Tag Archives: faith

February: A Month Dedicated to the Holy Family

07 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Holy Family Stained Glass_02

The family is indeed—more than any other human reality— the place where an individual can exist “for himself” through the sincere gift of self. St. John Paul II[1]

The Church dedicates the month of February to the Holy Family. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is the model of virtue for all Christian households. In these troubling times, when families are no longer valued and are disintegrating, it is of paramount importance that we emulate this virtuous family.

The Holy Family lived out what the Church calls the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. Cardinal is the Latin word for “hinge.” All of the other virtues hinge around these four virtues. The higher theological virtues of faith, hope, and love are the fruit of the cardinal virtues.

Continue reading →

Jesus is the Answer

04 Sunday Oct 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Jesus the Good Shepherd

I am the Good Shepherd

Fr. John Riccardo of ACTS XXIX, an apostolate of the Archdiocese of Detroit, is fond of saying, “The world will find happiness to the extent that it finds Jesus.” We are living in a time of great division, anger, and strife. Cities are being burned to the ground. Civil unrest is rampant. As a culture, we have lost the ability to discuss our differences. Strife, despair, and hopelessness are extracting a terrible toll on our lives. For the first time in 100 years, the life expectancy in the United States has decreased three years in a row. Sociologists says that we are dying “deaths of despair.”

What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end.[1] Porta Fidei (Door of Faith), §15

Continue reading →

Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne – Grandparents of Jesus

26 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Ambrosius_Benson_-_El_abrazo_de_San_Joaquin_y_Santa_Ana_ante_la_puerta_dorada,_Museo_del_Prado_(Madrid) (2)

Hug of St. Joachim and St. Anne before the Golden Gate
Ambrosius Benson, c. 1528

Today is the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. In the Catholic Church, this is the “feast of grandparents.” Grandparents have the responsibility to establish a Christian worldview for the generations that follow. They have the task of keeping the traditions of the faith alive for their children and grandchildren. This feast is also a reminder for the younger generation to cherish the wisdom and experience of their older family members. Grandparents are a precious gift to well-being of the family.

Continue reading →

St. Joseph: Exemplar of Fatherhood

21 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Gerrit_van_Honthorst_-_Childhood_of_Christ

The Childhood of Christ, Gerrit van Honthorst, c. 1620

Father’s Day is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June. It is a day to celebrate fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society, especially in the foundation of society, the family. Unfortunately, there is a father absence crisis in America. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.7 million children, more than one in four, live without a father in the home. The consequences of this are devastating and a major factor in nearly all social ills in America today.[1]

Here are some facts on the astounding impact fathers have on their children:

Continue reading →

Until Death Do Us Part

16 Sunday Feb 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Bible with rings

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7

On Valentine’s Day, we participated in the funeral Mass for a very dear friend. He died suddenly leaving his beautiful wife of 27 years and six amazing children.

We have known this couple for more than 15 years. During that time, we shared in their joys and sorrows. We celebrated their children’s baptisms, first Communions, confirmations and graduations. We worked side-by-side with them serving the poor and praying for an end to abortion. Their faithful love for each was a great witness to us.

Love never ends…1 Corinthians 13:8

Continue reading →

Fixing the Root Cause of Violent Crime: Healthy and Holy Marriages and Families

10 Saturday Aug 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

St Josemaria on Marriage

The future of the world and of the Church passes through the family.[1]

These prophetic words were penned by St. John Paul II in 1982 in his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (The Christian Family in the Modern World). Society and the Church are built on the foundation of strong marriage and family life.

The well-being of the individual person and of human and Christian society is intimately linked with the healthy condition of that community produced by marriage and family.[2]

These equally prophetic words were written in 1965 by Pope Paul VI in the Vatican II document, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes). It was a time when traditional values were being questioned and often jettisoned as being “old fashioned.” Divorce was rapidly rising, the number of children born out of wedlock was increasing and traditional family life and moral values were under attack.

Our society today is suffering the ills of the breakup of marriages and families. Continue reading →

Feast of Ss. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

26 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Education of the Virgin_Velazquez

The Education of the Virgin, Diego Velázquez, c. 1617-18

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Joachim and Anne are not mentioned in Scripture. Everything we know about them has been handed on by tradition. Desiring to have children, Joachim fasted and prayed in the desert for a child. An angel appeared to him and announced that he and Anne would soon have a daughter, who would be world renowned.

As respected members of the Jewish community, Joachim and Anne taught Mary the tenants of the faith. In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, Joachim and Anne brought Mary when she was three years old to the temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God. Mary remained in the temple to be prepared for the special role God would have her play in salvation history.

Continue reading →

Faith of Our Fathers

16 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

shutterstock_father leading son climbing wall

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Fathers, never doubt your importance of your example in the lives of your children, especially when it comes to instilling the faith.

A significant study conducted by the Swiss government in 1994 and published in 2000 revealed some astounding facts regarding the importance of a father’s faith in the generational transmission of faith and religious values.[1]

The study concluded that “It is the religious practice of the father of the family that, above all, determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children.”

Continue reading →

Faith: A Force for Good in Marriage

25 Saturday May 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

Couple Praying Rosary Holding Hands

On May 20, 2019, the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institution issued the report The Ties That Bind: Is Faith a Global Force for Good or Ill in the Family? The goal of the study was to understand how religion is linked, on average, to four key family outcomes in 11 countries: Argentina, Australia, Chile, Canada, Colombia, France, Ireland, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Drawing on data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and the Global Family and Gender Survey (GFGS), the report found that:

  • Both women and men in “highly religious” couples (i.e. regular church attendees) reported significantly greater satisfaction in their relationship compared to less religious and secular couples.
  • Women in “highly religious” relationships were about 50% more likely to report that they are “strongly satisfied” with their sexual relationship than their secular and less religious counterparts.

Continue reading →

Lenten Reflection: The Theological Virtue of Love

07 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Wedding Rings_Love Never Fails_1 Cor 13 8_shutterstock

On this the fifth Sunday of Lent, we continue our reflections on the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. This week we will look at the virtue of love. Links to the previous posts in this series are at the end of this reflection.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines charity, that is love, as “the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC, 1823). Jesus even raises love to the level of a new commandment, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12).

Continue reading →