Family / Women
In this practical and inspiring book, Tom Quinlan invites parents to consider how the love they have for their children reflects the love God has for each of us. This love is reflected in a particular way through the gift of the Eucharist. Parish and catechetical leaders will also find inspiration for affirming the essential role of the parent in the faith formation of their child.
Mary Gannon Kaufmann describes the life-giving nature of womanhood and seeks to guide women to live a deeper contemplative life of faith and prayer that can awaken holiness in themselves and others, in their families and the priests and deacons that they pray for.
Even though this call to effectively intercede for others is not new, today the call to spiritually uplift the Church and her clergy stands in new brilliance. Using Venerable Concepci n's work as well as the insights of other saintly women, Awakening a Life-Giving Heart helps women learn to negotiate the ups and downs of their lives as prayerful sacrifices for others.
There are typically two sides to the beer coaster:
"Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life." -- George Bernard Shaw
"Here's to alcohol, the rose colored glasses of life." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Drink to feel nothing, or drink to feel something. Both are widely practiced. But both fall flat.
As a Catholic, you want to live a full life, with intention and purpose. You think beer, wine, and liquor can be part of that, but you don't have an authentic way to approach alcoholic beverages, so you abstain or indulge. Either way, you come up empty. The fact is, most of us haven't been taught how to drink well.
In Barstool Theology, Trevor Gundlach cracks open an entirely new way to talk about beer and exactly how it can be an effervescent part of a life well lived. He invites you to become a fellow barstool theologian, ready to discuss the theology of life, friendship, art, seasons, celebrations, and, yes, delicious craft beer.
Barstool Theology does not lay down rules to follow but offers practical ideas to try. It is full of reflection, humor, analogies, ancient philosophy, and Instagram-worthy stories that open a new dialogue about drinking that is fresh, flavorful, and fun.
So, pull up a barstool. Let's have a drink and talk.
Who am I? What is my purpose? Where do I belong?
These questions linger in every season of our lives, but, as Mary Lenaburg learned the hard way, answering them becomes possible only when we direct our hearts to the God who made us and loves us best of all. Following Lenaburg's example in Be Bold in the Broken will give you the courage and inspiration you need to accept who you are--the good, the bad, and the awkward--and become the woman God made you to be.
Lenaburg desperately wanted to be part of a girl tribe in middle school. She wanted to belong, to have friends--to be seen. So the unathletic, gangly sixth grader tried out for the cheerleading squad. She didn't have fancy clothes like the other girls and she noticed that everyone else had "a chest." So Lenaburg stuffed a pair of her brother's sweat socks into her bra. You can probably guess the rest: One sock fell out when she started a tumbling routine.
When she was still feeling humiliated after several weeks, her father gave her some life-changing advice: "How about next time you just be you, do your best, and let God figure out the rest."
Lenaburg--the author of Be Brave in the Scared--explores her journey to self-acceptance as she struggled to make sense of who she is and what she had to offer. Relatable anecdotes will make you laugh as Lenaburg answers the questions she is most often asked and shares how she finally learned to own
With personal stories and faith-filled reflections, Lenaburg blazes the path to true identity and purpose in Christ.
It can be scary to hold your newborn--especially your first time! Yet God's grace and spirit are present. Blessing and Prayers for New Parents calls attention to these holy moments by offering reflections, prayers, Scripture, special suggestions for growing as a parent, and ways to remember how much you love your child as you grow together as a family.
Enjoy the new life of your child as author Matthew Beck shares prayers and blessings as you "anxiously await the wonder" on up through "God and toddlers" and beyond--all through the eyes of a new parent and all wrapped up in God's care.
Paperback
Lisa M. Hendey, founder of the award-winning CatholicMom.com and bestselling author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms and The Grace of Yes shares her passion for the saints by introducing fifty-two holy companions as guides for the amazing vocation of Catholic motherhood.
Guided by the example of the saints, Hendey eloquently links personal stories, scripture, prayer, and soul-strengthening exercises into a spiritually rich and deeply practical resource for Catholic women. This edition includes a new preface and cover and is updated with information about saints canonized since the first edition.
Allow The Book of Saints for Catholic Moms to help you grow in your faith and enrich your heart, mind, body, and soul by spending each week of the year with Lisa M. Hendey and a different saint. This award-winning spiritual guidebook introduces you to popular saints such as Thérèse of Lisieux, Teresa of Calcutta, John Paul II, and Patrick, as well as lesser known but equally inspiring saints such as Gianna Beretta Molla and Damien of Molokai.
Each week Hendey offers:
How do the Habsburgs approach family life? In a world that has gone mad, building a wholesome family cradle is daunting and often seems impossible. At the same time, many dare to dream of happiness in family life even today. How can you find the right spouse -- and make a lifelong marriage work -- in a culture that values transaction over commitment? How do you decide on core values and pass them on to your children? What are some practical ways to raise a family in the Faith?
Let Archduke Eduard Habsburg guide you on the ultimate adventure of building a family. As a father of six and now a grandfather, the Archduke of Austria shares his own experiences and recipes for a wholesome family life, bolstered by 850 years of Habsburg family history.
With his humorous and relatable style, Eduard dives deep into his family's storied past to give you true principles to live by and a Great Plan for lifelong joy. You will journey with the Habsburgs step-by-step through the centuries -- from falling in love to engagement, marriage, pregnancy, birth and Baptism, and everyday life, to seeing your children grow up and start families of their own.
With candor and affability, Eduard provides practical and spiritual tips on dating, engagement, and cultivating a happy marriage. Through fascinating real-life stories and examples, he explores:
As you discover inspiring paragons of loving marriages in the Habsburg family history, you will find concrete ways to nurture and educate your children to be truly happy in a world in which wholesome family life has become countercultural. As this scion of one of the great Catholic families in Western history reminds us, "This is the way!"
Do you want to introduce your kids to the richness of the Christian prayer tradition? The best way to do that is to pray with them, and now there's a beautiful collection of Catholic prayers and meditations designed just for that purpose: The Catholic Family Book of Prayers: A Treasury of Prayers and Meditations for Families to Pray Together. It's packed with prayers, blessings, meditations, saintly wisdom, and artwork--all selected specifically for Catholic families to pray together.
What is the Holy Spirit?
What happens if you miss Mass?
What happens after we die?
Does God answer prayers?
What will we do in heaven?
Why do Catholics pray to Mary?
Why can't women become priests? In addition, each chapter includes key takeaways, notes for reflection, recommended resources, and tips for putting these insights into practice. The Catholic Parents' Survival Guide provides reliable information about the Catholic faith and parent-tested methods for sharing it with children.
The value of a true friend seems a unanimous declaration: a friend is “someone who knows all about you and still loves you” (Elbert Hubbard) and “the most precious of all possessions” (La Rochefoucauld); friendship is “a single soul dwelling in two bodies” (Aristotle), “the only cement that will ever hold the world together” (Woodrow Wilson). And yet, the statement that gets at the heart of Ugarte’s book Deep Friendship belongs to Plutarch, who says: “A constant friend is a thing rare and hard to find.” This is especially true in today’s world, in which we are constantly surrounded by people, but seldom experience deep friendship. The concept and value of friendship has become, more than ever, a rare treasure. What seems a simple task—that of finding a true friend who cares, respects, and deeply appreciates you—can be harder than expected. In his book, Ugarte shares not only how to find a good friend, but how to be one. These attributes of true friendship lead to great benefits, including a more genuine happiness and a greater union with God.
What do Joan of Arc, Immaculée Ilibagiza, Corrie ten Boom, and Sojourner Truth have in common?
These women are among those whom best-selling author Marcy Heidish calls Defiant Daughters. This informative, challenging, and entertaining book spotlights the lives of more than 20 spiritual trailblazers and their responses to crises of conscience. They represent different races, denominations, and nations, but all are feisty--often fiery--and always faithful to their callings. What motivated these "defiant daughters," who gave their all for God? Heidish seeks out the decisive juncture where they took a stand for conscience, regardless of the consequences. This stunning and compelling book will bring you face-to-face with an unforgettable female gallery of "profiles in courage."
Paperback
In this actionable analysis of one of the most damaging movements of the modern age, renowned author Maria Keffler makes a compelling case that what lies at the core of the transgender phenomenon is a crisis of identity, and that only a loving but firm reality check can staunch the hysteria.
Keffler makes unassailable arguments: Maleness and femaleness are immutable biological facts. Masculinity and femininity are personality constructs, conditioned by societal norms.
But "gender," the term favored by activists, has no solid definition. The language introduced by gender ideology is entirely subjective, which allows emotions to redefine reality. The very premise of the ideology is flawed and requires mental gymnastics of its adherents.
Keffler outlines the disturbing parallels between cults and gender ideology: recruitment tactics that prey upon insecurities, indoctrination in nonsensical beliefs that must never be questioned, requirements to shun nonbelievers, and in-group newspeak which cultivates a sense of belonging.
She exposes the cult of gender ideology with journalistic detail, digging into aspects the mainstream media chooses to ignore. She investigates:
Keffler also provides a manual for parenting children during the time they are most vulnerable to predatory gender activism. She instructs parents in navigating this brave new world, including discerning fact from fiction, setting boundaries regarding names and pronouns, how to find a trustworthy therapist, and how to determine what vulnerabilities led the child to the gender cult in the first place.
The book includes an abundance of resources for parents whose children are currently in the throes of or recovering from gender dysphoria. Central to her approach is unconditional love and forgiveness, with a focus on moving forward together.
Packed with statistical data, reasoned arguments, and practical advice, Desist, Detrans, and Detox equips readers to prevent, work through, and heal from the "medical scandal of the 21st century."
Do you hear yourself saying the same things over and over to your kids?
"Do you need help?"
"Say thank you."
"Wait a minute."
In Don't Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to God, Lindsay Schlegel reimagines the common phrases we repeat as parents and applies them to our relationship with God. In doing so, she demonstrates how reflecting on our vocation as mothers can inform and illuminate our role as a daughter of God, drawing us closer to him.
What if we took the statements we repeat to our children and apply them to ourselves?
In Don't Forget to Say Thank You, writer Lindsay Schlegel shares fifteen relatable phrases she frequently uses as a parent and how her faith and life changed when she envisioned God telling her these same things.
When we start to hear the things we're telling our kids as wisdom from God, it's clear that the lessons we are trying to teach our kids are ones we also need to learn as children of the Most High.
Asking her daughter, "Do you need help?" caused Schlegel to reflect on the importance of the Communion of Saints and reaching out for the assistance she needs. Telling her children, "Say you're sorry" reminded her of the necessity of Confession and seeking forgiveness. And pleading that a toddler "wait a minute" while she looked for her crackers forced Schlegel to consider how she needed to have both more patience and more trust that God would take care of her.
Schlegel invites us to apply the same lessons she learned to our own lives as parents and as children of God through reflection questions and a prayer at the end of each chapter. She also suggests saints to whom we can look for inspiration and guidance, reminding us that we are not alone as we strive to more accurately reflect the image of our heavenly Father.
After a friend gave Allison Gingras a Miraculous Medal, she began to incorporate it and other sacramentals into her personal prayer time and family devotions. She soon discovered that these tangible signs--which Catholics believe prepare us to receive the grace of the sacraments--helped both her and her profoundly deaf daughter connect with God and the spiritual motherhood of Mary, who is intimately connected to so many of these practices.
Blessings, prayers, devotions, and objects such as rosaries and scapulars are forms of sacramentals. In Encountering Signs of Faith, Gingras--founder of Reconciled to You ministries--shares the story of how these helped her discern the adoption of her daughter from China, strengthened her faith as she waited to meet her, helped her bond with the toddler, and taught her daughter about her faith.
Gingras offers examples of saints who inspired and embraced sacramentals, including Juan Diego, Faustina, Bernadette, and Venerable Patrick Peyton. You will also learn about the spiritual benefits of incorporating sacramentals such as sacred images, novenas, prayer cards, lectio divina (sacred reading), and holy water into daily life. Reflection questions and grace-building activities are included with each chapter.
Gingras will guide you and your family to experience these sacred signs in a new way and to connect you more meaningfully to Jesus, Mary, and the saints.
Popular radio host Teresa Tomeo knows from experience that the self-image of American women is being distorted by pop culture. With its emphasis on youth, physical beauty, and sexuality, the secular media is encouraging women--and girls--to see themselves primarily as sex objects.
A professional TV and radio journalist, Tomeo pulls together the latest research on social behavior and trends in order to demonstrate that women are harming themselves and their chances for true happiness by adopting the thoroughly modern, sexually liberated lifestyle portrayed in magazines and movies. Packed with not only persuasive statistics but also powerful personal testimonies, Extreme Makeover shows that it is not the slogans of the sexual revolution and the women's liberation movement that free and dignify women, but the beautiful teachings of the Catholic Church.
So what are women steeped in the Hollywood and Cosmo girl version of reality to do? Undergo Tomeo's Extreme Makeover. With the help of this book, they can shed the toxic messages that objectify and enslave them and embrace the truth about being a beloved daughter of God.
Raising teenagers to be principled and upright is tough enough. Raising ones who embrace the Catholic Faith can seem nigh impossible. The good news is that the teen-tested, internationally proven, five-step program explained in these pages will not only help keep your teens Catholic but can also make them genuine leaders in the Faith . . . and in the secular world as well.
This simple program, which can be employed by parents at home, confronts teens with modest, absorbing challenges that require them to exert persistent efforts after repeated failures.
After a series of successes, your teens will develop the optimism and habits of perseverance that are the hallmarks of all true leaders. That's because they will have grasped the truth that hard-fought experience has engraved in the souls of all great men and women: failure is just a door to success.
In short order, that conviction will empower your teens to achieve remarkable results: improved grades and athletic performance, greater readiness and eagerness to serve, increased Church participation, openness to constructive criticism, improved decision-making, the ability to handle setbacks maturely, and many other life skills that will transform them into strong leaders and faithful Catholics!
Saint Faustina warned parents that praying for their children is not enough. That's why so many conscientious parents take the further step of consecrating their children to Jesus through Mary, thereby defending them from evil and paving their way to Heaven.
This book walks you through the simple process of doing just that. Its informed pages give you detailed instructions to help you lead your family (ages seven and up) through each of the 33 mini-retreat days recommended by Saint Louis de Montfort, the beloved eighteenth-century priest and confessor who tirelessly preached that Jesus is not known well enough because Mary is not known well enough.
Adapted for the often less-than-ideal prayer circumstances of families -- particularly those with young children -- these 33 brief, stress-free daily spiritual exercises and family activities bring adults and children greater knowledge of Jesus through Mary, and a more fervent love of both.
Don't delay. There's no book more immediately beneficial than this and no time better than now to seize the day and help all the members of your family -- young and old -- to consecrate their lives to Jesus through Mary.
In our toxic culture, it increasingly seems as if raising children in the Faith is a losing battle. Perhaps your spouse wishes you were more "fun" than religious, or your peers challenge you in your beliefs. Concerns related to faith can become touchy topics for today's believers, especially when questions arise regarding your views on family life or your approach to raising children.
With his rare voice of reason and characteristic humor, popular television and radio host Dr. Ray Guarendi provides you with sound practical and spiritual wisdom and expertise as a clinical psychologist and father of ten. In these engaging pages, Dr. Ray addresses numerous issues, such as:
Additionally, Dr. Ray lays out ways in which parents can witness to their beliefs, even in broken marriages. You will also learn how to respond when your children's faith is threatened at school or through peers who don't share your beliefs, to protect them from unhealthy influences and mindsets.
Moreover, you will find tips for increasing your focus during Mass, concrete advice on setting an example for your children, and ways to help teenagers develop reverence for God at Mass.
Above all, you will learn who you are as a child of God and how to open your heart to His mercy and healing, regardless of your past experiences or how wounded you are now. Let Dr. Ray show you effective ways to live your Faith and share it convincingly and peacefully with those you love.
Feeding Your Family's Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality has won second prize in the Family Life category from the Catholic Press Association!
Feeding Your Family's Soul is a vital tool to enable parents to transform a regular dinner time into a prayerful faith lesson for their elementary school to high school aged children. It will indeed help to fulfill the Catholic Church's vision for evangelization in the family and beyond.
Through 52 fun and creative faith lessons (one for each week of the year), this one-of-a-kind book will encourage parents and caregivers to seize the opportunity in teaching the Catholic faith to the children (the captive audience waiting to eat!) while gathered at the dinner table, and while reminding them of the value of coming together as a family to break bread and share hearts.
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle has recently started writing a column for Legatus Magzine called "Feeding the Foodie" and has begun filming a new TV series for EWTN called "Feeding Your Family's Soul".
See her interview on Boston Catholic TV: www.feedingyourfamilyssoul.com
Use this prayer booklet with your family or church community to seek the Lord in communion.
This guide will lead your reflection through 12 prayer reflections on the blessings and trials of the Holy Family. Remember the Lord's promises with psalmody; see the revelation of God's glory in the Gospel; consider Pope Francis's meditation on the them; and lift up your hearts with intercession through an invocation to the Holy Family.
A few minutes together each day before the living God will give your family or community the grace to share together the joys and struggles of daily life.
What if you had walked beside the Virgin Mary from the Annunciation to the point at which she and Joseph found Jesus in the temple? How might seeing Christ as a child impact you and your faith?
WINE: Women In the New Evangelization offers its second, six-week scripture study, this time following the infancy and early years of Christ as seen through the eyes of Mary and other familiar and imagined women in the gospels.
Founder Kelly Wahlquist and ten other members of WINE uniquely blend scripture reflections, imaginative encounters, and visio divina "sacred seeing" with practical spirituality and discussion questions that will help you take a prayerful and creative journey through Advent and the Christmas season.
Not much is known about the childhood of Jesus, but the Gospels highlight six key moments in his early life:
Week by week, you will dig deep into each of the scriptural vignettes of Jesus' early life and grow in your faith as you learn about virtues such as humility, patience, charity, reverence, prudence, and courage.
Each chapter uses an image that allows you to practice visio divina, the ancient practice of praying with sacred art. The images are included in an eight-page, full-color insert.
Gaze Upon Jesus will appeal to women who want to deepen their relationship with Jesus during Advent. Contributors to this inspiring scripture study include: Alyssa Bormes, Sarah Christmyer, Mary Healy, Maria Morera Johnson, Stephanie Landsem, Elizabeth Lev, Joan Lewis, Deborah Savage, Kelly Wahlquist, Katie Warner, and Carol Younger. Popular Catholic media personality Teresa Tomeo, also a member of WINE, wrote the foreword for the book.
As an individual or group study, Gaze Upon Jesus is a memorable way to encounter the God who sent his Son to show us his loving Father's heart.
Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, gender issues-inclusion in the Church).
Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: "I'm a feminist for the same reason I'm bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things."
In Girl, Arise!, Swinarski reconciles the two identities by demonstrating the strength and abilities women have to share with the Body of Christ, the importance of women throughout the history of the faith, and how the love you experience through Christ and the Church can change you and the world around you.
In Girl, Arise!: A Catholic Feminist's Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World Swinarski points out that while both "feminism" and "Catholicism" can mean different things to different people, both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. And she shows that by treating women with dignity equal to that of men--by calling them his friends and teaching them--Jesus acted as a feminist as well.
With humor and sass, Swinarski addresses her frustration with the traditional concerns churches ascribe to women, as shown by the many talks directed at women focused on marriage and modesty rather than social justice. But she pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first.
Swinarski also tells the stories of holy women--including Vashti in the book of Esther, Sts. Thérèse of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene, and the Blessed Virgin Mary--to show how their faith influenced their actions, even when those actions went against traditional norms and roles of women.
You will be empowered to embrace your God-given abilities as you follow the women who have gone before you in faith who--by announcing Christ to his disciples, believing in God's promises, and being faithful in hardship--changed the world.
Winner of a second-place award in family life books from the Catholic Media Association.
What happens to a mother's heart when her children grow up and begin their own lives? How can she absorb the mixed emotions of anxiety and excitement, grief and hope?
In Giving Thanks and Letting Go, bestselling Catholic author Danielle Bean ponders her emptying nest and overflowing heart as she encourages you to join her in leaning on God and discovering the joy and promise of this sacred season of parenting.
Comforting, relatable, and practical, Giving Thanks and Letting Go shares Danielle Bean's personal experience of launching her children into their adult lives. From this crucial moment in her motherhood, she offers sage advice as she reflects on the precious years she spent raising children and learning to trust in God's providence.
In her most personal book to date, Bean, brand manager at CatholicMom.com, reveals the freedom she discovered as she tossed out old trophies and Nordic Ware; the release she feels when she lets herself sob with abandon; the pleasant satisfaction of extra space in her home and in her marriage; and the happy recognition of God's abiding presence through all the years of family life.
As you accompany Bean on her journey, you will learn to
Allow these familiar, comforting, and heart-tugging scenes from Bean's life and the lessons she's learned be your trusted companion for reflecting on your own parenting journey.
Fr. Urteaga (1921-2009) is a writer who gave exceptional value to the human side of life, and its enrichment by an ongoing struggle for virtue. Likewise, he never lost sight of the importance of grace. He addresses parents in their sometimes-difficult job of raising children to be not only men and women, but Christian saints. His modus operandi is that life is truly worthwhile if it is lived for the love of God.
In these chapters, he draws on his own rich experience as a teacher and spiritual director. He adds Christian doctrine, humor, and common sense to make God and Children a book for all parents and especially those of young children.
Originally printed in 1960, this newly revised and slightly abridged version of Urteaga's book captures the spirit of his advice which is grounded in truth and is timeless in quality.
"Where do babies come from?" This common question all too often leaves parents perplexed about what to say and when to say it. Justin and Lindsey Holcomb tackle this tough question in a common sense, biblical way. They help parents start the conversation with their children about sex by giving them the basic tools to guide them--including specific biblical content and age-appropriate ways of talking to children at different stages.
The Holcombs, along with illustrator Trish Mahoney, have been helping parents tackle difficult but important subjects with children for many years, beginning with the award-winning God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies as well as God Made Me in His Image: Helping Children Appreciate Their Bodies. Now they bring their expertise to the all-important conversation about sex in God Made Babies: Helping Parents Answer the Baby Question. Instead of leaving this conversation to "experts" or to the culture, they equip parents to answer questions about sex in the right way at the right time.
Drawing from the story of creation and how God made the living world to reproduce, God Made Babies helps children to understand the gift of reproduction in the light of God's goodness and care. Rather than waiting to have this conversation with their child at the "perfect" time, the authors encourage parents to answer questions at every stage with just the right amount of information.
God Made Babies is part of the God Made Me Series which equips parents to have important, impactful conversations with their children, helping them to grow in understanding of God, themselves, and others. Each book in the series contains a special section just for parents and caregivers that provides biblical guidance and offers additional information and resources for talking about the topic addressed in the story.
Thomas Howard shows us that every room of your house-the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom, and even the bathroom-is a holy place where God's grace awaits you, if only you know how to recognize His presence there. With a rich awareness of God's all-encompassing love, Howard takes you on a spiritual tour through your own home and shows you how everything in it can lead you closer to God.
In each room, Howard shows you the surprising ways you can meet God there. With wonderful insights, he reveals how, even in your daily activities you can meet the same God who came to Israel in the terror, smoke and fire in the Tabernacle, and the God who died for us on Cross. But they're by no means confined to a lofty spiritual plane: Howard sees chances to love and serve God, and sees His gentle hand, in the most seemingly dull and ordinary of places and actions.
So take up this book to find out how cooking and cleaning, having family dinners together, and all the other commonplace actions that make up the fabric of your daily life can actually disclose God's presence to you. Your daily life as well as your devotional life will be forever transformed by this unusual look at how lovingly God awaits us even in the smallest things.
Each chapter includes relevant scripture references, quotations from saints or noted Catholic figures, commentary and perspectives from other Catholic writers, and checklists of suggested steps moms can take in bringing better balance and integration to their lives.
Do you wish you could have discussions about difficult topics with your adult children? If so, you're not alone.
Every parent dreams of having wonderful relationships with their adult children, but when our children make choices that we believe are not in their best interest, how do we talk to them about these concerns? And how do we know when to speak and when to keep quiet?
Using real-life examples of conversations based on calls to their syndicated radio show and their family counseling practice, bestselling authors Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak offer vital guidance that will give you the confidence and ability to have meaningful conversations on a variety of topics. You'll discover:
- Common obstacles to meaningful conversations
- How to unleash the power of forgiveness
- Ways to support your adult child without endorsing choices you don't agree with
- and so much more!
Whether you want to nurture already loving relationships with your adult children or have experienced damage in your relationships, you can draw closer to them and help guide them on the path to more faithful and fulfilling lives.
Winner of a 2020 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers (second place, ministry); 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, family life).
Do you struggle to know when or if it's appropriate to step in to help a teen who seems stressed, anxious, or depressed? Do you know the signs to look for to determine whether a teen is in distress?
In Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, Roy Petitfils--a Catholic author, speaker, and psychotherapist--offers his personal experience, advice, and faith to give parents, pastors, and youth leaders the knowledge, courage, and tools they need to step in, make a difference, and be the presence of Christ for teens in crisis.
Roy Petitfils knows what it's like to be an addicted, depressed teenager, filled with self-loathing and desperate for help. He describes himself at high school graduation as by far the largest person in his hometown and yet feeling as though he were "stuck in Harry Potter's invisibility cloak." Weighing more than 500 pounds, he was addicted to food and hated himself.
Now a leading Catholic voice in youth advocacy and creator of the popular podcast Today's Teenager, Petitfils entered adulthood a very different person than he is today. His life was radically changed by a handful of people in college who reached out in friendship and helped him set a new course.
Using personal life lessons and expertise gleaned from more than twenty-five years in youth ministry and private practice as a licensed counselor, Petitfils teaches parents, pastors, and youth leaders what they need to know about mental health issues among America's youth. Whether teens need help coping with healthy levels of stress or face persistent, more serious problems with anxiety and depression, Petitfils will help the adults in their lives get comfortable with stepping in.
Petitfils offers information and advice on:
He explores the support and comfort available through the sacraments, Catholic devotions, different forms of prayer, and reading the Bible. Ultimately, Petitfils identifies how to gently, yet persuasively guide hurting young people to deeper trust in the tender mercies of God.
Are you blessed with perfect teens? Teens who never argue, disobey, or talk back? Teens who do as they're told the very first time, or even before you ask? If your answer is "yes," then you can move on. This book isn't for you.
If, however, your answer is "keep dreaming," "I wish," an eye roll, or any variation of the word "no," then this might be the book for you. A teenager's life is full of change, turmoil, fights, hormones, overreactions, and ideas that seemed liked good ones at the time... But so is the life of a parent of a teen, and some days you just have to throw up your hands and ask God for help.
This book will give you 365 days of reflections and prayers to help you get through a year of "What were you thinking?!" With God's help, you might just find you can do all things - even raising a teenager.
"Today, the family is in crisis--it is in crisis worldwide", Pope Francis has said. "Young people don't want to get married, they don't get married, or they live together. Marriage is in crisis, and so the family is in crisis."
The main problem with the family in the Church today, contends Gerhard Cardinal Müller, is not the small number of civilly remarried divorced Catholics who want to receive Holy Communion. It is the large number of Catholics who live together before marriage, who marry civilly, or who do not even bother with marriage, as if these choices were sound options for Catholic living. Furthering the problem is the widespread failure of married Catholics to understand marriage as a way of Christian discipleship.
In this engaging conversation, Cardinal Müller, one of Pope Francis' top advisers in the Vatican, addresses the challenges facing marriage and family life today. The loss of faith in many traditionally Christian societies has led to a crisis. In turn, cohabitation, civil marriage, and divorce and civil remarriage, further undermine faith because they harm the family as the "domestic Church" and the place of initial evangelization. Thus, the Church must undertake a robust new evangelization of the family: sharing the fullness of truth about marriage and family in Christ, encouraging families to worship and to pray together, and helping them to witness by their lives the joy of the gospel.
Cardinal Müller stresses mercy and compassion in pastoral ministry with struggling Catholics, but he does so without either contradicting the teaching of Jesus about divorce and remarriage or minimizing the power of grace to transform lives. In this way he proclaims hope for the family rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In this booklet, Allie Johnston offers great suggestions for talking to children about God—God’s goodness, God as Creator, how we understand the Blessed Trinity, God the storyteller, God the listener, the God who forgives, and the Good Shepherd. Excellent family activities and short prayers to stimulate further conversation and comprehension are also included.
In this booklet, Janet Schaeffler offers great suggestions for talking to your children about Jesus’ life and times, why Jesus has so many different names, whether or not Jesus ever cried (important for children to know!), some of Jesus’ most important teachings, how Jesus prayed, why he had to die, what happened afterward, and where and how do we see Jesus today. Excellent family activities and short prayers to stimulate further conversation and comprehension are also included.
24 pages