Adolescence
A Great Virtue for the New Year
A friend and I were discussing the fallout from last year. I admitted to him that I caught myself saying, “I don’t know what or who to believe anymore,” nearly every week. He agreed that discerning the truth was a daunting task made more difficult because people seemed to make decisions based on how they…
Read MoreAffability In An Angry World
Is it just me or do people today seem more angry, desperate, and defiant? The news must think so because they often describe the U.S. as a divided nation. They write stories about family members who yell at each other, of hostile neighborhoods and workplaces where sides have been taken. The picture they paint is…
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 MoreThe Heart of the 4th Commandment: Do What Love Asks
You’ve been there, right? Your kids are not complying to a simple request that you’ve made. You don’t want to yell or berate or lose your temper. So you do the countdown – one, two, three… You hope that counting will move your kids to get to business. If it works and they do meet…
Read MoreLonganimity: Patience for the Long Haul
Our culture is broiling with anger and turmoil. Pandemic, lockdown, riots, and political vitriol surrounding presidential elections are making us irritated, frustrated, and angry. We could all use a greater strengthening of this month’s virtue: longanimity. Also known as “long-suffering,” longanimity refers to patience over a long period of time. The word literally means “long-souled” and is closely related to the term magnanimity, which means “great-souled.” Being willing to put up with suffering and frustration, especially out of love for others, is one way we express the greatness of Christlike love. In our parenting, longanimity means playing the long game, putting up with current challenges in order to help your children become who God created to be. Learn more about this powerful virtue in this month’s “Circle of Virtue” article.
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 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 MoreLet’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 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 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…
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