20 Ways for Young Men to Become REAL Men

Here is the list that I referenced in my last blog. Later this week I will post some ideas that the guys share at Bible study, this week we'll be going over #'s 10-20. I got the list from a teacher in New York, she is using the list at an all boy's school challenging them to be REAL Men. A REAL Man today may not look how it should, meaning that the culture tells us one thing when people of any morality know that being a real man is far from what the culture makes it out to be. Unfortunately, Christians are often the only ones defending or standing up for what true Manhood is.

And I wanted to post a picture of Real Men and like a real man I resorted to a search of "real men" and "be a real man" on google image search. Not only was I disappointed but pretty much disgusted, which goes to prove the point above of how poorly our culture portrays manhood. So here's a picture of a REAL Man above.

20 Ways for Young Men to Become REAL Men
1.Read the Bible—be open to God’s Word.
2.Find saints that you relate to and ask them to pray for you as you imitate their virtues.
3.Keep your standards high; only date women who have the qualities you want in a future wife and mother of your children.
4.Tell appropriate jokes, not the kind that would make a pure woman blush—or be offended!
5.Respect women, even those who don’t respect themselves and may throw themselves at you.
6.Be a man of integrity.
7.Be both strong and gentle. St. Francis de Sales said that “there is nothing so strong as gentleness and nothing so gentle as real strength.”
8.Say a prayer when you see a woman dressed immodestly (for the sake of the woman).
9.Say a prayer when you see a woman dressed immodestly (for your purity’s sake).
10.Honor your mother and sisters.
11.Find creative ways to express your (pure & chaste) feelings to the woman you like or are dating.
12.Find good male role models to emulate; get relationship advice from Godly men.
13.Be open to the priesthood.
14.Show gentlemanly respect to all women, not just the woman you’re dating.
15.Trust in God’s mercy. When you fall, go to confession. Receive strength from Christ truly present in the Eucharist.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati said, “With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind.”

16.Don’t settle for counterfeits such as pornography or masturbation (in fact, avoid them like the plagues they are) if you want to someday enjoy the utterly amazing gift of sex as God intended.
17.Guard your senses from temptation, and be always ready to choose God’s way, no matter what the cost.
18.Recognize Mary as your Mother and say a prayer to consecrate your heart to her.
19.Lay down your life in the little things; practice making small sacrifices by putting someone else’s wants or needs before your own.
20.Make Jesus Christ your best friend and greatest role model.

J.R.R. Tolkien, in a letter to his son, wrote, “Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament…There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth…which every man’s heart desires.”