This Month in Viri Mariae - October 2025

At our most recent gathering of Viri Mariae, we were blessed with two talks that sparked fruitful discussion on how we seek virtue in our daily lives and how we can be a pillar, a holy presence, to those closest to us.

Michael’s Talk: Interior Transformation & Daily Discipline

Michael led us in a meditation on the hidden life of Christ. He reminded us that Jesus’ interior life—His unceasing intimacy with the Trinity—shows us the path of transformation. The imitation of His hidden life requires both a withdrawal from worldly praise and honours, and a positive, interior concentration on God alone.

Michael then reflected on the four cardinal virtues—prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—as the practical disciplines that form the backbone of daily Christian living. These virtues are the “hinges” of the moral life, concrete habits that, aided by grace, help us say “no” to vice and “yes” to sanctity. The group reflected on how these virtues are not abstract ideals but lived realities: perseverance in prayer, honesty in work, temperance in habits, and prudence in family and financial decisions.

Jeremy’s Talk: Seeking the Lost in a Thirsty Age

Jeremy shared from St Augustine’s Sermon on Pastors, which calls us to recall the straying sheep and seek the lost, whether welcome or unwelcome. He contrasted this call with the stark reality in Australia: though one in five identify as Catholic, only around 8% attend Mass on Sundays, and among young men the numbers are even fewer.

Our age, Jeremy noted, mirrors the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well—marked by wounds, brokenness, and a desperate thirst for truth. Like Christ at the well, we are called not to humiliate or argue down, but to meet others in their thirst, offering joy and hope. Two virtues in particular stand out for this mission: joy, which disarms despair and bears witness to Christ’s victory, and simplicity of heart, which resists suspicion and deception with trust and integrity.

A Call to Viri Mariae

The talks led us into a rich discussion on how these themes touch our daily lives. How do we cultivate hidden virtue while also being a visible witness? How can we be missionary men in workplaces, families, and parishes often marked by cynicism or indifference?

As we concluded, we were reminded of our Rule: we are missionary, we are evangelistic. We are not content for the sheep to remain lost. Inspired by Our Lady, Cause of Our Joy, we go forth to bring Christ into a world that is parched and searching.

For those seeking to go deeper into this missionary call, we recommend revisiting the Vatican II document Ad Gentes, which outlines the Church’s mission to the modern world.