Posts by Jeffrey Arrowood
Church & Chicken: Keeping the Lord’s Day
One of the most important traditions in my family growing up was Sunday dinner. Our family would go to Mass, then sit around the kitchen and talk while the air filled with smells of baking chicken and winter squash. We’d then sit around the table for a formal family meal. My parents expected good manners…
Read MoreNo One Likes Name Calling
Click Here to Download the Printable Version in PDF Format It is fair to say that public discourse – the way we talk to each other – has dropped to an all-time low. A quick check of most Twitter feeds, Facebook posts or trending YouTube videos will reveal multiple examples of foul language, cursing and…
Read MoreGod’s Plan for Us: Faithfulness to God
Click Here to Download the Printable Version in PDF Format Parents want what’s best for their children. And the desire to give our children the best goes beyond providing for our children’s physical needs. As Catholic parents, we know that ultimately giving our children what is best means helping them to develop an intimate relationship…
Read MoreTheology of the Body
The full, beautiful understanding of sexuality and love is expressed in Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Discover the wonderful plan of life & love that God stamped into our bodies, why this plan went wrong when human beings turned to sin, and how we can reclaim the original meaning of sexuality.
Read MoreParenting Toward Adulthood: Participating in the Life & Mission of the Church
The main task at this stage is for the young adult to graduate into an adult faith in which the relationship with Christ really makes a difference in his or her life. As this happens, the young adult also seeks God’s vocation for his or her life. One of the worst mistakes we make when…
Read MoreParenting Toward Adulthood: Developing Society
By the time your child is 18, he should have the knowledge and virtue to go into the world and live as Christ lived. This means that parenting during the teen years should focus on readying your youth for participation in the world outside the home. In general, this means checking in with your emerging…
Read MoreParenting in the School-age Years: Participating in the Church
Children at this age are masters at memorization. They are also at an age of great intellectual curiosity. The parent’s task is to engage that curiosity and capitalize on their increased learning capacity to lead them to a better understanding of the faith. One mistake that parents often make at this stage is to assume…
Read MoreParenting Toward Adulthood: Serving Life
Convincing a young adult to reserve sexual activity for marriage is one of the greatest challenges a parent will face. There are many reasons for this. First, many parents themselves did not wait until marriage so they do not think they can expect their children to wait either. Secondly, some parents think that sexual activity…
Read MoreParenting Toward Adulthood: Forming a Community of Persons
‘It’s time to become the guide at the side, not the sage on the stage”. This phrase aptly describes the transition parents make during the young adult years. Youth are still expected to follow the right counsel of their parents and participate in family life and parents are still expected to provide guidance and interaction.…
Read MoreParenting in the School-age Years: Developing Society
When your children were younger, developing society as a family was directed by the parents. As your children reach puberty, they are going to have their own ideas about how to serve others through volunteerism and social justice.
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