Supreme Chaplain's Monthly Challenge

July 2018

“The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’” (Gospel for July 22, Mk 6:30)

If we are honest, we know that we men are not that good at “coming away…to a deserted place” to “rest a while.” In fact we know that over 80 percent of us check our smart phone even before brushing our teeth in the morning, and spend time on it in the last hour before we go to sleep. Like the apostles, we focus on getting a lot done. But let’s imagine what would happen if we truly responded to the challenge of Jesus to “come away” to pray in solitude every morning, resting in His presence and holy Word. Jesus invites us to put first things first. Let’s take him at his word and make the changes we need to make.

Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori:
This month I challenge you to “come away” to a quiet place by praying at least five minutes a day, first thing in the morning before you check your electronic devices or turn on the TV. You will likely have stops and starts, but strive to be as consistent as possible. Secondly I challenge you to respond to Jesus’ invitation to “rest a while” by doing something truly restful on Sunday, the day of rest.

Gather to Discuss the Challenge
Following the challenge you and your brother Knights (and any interested parishioners) should gather to discuss your experiences.

1. Begin with a prayer of your choosing or use the following:

   1. Make the Sign of the Cross

      Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. We thank you for guiding our lives and pray that we may have the courage exemplified by Venerable Fr. McGivney to live our faith to the fullest through our council, our families and in society. May our words today give glory to your Sacred Heart and if we struggled this past month in living our faith, help us to never stop turning to you and always try again.

2. Re-read the Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge from the previous month
3. Invite the men to talk about what it was like to try and live last month’s challenge from the Supreme Chaplain.
   1. Don’t worry about what order the men speak in
   2. If there is silence in between men speaking, it’s ok
   3. Try to make sure that when one man is speaking that the others are listening
   4. If someone doesn’t want to speak that’s ok
4. The men are welcome to give (encouraging) comments to each other if they want
5. When finished, read Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge the for next month
6. End with this prayer
   1. Ask the men if there is anything they would like the group to pray for
   2. Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time together with our brothers. We ask you to have mercy on all those people and intentions we prayed for. Give us the perseverance to live next month’s challenge and to remember that we are united with our brother Knights around the world in doing so.
   3. Make the Sign of the Cross