“It didn’t come with a manual.”I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a guy say that about marriage and fatherhood.But it is true…and it is a hard truth. The two most difficult “jobs” for a man—being a husband and a father—commence with little to no...
Love and Relationships
Learn more about love and relationships from a Catholic perspective. Perfect for Catholic dating couples, Catholic engaged couples, Catholic married couples, and those looking to form meaningful relationships.
20 Ways To Affirm Your Wife Emotionally, Spiritually, and Practically
“It didn’t come with a manual.”I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a guy say that about marriage and fatherhood.But it is true…and it is a hard truth. The two most difficult “jobs” for a man—being a husband and a father—commence with little to no...
Called To Love Our Neighbor | Breaking Bread Gospel Reflection
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?How do you read it?"He said in reply,"You shall love the Lord, your God,with all your heart,with...
Are You A Good Candidate For A Catholic Marriage That Will Last A Lifetime?
Do you desire to have a lifelong Catholic marriage? In the twenty-first century, that is a tall order. How can we be sure if we are dating someone that if we marry we will be able to persevere? How important is that perseverance thing? For a Catholic—indeed for any...
Married To An Atheist? How I Learned To Share My Catholic Faith Without Pushing Him Away
I kept my faith to myself for the first ten years of my marriage. My husband was an atheist, and although he came to Mass with me, he didn’t really get it, nor did he really want it. His questions felt like challenges to my faith, and it saddened me that I couldn’t...
How To Choose Love Over Lust In Your Marriage: 10 Ways To Love Your Wife
So how does one practically move from lusting after one’s wife to learning how to love her? Warning: this is not a simple list, but takes a lot of grace, humility, and effort. Buckle your seatbelts, gentlemen. 10 Ways To Love Your Wife (And Stop Lust) Dump the porn....
Why Love Your Wife? 10 Reasons To Choose Love Over Lust
Find the first part in this series on Loving Your Wife HERE. Before we can go into specifics about how to transition from lust to love with your wife, let’s examine why developing a look of love – with your eyes and your heart – is so important for your wife and your...
10 Things That Happen If You Look At Your Wife With Lust, Not Love
Gentlemen, have you ever had your wife completely turn down your advances, seem completely disinterested in your attempts to woo her, and instead be totally annoyed with you? If your answer is yes, then you’re meant to read this. Why might she be reacting in this...
What Does It Mean To Be Human? Theology Of The Body VS A.I.
Recently, a student showed me the days-long conversation she’d been having with her Snapchat A.I. assistant. She felt ambivalence about how “creepy” it was, but she couldn’t stop engaging with it. No matter what she asked, a reply instantly blinked onscreen. Yet it...
What Your Kids Will Learn When You Prioritize Your Marriage
Growing up, I always thought I had a solid family unit. My parents were youth leaders in our small Methodist church and my Dad was a fireman/paramedic in our small town. We were just a normal and faithful family. This is why I was shocked when, as a 19-year-old young...
Can Love Be A Commandment?| Gospel Reflection
Jesus said to his disciples:"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.Remain in my love.If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,just as I have kept my Father's commandmentsand remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in youand...
Cultivating Community: 6 Elements Of Peak Communication
The longing for genuine connection and community has never been more pronounced. Building and nurturing community is an essential endeavor in response to Christ’s call to discipleship. The quality of a community is reflected in the quality of...
What I Wish I Knew About Dating A Non-Catholic
There are Catholics who marry Catholics and who live a wonderful life. There are Catholics who marry Catholics who end up in divorce. There are Catholics who marry non-Catholics who lose their faith. And there are Catholics who marry non-Catholics whose spouses...
How To Talk To Your Teen About Pornography
Imagine this: You stand outside your teen’s bedroom door. You knock a few times and there’s no answer. A few moments pass by and you knock again. All is quiet. You make an executive decision to enter the room. As the door opens, you find your teenager sitting down...
7 Types Of Love And How They Relate To God’s Plan For Your Happiness
Heaven’s Currency, the third book in a trilogy I never expected to write (following Why All People Suffer and Dying without Fear), explains what the church has been taught about the nature of love and how it fits in God’s plan. Learning to love is a search for human...
Let This Be The Year You Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
I have a confession to make. Through my spiritual journey, and even through my professional path, I have struggled again and again with comparing myself to others. It has been a bump on the road that has stopped me from flourishing in an authentic, peaceful, and...
Can Catholic Singles Find Lasting Love In Today’s Throw-away Culture?
More young adults than ever doubt they can find real, lasting love. In today’s throw-away culture, a “forever love” that can endure the ups and downs of life can seem unrealistic, even unattainable. Yet, we all feel a deep need for love. In fact, scientific research...
Subtle Ways To Share Your Catholic Faith At Work
My brother, an Air Force veteran, once shared with me that his co-workers and subordinates have always been aware of his Catholic faith and devotion to God. Occasionally, they come to him with questions and difficulties, knowing that while he has godly wisdom, he...
Netflix’s “Happiness For Beginners” Shares Struggles Of People | Catholic Movie Review
One of the latest top ten movies on Netflix is Happiness for Beginners, a new release (July 27, 2023) based on the novel of the same title by Katherine Center. The movie opens with the main character’s wedding day, Helen, and immediately the viewer has doubts about...
Help! Is A Healthy Dating Relationship Even Possible Anymore?!
Dating is easy today, right? Hardly. It’s never been easy; but especially in a social media world—and after the pandemic, nothing can be taken for granted. This is literally uncharted territory. And yet, human nature remains fundamentally the same in so many...
The Importance Of Learning To Recognize The Voice Of Those You Love
John 10:1-10 Jesus said:"Amen, amen, I say to you,whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gatebut climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear...
Disagree With Your Priest? Here’s How To Respond
One of the best and most challenging aspects of the Church is that it is composed entirely of humans, who are flawed and fallible, with their own perspectives, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. As a result, disagreements between individuals can arise, and this...
5 Ways To Honor Your Catholic Grandparents
When I was young, my parents used to travel a lot, leaving me and my four sisters in the care of my grandmother. What I remember most is sitting in our living room where she would tell us stories written by her about each of her grandchildren, through which she would...
The World Doesn’t Want You To Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5: 38-48 Catholic Bible Study Jesus said to his disciples:"You have heard that it was said,An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.When someone strikes you on your right cheek,turn the other one as...
It’s Time For Catholics To Stop Believing These 5 Myths About Online Dating
Online dating has never been more popular. In fact, the trend suggests that online dating may become the norm rather than a supplemental tactic. A recent study showed 19% of internet users in the US said they were currently using an online dating app or...