Do you notice that in many places men are being systematically eliminated from God's service? There are many more widows serving the Lord than widowers. Moreover, there are many spiritual widows. Their husbands are physically alive, but the wives live their faith alone because their husbands are spiritually dead or incapacitated. In addition to all this, the young men are often spiritually dead. There are, of course, many spiritually dead young women, but once again more men seem to be devastated than women.

Jesus alone can deal with this attack on men and on the whole body of Christ. When Jesus entered the town of Naim, "a dead man was being carried out, the only son of a widowed mother" (Lk 7:12). Jesus "said, 'Young man, I bid you get up.' The dead man sat up and began to speak" (Lk 7:14-15). Jesus will do the same for the spiritually dead men of our time.

Maybe we should take quite literally the old hymn, "Rise Up, O Men of God." Many men in our society need nothing less than resurrection from the death of sin. Jesus is "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25). "Whoever believes in [Him], though he should die, will come to life" (Jn 11:26). Men, "arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (Eph 5:14). "Rise up, O men of God!"

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 4, 2013

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