Posts by Jeffrey Arrowood
Let’s Be Reasonable
My son proclaimed at the dinner table one night, “The Bible is homophobic!” He was hoping to get a rise out of me. It almost worked. But I controlled my emotions and began engaging my son in a discussion instead. Not only did we have a great dinner conversation, but hopefully my children learned a…
Read MoreHope: Trusting God Through the Chaos
Your family needs the virtue of Hope, now more than ever. There is no doubt that you are raising your family in tumultuous times. Confusion and chaos abound in both the culture and the Church. It would be easy to throw our hands up in despair and cry out, “Why even bother? What’s the use?”…
Read MoreThe 5th Commandment; Do No Harm
Do you assume that keeping the 5th Commandment is easy because you’d never commit cold-blooded murder? Well, Jesus challenges us to live this Commandment on a deeper level, valuing each person’s life and dignity. This month’s article shows you how to keep the 5th Commandment even when you start feeling resentful or angry toward your children, and how you can model the virtue of meekness so your children can learn how to value others as well!
Read MoreChurch & 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…
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