- What is the Supreme Chaplain's Monthly Challenge
- Instructions
- This Month's Challenge
- Previous Challenges
What is the Supreme Chaplain's Monthly Challenge
1. Archbishop Lori choses a line or two from scripture (in the upcoming month) from one of the readings at Sunday Mass.
2. There is a brief reflection on the reading from the Archbishop
3. The Archbishop gives them a challenge or 2 to live for the upcoming month
4. The next month, the council reconvenes and shares what it was like living the challenge (see enclosed directions)
5. Delivery vehicles:
a. Monthly email blast to Grand Knight and Chaplain
b. Social Media
c. KNIGHTLINE
d. Columbia
e. Chaplain's Report
f. BDC webpage
6. Monthly reflection during council meeting (options):
a. During Chaplain's Message (preferred)
b. During Grand Knight Report
Instructions
During the Chaplain's Message or the Grand Knight's Report:
1) Begin with a prayer of your choosing or use the following:
a. Make the Sign of the Cross
b. 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.
a. Don't worry about what order the men speak in
b. If there is silence in between men speaking, it's ok
c. Try to make sure that when one man is speaking that the others are listening
d. 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
a. Ask the men if there is anything they would like the group to pray for
b. 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.
c. Make the Sign of the Cross
This Month's Challenge
February 2019
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. (Gospel for Feb. 10, Lk 5:10-11)
“They left everything and followed him.” My brothers, these words shock me every time I hear or read them. If we are honest, we have to admit how hard it is to leave everything to follow Jesus. After all, we are so good at taking stuff with us as we attempt to follow him—our pride, our possessions, our desire for power, more comfort and pleasure. We attempt to drag this heavy luggage along, or sometimes try to sneak little trinkets into our bags to take with us: maybe it’s our wandering eyes, our temper, a critical spirit, or our workaholism. But Jesus and his disciples travel lightly. He invites us to leave everything and follow him. Let’s experience this genuine freedom of being his disciple: a freedom which hits the open road with our Lord, free of everything that hinders us.
Challenge by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori:
This month I challenge you to join other Catholic men who are striving to “leave everything and follow him.” Join them for some time of prayer, fellowship and encouragement, possibly at a Knights meeting, for breakfast, or a drink after work. Secondly I challenge you to be open with a brother in Christ about some area of your life where you are facing challenges. “Leaving everything” means that we also need to leave behind our pretense and appearances, and meet each other as true brothers.
