become the versions of ourselves that God had intended, to put the interests of others ahead of our own and to give ourselves away in the service of our families, friends, neighbors and church community.
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