Rev Kenneth T. St Hilaire, State Chaplain
April 2025
My Brother Knights, Our next reflection concerning Jesus Christ as the perfect model of masculinity may seem obvious. We have already looked at Jesus’ habits of prayer and work, as well as his gentleness and his devotion to Mary. Now we note an aspect of his life which most people already consider a trait of genuine masculinity, but which will still profit us for a brief meditation.
|Jesus was brave. His courage was unfailing, no matter the circumstances or situations he faced. Jesus was not one to fall into fear, anxiety or worry, and most certainly never gave in to a spirit of cowardice. This is evident throughout the gospels.
After Jesus was baptized, the Spirit drove him into the desert, where he was tempted by Satan (see Mt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-13). Here, just as Jesus was on the verge of beginning his public ministry, he endured what—we imagine—might have been a terrifying encounter with the enemy of God. However, he gave no indication of being ruffled even in the slightest, but instead countered the devil’s temptations by confidently invoking the Word of God.
Consider also how the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and elders of the people were out to get him. After they learned what Jesus was about, they were constantly trying to trip him up so that they could bring a formal accusation against him (see Mk. 12:13-17 and Jn. 8:3-11, for just two examples). Did Jesus cower in fear that these adversaries would ultimately triumph? Of course not. He continued to speak the truth boldly and to carry out the work which the Father had sent him to accomplish.
Another area in which Jesus demonstrated extraordinary courage was in his concern for the sick (think, for instance, of his lack of inhibition in dealing with lepers) and the sinner. The societal norms of his day ruled out the possibility of his association with those who were deemed unclean (see Mt. 8:1-4), and no upstanding Jew would have ever considered entering the home of a tax collector or conversing with a prostitute (see Lk. 7:36-50; 19:1-10). Here again, Jesus gave no indication of nervousness about these interactions; he had full confidence that his merciful Father wanted him to go out precisely to these souls most in need.
A final example comes from the Lord’s Passion. Who can imagine how frightful were the bodily torture and psychological duress that Jesus suffered for our sake? To say that Jesus was brave in what he underwent would be a gross understatement. It only takes a viewing of a film like The Passion of the Christ for us to begin to fathom the depth of Jesus’ trust in the Father and the magnitude of his courage.
These are just a small handful of examples, given to us by Jesus himself, showing what it means to have manly bravery and courage. Our milieu today is, naturally, different from that in which Jesus lived. Nevertheless, we, too, face situations of temptation, persecution, societal pressure and physical pain (and remember: these are just a few examples) that could very well lead us into fear.
On his deathbed, King David tells his son Solomon, “Take courage and be a man!” (1 Kgs. 2:2). We would do well to heed that advice, too, so that in being brave and courageous men, and overcoming every fear, we may— by his grace—follow the way our Lord Jesus laid out for us.
Vivat Jesus!
Fr. Kenneth St. Hilaire
State Chaplain