I purchased Be a Man! a few days ago after reading rave reviews about the book and now I can hardly put it down. Very good, candid insight from Father Larry Richards on what it takes to be a true man of God. I love his use of reflection questions at the end of each chapter and am finding the book to be direct and very practical. This would be an excellent book for a men’s group to read and study together.
I can’t wait to finish this gem!
Be a Man! Becoming the Man God Created You to Be
By Father Larry Richards
Book Review from the Publisher, Ignatius Press:
Men are rediscovering the importance of the spiritual life. And Father Larry Richards is helping them do it. While some writers apply a one-size-fits-all approach to the Christian life, Father Richards draws on his many years of ministry and his own experience as a man to inspire other men as men.
In Be a Man!, he recounts his struggles to learn true manhood, as well as the inspiring stories of others he has served in his decades as a priest. He tells men how to focus on the right goal, how to live as a beloved son of God, of the need to acknowledge one’s faults and to live according to the Holy Spirit, to be a man of true love and of wisdom, to appreciate properly the differences between men and women, to pursue holiness, and to make a difference in the world. Not preachy but direct, Father Richards challenges men to be strong, without putting on a mask of false strength or machismo. He calls men to admit their weaknesses and limitations, while urging them to find strength in faith and genuine love to overcome their sins and faults.
Although a celibate priest, he minces no words when it comes to the place of sexuality—for the unmarried man as well as for the married man. He shows that true manliness is not opposed to love but thrives on it. Father Richards stresses that a relationship with Christ reveals the meaning of a man’s life and his identity as a man. He inspires men to become the true heroes they long to be—men of authentic courage, compassion and integrity. This is a highly readable book for men by a man who knows how to talk to men about the things that matter most.
Fr. Larry Richards, a popular speaker at men’s conferences around the country, is the pastor of an inner city parish in Erie, PA. He hosts his own daily national radio show on Relevant Radio, and is the founder of The Reason for Our Hope Foundation.
“Father Larry talks straight to men in his own manly style. He pulls no spiritual punches–I don’t think he knows how to! He pokes, pushes, sometimes verbally slaps men into being God’s men, all with an obvious love for them and faith in their ability to persevere to heaven.”
— Dr. Ray Guarendi, radio host and author
