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Into The Wilderness

Into the Wilderness is a Lenten program for men that focuses on masculine initiation through Scripture, fasting, brotherhood, the cardinal virtues, coaching, and 6 masculine archetypes explained by John Eldredge in his book "Fathered by God," the rewritten sequel to his popular book "Wild at Heart."

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* If you are interested on behalf of your men's group/faith household, please reach out to me.

Are you wanting to be put into a group or do you have a group that you are doing this with?
Put me in a group
I have a group
Into the Wilderness is more effective if you can bring at least 1 more person with you.
I can find at least one more person
I will bring more than that
I am not sure who to ask

  • Before you join, you probably want to know more about my experience and what my vision is.

     

    I have experience coaching men ages 14-55, from helping them create simple habits to order their life or develop a meaningful prayer life, all the way to helping them overcome sexual and/or alcohol addictions. I have experience teaching the Catholic faith to elementary age boys all the way to men in their 70's. I have gone through several initiation programs and have spent over $1,000 on individual programs.

     

    It is my mission to bring revival to Most Holy Church and help men become men after God's own heart. I want to bring back masculine initiation in the Church to help revive a culture of virtue and prayer, authentic masculinity, revive marriages and father's relationships with their children (especially their sons), and I want to help fathers initiate their own sons.

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    This program is tried and true and I personally have gone through it several times, either in college with the faith household that I founded, or after with other men. I promise you that if you go through this and really give it your all, you will see real, lasting change that you can pass on to your sons, who will pass it on to their sons. Through this form of Catholic masculine initiation, revival in Catholic laity will grow, and it will begin with reviving the heart of man.

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    If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. God bless, and know of my prayers.

  • We live in an age of fatherlessness, and the reason is because we are no longer initiated from boys to men.

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    I first experienced masculine initiation when I served with NET Ministries Ireland. During training, they separated the men from the women and provided us a multiple day initiation that was life changing. There was silence, prayer, time in the woods, fasting, and "rituals" of initiation, all in the context of a group of men.

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    Masculine initiation is a ritualistic process in the context of a group of men undergoing the same thing, led by someone who has already gone through the process. This isn't a cringy or scandalous hazing process, but something that touches deep into the hearts of men. The reason for this is that masculinity is bestowed, not earned, just like faith is bestowed at baptism, not earned. Furthermore, just like faith, if it is not used, it is lost.

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    When masculine initiation was common, it marked the beginning of a way of life that continued to initiate the man. Now, not only have we lost masculine initiation, we do not live lifestyles that continue to initiate us. Even if we are initiated through some life event, if we do not initiate others we lose that which was given to us. This is because at the essence of masculinity is fatherhood.

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    Fatherhood pertains to generativity and belonging. The perfect father is the perfect son, hence the Trinity. When we are initiated we claim our sonship, and when we do so we claim our inheritance which is fatherhood. Not all men are biological fathers, but all men are called to fatherhood; to make more men, to protect the weak, fight for justice, and make space for others to belong.

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    This is at the essence of what Pope Paul VI means when he says that man "cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself" (GS 24). This process of man finding himself, I believe, is largely through masculine initiation.

  • While other programs may focus on changing behavior, here at Steadfast Life we focus on cultivating a new identity. Instead of doing something that happens to coincide with Lent, you will enter more fully into the Liturgical Season and experience lasting transformation like the men who have gone through this before you.
     

    If you are looking to "put on the new man," then journey with me and your brothers into the wilderness with Christ, to the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, this Lent.

    • 8 group coaching meetings including 1 before Lent and 1 after Easter

    • Weekly meetings with a hunting partner to journey with you in seeing the heart of the Father

    • Creating (with guidance) your own personal covenant to be said each morning

    • Weekly video teachings on the masculine archetypes, the relevant virtues, the weekly patrons, and how to integrate them into your life and grow in virtue through embracing your identity as a son of God

    • A weekly PDF that includes

      • Daily Scripture plan

      • Weekly Reflections, wrote prayers, masculine archetypes, patrons, and virtues to focus on

      • Specific practices to help you enter into lent and shape your new identity in Christ in light of 6 masculine archetypes

      • A guided nightly examine relevant to each week and a prayer of claiming one's identity in Christ

      • Weekly checklist to help you stay on track and to be used in group coaching meetings

    • 0 calorie fasting on Ash Wednesday, each Friday, and a 72 hour Triduum fast (guidance on fasting well is provided)

    • Each participant will be sent a Jerusalem cross as a physical reminder of being in the wilderness this Lent

    • "Exodus 90 was great, but this was better. Where E90 focuses just on asceticism, this goes through the whole formation of the man and cultivates a new way of life. It gives you the WHY behind asceticism, your identity in Christ." - Dominic

    • "The three day fast was very fruitful because it showed just how much I can do. In fact, it was the most fruitful part." - Kealan

    • "A key takeaway was that it showed me how much I need to work on my identity with Christ. Fasting was definitely the most fruitful aspect, as it allowed me the opportunity to lean more heavily and intentionally upon the Lord." - Wheeler

    • "This program has helped me grow confident in my expressions of love for the Lord Jesus and in His power to save by teaching me how to praise the Lord with my full voice and body." - Gabriel

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  • Thank you for feeding my family! Back in the day when men were initiated they had their literal skin in the game. Since this is not realistic anymore, instead you have financial "skin in the game." Here is the pricing breakdown:

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    • Solo to be put in group - $150

      • It is best advised that you bring at least one other man with you for a hunting partner. If not, you will be assigned a hunting partner from the group​.

    • Group of 16 - $125 per person

      • If you are part of a men's group or faith household that is larger than 16 people you will all be in the same group with the group rate.

Interest Form

If you are at all interested, please fill out this form ASAP. It is not signing up to do the program, just expressing interest. A form with more information will be sent out promptly after you fill out this form with more details and logistical questions to help assemble groups and day/times when they will meet. The first meeting will be on Sunday, March 2nd at 7pm EST for all participants via Google Meets for a debriefing, orientation, and "last chance" for questions. Payment must be made by the end of the day Sunday, March 2nd.

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