I'll Make a Man Out of You

If you grew up during the early 2000s, chances are you've watched Disney's film Mulan at some point. One of the most iconic songs from the film is "I'll Make a Man Out of You."

As I've grown into adulthood, I've struggled with not feeling "manly" enough. However, as a young man, I've come to discover that authentic masculinity is so much more than arbitrary societal norms. In my opinion, there's more to being a man than following what society considers to be a masculine aesthetic, and masculinity is not defined by arbitrary whims.

Think of society's stereotype of masculinity. Men to be stoic, muscular, athletic, alpha males whose lives revolve around the accumulation money and women. Guys who don't fit the mold are the "losers", and the "real men" are the guys with the macho-attitude. Creative or intellectual pursuits, such as music or art, are sometimes seen as more "feminine."

In my opinion, this is a false image of what a "real" man looks like, and is even a perversion of masculinity. I definitely don't fit into that alpha-male mold. I have emotional sensitivity, I am not the most athletic person out there, and I am not overly aggressive. Instead of spending time chasing after women or getting into a fight, I'll develop my creative talents or spend time acquiring new knowledge on some subject (I must admit, I love reading!). Does that mean that I am not a real man? Nope!

I've found that the best model for living authentic masculinity is Jesus Christ, Who is true God and true Man. I must confess that I don't always follow in His footsteps, but don't they say that a saint is merely a sinner who keeps trying?

Jesus was a man of conviction. He was a man of integrity, and wasn't afraid to speak the truth. He was a man of courage, and called out those who plotted against him. He was a man who was reverent towards the Father, and drove out the money changers from the Temple.

We know from Scripture that He had emotional sensitivity since He wept when His friend Lazarus died.We know that He had creative talents since He grew up helping Joseph, who was a humble carpenter.

Jesus was a man of heroic virtue. Everything He did was motivated by love. Being God, He humbled himself and lived a life of service to others. Take a moment to appreciate the gravity of such a powerful Being serving those who should be serving Him. Furthermore, He gave every last ounce of Himself by willingly choosing to sacrifice His life and endure unfathomable torment.

This kind of virtue and self-sacrifice is something totally antithetical to the culture of machismo, which is self-centered and even a touch hedonistic.

From an analysis of the life of Christ, us guys can learn what it means to be a "real" man. Forget the stereotype of the macho alpha male. Instead, strive to live a life of virtue. Don't be afraid to feel emotions which are totally natural and human. Don't ever be afraid to use your God-given gifts and talents because they may not be seen as "manly." Put the needs of others in front of your own. But most importantly, strive to love God. Be a saint on earth, because that is what it means to be a man my friends.

Geo

Comments

A House Divided: Addressing the Political Factions Within the Church

"And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." - Mark 3:25 It's no surprise that there is division within the Catholic Church. A quick scroll through the Catholic social media world will reveal as much. On blogs, forums, and social media posts, there are regular arguments among Catholics. This is the world of "church politics", which is not unlike the secular politics of which we are all accustomed. There are many different flavors and factions in the spectrum of church politics. Allow me to use the Orthodoxy Spectrum analogy (not to be confused with Eastern Orthodoxy) to show what I'm talking about. In the middle of the spectrum, you have simple and pure Catholic orthodoxy. Catholics who fall into the middle of the spectrum believe and accept 100% of the Church's teachings, and they live joyful and positive Christian lives. They receive the Sacraments regularly, have many prayer devotions, have a healthy appreci

Visits to the Chapel: My Experience with Eucharistic Adoration

"When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now." - Mother Teresa As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist truly is Jesus. In Scripture , we see Jesus instituting the Sacrament of the Eucharist: "Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. saying, 'This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me'" (Luke 22:19). There are many other passages which point to the reality of the Sacrament. Next to laying down His life for us, could Jesus have given us a better gift than Himself in the Eucharist? We would find ourselves in a sad state of affairs if we did not have Jesus present to us through the Eucharist. It can be easy for us to forget the reality and sheer gravity of this great gift. Sadly, the Eucharist, one of the greatest gifts ever given to mankind, can be reduced to a mere symbol in most peo

Welcome To My Blog!

Welcome to my blog! My name is Geovanny, but you can call me Geo. I am a devout Catholic, and have a passion for writing. I have started this blog to share my thoughts with the world. I am planning on commenting on current events, pop culture, and other relevant topics from a religious perspective. While I am a practicing Catholic, the opinions I share on this blog should not be taken to be those of the Catholic Church. While I may quote and comment on Catholic sources, I am not a priest or theologian. The opinions expressed here belong to me, or any guests I may host on the blog. Lastly, I look forward to journeying with you! Geo

How A Year of Prayer Changed My Spiritual Life

"Prayer is to our soul what rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, it will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains." - St. John Vianney Over a year ago, my spiritual life changed drastically. While I was a devout and practicing Catholic, my prayer life was lacking. I would talk to God throughout the day, but I failed to set a scheduled time specially devoted to prayer. I lacked real discipline in my spiritual life. That all changed one night when I went to my young adult group. We had a speaker named Joseph Warren who shared his testimony, and how he became closer to God through daily prayer. He decided to sit in a chapel in prayer for an hour, and repeated this for thirty days. Thirty days became sixty days, and so on. His daily holy hour is what changed his relationship with God. After the Joseph finished his talk that night, I had a little chat with him. This resulted in him personally challenging me to take "the Holy Hour Challenge",

Memento Mori? Why You Should Be Mindful of Your Mortality.

Death. It's the big "D-word" that can make anyone uncomfortable. Even though we are surrounded by death (through mass shootings, wars, etc), it can be easy to fall into the mindset of trying to avoid thinking about our own eventual deaths. While some find solace in finding distraction from the uncomfortable truth of mortality, I believe it is important to frequently reflect on the fact that your days are numbered. "Memento mori" is a popular Latin phrase which basically means "Remember that you will die." There is an established Christian tradition of reflecting on death, and this can especially be seen in medieval art featuring skulls. To those accustomed to avoiding thinking about death, this concept may come across as morbid or dark. To put it bluntly, I personally believe it's foolish to try to escape the reality of death. Since I've started to adopt a "memento mori mindset," I have found that frequently reflecting

Encountering Christ at the Florida Eucharistic Congress

"The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white host." - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen I recently returned from the Florida Eucharistic Congress with a group from my parish. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the event, the Florida Eucharistic Congress is an annual gathering of Catholics which is hosted by the Diocese of St. Augustine. Each year's Congress is focused around the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is Jesus (you can read more about the Eucharist here ). There are also many great guest speakers featured at each conference. A notable speaker at this year's conference was Fr. Robert Spitzer SJ from EWTN. This was my first time attending the Florida Eucharistic Congress. Over the course of the Congress, Christ touched an area of my heart that was in desperate need of healing. One of the personal sufferings I have struggled with lately is self-hatred. Like many, I can lend an ear to that overly critical inner voice. I had grown to

Christ's Love for You: A Reflection on Good Friday

"Nowhere other than looking at himself in the mirror of the Cross can man better understand how much he is worth." - St. Anthony of Padua Today is Good Friday. It is the day when we remember in a special way Christ's sacrifice for us. Through meditation on Jesus's death, I came to experience the love of God in a personal way. As someone who's struggled with self-hatred, I have come to see that I have worth because of everything Jesus went through for me. I would like to invite you to reflect on some of the major events which transpired during the Passion. As you think of Christ's sufferings, view His Passion in a personal way by remembering that He suffered and died for you. The Agony in the Garden This scripture passage recounts Jesus's departure to Gethsemane, also known as the Mount of Olives, the night before His death. He took three of his friends (Peter, John, and James) to the garden with him. While he prayed, His friends fell asleep. Dur

A Sad Situation

"Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?" - Pope Francis How would you feel if someone told you that you shouldn't exist? What would your reaction be if someone said that your life is expendable because of a circumstance which you had no control over? What would you say if someone said that another person should get to choose whether you live or die? Due to recent legislation in Alabama, social media has been abuzz with opinions regarding abortion. I've seen views from both of the two main sides in the debate. I have taken notice of a hidden message in the views of the pro-choice side which has disturbed me. Some may argue that women should not be forced to continue a pregnancy if they were raped. When one makes such statements, one is in effect telling those that were conceived in rape that they should be allowed to be killed if their mother elects to do so. One is essentially saying that the lives of those conceived in this horrible act are

Religious Sentiments

Search This Blog