The Virtue of Manliness

About this sermon

What does genuine Christian manliness look like—and how can Catholics resist a culture governed by comfort, pleasure, novelty, and self-interest? This Catholic conference begins with St. Paul’s warning about the dangerous times of the last days. It explains how sin is a revolt against God’s order and how modern man increasingly places himself, his desires, and his pleasures above Christ. Drawing upon St. Thomas Aquinas, the speaker defines effeminacy in its classical spiritual sense: an unwillingness to abandon pleasure in order to pursue something difficult and excellent. True manliness is therefore not determined by physical strength, but by the courage to embrace sacrifice, discipline, prayer, virtue, and fidelity to God. Examples from Abraham, Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Timothy and St. Maura demonstrate how the saints chose what was right regardless of suffering or personal cost. The practical message is clear: put Jesus first, others second, and yourself last. Practice mortification, limit unnecessary entertainment, study the saints, discipline the senses, and learn to say no to yourself so that you can say yes to God. The motto for dangerous times: Do what is right, come what may—for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. 00:00 St. Paul’s Warning About Dangerous Times 00:46 Revolution Against God’s Established Order 01:35 Sin as a Revolutionary Act 02:54 Marks of the Revolutionary Spirit 03:56 Placing Man Above God 05:14 Novelty, Pleasure and Occult Spirituality 07:00 Desensitization and the Corruption of Society 08:00 Aleister Crowley: “Do What Thou Wilt” 08:41 Dostoevsky and a World Without God 09:30 Humanism and the Loss of Objective Morality 10:24 How Sin Hurts God and His Church 12:04 Our Lady, the Angels and the Consequences of Sin 14:00 How Sin Injures the Sinner 14:57 The Classical Meaning of Effeminacy 16:04 Virtue and Eternal Life as Arduous Goods 16:47 Technology, Entertainment and the Easy Life 19:22 The Narrow and Difficult Road to Heaven 20:15 St. Maximilian Kolbe and Authentic Manliness 21:40 Learning to Say No to Yourself 22:37 Discipline and the Formation of Children 24:52 Three Different Relationships With Pleasure 26:05 Temptation, Consent and Delight in Sin 27:15 Jesus First, Others Second, Yourself Last 28:57 Pursuing Difficult and Excellent Things 30:25 The Modern Culture of Peter Pan 32:21 Abraham: Our Father in Faith 33:51 Our Lady and Spiritual Manliness 35:04 Mary’s Fiat, Virginity and Complete Fidelity 37:05 St. Joseph Chooses What Is Right 38:26 St. Thomas Aquinas Resists Temptation 40:50 St. Timothy and St. Maura 44:54 Courageous Examples From the Saints 45:49 Practical Steps Toward Christian Manliness 47:20 Mortification, Penance and Mastery of Pleasure 47:44 “Do What Is Right, Come What May” 48:08 Closing Doxology To comment please visit http://www.reginaprophetarum.org & please say 3 Hail Marys for the priest 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #CatholicManliness #CatholicFaith #CatholicConference #SpiritualWarfare #CatholicMen #ChristianVirtue #Mortification #SelfDiscipline #SpiritualLife #CatholicTeaching #TraditionalCatholic #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicFormation #ChristianCourage #SensusFidelium