Are you a person who:
- reads the Bible? Are you spending time reading Scripture every day? Are you living with the mindset, “No Bible, no breakfast; no Bible, no bed?”
- surrenders to the Holy Spirit? Do you make a commitment to say a daily prayer of submission to the Holy Spirit?
- takes responsibility for your life and your past and not blame others?
Those are three of thirty tasks that Father Larry Richards asks of his readers in his book, Be a Man: Becoming the Man God Created you to be. In this book, he explores how one grows strong in faith by imitating the manly example of Jesus Christ. Through stories of his ministry and personal experiences, Fr. Larry breaks down the popular misconception that being deeply spiritual and close to God is something weak or passive. His book reflects an attitude of a drill instructor or fitness coach telling people to “man up” and actively embrace their faith.
Despite its title, Be a Man is a great guide book for all Catholics, not just men. Except for a few stories and maybe a few male-specific words of advice, this book will just as easily appeal to women as well as men. To me, the title seems more like a marketing gimmick to separate itself from all the other “how to live a Catholic lifestyle” books that are available.
Father Larry Richards’ advice is not an easy one. He is very up front that living a truly Catholic life is difficult. But he stresses the importance of “manning up” and tackling those challenges because it will ultimately benefit you and the ones you love. At its core, he lays down arguments on the importance of dedicating your life to God. Contrary to popular belief, lay people are called to lead a fully spiritual life of prayer, fasting, chastity, charity, and dedication to following God’s will just like any ordained priest. God does not let us off easy just because we happen to be on the other side of the alter during Mass.
Personally, my largest takeaway from the book is the need to go to church more than once a week on Sunday. As Fr. Larry says, the Our Father says “give us our daily bread.” It does not say “weekly bread.” Even if you cannot attend daily Mass, it is important to try to go into a church, say a few prayers, and tell God that you are starting your day as his disciple. While I have not been able to go to church every day, I do try to find times to squeeze it in when I can. I hope, much like rosary prayer, it provides a sense of peace knowing that God is in control and is guiding me regardless of the chaos of our world.
This book has been out for seven years and has a 5-star rating on Amazon. It is that good and is something you will want to give away to your friends and family after you read it. Buy a copy and be the one who starts a new chain of lending of this powerful book.
