Faith in Action: The Advent Challenge 2024
This December marks the beginning of Advent for us Catholics in Ireland—a time to deepen our faith and strive to become more Christ-like in our daily lives. We commit to uniting with Christ more closely by detaching ourselves from distractions that hinder our spiritual journey. Join us, Irish men, on this month-long pilgrimage to foster a stronger connection with Jesus and bring meaningful transformation to our lives.
It is not enough just to wish well, we must also do well.
Saint Ambrose speaks of two kinds of men: those of the flesh and those of the spirit. He likens the former kind of man to the vulture, the latter to the eagle. The vulture feeds on dead things, stuffing its belly to the point that if danger appears, such as in the form of a predator, its belly bloated that the bird can only flap its wings miserably and hop for a few yards.
The eagle, on the other hand, feeds on living things and will quickly release its catch if danger threatens, taking to the skies with graceful ease and freedom.
The man of the flesh fattens himself on dead things so that a kind of materialistic obesity incapacitates his soul for the flight of contemplation. The man of the spirit, on the other hand, can take or leave the things of the earth; his destiny is union with God, and he knows this and pursues it. But this comparison is not just about two kinds of men; it's about the two possibilities of every human person. All of us have in our souls a vulture and an eagle, and for one to prosper, the other must die. If the vulture is to prosper, the eagle must die; if the eagle is to prosper, the vulture must die.
The death pangs of one are the labour pains of the other. During times of fasting we starve ourselves to life to avoid feeding ourselves to death.
Crucifixion and resurrection do not happen only at the end of life; they're an ongoing, lifelong day-to-day dynamic.
© MEN FOR CHRIST IRELAND
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