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Know how to have a good time and to make time for leisure, so long as it is not degrading to yourself or others. (It fits in well here to advise exercising control over alcohol consumption. The gentleman with true strength and manliness is not the one who can drink the most before he is drunk, but the one who can drink without the temptation to test his limit.)
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Erase any foul and undignified cuss or expletive from your vocabulary and your habits. Gentlemen are dignified in speech and just aren’t the type to drop F-bombs every 3 syllables the way our culture seems to enjoy doing.
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Treat every woman with the same amount of respect and dignity that you would your mother, sister, or daughter — and get busy praying for those women you encounter who seem to afford themselves less respect and dignity than you see in them.
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RSVP.
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As a general rule, it is a good idea to spend less money than you make. But even though financial security is important, balance it with a healthy Faith and Trust in God’s loving care and providence. And technically, tithing is a percentage of your whole income, not just your surplus.
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Yes! It is your job to pick up the tab. If you’re serious about dating/courting/discerning marriage with a fine and beautiful woman, then you’re serious about sacrificing for her. But, if you feel you’re repeatedly being used by her, then speak up and work it out or move on. There – you may have just been saved from a marriage of bondage and one-way entitlement.
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Hold to the standard that “sleeping with someone” is only the “next step” in a relationship when it comes after vows within a Sacrament. For any numskulls out there, I’m talking about Marriage.
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Learn how to dance, at least a bit. If you’re self-conscious and cheap, YouTube. Better yet, just say yes when she wants you to be her partner in some ballroom dance class.
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Never underestimate the timeless value of unexpected flowers on a day that is otherwise nothing special. Grandmas, moms, and sisters are also eligible. Oh, and married men, the last flowers your bride should see should NOT be her bridal bouquet…
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If you must take a selfie, do so in a dignified manner. Just remember that there are always at least two others in your selfie: 1) Your Guardian Angel 2) Christ, because if you’re a Catholic Gentleman, then people should see Christ in you.
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Beware of pop culture’s macho view of masculinity. You probably do want to be a manly man, and exercise those natural traits and qualities typical of masculinity inasmuch as they are guided by charity. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be sensitive, empathetic, patient, compassionate, or gentle. Just remember that we were not made in the image of Chuck Norris, but in the image of God, and Christ is really the only example we need.
- The idea that an ideal bachelor party should include a strip club or other related activities is tremendously incompatible with the concept and title of “Gentleman” in any way. Re-read Rules 3, 7, 10, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 24. If you don’t know how to properly treat, interact with, see, or view women (or any human being for that matter), then you’re missing a huge chunk of what it means to be a Catholic Gentleman.
This list is a Catholicized adaptation of the original secular article “23 Rules On How to Be A Gentleman” from the folks at Gentlemankey.com. Let us pray that our secular brothers may come to know the fullness of truth, especially as it applies to the dignity of women and an aversion to lust and immorality. Our true purpose is to become Catholic Gentlemen … and saints!
~ The Catholic Gentleman's Guide