Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

“Where there is a family with love, that family is capable of warming the heart of a whole city with its witness of love.”

– Pope Francis

Our Holy Father has a pastor’s heart, but often his quotes become controversial. He speaks directly to families, those suffering, and to those in power in a frank, honest fashion. With the Holy Father coming to the United States and the upcoming Synod on the Family, we are taking time in this podcast to discuss his words, some of his challenging comments, and why some of the things he says are taken in a negative light. We all have a responsibility to prayerfully reflect on his words with the knowledge that they are spoken by the Vicar of Christ. We welcome you to listen to our thoughts and share your opinions with us.

Show Links: 

* Love is our Mission: The Family Fully Alive

“Learn the heart of God from the word of God.” – Pope Saint Gregory the Great

How is the Word of God honored in our homes? God is present in His Word; do we truly realize that? As Catholics, we need to surround our children with Scripture through stories, prayer, teaching, and song. We should be using the Bible to pass on the faith to our children, for it is through the Bible that they will come to know Who Jesus is and hear Him speaking to them.

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” – St. Jerome

Show Notes: here are some great resources:

* iBreviary

* Scripture Studies from Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center

* Alicia’s CD (songs help memorize scripture)

"Learn the heart of God from the word of God." - Pope Saint Gregory the Great

How is the Word of God honored in our homes? God is present in His Word; do we truly realize that? As Catholics, we need to surround our children with Scripture through stories, prayer, teaching, and song. We should be using the Bible to pass on the faith to our children, for it is through the Bible that they will come to know Who Jesus is and hear Him speaking to them.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." - St. Jerome

Show Notes: here are some great resources:

• iBreviary
• Scripture Studies from Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center
• Alicia's CD (songs help memorize scripture)

“Nothing makes a father happier than seeing a daughter with a smile on her face and her boyfriend with fear in his eyes.” – Willie Robertson

Daughters AND sons need direction and guidance when it comes to dating. The world tells us that dating is private and we have no business “meddling” in our teens’ affairs. Nothing is farther from the truth! Kids need mom and dad’s wisdom on navigating the perilous world of relationships and emotions. We have some practical advice to give from our own experience that we can share with you. Parents have to be intentional about discussing relationships with their kids and make a safe place for them to be honest and vulnerable, so they don’t go seeking affirmation in the wrong places. Dating is another area in which Catholic families can affect the world in a positive way by our example. Listen in!

“Your natural instinct is to protect your daughter. Forget what pop culture and pop psychologists tell you. DO IT.” – Dr. Meg Meeker

Show Notes: Here’s what we referenced.

* Hernon Ground Rules for Dating (heavily copied from Jennifer Degler)

"Nothing makes a father happier than seeing a daughter with a smile on her face and her boyfriend with fear in his eyes." - Willie Robertson

Daughters AND sons need direction and guidance when it comes to dating. The world tells us that dating is private and we have no business "meddling" in our teens' affairs. Nothing is farther from the truth! Kids need mom and dad's wisdom on navigating the perilous world of relationships and emotions. We have some practical advice to give from our own experience that we can share with you. Parents have to be intentional about discussing relationships with their kids and make a safe place for them to be honest and vulnerable, so they don't go seeking affirmation in the wrong places. Dating is another area in which Catholic families can affect the world in a positive way by our example. Listen in!

"Your natural instinct is to protect your daughter. Forget what pop culture and pop psychologists tell you. DO IT." - Dr. Meg Meeker

Show Notes: Here's what we referenced.

• Hernon Ground Rules for Dating (heavily copied from Jennifer Degler)

Your marriage is only as good as the work you put into it.

A child-centered marriage is a recipe for disaster. Teach children early that their “happiness” is not Mom or Dad’s reason for living.

~Breathing Grace: Everything I Know About Marriage in 200 Words or Less

How often do we take the time to show our spouse that they are “Number One” in our lives? Dedicated time alone without the children is an essential part of any healthy marriage. The foundation of your family is your marriage, and we should never, ever take for granted that we are doing fine. In this episode, we talk about the importance of date nights and get-away weekends. We also address two listener questions – one on toy guns, and the other on how to have effective family time. Listen in and start the discussion on how and why we should all spend quality time with our beloved in order to improve our family life.

Your marriage is only as good as the work you put into it.

A child-centered marriage is a recipe for disaster. Teach children early that their "happiness" is not Mom or Dad's reason for living. ~Breathing Grace: Everything I Know About Marriage in 200 Words or Less

How often do we take the time to show our spouse that they are "Number One" in our lives? Dedicated time alone without the children is an essential part of any healthy marriage. The foundation of your family is your marriage, and we should never, ever take for granted that we are doing fine. In this episode, we talk about the importance of date nights and get-away weekends. We also address two listener questions - one on toy guns, and the other on how to have effective family time. Listen in and start the discussion on how and why we should all spend quality time with our beloved in order to improve our family life.

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." - Ephesians 4:29

The words that are spoken in our home can create an atmosphere of trust, openness, and honesty, or one of hostility and distrust. We need to banish from our homes sarcasm and negative humor because they tear down family members instead of building them up. There are many ways that we can use our words to encourage our children and our spouses. We need to take the time to honor and love our family with our words, so our home can be a safe place for our children to thrive and grow.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4:29

The words that are spoken in our home can create an atmosphere of trust, openness, and honesty, or one of hostility and distrust. We need to banish from our homes sarcasm and negative humor because they tear down family members instead of building them up. There are many ways that we can use our words to encourage our children and our spouses. We need to take the time to honor and love our family with our words, so our home can be a safe place for our children to thrive and grow.

“Half of the time I feel like I’m running an insane asylum… the other half of the time I feel like I belong in one!”

There are so many needs pressing on parents, especially moms, all day, every day. How can we prioritize our time and energy to create an orderly life for ourselves and our family? In the book A Mother’s Rule of Life, Holly Pierlot describes the Six Priorities of Life that can help us create a routine in our day and make decisions that will help us use our time wisely and effectively. Despite what your children think, mothers can’t do everything! Moms (and dads!) can create a balanced life by giving priority first to Prayer, then to Person, Partner, Parent, Provider, and Periphery (everything else!). If you enjoy this podcast, contact us about having Alicia come to speak to your parish or group to do a full presentation with more information on this topic.

Show Notes:

* A Mother’s Rule of Life book by Holly Pierlot