Author: Jeff Cassman

The Siren’s Song

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

From @BldgCatholicMen on Twitter:

A few tips for men struggling with Pornography.

I am no expert and these are not necessarily exhaustive or systematic.

That said, this is a road i’ve traveled and a battle i’ve fought, and here are some ideas for moving forward:

1. Pause & Receive the Peace of Christ — If you are struggling with Pornography, pause right now, just for a moment and ask Christ for peace and strength.

Listen: The devil, first and foremost, wants you to despair. That is the ultimate end-game of all temptation.

If he can’t get you to despair because of your sin, he’ll try to get you to double-down on passionate, anxious, and ultimately prideful effort at self-mastery — to lean more heavily than ever on your own wit and strength, rather than on God.

In either case — despair or reactive pride — you are becoming more a man controlled by your passions.

Step one is to set aside your passions for a moment. In humility, acknowledge some simple truths:

God is the Lord.
He created and loves me.
I am weak and broken-hearted.
He is merciful and will be my strength in this fight.

2. Focus & Take Courage — In the case of pornography or other such addictions, it is easy for all of your attention to be on the negative — i.e. not doing x.

But this leaves the focus on x.

It’s like trying to tell someone to not think of a bird. … Read the rest

Baldwin IV: A Leper on the Throne, A Lion in the Field

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

Neat stuff from @MedievalScholar on Twitter:

King Baldwin IV. One of Jerusalem’s most remarkable rulers. Faced with insurmountable odds from childhood, Baldwin defied expectations and became one of the most significant rulers of his time. A Thread: The Leper King

Image

Note that unfortunately, despite looking very very cool. No, Baldwin IV did not wear a silver mask as depicted in the movie “Kingdom of Heaven.”

There are no contemporary sources that support the idea of Baldwin wearing a facial covering, especially one depicted in the movie.

Baldwin IV was born in Jerusalem in 1161 to King Amalric I and Queen Agnes.

Baldwin would be diagnosed with the devastating disease leprosy at the age of nine. A disease that would ravage his body, but not his spirit.

At a young age, Baldwin would be educated and tutored by William of Tyre. He would note that the young Baldwin displayed insensitivity to pain when his arm was pinched or even bitten. As a result, leprosy was suspected.

Baldwin would become King of Jerusalem on July 11th, 1174 after the sudden death of his father Amalric I due to dysentery. He would be crowned in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Under normal circumstances, the coronations of Medieval rulers would take place on Sundays.

However Baldwin would be coronated on July 15th, 1174 as it was the 75th anniversary of the seizure of Jerusalem in the First Crusade.

At the age of 13, Baldwin was too young to rule on his own, so

… Read the rest

Proof of Lefebvre’s Sanctity?

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

I have heard of two miracles thus far associated with Marcel Lefebvre; the first is the healing of a European boy with a cleft palette who was healed when he kissed the coffin of the Archbishop, and the second was an American baby who doctors presumed was dead in utero after no heartbeat was found and was to be removed by D&C, only to have a heartbeat discovered minutest before the procedure (the parents had prayed to the Archbishop for a miracle).

Are you aware of any others?  Please contact me using the form or at jeffcassman AT gmail DOT com.… Read the rest

The Virtuous Vanguard

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

A post by @BldgCatholicMen on Twitter:

Catholic Husbands and Fathers: A well-lived and abundant life is a dynamic and ongoing interplay of Grace and Choice — the contemplative and active life — the Theological and Cardinal Virtues.

The foundation is the Theological Virtues — God’s gift of himself:

— Faith (come to know & trust in the Lord)
— Hope (in His providence and promises)
— Charity (Give and receive authentic love)

These virtues are a super-natural gift of grace. We receive and engage them by seeking God, participating in the sacraments He has given us (Baptism, Eucharist, etc) and through a commitment to daily, purposeful prayer.

We would do well to remember that while prayer involves our activity — worshipping, thanking, apologizing, petitioning — it is God’s action upon us in prayer that is of utmost important and value. Hence, our job is primarily to show up, pray the best we can, but ultimately just be there with God and let Him do the work.

This relationship with God and your prioritization and engagement of it is the foundation of your life. But this relationship calls us to intentionality and action, and thus to the realm of the Cardinal (or Human) Virtues:

— Prudence (Intentionality, decision, action)
— Justice (duty, priority, vocation)
— Courage (facing fear, attacking and enduring evil)
— Temperance (tempering desires, retraining and reordering them to their purposes)

Upon the foundation of our relationship with God (Theological Virtues) we carry out our active life (the Cardinal … Read the rest

The Weight of Glory

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

From @BldgCatholicMen on Twitter:

“Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”

This is a favorite quote of mine from C.S. Lewis’ “Weight of Glory”.

It is a favorite because it precisely challenges some of my weaknesses. I tend to be a private and introverted person, content to pray, lift, read, and otherwise keep to myself — family life, obviously, challenges this tendency in a huge (and helpful) way!

Here is the thing: God has given you and I many missions in life. But one of the most fundamental is this: To appreciate, encourage, and lead every person you interact with a step closer to Jesus.

When you interact with someone today, be it your wife, children, coworkers, or the store clerk:

— Make eye contact
— Acknowledge
— Smile
— Encourage (Literally: GIVE courage)
— Lead any conversation to what is True, Good, and Beautiful
— Pray: either with them or for them after you part

Don’t miss these moments of grace, however small.

When we meet God, He will demand an account from us for all of these precious moments.

They are the real opportunities God is sending you — moment by moment — to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ.

One more quote from C.S. Lewis to challenge and inspire you in this regard:

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to … Read the rest