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A Father Is the Servant of the Family


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Recommended Reading & Resource List for Catholic Husbands and Fathers

There are a number of excellent Catholic books and tapes on the family. Here is a selection of our favorites along with those recommended by people we trust.

Books:

The Bible

author: The Holy Spirit
publisher: Ignatius Press
description: God speaks directly to you in his living word.
Get more info and purchase.

 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

author: Christ's Church guided by the Holy Spirit
publisher: Doubleday
description: This small paperback version is less intimidating and taken in small doses, you will find incredible wisdom that will enrich your life and deepen your relationship with God.
Get more info and purchase.

 

Family:

The Catholic Family Handbook: Time-Tested Techniques To Help You Strengthen Your Marriage & Raise Good Kids

author: Fr. Lawrence G. Lovansik
publisher: Sophia Press
description: Using Scripture and Church teachings in an easy-to-follow step-by-step format, Fr. Lawrence helps you understand the proper role of the Catholic father and mother and how you can secure happiness in marriage, raise children in a truly Catholic way, and much more. (A personal favorite of Bobbi & Brian.)
Get more info and purchase.

Discipline That Lasts A Lifetime: The Best Gift You Can Give Your Kids

author: Dr. Ray Guarendi
publisher: Catholic Answers
description: Easy-to-read resource of questions and answers about discipline, written in Dr. Ray's style of mixing humor with wise insights and sound advice.
Get more info and purchase.

 

Family Matters: A Bible Study on Marriage & Family

author: Michaelann & Curtis Martin
publisher: Emmaus Road
description: Michaelann and Curtis Martin have written a practical Bible study for engaged and married couples. Learn how you and your spouse (or spouse-to-be) can develop your prayer life, communicate better, and guide your children to holiness.
Get more info and purchase.

Father McBride's Family Catechism - Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church

author: Alfred McBride, O. Praem.
publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
description: Following the structure of the official Catholic Catechism, this new look at timeless teachings is intended to help families apply the wisdom of the Catechism to their everyday lives.
Get more info and purchase.

The Mission of the Catholic Family on the Pathway to Heaven

author: Rick Sarkisian, Ph.D.
publisher: Ignatius Press
description: This workbook offers an insightful array of practical tips and Catholic wisdom that will help you and your family draw closer to Christ, His Church, and each other. Discover and deepen your family's sense of its mission in life.
Get more info and purchase.

Parenting with Grace: Catholic Parents Guide to Raising (almost) Perfect Kids

author: Kids Gregory K. Popcak, MSW, LCSW and Lisa Popcak
publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
description: Laced with humor, practical examples, and thought-provoking quizzes, this book helps you discover your own God-given instructions manual for creating a highly individualized, completely Catholic parenting plan for your children.
Get more info and purchase.

 

Especially for Dad:

Christian Fatherhood: The Eight Commitments of St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers

author: Steve Wood
publisher: Family Life International
description: "Christian Fatherhood will be a great blessing to all who read it and put its teachings into practice." - Mother Teresa
Get more info and purchase.

 

Head of the Family: Christian Fatherhood in the Modern World

author: Clayton C. Barbeau
publisher: Sophia Press
description: Rooted firmly in Scripture, these pages call on husbands to stop thinking of themselves simply as bosses and breadwinners but, rather, as co-creators with God, imitators of Christ's love for His people, high priests in the domestic Church, teachers of their children, witnesses to society, providers of spiritual and material goods and models of holiness.
Get more info and purchase.

Father's Manual
author: A. Francis Coomes, S.J.
publisher: William J. Hirten Co.
description: This prayer manual for fathers has prayers for the needs of fatherhood and married life, for special needs and occasions, for various organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, and counsels and helps for fathers and husbands.
Get more info and purchase.

 

Not Your Average Joe

author: Rick Sarkisian
publisher: Lifework Press
description: Rick Sarkisian, Ph.D. shares personal anecdotes, real-world experiences and insights in Joseph's vocation, mission and virtues. It will help you learn to make Joseph a part of your daily life, and embrace the virtues that make him anything but "your average Joe."
Get more info and purchase.

 

NFP:

The Art of Natural Family Planning

author: John & Sheila Kippley
publisher: Couple to Couple League
description: The "bible" of natural family planning. Excellent material for the practical and spiritual side of NFP.
Get more info and purchase.

 

Life-Giving Love : Embracing God's Beautiful Design for Marriage

author: Kimberly Hahn
publisher: Charis Books
description: Kimberley Hahn takes us back to the One who designed marriage in the first place. God's wonderful plan for the family is clearly revealed in the time-tested teachings of the Catholic Church.
Get more info and purchase.

 

Audio Tapes

Becoming a Catholic Family Series (4 Audio Tapes)
By Scott & Kimberly Hahn

Building Your Marriage on THE ROCK Series (2 Audio Tapes)
By Steve Wood

Catholic Family Values III Series (3 Audio Tapes)
By Deacon Doctor Robert McDonald

Catholic Home Finances Series (4 Audio Tapes)
By Kimberlt Hahn

Catholic Marriage Covenant Series (3 Audio Tapes)
By Scott and Kimberly Hahn

Contraception, Why Not?
By Janet E. Smith, Ph.D.

"Grace"-ful Parenting: Raising a Catholic Family Series (3 Audio Tapes)
by Stephen Ray

Marriage and Family Problems Series (3 Audio Tapes)
by Steve Wood

Marriage the Bible Way Series (3 Audio Tapes)
By Jesse & Anita Romero

Mercy of God in the Family Series (3 Audio Tapes)
By Fr. Benedict Groeschel

There are various other tape series about marriage and family life available though Saint Joseph Communications.

 

Magazines:

Faith & Family: The Magazine of Catholic Living

Faith and Family is the magazine that brings out the mother in me! Imagine what you would see if Martha Stewart (pre-scandal days) discovered the Truth and beauty of the Catholic faith, and you'd have a pretty good idea of this magazine! Along with articles relevant to raising a Catholic family, F&F is an excellent source for incorporating the liturgical season into your family life with special prayers/meditations, projects, and recipes. It comes four times a year for only $11.95. For a free sample issue go to www.faithandfamilymag.com or call 1-800-421-3230.

Family Foundations

Family Foundations is the magazine of the Couple to Couple League International, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to building healthy families through Natural Family Planning. It has recently been redesigned to look less like a newsletter and more like a "real" magazine with a full-colored cover. FF contains excellent articles and columns about married and family life. The current Jan-Feb 2003 issue is specifically dedicated to engaged and newly married couples. I highly recommend it for yourself or a friend! To learn more go to www.ccli.org/mag/index.shtml.

 

Websites:

Family

Dads.org / St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers
St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers is an informal international network of Christian men, under the patronage of St. Joseph, dedicated to strengthening the family.

Domestic-Church.com
Domestic-Church.com hopes to promote a Catholic culture in every family that will lead to the transformation of society and a truly Catholic culture in the world.

Family Life Center.net
Excellent online resource for Catholic families associated with Dads.org.

 

Just for Kids

Catholic Kids Net.org
Working with kids from pre-school to 8th grade, Kids for Jesus (K4J) is a monthly program that teaches kids about their faith, how to live a life of virtue, and how to be young apostles for Christ. Available at a parish or community level (teams) or for individual families within their own home.

EWTN Kids
EWTN.com's colorful, innovative and faith-filled children's section. Sure to be a family favorite.

Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Couple to Couple League (ccli.org)
The best online resource dealing with natural family planning.

One More Soul (omsoul.com)
Dedicated to spreading the truth about the blessings of children and the harms of contraception; they carry a wide variety of educational resources, including tapes, videos, and books.

Creighton Model Fertility Care System (creightonmodel.com)
The best online resource dealing with natural family planning using the Creighton Model method.

Pope Paul VI Institute (popepaulvi.com)
The Pope Paul VI Institute is the only Catholic Institution of its type in the United States and perhaps the world that has dedicated its services to the development of morally and professionally acceptable reproductive health services. The Institute is nationally and internationally recognized for its major accomplishements, including the Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System (CrMS), the official language of a woman's health and fertility and the new women's health science, NaProTECHNOLOGY.