Each month, Archbishop William Lori – Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus – selects a brief passage from the Gospel reading of one of the Sunday Masses of the month.
Archbishop Lori shares a brief reflection on the passage and issues a challenge for men to live for the month.
The next month, men undertaking the challenge as a group gather and share their experiences living the challenge.
The Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge is ideally done during monthly Knights of Columbus meetings, but can be done in a separate group or individually.
By taking up the Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge, men take direct, concrete action to grow in their faith and help their brothers do so as well.
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” (Gospel for March 29, Jn 11:33-36)
One of the shortest verses in the Bible — “And Jesus wept.” — is among the most powerful. The Son of God who became man mourns the loss of his friend. And he weeps, just as you or I would. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” Jesus said. Here he models his own teaching. In our busy day-to-day lives, we may be in danger of skipping this beatitude. And though many of the psalms are laments, we can be good at skimming them. Instead, may we follow Jesus by praying these psalms and mourning the losses we and others have suffered.
This month, I challenge you to request a Mass for the repose of the soul of a recently deceased person. Second, I challenge you to support those who mourn by participating in the Faith in Action Christian Refugee Relief program or individually through prayer or other aid for those who have suffered persecution for their faith.
How can we properly mourn the losses we and others have suffered in life? How does having Masses said for the deceased aid not only them, but also those still alive? With so much suffering in the world, how can we best show compassion for others?
The Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge for the month will be available in a number of places:
To conduct the Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge, during a Knights of Columbus meeting (ideally during the Chaplain's Message or the Grand Knight's Report) or other gathering:
1) Open with the Sign of the Cross and perhaps a brief prayer.
Example Opening 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) Open the floor for discussion on what it was like to try and live last month's challenge. Every month has a number of Questions for Reflection that may help facilitate discussion. Don't worry about what order the men speak in or if there is silence in between men speaking. Not everyone has to speak and it is not a problem if the discussion is brief. Men are welcome to comment on others’ contribution to the discourse.
4) When finished, read the Supreme Chaplain's Monthly Challenge for the next month.
5) End by asking if there are any intentions and close with prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
Example Closing 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.
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” (Gospel for March 29, Jn 11:33-36)
One of the shortest verses in the Bible — “And Jesus wept.” — is among the most powerful. The Son of God who became man mourns the loss of his friend. And he weeps, just as you or I would. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” Jesus said. Here he models his own teaching. In our busy day-to-day lives, we may be in danger of skipping this beatitude. And though many of the psalms are laments, we can be good at skimming them. Instead, may we follow Jesus by praying these psalms and mourning the losses we and others have suffered.
This month, I challenge you to request a Mass for the repose of the soul of a recently deceased person. Second, I challenge you to support those who mourn by participating in the Faith in Action Christian Refugee Relief program or individually through prayer or other aid for those who have suffered persecution for their faith.
How can we properly mourn the losses we and others have suffered in life? How does having Masses said for the deceased aid not only them, but also those still alive? With so much suffering in the world, how can we best show compassion for others?
The Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge for the month will be available in a number of places:
To conduct the Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge, during a Knights of Columbus meeting (ideally during the Chaplain's Message or the Grand Knight's Report) or other gathering:
1) Open with the Sign of the Cross and perhaps a brief prayer.
Example Opening 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) Open the floor for discussion on what it was like to try and live last month's challenge. Every month has a number of Questions for Reflection that may help facilitate discussion. Don't worry about what order the men speak in or if there is silence in between men speaking. Not everyone has to speak and it is not a problem if the discussion is brief. Men are welcome to comment on others’ contribution to the discourse.
4) When finished, read the Supreme Chaplain's Monthly Challenge for the next month.
5) End by asking if there are any intentions and close with prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
Example Closing 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.
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019