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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.”
Kylie (L), Fr. Mitch (C) and the Immortal Mark Hatmaker (R)
PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for Kylie Hatmaker and her husband Mark (see pic on right). The brain tumor Kylie dealt with a few years back is growing again. Kylie is Mark’s primary co-conspirator, best friend, power animal, goddess, gourmet chef, pistol-packing bodyguard, and hoochie-coochie dancer in residence. A finer lady you’ll never meet. God give her strength, we pray thee, Amen.
Mettle maker #446: Rough ‘n’ Tumble Revival
Want to hear me spout some pretty-ish words about martial arts and whatnot? You’ve come to the right place!
In response to the naysayers, nitpickers, no-joys, and nattering nabobs of negativity who intermittently hurl narrow-minded criticality at Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble and/or at the Rough ‘n’ Tumble revival itself, I put together a video including both an overview of my methodology and an abbreviated survey of the hundreds of the sources I have used to develop the Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble program.
Just filming and editing the 38-minute video took about 18 hours. It is not an exaggeration to say that over the last 16 years of developing the program I have read hundreds of books and articles, watched hundreds of hours of video, and spent thousands of hours practicing and testing martial arts techniques — all without accepting a dime in salary as President of the Heritage Arts, Inc. educational non-profit.
The FY2024 990N filing for Heritage Arts, Inc.
In response to the occasional accusation that we are not a “real” non-profit, on the right you will find our most recent 990N IRS filing. I encourage anyone to use the IRS non-profit verification tool to check our current status. Our EIN number is 81-5406720.
If you want to take advantage of one of only two Rough ‘n’ Tumble martial arts training programs available today — and the only one that’s 100% free! — sign up for the 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 Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time 2/23/25 – Father Mitch
Readings: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23, Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13, 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Luke 6:27-38
Luke 6:27-38 World English Bible
“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.
31 “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
36 “Therefore be merciful,
even as your Father is also merciful.
37 Don’t judge,
and you won’t be judged.
Don’t condemn,
and you won’t be condemned.
Set free,
and you will be set free.
38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you.§ For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
Is it true that we are less likely to run afoul of the law and be incarcerated when we follow the commandments? Isn’t it also true that our friendships, marriages, and family relations are stronger and healthier when we strive to be good Christians? Of course. It is also true that truth-telling, forgiving, golden-rule-living, Christian behaviors often result in greater successes in business. And, probably due to the well-being and support we receive from our church communities, Christians also live longer than non-Christians on average.
The pitfall that the evil one lays for us is that we’re always going to get rewards for good behavior. We take the evil one’s lure when we begin to take earthly rewards for granted. Like a rat snagging a poison bait, we drag this spiritual toxin into our hearts and expect things to go well with us all the time. But we don’t always stay out of legal trouble, make lots of money, have more friends, and live long lives. Things go wrong. Sometimes badly wrong. Then, a catastrophe comes our way, we blame God. Our faith shakes or breaks, and the devil wins. Therefore we must at all times understand the clear distinction between earthly and heavenly rewards.
When we meditate on the story of David stealing Saul’s spear in our first reading, we are struck by the audacious courage it took to sneak into the opposing camp by night. We feel the tension as Abishai whispers to David that they should murder Saul in his sleep. But David, with a clear mind, is able to focus on right and wrong rather than the mere tactical practicality of killing his enemy. Respectful of the king anointed by God, he spares Saul and merely embarrasses him by stealing his weapon from beside his sleeping body. David says, “The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness.”
But whereas the Hebrews of David’s time likely would’ve expected a more tangible reward for sparing Saul – indeed, David ultimately ascended to the throne, didn’t he? – we as Christians have developed a different understanding. In our epistle reading, St. Paul compares the first Adam to Jesus, the New Adam, and speaks of how “the first man was from the earth” and “the second man, from heaven.” Being anchored in the earthly world, our tendency is always to fixate on the material, the measurable, and the visible. We are easily tempted to fall prey to a material, give-and-get viewpoint. But St. Paul makes it clear that we are bound for heavenly glory, not earthly rewards and eternal death. He says, “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.” When we take the body and blood of Christ into ourselves and genuinely allow to Christ to live in and through us, we can begin to participate in God’s unconditional giving with no strings attached.
So, to be clear, when Jesus says these words – “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you” – he is referring to heavenly rewards, not earthly ones. Trust in the Lord. Love him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:20) and you may give freely and have hope of eternal life in the time to come.
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§6:38 literally, into your bosom.