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What’s the weekly mettle maker?
Training tips and educational info in support of our free programs, that’s what! What’s mettle? Mettle is, “The ability to meet a challenge or persevere under demanding circumstances; determination or resolve.”
Mettle maker #440: Good Enough
Is shadow wrestling as good for your martial arts skills as actual wrestling? Nope. But it’s better than not training at all!
Over the years, many students who’ve dropped out of the distance learning program have made excuses like these:
“I can’t do this program justice.”
“I can’t find training partners. This is a total waste of time.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t seem to train consistently.”
“I’m not in good enough shape to do this.”
“I don’t have the knack for this.”
Poppycock. No matter how unskilled or out of shape you think you are, keep attending classes and sending in your monthly training logs.
Send in your logs even if your training log contains just one entry that reads, “I didn’t train at all this month. I suck.”
Quitting equates to a 0% chance of improvement. Continuing to work has a 100% chance of improvement.
If the calisthenics exercises are too hard, substitute easier exercises until you get stronger
If injuries, age, or infirmity prohibits certain moves, find a substitute (ask your program mentor if you need help)
If you only have a few entries this month, send your logs in anyway.
If you miss a whole month at the club, come back and train anyway.
Nobody is going to shame you for getting slack for a bit.
Something is nearly always better than nothing.
SPEAKING OF WHICH…the updated Feats List is up. Check it out. Go do some feats!
And if you haven’t done so already, consider signing up for a totally free mind-body-spirit program that incorporates self-defense, fitness, outdoor skills, and spiritual development — sign up for our free Rough ‘n’ Tumble Distance Learning Program!
Holy Eucharist is LIVE on YouTube every Sunday at 10 am EASTERn. Click HERE to watch live. To view and print a copy of the program for holy Eucharist, CLICK HERE.
Homily for the Baptism of the Lord 1/12/25 – Father Mitch
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10, Acts 10:34-38, Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 World English Bible
As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ, 16 John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.
21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized and was praying. The sky was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
We have all had someone we love and respect give us valid, negative feedback. When we were children and young adults, parents and teachers gave us constructive criticism. As adults, our supervisors, bosses and leaders do this. Coaches and mentors, doctors and pastors, friends and relatives, all provide positive direction to us throughout our various stages of growth.
If we accept these criticisms and take corrective action, we can get smarter, stronger, healthier, happier, less sinful, more successful at work and at play, and so on. But criticism can hurt. It can really sting to have someone we love and respect point out our flaws, mistakes, and missteps. But if we take it on the chin, valid criticism will burn away some of our imperfections and refine our ore. We can get our raw iron a little closer to becoming steel if we internalize the criticism and take action.
Imagine, however, what it will be like to meet Jesus face-to-face and have every single one of our faults become apparent to us by the light of his love. Many of our faults we can’t even see. But when the loving light of the Lord shines on us in Judgement, every single thing we’ve done wrong, as well as every fault public and private, will be revealed. Try to imagine the fiery guilt and burning shame we will experience. But remember that God is Love. There is no hatred, no malice, no anger in the Lord. His loving, holy face simply acts like a perfect mirror in which we will all see ourselves in perfect focus. As St. Paul says in 1 Cor 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” God’s love reveals to us our sins and faults in a loving way. St. Paul adds in the next verse, “So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
And with this, I think, we begin to approach what St. John the Baptist is getting at when he says, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he…will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” God is Love. The fire of Judgement contains no indignation, no vengeance, no anger – only pure and purifying, truthful love.
But the truth still hurts. If we resist the truth, turn away, and allow resentment to set in, things will only get worse. “How dare Coach tell me I need to spend more time in the batting cage?” “Who does my boss think he is, telling me I’m not getting my work done right?” “I’m okay just the way I am.” “These ten commandments are outdated. So what if I break a couple of them? I’m still a good person.” The more we think this way, nursing our resentment or clinging to the rightness of our disordered thoughts, desires, actions, and beliefs, and ignoring criticism to the contrary, the more our sins consume us. This is how, brothers and sisters, we make the world into Hell – by embracing, rather than facing, our faults. By spreading them, promoting them, and hatching them. This Hell of our own making corresponds, albeit at a lower pitch and level, to the fires of Hell that await those who put off facing their faults until the end of time.
The baptism of water and spirit administered by fellow believers washes us clean and welcomes us into the company of the faithful. Even Jesus, in his human capacity, was baptized by water and joined with us in this way. But the baptism of Spirit and Fire, the baptism of the incomprehensible and limitless Love showered on us by God, welcomes us into the Kingdom of Heaven.