Saturday 4th Week of Lent
Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Maryland
St. Joseph Parish, Fullerton
April 5, 2025
Who Is Jesus? Where Did He Come From?
There was something about Jesus that no one could figure out. Who was he? And where did he come from? Even those who were confused sensed somewhere deep down that Jesus was the most consequential person that had ever met and that one way or another he demanded a decision from each of them.
As the Gospel reading unfolds, there is division in the crowd. In fact, they form themselves, roughly speaking, into three groups. The first group claimed that Jesus was truly a prophet, like Moses. The second group claimed Jesus was Messiah, a new King David, who would rescue God’s people from oppression. A third group objected to calling Jesus the Messiah because the Messiah was not supposed to come from Galilee, but was to be of the house of David and born in his city, Bethlehem. Evidently, this third group did not know about the birth of Jesus.
In fact, all three groups were off the mark. Jesus is a prophet like Moses but is greater than Moses. Jesus is the Messiah but not an earthly king. Jesus is the Son of God whose humanity is in the line of David. Three groups hopelessly divided in their lack of knowledge and understanding.
Did I mention there was a fourth group? Not the Pharisees who were more confused than all the others. No, this fourth group are the guards sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus and to bring him in to be arraigned, judged, and condemned. But this group of guards did not fulfill their assigned task, and why? Because, they said, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” Ignore the railing Pharisees, and listen again to their words: “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
Joining a Small Group
Brothers, if you had to join one of these small groups, which would it be? The groups that were debating back and forth who Jesus was and where he came from? Or the skeptics who doubted that Jesus was the Messiah because they thought they knew where he came from? Those groups exist today. There are skeptics, those who debate endlessly, and those who engage in group-think.
No, I don’t imagine you’d want to join one of those groups. But what about the guards? They’re the group who got it right. The guards perceived in the hearts something special about Jesus, something that touched and amazed them, something that stirred spiritual forces deep inside of them. That’s the group you and I want to join, the lowly guards.
And fortunately, that kind of group exists in the Church today and they are growing in number, in depth, here in Maryland and beyond. You heard about some of these small groups of men today: the Knights of Columbus CORE initiative, That Man Is You, as well as many small groups for men in parishes throughout Maryland. And what is the point of joining a men’s prayer group? In a culture that tends to isolate, these groups offer fellowship. In a climate that marginalizes faith, these groups bring it front and center. In an age of religious confusion, these groups focus us on the Person of Christ. In a time when prayer and Mass attendance is declining, these groups help us get up and out on a Sunday morning to be where we know we ought to be. In an era when it is easy grow weak in faith, weak in virtue, and weak in fulfilling the responsibilities of our vocations, these groups help us to stand strong in faith.
To stand strong, don’t stand alone. Not for nothing did Jesus choose 12 apostles and 72 disciples. Not for nothing did Jesus send them on mission out two-by-two, and then gather them around himself for instruction, prayer, and fellowship. Growing in faith and prayer, growing in charity, growing in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, being better husbands and fathers, being active in your parish – none of this is a game of solitaire. All of this really is a team sport and that means teamwork! We are strong, standing together.
Standing Strong
What does it mean to stand strong? The strength comes not from ourselves but from the Lord and from the fellowship we share in Christ Jesus. Our strength comes from deep within us, from the CORE of being, so long as we answer the door when Christ knocks, so long as we listen to the One who speaks like no other in the depth of our hearts. As Christ enters and speaks into the depth our being, we will hunger and thirst for his presence in the Mass and the Sacraments, His Body and Blood, his Word of Mercy, moments to adore him in silence.
“Standing” has something to do with bearing witness. It means being a stand-up Catholic Christian a man of unwavering integrity, reliability, loyalty, and faithfulness. Those are qualities that make for a good husband and father but these qualities also equip you to be the Lord’s witnesses in the world, to stand up for your faith when it is under attack, to be ready to explain who Jesus is and why you follow him, and why it is you are part of his Body, the Church. If the Church today is going to stand strong, it will depend on men like you to stand strong – a strong, well-formed laity, men of faith, formation, and service.
All I can say is thank you! Thank you for being a part of this day! Thanks to the Catholic Men’s Fellowship board for organizing this day. Thank you Fr. Jesse Bolger for hosting us here at St. Joseph Parish. Thank you Dennis Narango for your leadership and for our priests who served as confessors, and our great speakers. My final piece of advice: If you haven’t already done so, when you go home join the right group. It’s the one that is amazed at Jesus, the one that says that no one ever has or ever will speak as he did. God bless you and keep you always!