Prayer and fellowship do not lay idle in the summer any more than other vibrant parish activities or Christian outreach ministries would. The formalities or informalities that bring us together regularly cannot afford a respite from prayer, as they are designed to strengthen us in holiness as we reach out for God’s help.

Like a body needs a sound routine of exercise, a healthy diet and rest to stay fit, the soul needs regular engagement with others in prayer and fellowship is required to keep active and robust.

Since Catholic Watchmen are asked to pray in monthly parish gatherings, our prayer intention in August is to do our part to support the National Eucharistic Revival within our parish communities, both now and on the Revival’s three-year journey.

We pray that parish families within our archdiocese help to fulfill the mission of the Eucharistic Revival: “To renew the Church by enkindling in God’s people a living relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.” Led by our bishops, its mission of bringing people to encounter the love of Jesus in the Eucharist and “experience the life-changing effects of that love,” is in its early stage. St. Boniface said, “The Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon her, but to keep her on her course.” Watchmen are compelled to be devoted to this calling.

I both chuckled and lowered my head on a monthly conference call of the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance (CMLA), when a nationally-renowned deacon vividly expressed his disappointment at hearing of an evangelical ministry that was “taking the summer off” from their regular gatherings. His point being that — whether it be ministry to men, women, the elderly, the poor, those addicted — to gain and keep traction in any movement that brings the saving knowledge of Jesus to others does not let up for a few months.

People do need their leisure, of course, yet the movement of any apostolate needs to keep moving. Not everyone is taking vacation at the same time. The benefit of Catholic ministries is that they are very much communal — eucharistic — in nature and supernaturally. As Catholic Watchmen we do not believe we are alone “standing in the breach” protecting, providing and leading the faith. Men that take time for regular prayer and fellowship collectively grow and sustain their friendship with one another as their divine friendship with Christ flourishes.

What is “regular”? As our archdiocesan Watchmen movement commenced, we viewed monthly as the minimum, which is in lockstep with our seventh discipline — the anchor of the CW movement: “Build fraternity and evangelize men in monthly parish gatherings.” Knowing that while this may be more practical for larger group parish fellowship, small groups of six to eight men can branch off from those bigger numbers and meet more regularly (e.g., weekly). The impact is huge in developing and strengthening spiritual fathers. That Man is You, Exodus 90, The King’s Men, Fathers of St. Joseph, Game-Changers, or weekly Bible or book study gatherings are examples.

The Watchmen movement was never intended to replace existing men’s ministry platforms or programs. It’s an umbrella movement for ministry to men — start-ups or those existing within a parish — intended to encourage men to embrace and keep each other accountable to its seven common disciplines (i.e., three daily, two weekly, two monthly). It can help provide a common language for spiritual fatherhood — in family life, parish activities, vocations and spheres of influence in the greater community. (Find these at archspm.org/faith-communities/men.) Knights of Columbus outside of their regular meetings, for example, might break off into small-group gatherings that include prayer vigils, rosaries or an adoration hour with the Blessed Sacrament, thus incorporating the Watchmen’s first discipline: “Pray with persistence and with devotion to Jesus, Mary and Joseph.”

Catholic Watchmen are prayer warriors who know that a persistent, consistent and vital daily prayer life is essential to staying alive in Christ: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Revive the Eucharist in yourself and others through continuous prayer and fellowship, helping to strengthen the Church — the body of Christ — as mission!

Deacon Bird ministers to St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville and assists with the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen movement. To receive a tool kit of Watchmen materials for start-up or existing ministry-to-men apostolates please contact him at [email protected].