I have the great blessing of having three adopted siblings. After having six biological children, my parents decided to adopt three more. They are incredibly generous people, and I think are perhaps strongly against the idea of spending any time at all in purgatory,...
married
4 Lessons I Learned In Seminary That Help Me In Marriage
Four years ago, my future seemed clear to me. I thought I’d spend my days living in small-town Minnesota and ministering to country parishes as their priest. I love my home state, and I love the people there very much, but God had other plans. After...
What Does It Mean To Have A Crucifixion Type Of Love For Your Wife?
This beautiful spoken-word piece titled “A Crucifixion Type Love” was written and performed by Brent Rice and, although (disclaimer) we don't know much about Mr. Rice and his personal religious beliefs, there is no doubt that his poetry is stunning, passionate, and a...
Can Married People Become Saints?
Recently I read an account of a martyr who was not an ordained religious. The author began the reflection by saying that this saint helps us to keep in mind that sainthood is possible in all states of life. While this statement is true and supplies hope and...
Three Key Tips For Praying As A Couple
Have you ever thought, "Wow, I want to have a great marriage...how does that happen?" The answer is simple - prayer. Here are three simple ways to implement prayer in your relationship and form a strong, intimate relationship with your spouse. Schedule It This may...
5 Ways To Strengthen Your Marriage During Quarantine
This time of quarantine has been a relationship accelerator for so many couples. For Better or For Worse. Starting today, what are five things you can do to make the most of this time together? There is a five-step process that we have seen work miracles in hundreds...
Pro-Lifers: Contraception Isn’t The Answer You’re Looking For
Some pro-lifers believe contraceptives are a necessary tool for helping prevent abortions. To many, it seems logical. Contraceptives prevent unwanted pregnancies. No unwanted pregnancies mean no abortions. Therefore, many people believe contraception is the answer to...
Are We Falling In Love With A List Of Qualities Rather Than A Person?
I was 18 years old when I wrote my first ‘list.’ The ‘list’ was introduced to me by a friend of mine who wanted to know what kind of men I would like to date. She explained to me that ‘the list’ is a carefully thought out list of qualities that single people would...
Millennial Minimalism: A Newly Married Couple Learn To Declutter Their Lives
As fairly new homeowners (it’s been 1.5 years), one struggle that my husband and I have is that of finding a right balance with how much stuff we possess. Our goal: not to possess too little stuff (we’re not hardcore minimalists) and not to possess too much stuff (we...
This Simple Method Of Praying With Your Spouse Will Improve Your Marriage!
Praying with my husband is something that has never been easy for me to do. Though I tell him everything and share all aspects of my life with him, I've always seemed to stumble when it comes to our prayer time together. Our first few years of marriage, I forced...
Chastity Within Marriage | Part 2: Living Conjugal Chastity
Authentic sexual expression is always rooted in two purposes: procreative and unitive. The procreative aspect of sex is the couple’s openness to life. The unitive is the fulfillment of the one-flesh union of man and woman within the context of marriage. If the...
31 Of The Best Catholic Books On Marriage
If you're like most people, you have spent more time preparing for your career than you have for your marriage. We tend to dedicate years of education to get ready for our jobs, but when it comes to marriage most of us focus more on planning a wedding than investing...
3 Ways You Can Prepare For Your Future Spouse
If you feel that you are called to marriage, there are series of things that you can do to prepare yourself for that beautiful call. Here we are going to go over three key ideas that can help you together with some reflection questions. We invite you to watch Father's...
The 9 Bible Verses That Will Help You Discern God’s Will For Your Life
The new year is only a few hours away and with it comes the setting of goals and resolution lists. Whether it’s switching jobs, choosing what colleges you want to apply to, deciding if you’re ready to have another baby, or going back to school (among other...
Holy Father, I Want to Get a Divorce| The Pope Francis Minute
In the midst of trials and arguments, it is often too quickly forgotten that marriage is a covenant bond between spouses which is sealed by God. When two people grow apart in a marriage, the easy solution might appear to be to get a divorce. However, the...
7 Things You Need To Know About Infidelity In Marriage
Esther Perel is a prominent Belgian psychotherapist who lives in New York. She has dedicated 30 years to couples therapy and to the study of infidelity; and she has been traveling around the world for the last 10 years, collecting information about this topic in...
You Can Destroy a Relationship With Just One Look…Here’s How
Have you ever simply sat and observed how others look? I am not referring to their outer appearance, rather to how to they look at what's around them. Where and how a person looks can tell you a lot about who they are and where their heart is. Every glance is filled...
“The Secret To A Successful Marriage” | Pope Francis Minute
The "Pope Francis Minute" is Catholic Link’s animated series on the teachings of Pope Francis. The events portrayed in the series are fictional events based on the wisdom of our Holy Father. In this episode, Pope Francis is speaking to a young man who has just...
Engaged Couple’s Spiritual Checklist
When a couple gets engaged, most brides-to-be are busy creating Pinterest boards and checklists of things that need to get done before the big day. Details such as flowers, colors, napkins, and centerpieces are painstakingly agonized over. Grooms often get...
5 Ways To Give Your Spouse The Best Gift Ever (Hint: It’s You!)
"Man finds himself when he makes himself a sincere gift." These are the words of wisdom given to us by Saint Pope John Paul II and reiterated by Leah Darrow in this promotional video for Beloved: Finding Happiness in Marriage. What is the best gift you can give your...
This Is One Of The Most Beautiful Videos On Vocations Ever Made
Saint Augustine, upon arriving at one of the most intense moments of his phenomenal work, The Confessions, once wrote these words to God: "Too late did I love You, O Fairness, so ancient, and yet so new!" Speaking from my own story, perhaps no other phrase summarizes...
Love In The Time of Advertising
Written by Matt Berenty and David Bokser, "Love in the Time of Advertising" is "An animated musical love story about a young man who lives inside a billboard and is charged with updating the advertisements. When he falls in love with a beautiful lady living across the...
Dating Culture: Do We Treat People Like Products?
When was the last time that you were honest, truly honest? How many of us keep holding onto that delusional aspiration of a safe and comfortable relationship built on external smiles, hollow dialogues, and cheesy silence-fillers. Isn’t it obvious that it is destined...