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.
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. … This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Gospel for May 9, Jn 15:9-10, 12-13)
Christ tells us we will remain in his love if we keep his commandments. Saying you love someone can be easy, but it is really our deeds that reveal our love — or lack of it. Christ showed us how to love by his example and by sacrificing his very life for us. To love as Christ commands us to love demands action. The Letter of James says, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves” (1:22). May each of us commit to keeping the commandments and offering our very selves in service and sacrifice for others.
Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori:
This month, I challenge you to meditate on the meaning of the Ten Commandments in your life by picking one on 10 different days and praying about it for at least 10 minutes. Second, during this month devoted to our Blessed Mother, I challenge you to assist your council in implementing the Faith in Action Rosary program — showing your love of Christ by showing your love of Mary.
Questions for Reflection:
Are you willing to proclaim to others that you love Christ? Does your life show this love by your obedience to Christ and the teachings of the Church, or are there areas of your life where you seem not to heed the Gospel? Are there times when you find it hard to love as Christ commands, and if so, how can you seek to grow in love?
The Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge for the month will be available in a number of places:
• KofC.org
• Columbia
• Knightline
• Chaplain's Report
• Knights of Columbus social media
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.
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
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
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. … This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Gospel for May 9, Jn 15:9-10, 12-13)
Christ tells us we will remain in his love if we keep his commandments. Saying you love someone can be easy, but it is really our deeds that reveal our love — or lack of it. Christ showed us how to love by his example and by sacrificing his very life for us. To love as Christ commands us to love demands action. The Letter of James says, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves” (1:22). May each of us commit to keeping the commandments and offering our very selves in service and sacrifice for others.
Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori:
This month, I challenge you to meditate on the meaning of the Ten Commandments in your life by picking one on 10 different days and praying about it for at least 10 minutes. Second, during this month devoted to our Blessed Mother, I challenge you to assist your council in implementing the Faith in Action Rosary program — showing your love of Christ by showing your love of Mary.
Questions for Reflection:
Are you willing to proclaim to others that you love Christ? Does your life show this love by your obedience to Christ and the teachings of the Church, or are there areas of your life where you seem not to heed the Gospel? Are there times when you find it hard to love as Christ commands, and if so, how can you seek to grow in love?
The Supreme Chaplain’s Monthly Challenge for the month will be available in a number of places:
• KofC.org
• Columbia
• Knightline
• Chaplain's Report
• Knights of Columbus social media
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.
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
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