Posts by Arrowood
Human Virtues: Forming Intellectual Virtues Can Be Fun!
When we think of human virtues, we often think of the moral virtues – the ones that help us to choose what is good and to strengthen our character. In fact, the moral virtues aren’t all that popular. Hopefully that is changing. But the intellectual virtues – the ones that help us to know and…
Read MoreWhere Are All the Catholics With a Living Faith (Where Are YOU?)
If Catholics were really had a living faith they would be an unstoppable force for good in the world. But the sad fact is, most Catholics are not living as disciples of Jesus. Do you want to miss the opportunity of a lifetime? The Current State of the Church I know it sounds judgmental for…
Read MoreChristian Friendship – Do We Choose Our Friends?
“It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends.” — Henri Nouwen Two ancient pearls of wisdom seem to contradict each other. On the one hand, we hear that we should choose our friends wisely. On the other hand, there is a general belief that we don’t choose our friends.…
Read MoreSocial Skills – Don’t Let Selfishness Destroy Your Relationship (Danger!)
Cultivating and nurturing good Christian friendship is an important part of Catholic spiritual growth. To be truly effective at nourishing our friendships, we need to be aware of the influences and attitudes that can damage our relationships. This is one of the social skills we need to develop in all of our relationships. Selfishness is…
Read MoreChristian Friendship – How Friendship Feeds Our Faith
There are many benefits to cultivating a good Christian friendship, from making us smarter to making us better people to teaching us how to love. But there is one benefit of relationships that exceeds all others. As important as friendship is, it is not an end in itself. It cannot bring us perfect happiness in…
Read MoreChristian Friendship Keeping Us Accountable and Making Us Better (Sometimes Despite Ourselves)
Christian Friendship Keeping Us Accountable and Making Us Better (Sometimes Despite Ourselves) by Jeff Arrowood
Read MoreChristian Friendship – Who Knew It Could Make You Smarter?
There are many benefits of friendship that make conscious, deliberate cultivation of good Christian friendship worthwhile. Friendship leads us to the enlightenment of intimacy. It also gives us much needed social support. Good Judgment Another wonderful benefit of friendship is the help that other people give us in making judgments about our lives. This help…
Read MoreChristian Friendship and the Necessity of Forgiveness
Like all areas of Catholic spiritual growth, keeping a Christian friendship strong requires some conscious, deliberate effort. We need to cultivate and nourish our friendships by giving them the gift of time and by consecrating them with a relationship with God. Unfortunately, even when we take the time and effort to carefully nurture our relationships,…
Read MoreDon’t Mistaken Social Justice for Charity
Christian friendship is incredibly important to our spiritual growth. Christ calls us to charity – a grace-filled, self-sacrificing love that fills the hearts of others with the love of God. Our Catholic school has taken up the cause of helping our local food pantry by providing meals for people in transitional housing. The food pantry…
Read MoreLiving the Theological Virtues: Vocation and Charity
Living the theological virtues – faith, hope and charity – would be impossible without grace. But even with grace the theological virtues are difficult. Hope fully lived is complete trust in God. Do you trust God completely? Faith fully lived is deep intimacy with God. How well do you know God’s mind and heart? Charity…
Read More