To quote Jack Sparrow, “Any man who falls behind is left behind”­­—FALSE! When you commit to an Exodus fraternity, you commit to supporting your brothers, especially if you see their resolve begin to weaken. They likewise commit to supporting you.

Exodus Men who speak of the success they experienced during their spiritual exercises consistently give abundant credit to their great fraternities. On the other hand, men who didn’t fully commit to engaging with their fraternities tended to experience substantial difficulties during Exodus spiritual exercises.

Without the accountability of being local, extra effort must be put toward remaining faithful and consistent to your fraternity. It is easy for a brother that is struggling to slip away and never re-engage with the fraternity.

The good news is that the solution is simple. Commit to living the life the Lord is calling all men to—commit to living fraternity.

Saint Michael’s Lent is a war. We are truly engaging the enemy in spiritual warfare. As such, we must follow the soldier’s motto, “Leave no man behind.” Your fraternity has a responsibility to ensure that you are not left to the wiles of the devil.

If a man misses the weekly fraternity meeting, follow up! Don't let him silently disappear.

Regular anchor checks are non-negotiable. Have you ever tried dating long-distance? Or building a friendship from across the country? In both cases, daily communication is essential. You need to know that you can trust your anchor, and your anchor needs to know he can trust you.

Real conversations. You need to get to know your brothers. You might not know it now, but the men in your fraternity can be lifelong friends. Common experiences have a way of creating strong bonds. You will be entering into an intense spiritual exercise with these men.

Get to know them right away. At your first meeting, you may utilize icebreakers. Find out about them. Are they married? Priests? Bishops!?!?! What do your brothers like to do in their free time? What are their occupations? Ask them what their fears are as they begin this spiritual exercise, and share your written “why” with the group (if it’s too private, just generalize a little).

It is important to have structured, formal conversations. Be sure to follow the meeting guide each week. It is also important to have informal, casual conversations. You are getting to know these men and becoming friends. Encourage real conversations so that you connect on different levels—be both playful and serious.

Celebrate each other's victories. Did Wenceslaus enter into prayer with a new fervor this week after a tough start? Cheers to that! Mark moments of growth and victory in whatever way you and your fraternity develop (there isn't one right way to do this, so be creative).