I recently posted a blog called 30 Sayings for Fathers to Live By.  In that post I quoted John Wooden as saying:

“The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”

This quote is especially appropriate as we approach Mother’s Day….

Recently I read one of my favorite parables from the Catholic Bible, the parable of the Prodigal Son (or the Parable of the Lost Son, depending on who you ask) found in the Gospel of Luke 15:11-32.  Many times when I read this famous parable I ask myself, “Who am I in this parable?  The repentant younger son, or the resentful older son?”

I was recently contacted about what advice I would give to a group of college aged Catholic men on being good fathers. I was able to come up with five pieces of advice that I would want young Catholic dads or men who may become Catholic dads to have.

Easter everyone! We no longer have to concern ourselves with regular fasting and other preparations of our soul leading up to Easter.  Easter is here! We can just go right back to living our lives the way we did prior to Lent, right?

Let the good times roll!

Not so fast….

Recently I read an article entitled 30 Sayings to Live By written by Brandon Wall over at ThrivingMen.com.  The article included some fun quotes, and it inspired me to put together my own list targeted specifically to fatherhood.   Here is what I came up with. . .  some of my favorite quotes that I relate to my role as a father.  Enjoy!

You’ve probably heard or read hundreds of responses and reflections on Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation. You’ve likely seen responses that range from sadness to joy, respect to disbelief, and even anger to hatred. I personally was shocked to first hear the news, considering that over the course of hundreds of popes and thousands of years, the Catholic Church has had only a few popes resign.

Why do you think that is?

The Stations of the Cross are a tradition dating back to the 4th century. This stations are traditionally prayed together on the Fridays of Lent. Have you thought about the value of this tradition? Praying the Stations of the Cross may be just what you need this Lent.

On Ash Wednesday every Catholic in the world was called to come face to face with their own mortality.  Reflecting on our mortality is not an easy thing to do.  We are forced to confront and realign our priorities. The J.O.Y. model is a way to check if our priorities are in order.

What is the J.O.Y. model? Read on to find out.

During the week I’ve seen numerous responses of outrage connected to Beyoncé’s halftime show. The nature of that performance is just another example of the many challenges we face as fathers. Trying to help our children develop an appropriate sense of self and cultivate the virtue of modesty is hard.

So what’s a dad to do?

Ash Wednesday is nearly upon us. What does this mean for a Catholic dad? We can take this as a new opportunity to live more closely conformed to Christ, and to sacrifice for and serve our families. But willpower alone won’t get you there. An active prayer life is the key.