The damage pornography does to a relationship and to an individual are well documented. I want to consider here just one of the effects of pornography on a couple and consider a possible problem not identified in most discussions of marriage.
One of the problems of porn is that it presents one partner (usually the man) with an unrealistic view of what to expect in and of a sexual partner. That is, it presents an airbrushed reality with a model who is begging to do things any sane woman would find beneath her dignity. As Simcha Fisher puts it,
If you can summon up a panting beauty just by touching your iPod screen, then why go to the trouble of getting to know an actual woman—learning who she really is, winning her love, and dedicating your life to serving her?
This week, Bernie got her A Level results, and achieved 3 A*s (the highest grade). So she will be off to university in a few weeks. A while back, we also celebrated her 18th birthday. All of which put me in a reflective mood. When she was born, her older sister, Antonia was two and [...]
Stairway to Heaven is a weekly feature exploring how to live our Catholic faith in our culture.
The relationship between Pope John Paul II and his father was one for the ages. There is so much for us to learn from them.
When Pope John Paul II was nine years old, his mother succumbed to a weak heart and damaged kidneys, leaving the future pontiff alone with his father and 23-year old brother who was in medical school.
I’ve been reading a book entitled “John Paul II: A Life of Grace” by Renzo Allegri, which tries to tie together all of the remarkable and providential occurrences in the Holy Father’s life. In the chapter describing the family’s life after Emilia Wojtyla’s death, Allegri paints a beautiful and stirring portrait of Pope John Paul II’s father, Captain Karol Wojtyla, Sr.
One of the things that’s hard to gain and easy to lose is the wisdom of the ages. Ask anyone who has ever tried to trace their family line back more than a couple of generations. At a certain point the thread is lost and all you are left with are unanswered questions. Who were they, and what were they about? What does that mean about me? 
One of the biggest fallacies of our age is the prejudice of modernism, that we are inherently “better” than our ancestors: stronger, faster, smarter, more “enlightened”. Oh, we’ve got technology aplenty, but not necessarily wisdom.
And that frankly, makes us kind of stupid.
I am in reflective mood at present; that is in part a fruit of the Chartres pilgrimage, and in part the result of a recent wedding anniversary (27) and birthday (50). At such moments, one pauses to take stock. So I have been reflecting on one of my fundamental responsibilities as a Catholic Dad: the [...]
Another data point demonstrating that children need both mom and dad living under the same roof. 7-Year-Old Driving 50 mph Just Wanted to See His Dad CASEVILLE, Mich. — A 7-year-old Michigan boy barefoot and in pajamas drove a car for 20 miles, sometimes hitting speeds of 50 mph, before finally slowing down and stopping [...]
Always teaching your kids to pray
I am sure the vast majority of us pray with our children.
It could be grace before and after meals or a morning offering or three Hail Marys before bed.
Blessed Pope John Paul II and his exhortation to families starts with accepting the Gospel
It is probably no surprise that this week I am returning to the writings of Blessed Pope John Paul II.
As one of the longest serving popes, he wrote extensively. And he wrote often about the family and fatherhood.
One of the things I always dreaded in anticipation was the day my daughters would start going out with (or dating, as I guess you say in the US) boys. And likewise the day that Charlie would start going out with girls – but as he’s younger, that doesn’t yet apply. But Ant and Bernie [...]
