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This month’s Gospel readings from Matthew have inspired me as we prepare for the second Diocesan Step Up Men’s Conference on Aug. 12.

Matthew 10:37 from July 2 tells us that we must love Jesus more than our father or mother and son or daughter. The things we love in life more than Christ, including our family, are obstacles to growing in our love of Christ. This is the radical call to discipleship. 

Matthew 11:25-30 from July 9 tells us that we must know the Son to know the Father. It concludes with Jesus’ invitation to take His yoke and find rest. When we realize that we are not in control and decide to live a life fully committed to and in the presence of Jesus, we will have more joy, less anxiety and feel more fulfilled. 

Matthew 13 from July 16 is the Parable of the Sower and tells us that we should sow our seed on rich soil. We are capable of a bountiful harvest when we invest in our spiritual health.  

The Diocesan Step Up Men’s Conference will help us make progress in living out the above Gospel messages. Staying focused on Christ and loving Him more than anything; resting in and allowing God’s presence to envelop us; and nurturing our faith through the Sacraments, engaging presentations, and fellowship will allow the men’s conference to be a respite from life’s hecticness and an opportunity to keep Christ at the center of our lives.     

Additionally, the Step Up Men’s Conference is intended to start a movement for men to unite as brothers-in-Christ and better support their families and church families. The goal of the conference is to give men the tools needed to grow in holiness in their everyday lives. Our mission is to grow in our love and relationship with Christ, empower men to live a more virtuous and holy life, develop relationships and a brotherhood with each other, and to establish a plan to bring this energy back to our families and parish families. 

The event will include presentations from two keynote speakers. Father Larry Richards and Deacon Darrell Miller. Father Larry is the founder and president of The Reason for our Hope Foundation, and author of two books, “Be a Man! Becoming the Man God Created You To Be” and “Surrender! The Life Changing Power of Doing God’s Will.” Father Larry is a regular on EWTN and also travels extensively speaking at parishes and men’s conferences nationally.

Deacon Darrell Miller is from the Diocese of Orange, Calif., and currently serves at St. Juliana Falconieri Catholic Church in Fullerton. He is a former Major League Baseball player for the California Angels (1984-88) and a dynamic speaker who loves to share his testimony and faith around the world at Catholic conferences and adult retreats. Deacon Darrell was raised Baptist but as an adult, he converted to the Catholic faith and is especially mindful of the depth and truth of Catholicism. 

In addition to the above keynote speakers, Step Up 2023 will also include the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Adoration, Rosary, time to connect with men from across the Diocese, and Mass with Bishop Scharfenberger.

Please personally invite and share information about the Step Up Men’s Conference with everyone you know. The event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 12, at Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville. Your invitation may be a critical turning point in someone’s life and may be the call to action that a guy needs to decide to attend. For more info and to register, head to www.rcda.org/StepUp. 

Tom Cronin is the Director of Evangelization in the Diocese of Albany. Contact Tom with any questions about boosting evangelization efforts at your parish at [email protected] or by visiting www.rcda.org/evangelization.  Follow me on Instagram: tom_rcda

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