Danny_Abramowitz_2007

Danny Abramowitz is known for being a successful football player and coach, but he is also an author, speaker, and ambassador for the Catholic men's movement. He experienced a conversion and recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, which led him to develop a strong devotion to the Holy Spirit. He founded a men's prayer group and has been ministering to Catholic men for the past 18 years. Danny challenges men to participate in a parish men's fellowship group and shares his book titled "Spiritual Workout of a Former Saint." He emphasizes the importance of witnessing and reflects on his own journey of faith and temptation. know Danny Abramowitz as an outstanding football player. Of course he was, having been inducted into a number of halls of fame, including Xavier University and the New Orleans Saints. But Danny is much more than a highly successful football player and pro football coach. Danny is now an author, speaker, and ambassador for the Catholic men's movement. Although Danny has had many high visibility honors, he remains a down-to-earth Catholic man. In the early 80s, Danny experienced a dramatic conversion and recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. There he learned humility and a step-by-step approach to spiritual life. He developed a strong devotion to the Holy Spirit. He founded the Monday Night Disciples, a men's prayer group that focused on male spirituality many years before it became popular. Thus began a ministry to Catholic men that Danny has continued and expanded nationally over the past 18 years. Indeed, Danny spoke to our men's conference 10 years ago. In his talk this afternoon, Danny will challenge you to participate in a parish men's fellowship group. He will also tell you about his book titled Spiritual Workout of a Former Saint, a gold mine of insights and spiritual counsel for Catholic men. Gentlemen, please give a warm return welcome to Danny Abramowitz. All right, go ahead. All right, man. You know, I was upstairs and a couple of guys said, man, I thought you'd be a lot bigger than this. I used to be 6'5". They knocked me down to this size. In fact, I can remember one of the times J.D. Roberts was our coach back in those early years of the Saints. You know, we returned the opening kickoff in the history of this franchise for a touchdown. It's been going downhill ever since. But anyway, Coach J.D. calls me up. I'm at the hotel the night before the game. He says, Danny, he says, Al Dodd, the punt returner, he got a knee banged up and he won't be able to return punts tomorrow. We want you to return them. I said, thanks for the big warning. A lot of time. I said, Coach, I haven't returned a punt since St. Peter's grade school when Stu Miller High says, you'll be all right. Just fair catch him. He said, this guy, he doesn't punt very well. It's Billy Lothridge. I don't know if you know him. We're playing Atlanta, hated rivals. So I got there the first one. Boom, he hits it. I'm back, back. I said, man, this is, and I raised my hand. They're all around me. I catch it. Kick, the next one. Hey, this is easy. I thought I had it all figured out. They have a punt block on the next one. And I already made up my mind no matter what happens, I'm going to return this one. Can you imagine all the way for a touchdown? I think back in them days, we didn't have ESPN Sports Center. Boom, he hits it. I'm ready to get it like this. I hear him coming. And as soon as I catch it, pow, like a four-over rooster, this guy hit me. Teeth went flying, lip flapped, head hits on the ground. And of course, he jumps up. How'd that feel? How'd that feel? I said, not too good, not too good. I went over to the sideline. I'm going to the sideline. And the coach is coming over. Coach, coach, you know, he says, Danny, he says, what was that guy's number? I said, hell, I didn't get his license plate number. Afterwards, the press would say, we really admire you for not fumbling the ball. I said, fumble the ball? How can you fumble when it's six inches into your chest? Of course, the last time when I went back out there after they sewed me up, before the ball was between the cheeks of the center's rear end, I had both hands up. Hasn't this been great? Hasn't this been wonderful? These guys have done a long time. I met Gus and Kevin Lynch a long time ago. And that was the granddaddy. This is the granddaddy of all the events. But what I want to talk to you today about, I think the greatest thing that we can offer one another is our witness, Dave. That's what we have. But I want you to reflect with me. I have a witness. You have a witness. It never stops. OK? And then at the end, I'm going to challenge you, all of us. Not me, the good Lord. All right? Basically, I'm from Ohio. Born and raised, Steubenville, Ohio. Catholic education all the way. Great parents. Knew all about the Catholic faith. Dominican nuns. All the way up through Xavier University with the Jesuits. Back then, a lot of our teachers were Jesuits. And I knew all about the faith. I was an altar boy. And then came to Xavier, and then graduated in 1967, drafted by the Saints in the last round, 17B, I think it was. I think they fell asleep. The guy hit the knob. My name came up. Said, yeah, we'll take him. But it made me mad. I said, I'm going to prove this to them. They didn't think I was going to make it. And then I finally made it on the Saints. And I said, I'm going to show them and start having some success in my career. And with success comes the fame and the glory. And they start patting you on the back. Boy, Danny, you're the greatest. At this time, I was married with one child. 1969, I end up leading the league in receiving and made All-Pro. Man, got it made now. Said, I'm going to even prove them more. And this went on for several years. Now I had another child on the way. And I did practice my faith. Now, sometimes I was half in a bag or hung over. See, I was into the party scene, the glory and the party. You're the greatest. I started believing that it was me. Guys, the first time someone threw me a football, I could catch it. Why couldn't my brother catch like me? How could I take the glory? But I did. This went on for several years and having success. At the end of my career, by worldly standards, it said, man, does he have it made. Fame, some fortune. We never made anywhere near what these guys. I told Archie the other day, I said, all you have to do is follow Peyton and Eli around. And whatever falls out of their pocket, you'll be in good shape. I mean, I killed him the first year I signed for $17,000. My dad was a fireman. I thought that was a lot of money. Anyway, at the end of that career, I said, this is great. I'm going to go into the business world, and I'll do the same thing. So three-piece suit, at the end of the business world, same deal. Party scene, pat on the back, Las Vegas, drinking, carousing. Now we have three kids still practicing my faith as a Catholic by the precepts of the church. Then something happened, guys, and I had problems because my wife would say, honey, I'm not going to do this again, and I'd be back doing it again. And then finally, one day, guys, something happened. I woke up after one of those mornings that I was out, and I looked at my lovely wife, who has been my high school sweetheart. We've been married for 40 years now. I looked at her, and then I walked into each of the three children's room and looked at them. And then I went back in, guys, and shaved. You know how you shave? Most of the time you look, and you just shave, and you're just looking at what's your face and think you're good looking until your mirror must be really good to make you look good looking sometimes. But I looked for the first time, men, into my eyes, down into my soul. And guess what happened? I said, I hate this person. If this is life, then life isn't worth living. Isn't this the big, all pro, the guy that had all the answers, the guy that the world all loves? What happened? There was a temptation put on me, wasn't there? And last Sunday there was a temptation, men. Jesus was tempted. It says in Luke 4, 1 and 3, filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil. There's a devil out there. Don't think that there's not a devil out there. We get it all watered down. You can call him evil one, whatever you want to call him, it's the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when it was over, he was hungry. The devil said to him, if you are the Son of God, command this stone to be bread. Jesus answered him. Remember now, this devil knew that this was God. It is written, one does not live by bread alone. Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, I shall give to you all this power and the glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I will give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours if you worship me. Jesus said to him in reply, it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve. Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the temple and said to him, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written, I will command his angels concerning you to guard you, and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against the stone. And Jesus said in reply, it also says, you shall not put the Lord your God to test. When the devil had finished, he departed and said, I'll be back at a more opportune time. He didn't give up. And who in the heck do we think we are, if he tempted Jesus knowing he was God? How many times, and it's not if he's going to tempt us, but how many times and when? Multiple. It never stops. Temptation stops 15 minutes after you're in the grave. You get it? What did he tempt? Like all temptations, lust of the flesh, desire for glory, and eagerness of power. It's a little bit different. What happened up until this point in my little witness? Jesus took who with him? The Holy Spirit. Who did Danny have with him? Even though the Holy Spirit dwelt in me, I did not call on the Holy Spirit. I went through my temptation in the desert by myself. And then what happened? That morning, that was the Holy Spirit knocking like he's knocking on many hearts today. I opened it up that morning to him. The door in our hearts, it's a funny door. It only has a knob on the inside. We have to open up and invite him in. That morning, I called a priest friend. I said, I'd like to come see you. He says, well, how's next week? I said, Padre, you don't understand. I'm talking about right now I need to see you. He says, come on over. I went over to see him, and he said, you came to the right place. I started telling him, I'm an alcoholic. I said, hey, man, don't go that strong. I didn't say anything about that. So he sent me to a guy named Buzzy, who got me involved with a sort of a program. He was analyzing me, and he asked me some questions. And I said, what does all this mean? He asked me 14 questions. He said, Danny, if you miss one, you're pretty well on your way to becoming an alcoholic. Any more than that, you're in bad shape. Well, I missed the first 13. I had the 14th one right. He said, have you ever been to AA? And I said, no. So I had that one right. He turned to me then and said, would you go to AA meeting? And like someone was speaking to me, I said yes. So on December the 15th, 1981, that's the first day I walked into AA because I had a disease of alcoholism. But guys, don't feel bad for me. It's the greatest thing that ever happened to me. In fact, to show you how the spirit moved, I called my brother, said, Joe, yeah, you're a drunk, just like me. Let's go to the meeting tonight. And he came with me, and we have not looked back since. So thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. I became sober, not serene. But the Lord was freeing me a little bit. But I still wasn't giving in, guys. I came there, you know, us guys, we don't give in easy. After a little while, the devil, he comes back again. He says, I'm working a program, but I'm really not. They say, hey, hi, I'm Danny, or Bob, or Helen. I'm an alcoholic. Hey, Bob, Danny, whatever. That's how a meeting does. I said, hi, I'm Danny. I'm an alcoholic. I didn't believe that. Finally, I was in about nine months, ten months in the program. And the devil says, Danny, you're not like them. You can probably go out and have two or three beers. You got it licked. So I was about to get up, guys, smoke a cigarette in one hand. I'm not like them guys. So I'm walking to the door. And there was a handicapped lady in the meeting, and it was her turn to speak. And I'm walking. And she says, I'd like to confess, my name's Helen. I can't remember. Doesn't matter. I've got to confess something to you, and I'm going to confess something to you. I've got to confess something to you all. She says, I had a slip after 14 and 1 1⁄2 years. My hand was on the doorknob. It was like electricity was in the doorknob. Man, I got my humble butt. I started going back the other way. And she says, you know what the scary part is? When I took that first drink, it was like I never had stopped. After the meeting over, I was cleaning the floors, ashtrays, and putting everything away, man. Scared me to death. Then the next time I was at a meeting, and I said, Danny, and I'm an alcoholic, I meant it. For no one else but myself. Alcoholics will con their most. We con ourselves. We think we're conning God. You can't con God. He's God. We're man. We're weak. I love what Paul says. When I'm weakest, that's when I'm strongest. But the Lord started working me. And next thing I got in the newspaper and saw there was a Bible study class. I can remember I went to it. There was me and about 18 women in this thing. And I said, what am I doing here? They says, open to Ephesians. I thought they was talking about a linebacker or somebody. So I opened my book, crunch, and they looked around. I said, wore my first one out. This is a new one I just bought. You remember how the Holy Spirit was working here now and we're reflecting? I can remember the guy that was teaching it. It was a man, a layperson. And he said, brother, he knew who I was. I thought I was masquerading or something in there. He said, they got this meeting that I want you to attend Wednesday night. And like someone was speaking for me, I said, OK, I'll go. And I got out in the car and said, what the hell did I tell him? I don't want to go there. So I go to this meeting and I said, I'll get in the back row. How am I doing on time, all right? Good shape. I'm in the back row, guys. You know that typical Catholic. Back row, back against the wall. Easy exit, especially when collection comes. So I'm there. Oh, Lord, what am I doing here? Here come two big ladies, boom, boom. They had Bibles, umbrellas, everything else. They plopped down right next to me. The music starts. Oh, my goodness, I'm at a charismatic meeting. Lord, they're praising the Lord and all this. I got to get out of here. Them ladies next to me, oh, Lord. And the wall's here, the ladies are here, I can't get out. So I start looking around. And guess what I saw, guys? I saw smiles on their faces. I said, wait a minute, that's what I want. I got a frown on my face, I want to smile. But when the meeting was over, guys, I couldn't get out of there faster. Let me get out of here. Guess who's out there? Benny, the teacher. Brother, how you doing? Oh, the last guy I wanted to see was him. They got a thing starting next Wednesday. It's called the Life in the Spirit Seminar. I want you there. OK, Benny. My wife, in the meantime, she's back smiling, you know. So I go to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. Like a typical guy in church when they're there in church nowadays, their folded hands are in their pockets. I said, I'll listen, but I'm not going to be involved with this thing. About the fifth or sixth week, guys, pay attention to this very carefully, this part right here, because it's going to change your life and change mine. Picture three circles. These three circles, guys, are us in the world, all of us. Picture the first circle here with a cross outside of it. The second circle has a cross just inside of it, and the third circle has a cross right in the middle. This guy who was teaching was a layperson. He said, this is a person, the first one, with a cross outside of it. That's Jesus Christ in relation to us in our life. He said, this person has the Lord nowhere in their life. I couldn't relate to that, because I did have the Lord in my life. The second person, he says, is a person that has in his life, the center of his life, something else. The Lord revolves around. That was me. My ego and booze was number one in my life. My family, my job, my God revolved around me. I cut deals with God. Deal. God, work this out for me, and I will back. I promise I won't do it again or I'll do this. He holds two. What do we do? We back out. The third circle, he says, is a person that has at the center of his life Jesus Christ. He has to be the King. He is the master. Your job, your family, everything revolves around him. Men, amen is right. Men, it wasn't no burning bush like Moses. The bells didn't go off, but I knew that I knew, that I knew, that I knew that I had to turn my life over entirely to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. When I did it, it was not no jolt. As time goes by, time goes by, up until this point, how many times have I used I in here? A million? When you bring the Lord in your life and make him in your heart, guess what happens? I leaves, we come in. Because I could be doing a lot of other different things this weekend. The most important thing I could be doing in my whole life is here right now. And the most important thing you could be doing right now, he's called you here right now today, is another opportunity in your life to accept him deeper or not. You have the choice, just like I have the choice every day. When I did that, anger, resentment, and stuff left. Love came in to my heart. Relationships changed. My wife, here I am running around doing all these things. Someone asked me one time way back in there, did you love your wife? I says, I think I did. How sad. Now they ask me, I love her to death. I love her, I love her, I love her. I love her more than anything on the face of the earth. Relationship with my children. With other people. Your priorities change, guys, when you do that. In the process of this, individually I start doing something in my life. But guess what? Once the Spirit gets a hold of you, see we put God in the box. Guys, it's time to get God out of the box. He's bigger than life. He's God. Don't put Him in a box. Don't limit yourself with Him working in your life. He put on my heart to start a prayer group at my house. I said, you've got to be crazy. I got this AA thing. I said, maybe to start a Bure game of cards or something, I might really do that. I thought it was some, no, this is my imagination. And then one day He really, I want you to start this group. And guys, I did. I called some guys up, I didn't know what to do. Some I knew, some I didn't know because other guys told me to give them a call. And one evening we started at my house on a Monday. Guess how many happened to show up that night? 12. We just start praying. That's been 24 years ago. See, I needed those men in my life too. And they needed me in their life. We need one another, as Catholic as all. We need the priest, need us. We need the priest. Not only for sacraments, we've got to love them to death. 10 minutes. John Paul II said, what's happening now? Let's talk about now. John Paul II said there'd be a new springtime in the Church, in the new millennium. Men, I believe with my heart it's going to start with a men's movement if we allow the Spirit to move, if we accept the Spirit in our life, and if the priests cooperate and bishops cooperate in this power. Because we need men back as spiritual heads of the family. We've dropped the ball. In my book, it's Spiritual Atrophy of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Think of the priorities in your life. Is it a priority in your life? Spirituality. We take care of the mental, physical, and all that kind of business. That end, the spiritual part, lasts forever, says Jesus Christ. But we take care of the other things first. I believe with my heart, men, it's time to stand up and be counted. You agree? I believe that Jesus Christ is challenging us right now. And in reading this Confirmative today to me, this is Deuteronomy 26, 17. Today you are making this agreement with the Lord. He is to be your God, and you are to walk in His ways and observe His statutes, commandments, and decrees, and to hearken to His voice. Please put the challenges up. Guys, this challenge thing is not about other human being. The Pope's not involved. The bishop's not involved. The only one involved in this is Jesus Christ and you guys. These are the challenges. Number one, you've got the papers out there. Don't act like we don't have them. One challenge, God is challenging us to realize that it's time to stand up and be counted and make your spiritual life a high priority in your personal life. It's not something you go to Mass on Sunday, leave it there, and go to work on money and be a jackass. Or a guy that's hard to get along with at home, you treat your family terrible. It's time to make spiritual, number one. Number two, commitment. See, men need to be challenged. We don't challenge men enough. How did I make the saints? They challenged me. I accept it. Our church is going through a tough time. What do we do? Run away? I mean, this place should be packed in here. Commit to the Lord that you will attend a men's sharing or fellowship group at least six weeks straight. We tell them in AA, guys, come for 30 days. If you don't like it, we'll give your misery back. And that you will attend at least one conference. You already got one out of the way. You attended a conference. Number three, fellowship. We will ask the Holy Spirit, while attending these small sharing groups, to give us the courage to be open to share with our fellow men what is truly not my handicap. Guys know each other for six months. You know how deep they got? My name is Bob, and my handicap's 18. That's about the depth that we go as men. Women, they're in there for 20 minutes. They already got down to how many grandchildren they got they're sharing. Guys are scared to share. The Holy Spirit will allow you to share, truly share in your heart. I wish I had time I could tell you two testimonies. They cut me short here. They kicked me and threw me over in a corner. No, they did a good job. They gave me more time. Where we at? Next one. Perseverance. Persevere in prayer to Jesus to give you the strength and the courage to commit to this, to these challenges. Commit to Him. Next, five. Humility. Humble ourselves before our awesome Creator. We're not in awe of God anymore. We're not in awe of Him. Who's going to be in awe? I am in awe of you, God. I love you, Lord. You are the one. God, you are the one. Like who? As the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph did so that we can become, begin to change our hearts to become holy men of God. In Genesis, what's it say? Be holy like I am holy. Second Vatican Council, what did they say? Call to holiness. Holy men of God. I was a whole, Danny was a man, a drunk, stumbling out of a, that's a man? No, a man is you guys. A man are guys that are here. Guys that are in church are a man. Not the guy that drops his kids off and he goes golfing or watches stupid ESPN. That's not a man. A man is the guys in church. A man is the one that supports the priest. That's a man. Sixth, service. Open our minds and our hearts to His word, not the world's word. His word, what did Jesse say? And the teaching of His holy Catholic church. The Baptists are wonderful people, but Jesus Christ founded this church, period. So that we can better serve God and our fellow men in our everyday lives, right where we're at. You don't have to jump into Zecklin, into ministry. Right where we're at. The Lord might be calling, I know He is. The Lord's calling Archbishop, if he's here. The Lord's calling some people to the priesthood right now. Right now He is. Young men, don't be afraid of it. Pray on it. But other men, right where we're at. Grandfathers, I don't care how old you are, or what you do. Right where you're at. In sports, in coaching, Jim Louder, we're in coaching. Jim Cook, in coaching. Affect their lives. You guys are already doing it. Next. Boldness. Not Tim. Boldness. Toughness. Once we have been touched by the Holy Spirit, inwardly. Guys will not come back to church. You will not do anything until you're touched inwardly. I was not a good husband. I was not a good father. Did I give him money and stuff? Is that a good father? Good schools or a good father? That's part of the deal. Touch him inward. The spiritual part is number one. We take him to clinics. We take him to soccer. We take him all the... Well, we don't take him to church. We don't sit and pray with him. We don't say grace before meal. Us. Don't look at no one else. Start with myself. Because we're ashamed. What will somebody say? Who cares? There's only one you should worry about. If you take care of that relationship, all the rest will take care of itself. Because he is the proclaimant to the other people out there, your fellow man, that he is the way, the truth, and the light. Guys, how do you get the graces to do this? You can't call it on yourself. Next. Guys, I know a lot of guys don't pray. Start praying. 15 to 30 minutes a day. Not, big guy upstairs, please help me. This big guy, get that big guy out of your mind. It's Jesus Christ. Don't be afraid to say it. Prayer, 15 to 30. These are minimums. Because we pray a lot of times, Lord, will you do this? My son's on drugs, or this has happened, or that's happened. Do we really believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ will answer that prayer? I don't know if we do. Guess what, though, guys? I'm telling you, I'm going to guarantee you this. If you do these challenges and follow this, your life will absolutely change. Absolutely. Says who? Says Jesus Christ. Attend Mass. Mass. You mean to tell me Jesus Christ suffered, died, crucified, rose from the dead for us to attend Mass at St. Paul's just on Sunday. If we really believe, this will be Jesus Christ. Thank you. Right here. And when the archbishop consecrates the blood, it is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Savior Jesus Christ. The blood. It is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Savior Jesus Christ. You mean to tell me we only go to Mass once on Sunday. That's it. If you did your work once on Sunday, and that's all, what kind of workman would you be? What kind of an athlete would you be? What kind of priest would you be? You're in a big Catholic area. You mean to tell me you can't find Mass? You mean to tell me you don't want to be with Jesus Christ? You have to answer that, guys. I can just tell you this. Not because the church tells me. I go to Mass daily. I pray daily. They give me the hook. Go to confession. You did that. Everyone, it was amazing. I wish I could raise a hand, but I'll bet a bunch of you went there. Next. Pray the rosary. Pray the rosary one or two times a week. The mother, if you want something from me, all you have to do, my mother's dead 20 years, but come to my mother and ask her for a favor for me. If she came, what would you say? No? That's why we go to Mary. And finally, attend Eucharistic adoration at least twice. All right, guys? Let's bow our head one second. Lord God, Lord God, we ask you to touch all of us in a special way, to call us to this challenge, to accept it in our faith, our sacramental church that you formed, Lord. Touch all of us inwardly with the working of your Holy Spirit. We ask all this in your precious name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, we are encouraging you to join a Parish Men's Fellowship group. We've provided a sign-up card right here in the conference program book. We mentioned earlier there are about 200 such groups. We want to call your attention to that sign-up card. You'll note there are several boxes you can check. It's self-explanatory. It's on page 28. For those of you who are interested, sign up the card now. You can give it to any usher or put it in one of those buckets that I mentioned earlier. One of these guys. If you wish to consider it further, you can mail in the card later. What we're going to do with these cards is we'll pass them out.