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Father Michael J. McGivney knew himself to be loved by Christ and was able to accomplish God’s will because of his faith in God’s love. For Father McGivney, Christian manhood was all about being rooted in another, in Jesus Christ. In knowing oneself to be loved, a man is empowered to love others: his wife, his children, his neighbors, his co-workers and all those who need his help and attention.
Manly qualities like self-respect and self-confidence become the seedbed for manly virtues such as fidelity, truthfulness, a sense of duty and honor, and the capacity to love both fiercely and tenderly.
This ideal of Christian manhood is central to the vision and work of Father McGivney. He understood that for a boy to become a man, he must learn the way of faith. He must discover that he is not alone, that he is rooted in another, in Jesus Christ, whose love conquers sin and death. The source of manly courage and the ability to take on the responsibilities of marriage and family are, for the Christian, found in his relationship with the crucified and risen Lord. The mature Christian man is an interior soul. His leadership, his willingness to protect, provide and defend flow from his confidence in the One who loved him to the point of dying for him.
Christian men must be deeply interior as well as committed to action. As a result of sin and its consequences, life on earth always entails struggle. The Christian man must face the difficulties of life by drawing on the inner strength that comes from contact with God in prayer and the sacraments, and by sharing with other men a proper vision of what it means to be a member of Christ’s body.
The noble combination of courage and sensitivity required of the Christian man must be learned and embraced. This work of formation is the important task entrusted to parents, and to fathers in a particular way. Biological paternity is only the beginning. Leading a boy to manhood is a father’s great privilege and responsibility. The physical, moral and spiritual formation of young men is a pressing need in our time.
The founding of the Knights of Columbus was Father McGivney’s expression of the ideal of Christian manhood. The image of a knight conjures up a physical and spiritual ideal that was close to Father McGivney’s heart. The vision he imparted to the first members of the Order in 1882 has attracted Catholic men ever since. Brother Knights helping one another in the task of becoming men and of shaping our children and our children’s children is an enduring aspect of membership in the Knights. Giving good example, helping those in need, showing what true fraternity means and learning to relax in truly manly ways are part and parcel of the fraternal order founded by Father McGivney.
The Order’s insurance program represents the founder’s concern for the material needs of the family. This is paralleled by the fraternal interaction in council meetings and family gatherings. It was all of a piece for Father McGivney.
The Church beatifies and canonizes men and women so that we will have examples and ideals to urge us on to greater holiness and dedication to God. In Father McGivney, we have a comprehensive vision of Christian manhood and a program to help men grow to full maturity. Our desire to see Father McGivney named “Blessed” is the desire to make known his vision and ideals. Father McGivney, protector of Christian family life, pray for us.
Dominican Father Gabriel B. O’Donnell is postulator for the cause of sainthood of the Servant of God Father Michael J. McGivney.
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