S E S S I O N 26

Paradisus Dei

Wow! What an incredible journey. It has taken us 10 years. Along the way, I’ve discovered many things. Three stand out in a very special way.

• David commits adultery with Bathsheba and has her husband Uriah killed to hide his sin.

• The parable from the prophet Nathan.• Disharmony in the Family: “I will take your wives

while you live to see it” (2 Samuel 12:11).• Children will Suffer: “The child that is born to you

shall die” (2 Samuel 12:14).• Conflict in Society: “The sword shall not depart from

your house” (2 Samuel 12:10).• Worship of God will Suffer: “David may not build a

house for my name for he is a man of war and has shed blood” (1 Chronicles 22:8).

Discovery #1: The Story of King David

The Four Leadership Roles of Men

Moral LeadershipLive in union with God to

receive his blessings.

Military LeadershipBattle Satan over the family,

the channel of grace.

Political LeadershipHarmoniously order society

to peace.

Economic LeadershipMake the earth fruitful, which is tied

to the fruitfulness of the womb.

Men’sLeadership

Roles

Discovery #2: St. Joseph• Just Man: “Joseph, being a just man … resolved

to send Mary away quietly” (Matthew 1:19).

• Husband: “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph” (Luke 1:26-27).

• Father: “And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously’ … and Jesus … was obedient to them” (Luke 2:48-51).

The Heart of Joseph and Nazareth

• “When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).

• When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife” (Matthew 1:24).

• The trial of St. Joseph lies between these two great moments.

• The home at Nazareth is born of St. Joseph’s trial. It is born when his heart is opened to his spouse in mercy.

Discovery #3: The Home at Nazareth

• The Holy Family “was a heaven, a paradise on earth, endless delights in this place of grief; it was a glory already begun in the vileness, abjection and lowliness of their life” (Monsignor Jean Jacques Olier).

• “It is in the Holy Family, the original ‘Church in miniature (Ecclesia Domestica), that every Christian family must be reflected. ‘Through God’s mysterious design, it was in that family that the Son of God spent long years of a hidden life. It is therefore the prototype and example for all Christian families’” (St. John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos, #7).

Source: Doze, Fr. Andrew, “Saint Joseph: The Shadow of the Father,” Trans. Audett, F., Alba House, New York, 1992, p. 52.

The Home at Nazareth as Paradisus Dei

1. The Presence of God:• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us … we

have behold his glory” (John 1:14)

2. Holiness – evil remains on outside the home:• Jesus is the Word Incarnate (Cf. John 1:14).• Mary is the Immaculate Conception (Cf. Luke 1:28).• Joseph is the just man in Scripture (Cf. Matthew 1:19).

3. Superabundant Joy:• “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and

death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

In a special way I would like to thank all the men at St. Cecilia – living and dead – who made this journey together and possible. I’d especially like to thank Mark Hartfiel. I thank all of you and we

have a certificate for you.

The critical question is, “Where do we go from here?”

We set out to build Nazareth in our heart!

The Essence of That Man is You!1. The desire to live your life as

husband and father as your pathway to holiness – which is the life of St. Joseph at Nazareth.

2. The willingness to use the Seven Covenants of That Man is You! to build a structured approach to your spiritual life.

Building Nazareth in your Heart1. An honest evaluation of your spiritual life.

2. The ability to design a spiritual plan of life to help you take the next step in your spiritual life.

3. Resources to aid you in your spiritual journey.

4. A community of men to support you in your journey.

Evaluating your Spiritual Life1. A rigorous 70 question evaluation of your

spiritual life.

2. Ten questions for each covenant.

3. Answers are evaluated to help determine individual spiritual struggles according to the three major impediments in the spiritual life (flesh, world, devil).

4. St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross are used for guides.

Designing a Spiritual Plan of Life1. The results of the spiritual evaluation are

combined with the four formation types to develop a personal spiritual plan of life.

2. Suggestions are made to help you take the next step: “Wherever you are in your spiritual life, Jesus Christ wants to encounter you right there and take you further.”

3. You have the ability to customize the plan to your personal circumstances.

Resources for your Spiritual Journey

1. Paradisus Dei provides resources to aid you in your spiritual formation and the discernment of God’s will in your life.

2. Paradisus Dei provides opportunity for additional formation through pilgrimages and conferences.

3. Approved third party resources supporting the mission of Paradisus Dei and That Man is You! may be used.

Companions for your Spiritual Journey

1. The men of That Man is You! are an indispensible element of the program and spiritual journey.

2. Paradisus Dei provides a mechanism to help TMIY men continue their journey together.

3. Paradisus Dei provides training for parish Core Team leadership and individual small group facilitators.

A Focus on Formation and Living the Message

1. Individual Men: Provide resource materials for individual men to evaluate their spiritual life and develop a personalized spiritual plan of life.

2. Small Groups: Provide training for small group facilitators to help lead a group in their spiritual journey.

3. Parishes: Provide training for Core Teams to help them guide That Man is You! and other Paradisus Dei programs.

“Wherever you are in your spiritual life, Jesus Christ wants to encounter you right there and take

you further.”

That Man is You! is getting ready to take a big step!

Laborers in the Vineyard• “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are

few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

• That Man is You! needs men you can receive special training to help guide other men on their spiritual journey.

• If you are willing to be an instrument in the hand of the Lord, then please contact us at www.paradisusdei.org.

Apostles to the Family“It is especially necessary to recognize the unique place that … belongs to the mission of married couples and Christian families, by virtue of the grace received in the sacrament. This mission must be placed at the service of the building up of the Church, the establishing of the Kingdom of God in history. This is demanded as an act of docile obedience to Christ the Lord. For it is He who, by virtue of the fact that marriage of baptized persons has been raised to a sacrament, confers upon Christian married couples a special mission as apostle, sending them as workers into His vineyard, and, in a very special way, into this field of the family.”

Saint John Paul II

Familiaris Consortio, #71

Crossing the Threshold of Hope“Now is the time for hope … We must not be afraid of the future. We must not be afraid of man … Each and every human person has been created in the ‘image and likeness’ of the One who is the origin of all that is … with the help of God’s grace, we can build in the next century and the next millennium a civilization worthy of the human person … And in doing so, we shall see that the tears of this century have prepared the ground for a new springtime of the human spirit.”

St. John Paul IIUnited NationsOctober 5, 1995

When I stepped onto a stage at 6:30am on the Feast of Our Lady’s birthday in 2004, I had no

idea what God had in store.

Today, I realize more than ever that we’re still just at the tip of the iceberg.

Open wide the door of your heart to Christ. You will not regret placing yourself in his hands.

Next YearBuilding Nazareth in your Heart

Small Group DiscussionStarter Questions

1. Are you willing to continue the journey? Who are you going to bring along with you?

2. How can you step out to become an instrument in the hands of the Lord?