In the morning before work, one of my favorite books to read is Lives of the Saints by Fr. Alban Butler. For each day of the year it has a brief writing about the Saint of the Day, followed by a reflection that is a great help in my daily meditations.

I wanted to share two reflections from last week that really struck a chord as a father of young children. The first was from August 16th, The Feast of St. Joachim, Confessor...

Fathers have a hidden but most important part to play in the lives of their children. They can lead their children into paths of holiness and by so doing their own children may be for them a source of numerous spiritual blessings.

I could use all the spiritual blessings I can get! God's gift of my children is an amazing grace, one that I am thankful for each day. The least I can do in thanksgiving is to teach them to love God and help them grow up to be saints.

The second was from August 13th, The Feast of St. John Berchmans, Confessor...

Let us remember these beautiful words of St. John Berchmans: "If I do not become a saint when I am young, I shall never become one."

Both reflections really made me think about my children, and particularly their eternal souls. Many thoughts entered my head questioning my parenting and teaching, my relationship with their mother, how hard I was working, and so on. Was I doing enough? Was I doing everything I could or should be doing? Of course, the easy answer is no, as every day I find things I can do better and give more to God, my wife, and my children. But that answer made me realize that I had taken another step on my journey toward growing closer to God and eternal life with Him. By the Grace of God I realized that I wanted to do more spiritually and be a better Catholic, Husband, and Father. Moving forward, one small step at a time, is one of the most important things I can do for my wife and children.

St. Joachim and St. John Berchmans, Pray For Us!

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Here's a good article with steps for Fathers to be successful in marriage and fatherhood. I know I am challenged daily and it's good to tuck away these steps as a reminder of how important being a husband and father is.

The article also caught my eye as it features this great quote from Pope John Paul II...

Pope John Paul II wrote: "The history of mankind, the history of salvation, passes by way of the family . . . the family is placed at the center of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is opposed to love. To the family is entrusted the task of striving, first and foremost, to unleash the forces of good, the source of which is found in Christ the Redeemer of man."

How can you not be fired up after a quote like that!

Read 8 Habits of Highly Successful Fathers at Fathers for Good

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Just wanted to share a quick note about this talk I listened to. It's call "Manager of His Home" and it's by Steve Maxwell of www.titus2.com. It's packed with scripture references and insight specifically for homeschooling dads and their homes. If you get a chance, I highly recommend it! Mr. Maxwell really dives into the husband as the head of the home and family and helps point you in the right direction to raising and teaching your kids and strengthening your relationship with your wife in the process. I've only listened to disc one so far, but am looking forward to part 2.

For more info, you can visit www.titus2.com. We discovered the site from my sister-in-law (who I borrowed the talk from as well) as they feature products for helping you organize and schedule your home and homeschool. Homeschooling is a very difficult endeavor, but the rewards are countless. If you're thinking about it or have any questions, drop me an email at jeremy@goodsaints.com.

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I've been meaning to talk briefly about Fathers for Good, an initiative for men by the Knights of Columbus, for some time now.

The site features tons of information for Catholic Fathers, who need all the help they can get raising good catholic children. I recently watched a great video titled Our Troubled Times by Psychiatrist Richard Fitzgibbons. He talks about men and their emotions and how to handle today's troubles in society. It's well worth watching (especially the part on manly virtues) and you can watch it here.

Also on the site is a section called Model Fathers, which features great information on two of my favorite saints and one of my favorite "saints" - St. Joseph, St. Thomas More, and Venerable Servant of God Father Michael McGivney (In March 2008, Pope Benedict XVI approved a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Father McGivney, a parish priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford and found of the Knights of the Columbus, who died in 1890 at the age of 38).

I am a member of the Knights of Columbus and love the work they are doing to help Catholic Families. Every day I see more and more the battle ahead that we have to raise our children and it's good to know that we are not alone physically or spiritually. St. Joseph, St. Thomas More, and Venerable Father McGivney - Pray for Us!

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