Family Life

      
      Children
      Parents - Children
      Parents - Teens
      Marriages
      Mothers
      Fathers
      Grandparents

 Father's Prayer
Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to  know when he is weak,
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble  and gentle in victory.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who
will  reach into the future,
yet never forget the past. 

And, after all these things are his, give him, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too 
seriously.  Give him humility,
so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true strength. Then I, his father, will dare to whisper,
‘I have not lived in vain.'

Fathers

Prayer to St. Joseph

Saint Joseph,
I come to you with my concerns for the welfare  of my children. 
I recall your anxiety when,
 to your surprise and Mary's, Jesus  was not among your
relatives and friends on your return from Jerusalem.  I too  worry about my children.  Many dangers surround the youth of today.  Sometimes,  in my loving concern for them, I may seem to them to be difficult or even  harsh.  Help me to remove the barriers that may come between my children and  myself.  I love my  children and desire good and wholesome things for them.  Good  Saint Joseph, watch over my children and inspire me to know how to speak and act  in love. 
Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for me.  Amen.

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What is a Father?

He is first a man who cares about his children. Whether or not the children are his biological offspring does not matter. The point is that all children belong to God and because they belong to God, a real father feels they belong to him. A  real father is a man who recognizes his role in the larger human family and cares about his children, just as God does.

Secondly, a father is a man who is committed to children. To care about someone is nothing but an emotion until and unless it becomes a commitment to that someone. The truth that God cares about His children would not mean very much unless we could also say God is involved in the lives of His children. The first truth (God cares about usis certainly reassuring, but it is the second truth (God is involved) that we call salvation. God not only cares about us; He has also committed all that He is and all that He has to our best interest: "Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have
  eternal life" (John 3:16). It is this commitment which makes Him truly "Our Father." It is this kind of commitment which makes any man a real father.
Joseph, Patron and Example for Fathers
by Fr. Arnold Ortiz

Websites for Dads

Catholic Dads Online This is a site to help build community among Catholic Dads. Catholic moms rock
when it comes to building community. We men…not so good. That is what Catholic Dads is all about.

Dads.Org  Watered-down attempts to prop up contemporary family life are doomed in the face of modern pressures against marriage and the family. The solution to the family needs of our day begins with a call to husbands and fathers to follow the high calling of Christian fatherhood.

Divorced Catholic Dads  I started this web site and blog after I discovered that there were no resources
on the web to help me walk the route of divorce from a spiritual standpoint....following my divorce was the biggest
challenge to my faith I could ever have imagined. I hope that this web site and blog is of help to any who encounter it.

Articles for Dads

Seven Point Checklist for Catholic Dads    by Randy Hain
I have serious concerns about today’s kids and I know without a
doubt that strong fathers are part of the solution. As Catholic men, we have a
responsibility to be strong fathers and husbands, leaders in our parishes, good
stewards in the community and humble followers of Christ. Read more  

Some Things Moms Can't Do    by Matt Archibold
I believe children want to be lifted up and tossed around a little bit. A lot  some days.
They want to be held above their Dad’s head or dangled from an ankle. 
Don’t know why. They just do.   read more

Why Dads Matter  by LORNA CRUZ
In an era of family breakdown and easy divorce, there is still hope for Catholic 
families to grow and develop under the leadership of fathers, both biological 
and spiritual. But men today must confront new challenges to their traditional 
roles.  Read more

Most Important Thing a Father Can Do   by Matt Warner
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their
mother” – Theodore Hesburgh  Marriage is the foundation of the family. 
Children need this solid foundation more than anything else a parent can give them.
That is why divorce and children outside of marriage are some of the greatest tragedies.   Read More