Christian Relationships
Foundations 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 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 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 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 Don’t Miss a Thing! Follow “From the Abbey” on Social Media!
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…
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 More3 Adult Small Group Bible Study Icebreaker Ideas
Bible study is a great opportunity for Catholics to grow in their faith. The more we know Sacred Scripture, the more we grow in intimacy with God. When it’s a social study, it can also be a chance to get to know other Christians, to develop fellowship with like-minded believers, and to build intimate friendships.…
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…
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