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William Zambrano MD
Feb 3, 2026, 4:02:44 PM (2 days ago) Feb 3
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(1Co 16:13) Watch ye: stand fast in the faith: do manfully and be strengthened.
PODCAST: Father Dom's Homs: Your Baptism Is a Weapon: Why Most Catholic Men Are Living Below Their Power
CATHOLIC EXCHANGE: Spiritual Warfare: The Masculine Biblical Theology of Prayer
EXCERPT SUBSTACK: The Making of the Christian Man By Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Men are meant to lead in a uniquely masculine way. The great saint of the early Eastern Church, John Chrysostom, described every human father as the bishop of his family. All fathers are, in that sense, bishops. And every father shapes the soul of the next generation with his love, his self-mastery, and his courage—or the lack of them.
So what does that mean for today? It means that the world needs faithful Catholic men with a hunger to be saints. The role of a Catholic husband and father—a man who sacrifices his own desires, out of love, to serve the needs of his wife and children—is the living cornerstone of a Christian home. Barring a miraculous change in our culture, the Church in this country will face a hard road in the next 20 years. So men need the friendship of real brothers in the Lord—other men who are living examples of justice, courage, and self-mastery—to be the disciples and leaders God intends them to be.
“The new knighthood” St. Bernard once praised has never really disappeared. It’s new and renewed in every generation of faithful Catholic men. And the rules of a genuinely new knighthood—all 22 of them—were written down 500 years ago by the great Catholic humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam, in his book, The Manual of a Christian Knight. It’s a dense text for the modern reader, but here’s the substance of what he says:
Rule 1: Deepen and increase your faith.
Rule 2: Act on your faith; make it a living witness to others.
Rule 3: Analyze and understand your fears; don’t be ruled by them.
Rule 4: Make Jesus Christ the only guide and the only goal of your life.
Rule 5: Turn away from material things; don’t be owned by them.
Rule 6: Train your mind to distinguish the true nature of good and evil.
Rule 7: Never let any failure or setback turn you away from God.
Rule 8: Face temptation guided by God, not by worry or excuses.
Rule 9: Always be ready for attacks from those who fear the Gospel and resent the good.
Rule 10: Always be prepared for temptation. And do what you can to avoid it.
Rule 11: Be alert to two special dangers: moral cowardice and personal pride.
Rule 12: Face your weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
Rule 13: Treat each battle as if it were your last.
Rule 14: A life of virtue has no room for vice; the little vices we tolerate become the most deadly.
Rule 15: Every important decision has alternatives; think them through clearly and honestly in the light of what’s right.
Rule 16: Never, ever give up or give in on any matter of moral substance.
Rule 17: Always have a plan of action. Battles are often won or lost before they begin.
Rule 18: Always think through, in advance, the consequences of your choices and actions.
Rule 19: Do nothing—in public or private—that the people you love would not hold in esteem.
Rule 20: Virtue is its own reward; it needs no applause.
Rule 21: Life is demanding and brief; make it count.
Rule 22: Admit and repent your wrongs, never lose hope, encourage your brothers, and then begin again.
Maleness is a matter of biology. It just happens. Manhood must be learned and earned and taught. So our prayer today and every day should be that God will plant the seed of that new knighthood in the hearts of every Christian man—and make them the kind of “new men” our families, our Church, our nation, and our world need.
CATHOLIC LINK
"Have ANY Catholic Question? Just ask Ron Smith at: hfmin...@roadrunner.com
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: https://bibleinayearonline.com/february-oyb/?version=63&startmmdd=0101
February 4, 2026(1Co 16:13) Watch ye: stand fast in the faith: do manfully and be strengthened.
PODCAST: Father Dom's Homs: Your Baptism Is a Weapon: Why Most Catholic Men Are Living Below Their Power
CATHOLIC EXCHANGE: Spiritual Warfare: The Masculine Biblical Theology of Prayer
EXCERPT SUBSTACK: The Making of the Christian Man By Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Men are meant to lead in a uniquely masculine way. The great saint of the early Eastern Church, John Chrysostom, described every human father as the bishop of his family. All fathers are, in that sense, bishops. And every father shapes the soul of the next generation with his love, his self-mastery, and his courage—or the lack of them.
So what does that mean for today? It means that the world needs faithful Catholic men with a hunger to be saints. The role of a Catholic husband and father—a man who sacrifices his own desires, out of love, to serve the needs of his wife and children—is the living cornerstone of a Christian home. Barring a miraculous change in our culture, the Church in this country will face a hard road in the next 20 years. So men need the friendship of real brothers in the Lord—other men who are living examples of justice, courage, and self-mastery—to be the disciples and leaders God intends them to be.
“The new knighthood” St. Bernard once praised has never really disappeared. It’s new and renewed in every generation of faithful Catholic men. And the rules of a genuinely new knighthood—all 22 of them—were written down 500 years ago by the great Catholic humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam, in his book, The Manual of a Christian Knight. It’s a dense text for the modern reader, but here’s the substance of what he says:
Rule 1: Deepen and increase your faith.
Rule 2: Act on your faith; make it a living witness to others.
Rule 3: Analyze and understand your fears; don’t be ruled by them.
Rule 4: Make Jesus Christ the only guide and the only goal of your life.
Rule 5: Turn away from material things; don’t be owned by them.
Rule 6: Train your mind to distinguish the true nature of good and evil.
Rule 7: Never let any failure or setback turn you away from God.
Rule 8: Face temptation guided by God, not by worry or excuses.
Rule 9: Always be ready for attacks from those who fear the Gospel and resent the good.
Rule 10: Always be prepared for temptation. And do what you can to avoid it.
Rule 11: Be alert to two special dangers: moral cowardice and personal pride.
Rule 12: Face your weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
Rule 13: Treat each battle as if it were your last.
Rule 14: A life of virtue has no room for vice; the little vices we tolerate become the most deadly.
Rule 15: Every important decision has alternatives; think them through clearly and honestly in the light of what’s right.
Rule 16: Never, ever give up or give in on any matter of moral substance.
Rule 17: Always have a plan of action. Battles are often won or lost before they begin.
Rule 18: Always think through, in advance, the consequences of your choices and actions.
Rule 19: Do nothing—in public or private—that the people you love would not hold in esteem.
Rule 20: Virtue is its own reward; it needs no applause.
Rule 21: Life is demanding and brief; make it count.
Rule 22: Admit and repent your wrongs, never lose hope, encourage your brothers, and then begin again.
Maleness is a matter of biology. It just happens. Manhood must be learned and earned and taught. So our prayer today and every day should be that God will plant the seed of that new knighthood in the hearts of every Christian man—and make them the kind of “new men” our families, our Church, our nation, and our world need.
CATHOLIC LINK
- Catholic Masculinity: How Men Can Grow in Holiness (Part 1)
- Catholic Masculinity: How Men Can Grow In Holiness (Part 2)
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 6- "On remembrance of death"
4. As of all foods, bread is the most essential, so the thought of death is the most necessary of all works. The remembrace of death amongst those in the midst of society gives birth to distress and meditation, and even more, to despondency. But amongst those who are free from noise, it produces the putting aside of cares and constant prayer and guarding of the mind. But these same virtues both produce the remembrance of death, and are also produced by it.Prayer request? Send an email to: PrayerR...@aol.com
"Have ANY Catholic Question? Just ask Ron Smith at: hfmin...@roadrunner.com
This month's archive can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/news2.html.
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