CatholicFamilyToday

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I celebrate the chance to help married couples come to a better understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage. Sadly we have lost a sense of marriage as it was intended by God in the beginning. This blog is about marriage as it applies to scripture and the lives of the saints. As a Marriage Counselor I invite you to walk with me on a journey within the rich anthropology of our faith. The sacredness of Marriage is what this blog, and my work is all about.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Feast of Saint Anthony Mary Claret

Good morning. There are no restrictions to doing good. If it is the right thing to do then it should be done. This is an important lesson as parents we should teach our children. There will always be detractors in our lives who will attempt to detract us from doing the right thing. Just as Jesus in today’s Gospel there are always people who attempt to get in our way of doing the right thing. There are several things as parents to keep in mind toward teaching our children to always do the right thing. One thing is to praise our children whenever we see them doing the right thing. An approving glance or hug goes a long ways in reinforcing good behavior. Providing opportunities to make appropriate choices is helpful and it is important to begin early in guiding them in making good choices. The most important thing to remember is love. It is important to regularly let our children know how much we love and appreciate them. Give your child a hug today. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Anthony Mary Claret.

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BOOK OF THE MONTH

Awhile back I was out splitting wood when someone in passing introduced himself. Knowing me to be the parent of three of our four children whom the passerby knows he took the time to compliment me on what nice children Linda and I have. I suggested that most of the credit truly belongs to their mother and he responded that I likely had a play in it in some way and that whatever we did it should perhaps be put into a book. I thanked him and he went on his way and I resumed splitting wood with increased energy as a result of his kind words. This kind man is possibly correct about putting into a book whatever wisdom I might have to offer, but short of my ever getting any such wisdom published I might suggest reading the work of Peter Kreeft Before I Go: Letters to Our Children About What Really Matters. This delightful collection of instructional and at times humorous reflections by the author would likely reflect the type of things I would be inclined to put into words myself for my own children. Among many enlightening points the author makes, one which really needs to influence all that we as parents do is his point that the greatest gift which we give to our children is the gift of faith—their awareness of God. He likewise makes another critical point that when we are gone, “when the parent is dead, it’s too late to share the most precious things he knows.” This book should be part of every Christian family’s collection.