Joe McClane: "The Catholic Hack!" » men

The 9th annual Guam Catholic Men’s Conference

CatholicHack — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:17:25 +0000

Hafa Adai! God is so good to me… so much better than I deserve! I was recently blessed to be invited to speak at the 9th annual Catholic Men’s conference in Guam. The men were truly inspiring to me, and the people were extremely gracious and generous. I can not say it enough… God is good, I know that because I have met these people who witnessed to me God’s abiding love! Thank you to Father Mike, Pat Wolfe, and the rest of the staff, who took such great care of me while I was on Island.

I gave 3 talks, plus a short address to the “Chain-4-Life” pro-life rally with the Archbishop. What an honor!

Keynote: “Who do you say that I am?”

DOWNLOAD MP3

When taunted by the devil in the Garden of Gethsemane, “why die for them?” Our Lord proclaimed, “shall I not drink the cup which my Father has given me?” Dyeing on the cross, our Lord witnessed to those present, and all those who would come after, for you … “Father for give them, for they know not what they do!” If He would endure so much for you, to witness for you before all,,, are you prepared to witness for him to the world? Together we will look at our “personal” relationship with the King of the Universe and how we can “… Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

1st Breakout: “Our Vocation to Holiness”

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In a world racked full of excuses, millions relativize the faith, building “loop holes” for themselves, falling drastically short of their calling. Our Lord commands us to”… be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48)! Is this even possible? Together we will discover our vocation to holiness as Men in a modern world.

2nd Breakout: “The Law Of Love: Becoming the Man in the Garden!”

DOWNLOAD MP3

Together we will go back to the beginning, back to the dawn of time, to enter the Garden, to walk with the Lord in the “cool of the day” as Preist, Prophet and King. Together we will stand with the NEW Adam, against the ancient serpent, and, discover for ourselves what it means to become the Leader, Protector and Provider… the MAN in the Garden… its the Law of Love played out through salvation history!

Here is the video from the “Chain-4-Life” rally:

It was exciting to see so many young people come and witness to the world for Christ, for His Church, and for LIFE, from conception to a natural death! What a blessing it was for me personally… the video is not the best, I was holding the camera while speaking, but, the Archbishop was holding in his hands a 1st class relic of Blessed John Paul the Great! A drop of his blood! That was VERY cool! God is so good to me… so much better than I deserve!

Linking The Garden Of Eden To The Garden Of Calvary

CatholicHack — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:49:34 +0000

“The Law Of Love: Linking the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Calvary”

I want to thank the men of the “Catholic Men’s Retreat” of Wyoming for inviting me to speak to them about one my favorite subjects… typology! In this series of 6 lectures we attempted to examine the question… why did Jesus have to suffer and die just to redeem us from our sin? If Jesus is God, then why not just “will” our redemption? To go through so much for us, the mocking, the stripes of the scourging, the crown of thorns, the out-pouring of his blood, being cut off from his people and nailed to a tree… there must have been a very good reason. In seeking the answer to this question we endeavor to become the “Man in the Garden!”

Testimonial:

Thank you for one of the most inspirational weekends of my life. You are much than “entertaining.” I learned more about the bible in one weekend than my whole life. I enjoyed our conversations through out the whole trip. God bless you and your family. Thank you for everything you have done for me and the men at our retreat. When I get the pictures I will send them to you.

Kenny,

The Talks:

The Intro Talk – “Why the Cross?“:

Download MP3 , Download Outline

The Theme Song – “Make Us Courageous” (Orig. by Casting Crowns):

Download MP3

Talk 1- “The Coward Of The Garden“:

Download MP3 , Download Outline

Talk 2 – “A New Adam, A New Creation, A New Lamb” :

Download MP3 , Download Outline

Talk 3 – “A Savior Is Born, A Priest King Has Come“:

Download MP3 , Download Outline Note: The last half of the audio didn’t record through my H2, so I pulled the audio from a video source but the quality was not as good.

Talk 4 – “Its A New Garden“:

Download MP3 , Download Outline

Talk 5 – “The Law Of Love: The Total Self-Gift“:

Download MP3 , Download Outline

Resources used in preparing for these talks:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church – HERE
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, of the Bible – HERE
A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture, Dr. Scott Hahn - HERE
Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God’s Saving Promises (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library), Dr. Scott Hahn – HERE
Understanding the Scriptures, Dr. Scott Hahn – HERE
MORE Books from Dr. Scott Hahn – HERE
Lectures on the Book of Exodus by Dr. Scott Hahn – HERE
The Splendor of the Church: Audio Study from the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology- HERE
Also check out the other great courses – FREE – HERE
The Institute of Catholic Culture Lectures – HERE
Jesus And The Jewish Roots Of The Eucharist, Dr. Brant Pitre – HERE
MOUNTAINS AND MEDIATORS: A SURVEY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT [VOLUME 1], Dr. John Bergsma – HERE
MOUNTAINS AND MEDIATORS: A SURVEY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT [VOLUME 2], Dr. John Bergsma – HERE
More great resources from Dr John Bergsma – HERE
The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God (New Studies in Biblical Theology), GK Beale – HERE
From Shadows to Reality: Studies in the Biblical Typology of the Fathers, Cardinal Jean Danielou – HERE
Lectures on the Gospel of John - “The Word Became Flesh”, Dr. Hahn, Dr. Pitre, Dr. Barber & Dr Bergsma – Here
Lectures on the Book of Revelation – “The Mystery Unveiled”, Dr. Hahn, Dr. Pitre, Dr. Barber & Dr Bergsma - Here
Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew – “Thy Kingdom Come”, Dr. Hahn, Dr. Barber & Dr Bergsma - Here
The Targums – HERE

Man Up, Man In, Man Out!

CatholicHack — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:27:09 +0000

REGISTER HERE! MAN UP, MAN IN, MAN OUT: BE THE MAN GOD CREATED YOU TO BE! The next Houston Catholic Men’s conference will be held on Saturday, October 29th at the Catholic Charismatic Center near downtown. ALL men are invited to join Cardinal DiNardo, EWTN’s Doug Barry, Mattress Mack, Fr. Michael Scherrey and the crew for a half day of spiritual renewal! Cut through the noise and distraction of our daily lives and fellowship with other men as we come alive and become the men God created us to be! Join us! Download the flyer HERE & pass it out!

San Antonio Catholic Men’s Conference

CatholicHack — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:28:20 +0000

Yesterday, I was blessed to be given the opportunity to share my testimony to the Catholic Men of San Antonio at the SACMC. I sincerely enjoyed myself and the Men were very receptive, not only to my talk but, to the much better talks by the other speakers. THANK YOU to the Pilgrim Center of Hope for their generosity & hospitality. My talk is entitled “From Slavery to Son-ship: Free At Last” & recounts my addiction to pornography, abortion, perverse sexual education, and the overwhelming mercy of a loving Father who restores his prodigal Son from Slavery to Son-ship. Please pray for the men who struggle with pornography! Note: I have some video clips & will post them later.

Some Video Clips:

Finding Your Keys: TrueManHood.com

The Catholic Hack — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:09:20 +0000

Josh LeBlanc & I interview Dave DiNuzzo from TrueManHood.com about his life, ministry, and future. It’s a great conversation about authentic masculinity. For more information on Dave check out his website HERE.

Finding Your Keys: Be A Man!

The Catholic Hack — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:52:01 +0000

Today, on “Finding Your Keys: A field guide for the every day Catholic” we talk with Fr. Larry Richards about his new book “Be A Man”. We also tackle Mary’s Immaculate Conception in this season of Advent!

Fr. Larry Richards Bio:

Fr. Larry Richards is a popular, captivating preacher, and a favorite speaker at Catholic men’s conferences. He also serves as the pastor of an inner city parish, St. Joseph Church/Bread of Life Community in Erie, Pennsylvania. Fr. Richards has been a high school chaplain, a counselor and an evangelist. He has directed hundreds of retreats and parish missions around the United States. His inspirational and challenging talks have changed the hearts, minds and lives of millions world wide.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fr. Richards attended college seminary at Gannon University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling in 1983. He continued his studies at the major seminary at St. Vincent in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and received his Masters of Divinity degree in 1987. He will soon complete his Master of Arts degree in Liturgy from the University Of Notre Dame. Fr. Larry Richards was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Erie in 1989.

He is the founder of The Reason for Our Hope Foundation and the Spiritual Director of TEC (To Encounter Christ) Retreat Program for the Diocese of Erie.

http://www.thereasonforourhope.org

What’s behind the explosion of Catholic men’s conferences?

The Catholic Hack — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:19:43 +0000

By Emily Stimpson : OSV post found HERE
They tap into men’s needs for moral guidance missing from today’s culture

You could call the rapid growth in regional Catholic men’s conferences a trend. But that would be something of an understatement. You would be closer to the mark if you called it a movement.

Just look at the numbers.

According to the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (NFCM) , in 2001 there were 12 Catholic men’s conferences nationwide. Two years later, that number more than doubled. It doubled again in 2008. By next year, the group estimates there will be more than 60.

Some of those conferences are sponsored by dioceses. Many more are grassroots efforts. Most, on average, attract about 1,000 men (although some conferences boast numbers twice that size), and most offer attendees similar programs: talks, prayer time, confession and Mass. All address a common set of issues — sexual integrity, apologetics, conversion, spirituality — and all share the same goal: to renew and strengthen the faith of Catholic men.

Against all odds, many are succeeding.

‘Sense of enthusiasm’

Consider, for example, the annual Catholic Men’s Gathering in Pittsburgh, Pa.

According to the Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Pittsburgh’s co-founder Pat Molyneaux, the first men’s gathering in the diocese took place in 2006. That year, conference organizers expected to attract 1,000 men. Instead, 1,400 showed. There were 30 priests on hand to help with the Sacrament of Penance, but even that number wasn’t sufficient for the 1,000-plus men who lined up that day for confession. Hundreds had to go back to their seats before the closing Mass.

In the years since, attendance has climbed steadily (1,800 men participated in 2009), and, to avoid the problems of the first year, confession is now offered nearly all day, from 10 a.m. until the closing Mass at 4 p.m. At the most recent conference, Pittsburgh’s Bishop David Zubik heard confessions for six hours straight. Not surprisingly, he has become one of the gathering’s biggest champions.

“The CMF has been a very exciting development in the life of the Church of Pittsburgh,” Bishop Zubik told Our Sunday Visitor. “There is a new sense of evangelization, and a new sense of enthusiasm that has spilled over in so many ways into the life of the Church from what has been going on in the CMF. … The diocese is stronger — and livelier — as a result.”

That strength comes, in large part, from the more than 50 parish-based men’s groups that have formed in the wake of the conference. The groups gather weekly or biweekly to pray together, study the Scriptures and hold each other accountable. CMF also gathers the men quarterly for a diocesanwide morning of Eucharistic Adoration, and, in partnership with the NFCM, has launched a website (www.catholicmediaonline.org) that features hundreds of hours of talks from regional men’s conferences, as well as information about men’s spirituality and faith formation. The site averages 30,000 downloads a month.

Source of inspiration

The reason for the Pittsburgh gathering’s success, said Brad Tupi, who serves on the board of the CMF, is simple.

“Spirituality is part of our wiring,” he explained. “When we realize that happiness lies not in sex or money, but in God’s truth, it changes our lives. And that kind of happiness is contagious. When we see it in other men, we want to have it. The gatherings give men the opportunity to see what they usually don’t see in the culture.”

That also explains, at least in part, why the number of regional Catholic men’s conferences continues to climb.

“Men are feeling nervous right now,” said Joseph McClane, one of the organizers for the Catholic men’s conference in Houston. “Politics, the economy, being out of work, all those factors make a man feel vulnerable. They show us that we’re not in control like we thought we were.”

“In times of trouble,” he continued, “we turn back to what we once knew. When God hits us with a Mack truck, we turn back to faith. Men want to be inspired. They want to be led. And these conferences have become a place where they can find the inspiration and leadership they’re looking for.”

Quest for knowledge

Ken Ogorek, the director of catechesis for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the master of ceremonies for Indianapolis’ 2009 men’s conference, also believes that men’s “hunger for knowledge of the faith” accounts for both the increasing number of conferences and for the increasing numbers at the conferences.

“Due to the deficiencies in catechesis in the ’70s and ’80s, there are a lot of men out there who feel ill-equipped to deal with the challenges our culture presents them with,” he said, adding that, in Indianapolis, the men leave not only with memories of the talks they’ve heard, but also with armloads of books.

“The conferences make them hungry to learn more and share more,” he explained.

Accommodating schedules

Despite that hunger, the biggest obstacle for conference organizers in Indianapolis and elsewhere remains convincing men that it’s worth taking time out of their busy lives to fill that hunger. That’s especially true of men who have fallen away from the Church or who don’t always make it to Mass on Sunday — two key demographics most conferences attempt to reach.

“Everyone is so busy, and guys don’t always see what they’ll get out of giving up a Saturday for this,” said McClane. “It takes more than an announcement in the bulletin. A tap on the shoulder from another man is what does it. Even better is a tap on the shoulder from a priest.”

Along with urging men and priests to “tap” other men, the Houston conference attempts to accommodate busy schedules by beginning at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday and ending at 1:30 the same day. Conference organizers also encourage parishes to rent buses so that men can travel together to and from the conference.

“Time with other men, fellowship, that’s the selling point for a lot of guys,” he explained.

That’s a selling point that almost always pays off.

Explained Ogorek: “Once the guys are there, whether they came willingly or were cajoled into it, they see men just like them who have been moved by the power and beauty of the faith — that’s huge and powerful.”

And that’s also a selling point that many more men still need to hear.

“In this diocese alone there are hundreds of thousands of men who are slowly and steadily dying,” said McClane. “If we don’t reach them, who will?”

Emily Stimpson is an OSV contributing editor.

By the Numbers

Over the last decade, the number of Catholic men’s conferences have steadily grown. The National Fellowship of Catholic Men, based in Waco, Texas, has charted that growth, as well as assisted in that growth by providing local organizers with resources and speakers. According to the NFCM, here’s how the conferences have grown.

12 – Number of conferences in 2001

16 – Number of conferences in 2002

26 – Number of conferences in 2003

30 – Number of conferences in 2004

37 – Number of conferences in 2005

40 – Number of conferences in 2006

46 – Number of conferences in 2007

51 – Number of conferences in 2008

55 – Number of conferences in 2009

60-plus – Estimated number of conferences in 2010

For more information, visit www.nfcmusa.org.

The Kings men Radio Interview

The Catholic Hack — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:45:54 +0000

I was blessed to be interviewed on Mark Houck’s “The King’s Men” live call in radio show today! The Kings Men is an outstanding men’s apostolate in Pennsylvania that is lighting a fire in the hearts of men all over the nation. Visit their website HERE. What a blessing… thank you to Mark and Damien for allowing me the opportunity. Mark and I talked about pornography, men’s ministry, the Houston chapter of the Kings Men, and so much more. I hope you enjoy it!

Do you struggle with pornographyphy? Know someone who does? Want a FREE copy of my MP3 disk? Send me some feedback at 713.568.6277 about your struggle, or someone you know, and I will mail you my MP3 disk, with almost 7 hours of audio, for FREE! Call today!

Also, listen to the interview with Matt Fradd, from WhoDoesItHurt.com, on yesterday’s “Finding Your Keys” episode.. it was great! Click to listen.

Mens Day of Prayer

The Catholic Hack — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:48:00 +0000

This Saturday November 7th is the Houston Men’s Day of Prayer!

More Info here: http:MensDayOfPrayer.org

I will be there as the emcee as well as hosting a booth to hand out some great resources to strengthen men in the fight against pornography. Books, DVD’s, CD’s, and more… join me!

Also, I will be hosting a special men’s accountability meeting to help men find freedom from pornography on Nov. 18th at the Catholic Charismatic Center at 1949 Cullen Blvd. in Houston TX. RSVP at catholichack@gmail.com.

Fighting Porn!

The Catholic Hack — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:03:59 +0000

Good news!

To my great surprise I was invited to be one of the speakers at the 2010 San Antonio Catholic Men’s conference. I’m deeply honored by this invitation and quickly accepted. As you may, or may not know, I was blessed to give my testimony, of over two decades of pornography addiction, to the Houston Catholic Men’s conference back in January and it was a huge blessing in my life. God has given me the opportunity to speak to many many men who are struggling with this sin to help them find freedom through the Sacraments, the very Grace, of God. Since teaming up with the Kings Men, and becoming a contributor at WhoDoesitHurt.com, this past week, I have been feeling almost compelled by God to spend more time in this ministry and then… out of no where… I received this wonderful opportunity! Praise be Jesus Christ! Click HERE to visit the San Antonio conference page!

Here are some of my past shows, testimony, and other resources I have produced related to the fight against porn. Please pray that I can continue to be the donkey Jesus rides today in this fight! Yes… even a jack ass like me can be used for His Glory (Numbers 22:28)!

God Bless You

Joe