Bishop Rice says Catholic men must ‘raise the bar’
Bishop Edward M. Rice of Springfield-Cape Girardeau believes “these men called Knights” need to “raise the bar” when it comes to what society expects of men in general.
The Knights of Columbus’ Missouri state chaplain gave a workshop April 26 for Knights of Columbus council chaplains during the Knights’ 2018 State Convention in Jefferson City.
“A Catholic man is not better than other men but is better than what the world proposes,” Bishop Rice told current chaplains as well as priests and deacons who wish to become Knights chaplains.
Pointing to a preponderance of books, websites and everyday conversations about the “man crisis” in the Church, he called on chaplains to challenge each Knight to “be better than what society expects.”
Catholic men need to develop a proper sense of self-respect as one created in God’s image and filled with His life, he said.
That rightly balanced self-respect must move them toward respect for others, he said.
He reminded everyone that the life of a Catholic man should be rooted in the supernatural and in living a “sacramental life,” especially the Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation.
“A Catholic man should have certain non-negotiable spiritual practices to support his role as husband, father or brother in the faith,” he stated.
He quipped that being a man means a lot more than a growing a beard and wearing a flannel shirt.
“It is fulfilling one’s obligations day by day, for a lifetime!” he said.
