Manual For Men
In 2015, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, wrote an Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men in the Diocese of Phoenix, AZ, titled, Into the Breach.
He begins his message this way:
A Call to Battle
I begin this letter with a clarion call and clear charge to you, my sons and brothers in Christ: Men, do not hesitate to engage in the battle that is raging around you, the battle that is wounding our children and families, the battle that is distorting the dignity of both women and men. This battle is often hidden, but the battle is real. It is primarily spiritual, but it is progressively killing the remaining Christian ethos in our society and culture, and even in our own homes.
The world is under attack by Satan, as our Lord said it would be (1 Peter 5:8-14). This battle is occurring in the Church herself, and the devastation is all too evident. Since AD 2000, 14 million Catholics have left the faith, parish religious education of children has dropped by 24%, Catholic school attendance has dropped by 19%, infant baptism has dropped by 28%, adult baptism has dropped by 31%, and sacramental Catholic marriages have dropped by 41%. This is a serious breach, a gaping hole in Christ’s battle lines. While the Diocese of Phoenix has fared better than these national statistics, the losses are staggering.
One of the key reasons that the Church is faltering under the attacks of Satan is that many Catholic men have not been willing to “step into the breach” — to fill this gap that lies open and vulnerable to further attack. A large number have left the faith, and many who remain “Catholic” practice the faith timidly and are only minimally committed to passing the faith on to their children. Recent research shows that large numbers of young Catholic men are leaving the faith to become “nones” — men who have no religious affiliation. The growing losses of young Catholic men will have a devastating impact on the Church in America in the coming decades, as older men pass away and young men fail to remain and marry in the Church, accelerating the losses that have already occurred.
Into the breach has its roots as a military term. When an enemy would open a hole in an army’s defenses, either a physical wall or a column of soldiers, they would breach the army’s defense. A soldier would “step into the breach”, filling the opening so the defense would hold, and the enemy could not get in.
The book, Manual for Men, includes Bishop Olmsted’s Apostolic Exhortation and augments that with the Church’s teachings on the role of men, scriptures for men, writings of saints and prayers and devotions.
I sent a copy of this book to you several years ago along with a copy for your dad. He told me, “I did share the book Manual for Men with Chris way back when, but he and I were not ready. He is ready now.”
I believe we are living in a dangerous time. Satan has deceived many. It isn’t the first time in the life of men that evil has appeared to be defeating Good. The Church has survived for over two thousand years, and it will continue to survive. Many of the greatest saints have lived in some of the darkest times.
I believe we need great saints. We need men and women who will be faithful to their faith. They will stand for what is right even when all around them are saying they are wrong.
When I taught eighth grade religious ed I would ask the kids in my class, “Who believes he or she will be a saint?” Invariably, no one would raise his or her hand.
That is wrong. Each of us should expect to be a saint. There are many more saints in heaven than the ones we have names for. I encourage you to live your life in a way that will allow you to be a saint.
Being a saint does not mean living a perfect life. All saints, except Mary, were sinners. It means to discern what God wants you to do and do it. You may fail many times. I really appreciate the example of St. Peter. He was a weak man who sinned greatly by denying Christ three times. Yet, Peter repented and Jesus forgave him.
Prayer is how you discern God’s will. Prayer and sacraments will protect you and strengthen you. Your mom told me she enrolled you in martial arts training when you were younger for your protection. You probably know how to defend yourself very well. While it is important to protect our bodies it is even more important to protect our souls.
This is a prayer attributed to St. Patrick. It is the short version of a much longer prayer called, St. Patrick’s Breastplate:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Another important prayer is the Prayer to St. Michael:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
We say the Prayer to St. Michael after every Mass at my parish.
I would also encourage you to develop a relationship with your guardian angel. Don’t try to name him. Naming something or someone implies having authority over that person or thing. God had Adam give names to all of the creatures God created. That showed man was given authority over the creatures. We do not have authority over our guardian angel. Talk to your guardian angel. Pray to your guardian angel. Ask for his help. This is a simple prayer:
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Greg Gillen
July 14, 2023
© 2025 Greg Gillen
Manual for Men, The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, TAN Books
Image Credit/The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton January 3 1777 – John Trumbull/Yale University Art Gallery/Public Domain