Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me
Necessary Conversations As we approach Christmas our thoughts are drawn to the comfortable sights and sounds of the holiday. As followers of Jesus, we remember the “reason for the season” by reflecting on Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Another thing that Christmas should remind us of, however, is that the manger that the baby Jesus was…
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 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 MoreChastity and Related Virtues
Virtue A Virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. We develop virtues or good habits through education, good acts frequently done, and perseverance in struggle. There are four virtues that are considered pivotal to human persons: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. These virtues are stable dispositions of the intellect and will…
Read MoreUnderstanding Gender Identity
Necessary Conversations There are two things that really frustrate me: being confused and not being told the truth. That is why the culture’s campaign on gender is difficult for me to understand. Can you relate? The term gender is confusing to me because it used to mean the same thing as “male” or “female” (a…
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 MoreThe Importance of Relationship for Emotional Maturity
Raise Them WellEmotional Maturity TRAIN THE YOUNG IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD GO;EVEN WHEN OLD, THEY WILL NOT SWERVE FROM IT (PROVERBS 22:6). There’s another hole in our house. We have a hole in a bedroom, a couple in the basement, and now there’s a new one in the bathroom door. When I asked the kids…
Read MoreA Breath of Fresh Air: Five Messages on Chastity That Will Put a Smile on Your Face!
Why is the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality a light in the darkness? The Church’s teachings are a light in the darkness because the Church presents God’s plan for authentic love and human fulfillment. Let us look at five key points about the good moral habit of chastity. Chastity is about finding fulfillment in…
Read MorePreparing Yourself to Discuss the Deep Moral Issues
If you don’t feel knowledgeable or equipped to discuss the deeper moral issues with your child, don’t worry. You are not alone. Several factors make these moral issues challenging to approach: Catechesis in moral issues has been lacking and even confused since the 1960s. Fully understanding moral theology requires a bit of philosophical knowledge that…
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…
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