A new study revealed that people’s view of what’s necessary for happiness has changed significantly since 1938. Researchers found that in 1938 security, knowledge and religion were seen by participants as being the three most important aspects of happiness. In 2014 security was still in the top three, but good humour and leisure were in first and second places. Religion, which was seen as the third most important factor in 1938, had fallen to tenth (and bottom) place in 2015.... Read more
On More2Life Radio, Lisa and I often remind our listeners that “God wants to change the world through your marriage!” In fact, the other day on the blog, I did a post titled, “Want to bring the world to Christ? Strengthen Your Marriage!” Yesterday, in his weekly Wednesday address, Pope Francis took up this very theme… Pope Francis also reflected on another characteristic of marriage: the choice to “marry in the Lord.” This decision, he said, carries with it a... Read more
The following is adapted from my upcoming book Broken Gods: Hope, Healing, and the Seven Longings of the Human Heart. It is a book that explores the seven divine longings that hide behind our deepest and even darkest desires and those longings point to God’s plan for our ultimate fulfillment. Coming out in June, it’s available for pre-order this week! It’s practically impossible to underestimate our capacity for making the same mistakes over and over again. We commit the same... Read more
In anticipation of my wife and I speaking at the upcoming World Meeting of Families, I’ll be contributing a monthly feature at the Our Sunday Visitor Daily Take. Here is my first installment that looks at 5 ways Catholic families are called to be different from other families. Are Catholic families supposed to be different? What would that difference look like? The Church has been considering these questions in earnest, especially in light of the upcoming World Meeting of Families and... Read more
Research shows that about 80% of couples experience some degree of conflict related to mismatched sexual desire. Some couples manage this mismatched desire well while, for others, differences in desire can become a huge marital issue. What separates between these two groups? Libido Not the Cause of Conflict It turns out that mismatched sexual desire may, by itself, not be necessary contributor to marital conflict. New research suggests that it is the couple’s response to mismatched desire that matters more... Read more
People seem to think that working on their marriage is somehow self-serving or selfish. But the Theology of the Body reminds us that people aren’t converted by words and concept and arguments. They are converted by an encounter with the love the comes from God’s own heart–the free, total, faithful fruitful love Catholic couples are called to witness to in their dynamic, passionate, joyful, grace-filled marriage and family lives. Couples don’t have to be perfect, but if they are committed... Read more
A guest blog by More2Life Radio Contributor, Kim Cameron-Smith An acquaintance and I were recently chatting when the subject of parenting came up. I explained that I am an “attachment-minded parent”. He chuckled and said, “But we’re Christians. Aren’t we supposed to be detached from created things?” He was only joking (I think . . .), but he does raise an interesting question about the difference between the term “attachment” in developmental psychology and the term “detachment” in spiritual development.... Read more
Recently, Lisa and I sat down with Lisa Hendey of CatholicMom.com about our book Then Comes Baby: The Catholic Guide to Surviving & Thriving the First 3 Years of Parenthood. In the interview, we share some of the struggles we’ve been through along the way and the ways that God has led us through those challenges. Plus, we share how parents of infants and toddlers can really celebrate those early years and use that time to create the foundation for... Read more
Sadly, I’ve never actually been to Poland, but considering that the core mission of my ministry is helping people apply principles from St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body to the challenges of daily life, I’m honored to be able to say that almost every one of my books has been published in the homeland of St. John Paul II. I have just learned that two more came out this month. Parenting with Grace and Just Married have both... Read more
Researchers in the U.K. have found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may offer just as much protection from depression relapse as antidepressants, with no significant difference in cost, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet “Depression is a recurrent disorder. Without ongoing treatment, as many as four out of five people with depression relapse at some point,” said Dr. Willem Kuyken, lead author and professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford. What is MBCT? MBCT teaches people... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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