Christian Relationships
Nurturing Christian Friendship with the Gift of Intimacy
A good Christian friendship is a gift from God. But like all areas of Catholic spiritual growth, keeping a Christian friendship strong requires some conscious, deliberate effort. One of the most important strategies for building strong Christian friendships is to give the relationship the gift of time. But the time you spend with each other…
Read MoreFoundations of the Theology of the Body
The Theology of the Body by Saint Pope John Paul II is a deep and fruitful reflection on human nature, human relationships, marriage, human sexuality, and the role the human body plays in God’s plan of love for us. However, most people find this teaching to be a real challenge. It’s a very long document…
Read MoreCatholic Community: the Heart of Catholic Learning
Note: while this post is about smaller versions of a Catholic community, some of you may be interested in taking this idea to the next level and actually living in a Catholic neighborhood. Such a lifestyle has its strengths and weaknesses, but it’s a fascinating idea. As I went through the client needs survey I was…
Read MoreChristian Friendship: How Materialism May Be Ruining Your Friendships
(and we all do this to some degree) Cultivating and nurturing good Christian friendship is an important part of Catholic spiritual growth. To be truly effective at nourishing good relationships, we need to be aware of the influences and attitudes that can damage our relationships. One such negative influence is materialism. Now, I’m not just…
Read More3 Gift Ideas for Your Parish Priest or Other Parish Leaders
Especially in this time of crisis when the Church has been betrayed by many priests and bishops, many faithful Catholics want to show their appreciation for those clergy members and parish leaders who are faithfully serving the Lord and His Church. Especially when a Holy Day comes around, you may want to express your gratitude…
Read More5 Ways to Feel Closer to God
Maybe you’ve been struggling with your faith. Maybe you just want to affirm the love that you have in your heart for Jesus Christ. Whatever your reasons for wanting a deeper connection with the Holy Trinity, here are just a few ways that you can let your inner light shine. 1. Read the Bible Every…
Read MoreLasting Friendships – Not Even Death Can Destroy True Friendship
Cultivating and nurturing good Christian friendship is an important part of Catholic spiritual growth. Unfortunately, there are some influences in our lives that make it difficult for us to even want to put the effort and energy into cultivating lasting friendships. Nurturing friendship is hard work! Depending on your age, it might surprise you to…
Read MoreChristian Friendship – Bound Together in Love
Like all areas of Catholic spiritual growth, keeping a Christian friendship strong requires some conscious, deliberate effort. One of the most important strategies for building strong Christian friendships is to give the relationship the gift of time. But another important element of any relationship is the existence of a common purpose. The stronger this common…
Read MoreFaith to Friendship – Made for Relationship
Christian Friendship is incredibly important to growing in our Catholic faith. We are made for relationship. But we are also made with free will. Let’s use our free will to CHOOSE to make our friendships the best that they can be, and let’s ask the Holy Spirit what our souls need to learn in the…
Read MoreChristian Friendship: Avoiding the Vice of Discord
The attempt to build a good Christian friendship is not an easy task. It takes not just time, effort, and persistence, but also the development of social virtues and avoiding social vices. Some of the social vices we need to avoid include Selfishness Materialism Shallowness Neglect One of the most damaging social vices is the…
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