Where have all the men gone?

I'm feelin' a little on fire tonight. It could be that I've been over-worked and am fighting a summer cold. Or it could be the Holy Spirit. Either way, I've got something to say. First, h/t to Fr. Stephanos at Me Monk, Me Meander for pointing to the article at Crisis Magazine (Crisis Magazine: The New Catholic Manliness). This is definitely required reading for Catholic men, and prompts my post. So where have all the men gone in our Church? Well if you mix an over-correction to errors from a previous generation with radical feminism in the midst of a tumultuous period you have a perfect storm. A storm that left us with soft, touchy-feely "Faith Communities" that all but suppressed authentic Catholic masculinity and feminized the Church in the industrialized First World. But there is good news - We're back! We men needed a bit of time to figure out what to do. But with leaders like JP2 and B16 it was only a matter of time before we would figure it out. Oh yeah, we figured it out. We figured out that we need strong men, who will stand up for what they believe. Men who will take the difficult path. Who will act with courage, justice, and compassion. Men ready to be rocks for building His Church. Men who want the challenge of Christ. This is no easy challenge. It means fasting, praying, and giving for your family and your Church. It's rejecting temptation. It is fighting the Devil. It is witnessing to the faith. It is living our faith and challenging others to do the same. It means following the full Catholic faith. We want the whole thing with all the implications. The love Christ showed us, the love B16 writes about in Deus Caritas Est, is not easy. It isn't "hold my hand, play nice-nice and everything will be all right" love. Christ's love is HARD. It means humility and sacrifice. It means commitment.and discipline. It means struggle and perseverance. It means training and study. It means repentance and obedience. It means duty and service. It means leadership and taking responsibility for our Church. It means instructing our children about how to be a faithful Catholic; a follower of Christ in the the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. It means living that faith. It means stepping up and being counted as a follower of the Christ. Because the world is hostile to the message of Christ and those who follow him, it means you can expect hardship. It means being ridiculed, and despised and hated. It means having others judge you wrongly. It means being unpopular. It may cost you friends. Or jobs. Or lifestyle. It will certainly cost you something and it will not always be easy. In fact, this is so hard, that without Christ we cannot do it. But if we open our hearts. Say "yes" like our Blessed Mother did when asked by the archangel Gabriel, then His grace will transform us and the world through us. If we say "yes" and, with His help, LIVE that "yes" through our actions then it means ultimate victory. And peace. And joy. And REAL love. It's the Church Militant, baby. You ready to step up?