On behalf of our Catholic Men's Fellowship community, we would like to wish each of you a Christ-filled Christmas season. Monsignor Bill, Fr. Al, and Fr. Tom, have each reminded us that the holiday season presents an opportunity for either much anxiety or much peace. The world tells us that we need to make our Christmas gift list our central priority, which will usually create unneeded anxiety. We have been gifted with the Advent season as a means to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus, a renewed appreciation of the "tidings of great joy," the Incarnation, which is Jesus’ saving love offered to all people and all nations. We pray that the spirit of Advent helped to distance you from the anxieties of the "holidays" and to promote the love of our God in your life through his son Jesus.The Church calendar is masterful in knowing when we need help. Our local church community, our Scared Traditions, the Sacraments, and the Holy Scriptures offer much to help us grow closer to Christ. We hope that our group, Catholic Men’s Fellowship, has helped in your personal journey.
We gathered ten times for mass, breakfast and fellowship during 2007. Our attendance at the meetings ranged from the high 30s to the mid 50s. We had approximately 97 men from the parish that attended at least one of our gatherings and 16 men who were visiting from surrounding parishes. Our topics were designed to help us grow closer to Christ, framed within our seven core principals: be a man of Jesus, be a man for others, be a man of integrity, be a man of forgiveness and discipline, be a man of prayer and responsibility, be a man of humility and love, and be a man on a mission.
We have had some wonderful speakers, testimonies, and discussions this past year. It’s time to thank everyone involved, as this is a community effort. Also to everyone who has attended, you have been called to attend for a reason. Let us know your thoughts on where we’ve been together in 2007, and where you think we should head in 2008. Please take a moment and share how CMF has helped your spiritual life as well as ideas on how we can make 2008 even more enriching. You can do this now by clicking on the word “comments” below or you can email your comments to sshanklin@verizon.net.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
CMF planning committee
