Guide Your Family Through Future Generations With Family Ritual
Download the PDF What do you think of when you hear the word “ritual”? Does your mind turn to liturgy and prayer or formal ceremonies? You might be wondering what ritual could have to do with parenting and family life. The answer is that family rituals can be potent tools for building your family community,…
Read MoreResolve to Waste Time with your Children
Download the PDF A few years ago, Pope Francis sent out a challenge to parents across the globe. His simple and direct tweet said: Parents, can you “waste time” with your children? It is one of the most important things you can do each day. This mike drop tweet from our Holy Father reminds me…
Read MoreReady for the New School Year?
Download the PDF My parents had a wonderful practice of asking questions during dinner. They enjoyed getting us to think about topics and issues through conversation. I remember one question in particular; one that was asked the night before the start of another school year. What do you think you are going to discover at…
Read MoreWho Has the Greatest Influence On Your Children?
A your children grow toward adulthood, they come under the influence of a multitude of voices. Do they listen to their parents anymore? How can you continue to have the influence God calls you to? Learn what it means to be the primary educators of your children as they become more independent.
Read MoreTrue Joy Comes from Self-Control and Striving
Download the PDF Where do your children find joy? I teach at a Catholic school whose motto is “Joyfully Catholic.” Students will sometimes claim that we are not living up to our motto because we hold high standards for them. We give our students homework and expect them to complete it. We expect them to…
Read MoreTasks of the Family
Becoming a family means that you, as the parent, will lead your family towards the completion of a Godly mission. This mission comes from the document Familiaris Consortio (On the Role of the Family in the Modern World) which was written by Pope John Paul II. In his writings, the Pope identified four main tasks…
Read MoreRaising Catholic Kids in a Secular World
Are you interested in raising holy, happy, and respectful children? Try incorporating these ideas into your family life. Number One: Share the gift of faith with your children. Faith allows us to believe in God. Make sure that your house and life is filled with knowledge of the Triune God. Read bible stories with your…
Read MoreTis the Season to Receive
Download the PDF How we receive gifts is just as important as how we give them. This lesson was driven home to me as I experienced the difference between how my wife’s family celebrated Christmas and my family’s tradition. My wife’s family tends to form their family traditions around practical considerations, such as impatient children,…
Read MoreHaving Necessary Conversations About Right Relationships
Necessary Conversations As a child, I was the constant victim of bullying. I don’t know why, but my sisters and I were consistently targets for bullies in our neighborhood, on our school bus, at school, and even in extracurricular activities. While I got through it in the end, bullying gave me very low self-esteem that…
Read MoreValuing Being More Than Doing
Download the PDF A mother’s wisdom and love are never wasted. It can be so easy to fall into a utilitarian way of valuing ourselves and others. Utilitarianism is a philosophy that values people based solely on what they can contribute to society. Accomplishments become a sign of value. Our culture may not explicitly say…
Read MoreShould I Allow My Child to Struggle?
Necessary Conversations It’s difficult to be a good parent and raise children who love life and are faithful to God’s plan. It’s hard to know when to let them struggle and when to bail them out. It’s tough to discern when letting them struggle might break their spirit and when protecting them might make them…
Read MoreThe Importance of Community
Necessary Conversations Last Easter my wife, children, and I arrived at my parents’ house after a harrowing, icy trip. We arrived to a dark house and a dark neighborhood. The power had gone out and the power company didn’t think it would be back up for 24 hours or more. We had to finish Easter…
Read MoreWhat Is Sexuality?
Sexuality – Sexuality is more than just a biological reality. It is a person’s capacity to give and receive love as either a man or a woman. Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person (physical, psychological and spiritual) in the unity of his body and soul. Each person is more than a body that…
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