Men's Faith Group

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

Holy Spirit Banquet Hall

Please join us for prayer, fellowship, and amazing music at the Holy Spirit Men’s Faith Group. Ever wonder what were the Last Seven Words of Jesus? What did they mean back then and what do they mean now? Our infamous Phillip Strauch lll (PS3), will present this intriguing topic as an interactive discussion. Food and drink provided.

Zoom Access

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2654036322?pwd=ek9XRkdNTXVnZk45ZlpoZWlRZTJ0QT09

Meeting ID: 265 403 6322

Passcode: 468972

The Holy Spirit Men’s Faith Group was created in 2013 as an effort to encourage fellowship to those men who are in or beginning a spiritual journey.

Typically, many men are awakened by a major life event or a life changing experience often during an ACTS or Walk to Emmaus retreat. We believe that one of God’s most precious blessings is the gift of fellowship where men can “Sharpen Iron.”

Proverbs 27:17 proclaims: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

This simple statement has been a calling for all these years to understand that no one is alone. That in order to make yourself better, there is a mutual benefit making others better through mentorship, service, followership, and leading.

At the Holy Spirit Men’s Faith Group, all faiths are welcome to learn and discuss different scriptural perspectives and paths to salvation. Our group is especially necessary and timely after retreats when men are under attack from the evil one who specializes in division and separation
tactics.

It is here where we learn about spiritual warfare and the armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18. We relearn our prayer habits with Prayer 101 emphasizing hands-on and public prayer.

We teach Spiritual Leadership tactics to inspire men to lead their families to Christ. We study God’s word by topic to give men guidance and discernment on living a Christ-centered life as defined in scripture.

The Holy Spirit Men’s Faith group acknowledges that men are designed different from women and need each other to improve and inspire our spiritual journeys by surrounding ourselves with like-minded brothers in Christ and with accountability partners.

“I have been participating with the Men’s Faith Group for the past 7-8 years or so, probably since it started. It’s the only regular post-ACTS retreat activity that has brought together many of the Brothers, including some who have never been to an ACTS retreat.”

“For me, the Men’s Faith Group is an anchor to our faith, an opportunity to share and sing our beloved songs that brings me back to the time when I basically gave my life to Christ for the second time. The first time was when I was a child, and I really did not understand much about our religion.”

“The topics and brief lectures during our monthly meetings are a good refresher and we have stimulating discussions that keep us on track with our spiritual journey. There is ample time for everyone to share their experiences, to sing, and to pray.”

“I love connecting with our regular Brothers and we sometimes stay out and talk in the parking lot until after 9 p.m.”

Marco Chalaby

“I have been coming to the Men’s Faith Group meetings for the past 5 years. Like I am sure some of you may feel, I was a little apprehensive at first, not know what the meetings would hold. But I also had a strong sense that I needed more for my faith development than just attending Sunday Mass. The very first thing I found was a genuine AGAPE love for everyone attending, all Brothers in Christ. A welcoming environment. I was immediately drawn in … having an opportunity to meet regularly with men that were willing to share their love of God, their desire to grow closer to God, and admit that they are far from perfect and ready to continue working on developing their faith and their lives. I immediately felt welcome and “at home.” Each month we have speakers that come to share their faith, knowledge, and insights on being Catholic. And honestly, this is what keeps me coming back, month after month. As a beginner guitar player, I was apprehensive about playing in a group setting … again I was made to feel very welcome and asked if I would join the music team (increasing our numbers to 2…). After 5 years attending, I can say that I truly look forward to the first Thursday of the month, bringing with it an opportunity to be with my Brothers, to learn more about my faith and how I can continue to develop that faith, and also share my love for music. I would strongly encourage you to come and join us … see for yourself what this monthly gathering – where iron sharpens iron – can do for you! I hope to see you there!”

Timothy Fousse

“I think what is helpful about the Men’s Faith Group is that men can share their lives together. They can share joys as well as trials and challenges. As we live the Christian life, we are going to have some of both. One important element of living the Christian life and experiencing what it has to offer is perseverance. Ideally, we live by faith day-in the day-out until the end of our lives. Being around the Men’s Faith group helps encourage that perseverance and hope. We are also in this together. It is not possible to continue in faith without community, the Word, prayer, and thinking of others.

I like the fact that the Men’s Faith Group is led by laymen and not professionals. This is important because it helps in our spiritual development. Also, we know how difficult it is to walk by faith in the work community and serve our families. We know what the needs are.

Finally, it is nice that the Men’s Faith group has a connection to the larger ACTS community. We do not meet as an isolated group as we are part of something bigger.”

Randy Leavitt

“Coming down the mountain …” when we return from a retreat, or from any experience where we encounter Jesus, where we meet with the Father and are filled with the Holy Spirit, and then we have to return to life, to go back to our daily routine where the world remains the same as we left it before our encounter with God.

“If they only knew …” if they could understand where we are, what we have found and what they so easily reject when we start talking about it. We want to keep the same enthusiasm, but, somehow, the world wants to dominate us, to teach us that this Jesus we so much love, is not someone we need to be talking about, to bring us down from the spiritual high we got up the mountain, to put us back to the norm, the bad habits, the worldly worries and the empty promises we were so certain we could fight off, and we start walking through life with the memory, little by little more distant in our mind, of what it was like to spend a weekend in communion with Jesus, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to encounter God so clearly in our brothers.

“Our brothers,” yes, they know, they understand what it is like because we lived it together. We were one by the time we were coming back, but in the distance, we start to wonder if we have anything in common with them, other than that special experience, we don’t even know them, but we do! We know something of them, that is greater than worldly knowledge of what they do or where they live, and that becomes so clear when we run into one of them or when we meet at church or at a reunion again, and we are brought back to what we experienced, it becomes alive in us again, we have a bit of a spiritual high again because we know what we lived is true, we know the Lord is with us and when two or more gather together in His name, He really is in our midst and we can feel it with our brothers, we feel the Holy Spirit dwelling among us in our prayer, in our talk, in our hugs and handshakes. We take strength to go back and continue fighting the culture, doing God’s work, keeping up with our prayer time, with our effort in getting to know our Father. We gain strength in our faith by meeting our brothers and we keep going until we meet again.

The Men’s Faith Group is a monthly meeting that fulfills that goal, we meet, we talk, we sign, eat, pray, we listen to talks, some on Theology, some on practical aspects of our faith, some occasional fun jeopardy games, and so on; regularly all say it loud and clear, we go for the fellowship primarily, to encounter our brothers and continue growing in our faith through the communion with them. It is an invaluable time together, the highlight of the month, until we meet again…

Everyone is welcomed to the Men’s Faith Group on the first Thursday of every month, regardless of past experiences or where we are in our faith path. The brotherhood in Christ is real. Sharpening each other as iron sharpens iron, we hold ourselves accountable, we grow together in our love for God and for each other, we pick each other up if we are down or celebrate together when things are up, always keeping centered in Christ’s love, bringing the power of God’s love in our midst, until we meet again …

Jorge Maldonado

“Once I learned that Holy Spirit was forming a monthly Men’s Faith Group Meeting, I jumped at the chance to become a part of it.  Being around like-minded men, it keeps my fire burning for our Catholic Faith. We take take a deeper dive into different aspects of our faith, and learn from each other. Topics like Prayer 101, The Last Seven Words of Jesus, and Spiritual Warfare (just to name a few) have helped shaped me into a better husband, father, and man. Not only for my family, but for the world!

On a personal note, the Men’s Faith Group has been there for me to lean on, in times of uncertainty and shared in some of the absolute joys in my families life. These Band of Brothers in Christ are a real part of the Mystical Body of Christ. It is a special blessing to be a part of this group.”

Jason Nunez

“After four to five years of attending the Men’s Faith Group, I have learned and understood the Word of God more clearly. Through ACTS retreats and our monthly gatherings for the Men’s Faith Group, I have felt improvement in myself as a father, man, and as an overall human. Being part of such a wonderful group of people has helped me through some of the hardest and most challenging times of my life. The support I have gained from my brothers in Christ has been an enormous help during the toughest times. Because of the blessings that I have gained from being part of this group, I have grown to become more motivated to stay devoted to God. The food at our gatherings will motivate anyone to praise the Lord.”

Juan Realpe

“Are you like I was … tired, stressed, and even depressed from working the daily grind and meeting all the demands of trying to be a good husband/father? My marriage was on the path for destruction and my spirit was weary but joining the Men’s Faith Group gave me a chance to connect with a great group of guys from all ages and walks of life. We shared similar struggles and burdens, but we always found strength and solutions (including saving my marriage) through our faith in God and each other. A bunch of Jesus freaks? This is what I thought after my first meeting. Nope … just a bunch of good guys making their way through the world and together we realize that Jesus is always here to help us along this journey.”

Rafael Saenz

“Moving to San Antonio in 2017, I knew that I must find a Catholic community to continue my spiritual journey and grow as a Catholic man. I was blessed to find Holy Spirit Catholic Church not only for myself but also for my family. The first introduction into the community was a meeting with the Men’s Faith Group. The meeting members welcomed me with open arms, integrated me into the program, and most importantly strengthen my connection to the church and to Jesus Christ. The monthly program is perfect to get a great connection with friends and Jesus Christ! The program is engaging, relevant, and keeps my spiritual blade sharp!”