Sons of the Father
You, man, are a son of God. Sons of the Father is a devotional series for men from Exodus 90 guided by Fr. Boniface Hicks, a Benedictine monk and Spiritual Guide for Exodus 90. This series of dives into the masculine heart and will help you to grow in your true identity as a son of the Father. In these 75 daily reflections, Fr. Boniface provides insights on prayer, self-denial, and building authentic Christian brotherhood, offering guidance and encouragement to help you become the man you were created to be.
75 sessioni
1Beloved SonWelcome to Sons of the Father! In this reflection, Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB explores God the Father's words to Jesus at His baptism and extends those same words of blessing to us.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
2Longing for a FatherIn this session, Fr. Boniface speaks to the longing for a father that all men experience. He shows that when we see Jesus, we receive the love of God the Father.Fr. Boniface, OSB7 min
3Receiving a MissionToday, Fr. Boniface helps us reflect on the important mission of taking up our crosses and following Jesus.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
4Mentored By a FatherIn this session, Fr. Boniface takes us into the woodshop of St. Joseph to reflect on the ways that he mentored Jesus. In the same way, God the Father will show us how to be men after His own heart.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
5Earning LoveFr. Boniface leads us in a reflection on the elder son from the parable of the prodigal son. This story reveals our temptation to try to earn God's love.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
6Love Without the FatherIn this session, we reflect on what is going on in the heart of the younger son from the parable of the prodigal son. This story shows us our temptation to try and find love without the Father.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
7Made Perfect in WeaknessWe reflect on how our weaknesses can become an opportunity for power and community when we allow Jesus to show up for us.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
8Receiving Love From Our MotherToday, we meditate on the love of Mary, the mother that Jesus entrusted to us on the cross. Fr. Boniface shares that every single man needs the unconditional love of a mother.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
9Holy Spirit Prays in Our WeaknessIn today's reflection, Fr. Boniface asks us if we will allow the cry of the Holy Spirit to well up from our hearts.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
10Strength and Weakness: Team HoytFr. Boniface shows us that our problem as men is not in weakness, but rather in weakness that is not in relationship with strength. He shares the inspiring story of Dick and Ricky Hoyt.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
11Strength and Weakness: CobotToday, Fr. Boniface shows us that weakness and strength - by themselves - tend to be ugly, while weakness combined with strength can be beautiful. We hear the story of the lovable cobot robot designed by Carnegie Mellon.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
12Fundamental WeaknessIn this session, we reflect on how the story of Adam and Eve shows us the wisdom of the fundamental weakness of men.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
13Puzzle PiecesFr. Boniface shows us how God embraced weakness. In this way, strength and weakness, richness and poverty, act as puzzle pieces that lead us to wholeness.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
14Ascetism Builds StrengthFr. Boniface reflects on how ascetiscm and sacrifice can be the means to strengthen us in love.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
15Seeds and Shallow SoilFather Boniface reflects on Jesus' parable of the sower, urging us to seek understanding in faith rather than letting doubts hinder growth, and asks God to enlighten our hearts with deeper insight.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
16Seeds and Rocky SoilFather Boniface reflects on Jesus’ parable of the sower, urging men to recognize the rocky ground in their hearts and to seek spiritual rooting through community.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
17Seeds and Thorny SoilFather Boniface reflects on Jesus' parable of the sower, highlighting how worldly anxieties and distractions can be the thorny ground that choke God's Word, and emphasizes the importance of creating a receptive heart.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
18Seeds and Rich SoilFather Boniface reflects on how God's Word, when received with openness and understanding, transforms our lives and bears fruit, such as the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, and more.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
19Good Soil from Good RelationshipsFather Boniface reflects on how Christ-centered friendships and community create good soil in our hearts, nurturing understanding and faith to bear lasting fruit, even through trials and spiritual desolation.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
20A New CommandmentFr. Boniface reflects on Jesus' command to love one another as He has loved us—selflessly, sacrificially, and continually— and how Christ's love for you sets the standard for loving others.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
21Friends Die for Each OtherFr. Boniface discusses how the friendship between Samwise and Frodo, characters in the story The Lord of the Rings, reflect Jesus's definition of friendship.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
22Friends Do Each Other's WillFr. Boniface examines how, in John 15, Jesus teaches us the second of three aspects of friendship. He looks at Jesus's invitation to be his friend by following his commands and how those commands help us to reach the goal of holiness.Fr. Boniface, OSB7 min
23Friends Reveal EverythingFr. Boniface looks at the third aspect of friendship that Jesus reveals to us in John 15, and how his example of trusting others and sharing intimate parts of ourselves is a way to strengthen friendships.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
24Not Good for Man to Be AloneFr. Boniface discusses how God has created us to be in community with others, how we are made to share our hearts, and walk beside others.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
25Communion Comes Through Self-GiftFr. Boniface reflects on how, just as Adam became vulnerable in giving his rib to find community with Eve, we can find communion through our self-gift. That in facing the ache we feel, instead of numbing it, we can receive the communion we long for.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
26We Are Made for Each OtherFr. Boniface looks at how the example of the Trinity shows us that we are made for each other and that in trying to be self-sufficient, we miss the opportunity to grow in love.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
27Do You See This Woman?Fr. Boniface reflects upon how Jesus asks us to truly see those around us as people for us to love, not objects to interact with.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
28He Loved Them to the EndFr. Boniface discusses how Jesus provides us the standard of how we should love others in our daily lives and challenges us to find more ways to love.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
29We Shall Become Like HimFr. Boniface discusses how in 1 John 3:2 we are God's children, the sons of the Father, and therefore we have a destiny, to become more like God who is Love. As we reflect on Jesus' love, we can become more like him and more loving.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
30Open Your Heart Part 1Fr. Boniface reflects on how Jesus risked loving us by opening His heart to us, and he challenges us to take that same risk. By opening our hearts to Jesus and to others, we receive the strength needed to serve others.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
31Men Need Ravished HeartsToday Fr. Boniface discusses how men need to allow themselves to be ravished, exposed and vulnerable, to those who have proved trustworthy, explaining that Jesus Christ is our ultimate love who has proven his love and who longs to gaze upon us.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
32Looking Back On My LifeFr. Boniface asks us to look at our lives and consider how we can rise above the illusion that our wants and the world's demands are urgent, and instead focus on our true goal: engaging in the love of Jesus.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
33Preventing HeartlessnessFr. Boniface reflects on Pope Francis' discussion of the character Nikolai Stavrogin, emphasizing that without the courage to examine our hearts we are unable to know or share ourselves or be open to the hearts of others.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
34AI Cannot Replace the HeartFr. Boniface expands upon Pope Francis' "Dilexit Nos" Encyclical and the idea that AI can never replace the connections we make with others or the love and memories those connections provide.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
35Bringing Our Hearts to JesusPope Francis calls Jesus' heart "a blazing furnace of divine and human love." Fr. Boniface discusses how we can turn to that heart to find strength in the mission each one of us is called to by Jesus.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
36Blessed Karl LeisnerFr. Boniface tells the story of Blessed Karl Leisner, a German deacon who was ordained a priest while imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, and whose life is an example of love for God and for the Eucharist.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
37St. Joseph the Just ManSt. Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, is described as a just man, a man immersed in God's Word—God's law. Fr. Boniface reflects on how a man immersed in God's Word then receives God's Word, Jesus, into his home and how we can follow that example.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
38St. Joseph Called to GreatnessFr. Boniface reflects on how St. Joseph might have felt being called by the heavenly Father to father His Son, Jesus, and on St. Joseph’s example of courage in responding to God’s call, even when God asks more of us than we feel capable of.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
39Bl. Clemens Von GalenToday Fr. Boniface shares the life of Blessed Clemens Von Galen, Bishop of Munster who preached against the Nazi party. His example shows us how to be firm in difficult times and use that strength to help shape others.Fr. Boniface, OSB11 min
40St. Benedict Learns Love From His SisterWe see in the relationship between St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica, a model for us in masculinity; how to learn from women and reverence their qualities of receptivity and sensitivity.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
41Strength of BrotherhoodThe Bible offers examples of brotherly relationships that draw us closer to or push us further from God. Fr. Boniface reflects on how, when we stand with our brothers in Christ, we become stronger.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
42Being Alone TogetherFr. Boniface asks us to include Christ in our reflections when we move from communion with our brothers into solitude and shows us how that helps us evaluate the experience in a more powerful way.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
43Danger of EnvyFr. Boniface reflects on the power of envy in the Bible story of Joseph and his brothers and he offers a remedy through sharing our gifts, so all may partake in the blessings God gives to each of us.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
44St Benedict and BrotherhoodSelf-sufficiency comes at the expense of relationships. St. Benedict's time in solitude teaches that true strength comes from recognizing our need for others, and that communion and support are vital.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
45St Benedict in his Shared Vision and DeathSaint Benedict’s life moved from solitude in a cave to communion in community. His vision and example show us the beauty of shared spiritual experiences, inviting others into the light of God’s presence.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
46Contemplative Work with St JosephFather Boniface reflects on St. Joseph's model of contemplative fatherhood, where work becomes an opportunity to be aware of God’s presence. He invites men to live and work with Jesus in their hearts.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
47The Father's BlessingFatherhood's power to bless is seen throughout Scripture, beginning with God's blessing of humanity. From Isaac's blessing of Jacob to Jesus' blessings, we are called to pass on the Father's love and identity.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
48Appreciating the Feminine GeniusFr. Boniface reflects on the unique gift of women, highlighting their feminine genius—receptivity, sensitivity, maternity, and generosity—and calls men to appreciate, protect, and foster these qualities.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
49St Benedict's Example of a Happy DeathFr. Boniface reflects on St. Benedict's example of living and dying well, with the help of others, and the importance of community even when the pull for independence feels stronger. Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
50Asceticism Frees Us from IdolsFr. Boniface reflects on asceticism’s role in training us to resist the four idols of money, power, honor, and pleasure. He calls men to place these goods in service of love, helping us grow in freedom and holiness.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
51Called to BattleFr. Boniface calls men to embrace their spiritual battle and be strong in the Lord yet he challenges them to fight through the hard work of loving others as Christ would.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
52Girded With The TruthFr. Boniface reflects on the spiritual battle men face, urging them to fight with love and truth. He calls for strength in standing against division and deception, using the armor of God to defend others.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
53Breastplate of Righteousness Fr. Boniface reflects on St. Paul’s armor of God. The belt of truth reminds us of our dignity, the breastplate of righteousness guards our hearts, helping us stay in right relationship with God, despite opposition.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
54Shield of FaithFr. Boniface reflects on St. Paul's call to take up the shield of faith in Ephesians 6. He urges men to protect their identity as beloved sons of God, quenching the shame and attacks of the enemy.Fr. Boniface, OSB7 min
55The Word of GodFr. Boniface invites us to embrace St. Paul's "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." By internalizing the divine narrative, we live our identity as beloved sons, guided by Christ's love and truth.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
56A Holy FriendshipThe bond between St. Basil and St. Gregory highlight the importance of true friendship in the pursuit of holiness. Their mutual support and shared ambition for virtue offer a model of deep, selfless friendship.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
57Aspiring to GreatnessFr. Boniface looks at the deep bond between Saints Basil and Gregory, highlighting their shared pursuit of holiness, fruitful friendship, and commitment to living as true Christians united in Christ.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
58A Battle to FightFather Boniface calls men to embrace life’s battles with courage, trusting that challenges lead to growth and treasure. By facing fears with faith, we align with God’s will and find deeper purpose.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
59An Adventure to LiveToday we look at Boniface Wimmer’s courageous missionary journey to America, highlighting his willingness to face unknown battles and his faith that God would provide, inspiring men to embrace their own challenges.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
60To Each According to NeedSt. Benedict teaches that our needs reflect our weaknesses, not our value. True peace comes from accepting our needs and using God's gifts to serve others.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
61The Treasure of a Kind Word Today’s reflection draws on St. Benedict’s wisdom, reminding us to respond with humility and kindness when in positions of power, respecting the vulnerability of those who come to us with requests.Fr. Boniface, OSB7 min
62St. Boniface the Apostle to GermanySt. Boniface, a missionary to Germany, answered God's call with courage, bringing the Gospel to Northern Europe. His legacy inspires us to embrace God's adventure in our own lives.Fr. Boniface, OSB10 min
63The Manliness of PrayerPrayer is a relationship with God, rooted in trust and sonship. As Jesus taught, we ask, adore, repent, and give thanks, joining God’s will as sons seeking His gifts and holiness in our lives.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
64The Battle of PrayerFr. Boniface reflects on prayer as a pursuit of God’s will, a test of perseverance, and a way to deepen our relationship with the Father, encouraging us to trust, adjust, and persist in our petitions.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
65 Praying in the Prayer of Jesus Discover the beauty of entering into Jesus' prayer; sharing His love for the Father, lifting your concerns, offering thanks, and seeking His grace to align your heart with His divine communion with the Father.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
66Struggling with Dryness in PrayerFather Boniface encourages men to embrace prayer's struggles, especially moments of dryness. He emphasizes God's love for us in our vulnerability, urging us to grow in intimacy with Him through patience and compassion.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
67 Brotherly Support in Prayer Join Fr. Boniface in reflecting on the power of brotherhood in prayer; how support from others strengthens your spiritual life, deepens your connection to God, and helps us persevere in times of struggle.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
68 Lectio with Psalm 25Fr. Boniface uses Psalm 25 to demonstrate the Benedictine tradition of Lectio Divina and invites men to deepen their prayer life through this powerful type of prayer with scripture.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
69 A Way of Union Fr. Boniface reflects on the challenges of life, using the prophet Baruch's words to explore how mourning and misery can be transformed through Jesus. He encourages pressing into suffering to find communion with Christ.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
70Declaring War on the EnemyFr. Boniface reflects on Jesus' journey into the desert, where He confronts Satan's temptations with strength and scripture. He invites men to trust in Christ's victory in our individual battles.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
71Campaign of Christian Service Fr. Boniface invites men into the campaign of Christian service: a battle against spiritual evils through fasting, prayer, and self-restraint, reclaiming lost territory for Christ the King.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
72 Now is the Time to Give TestimonyIn today's reflection, Fr. Boniface calls us to prepare our hearts, deepen our relationship with Christ, and stand firm in faith, bearing testimony to the eternal kingdom even in times of trial.Fr. Boniface, OSB7 min
73A Process for Evangelization Fr. Boniface challenges us to embrace our mission as witnesses of Christ. He shares a simple evangelization guide: light a fire, build a bridge, open a window, and plant a signpost of faith.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min
74 Set Your Eyes on the CrossFr. Boniface reflects on purpose, sacrifice, and the journey toward Christ. He urges us to recommit to our responsibilities, carry our burdens, and set our sights on the cross as our ultimate goal.Fr. Boniface, OSB9 min
75Be a Father by Sharing the Father's LoveIn our final reflection, Fr. Boniface looks at how every man is called to fatherhood, biological or spiritual, by sharing love, wisdom, and care. He calls us to embrace this mission to reflect God’s love; to affirm the goodness and purpose in others.Fr. Boniface, OSB8 min