The topic of this lecture is based on Mary Ann Budnik’s book, Raise Happy Children Through A Happier Marriage!  Budnik discusses the spiritual and then the practical aspects of growing in happiness, joy and holiness in your marriage. Mary Ann addresses how to avoid problems; how to communicate; how to put more fun back into your marriage; how to resolve problems and the necessity of happy memories.  Learn how to put more joy into your marriage!

“When parents talk about their children they boast about their son ‘the doctor’ or their daughter a ‘successful executive’, but no parent has told me that his or her child is striving to become a saint!  Yet as Bl. Mother Teresa pointed out: ‘We are called upon not to be successful but to be holy.’  It’s fine if our son is an attorney, but he should be a saintly attorney.  It’s terrific if our daughter is an engineer, but she should be a holy engineer.  If this is the case, we have successfully fulfilled our vocation.  If not, we have a serious problem.”
                Budnik than explains the three crucial components for raising your children saints; the 7 steps needed to raise children saints; how the 7 sacraments impact the souls of your children; the importance of keeping Sunday holy; how to teach your children to pray along with examples of the saints and the parents of the saints.

This book tells step-by step how to raise virtuous, responsible children. Virtues covered are the 12 foundational virtues: obedience, sincerity, order, fortitude, perseverance, patience, industriousness, generosity, freedom, responsibility, justice, and charity. As you teach your children virtues, you will grow in virtue as well.

• Discern your child's temperament type.
• Stages of development, particularly between the ages of two to age twelve.
• Learn at what age to teach and how to teach each virtue.
• Study the impact of the theological virtues, the cardinal virtues, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit , and the fruits of the Holy Spirit and how they impact the should and character of your child.

Budnik explains why there is so much turmoil in our personal lives and in the world.  Her book on confession answers the questions:  How can I find peace and happiness?  Why should I go to confession?  What should I confess?  Why tell my sins to a priest?  What is a mortal sin?  Where in the Bible does it mention confession?  It’s been so long since I went to confession.  What do I say? What do I do?  How can I use confession to grow in holiness? How do I examine my conscience?

Until we turn back to God and live according to His laws, we can neither experience peace, nor happiness. Learn how to use this great gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation well!

Learn how your family can grow holier and happier

As we watch the evening news, we are brought face-to-face with homelessness, hunger, sickness, suffering, immorality, imprisonment, and death. Our consciences stir with indignation, yet we are left with a sense of hopelessness. What can we as individuals do about these problems?

 “Hope, that virtues that keeps us going through times of discouragement, sufferings and trials cannot be limited to the season of Advent.  It is in season always since it helps us to endure the bad news that saturates our culture along with the immoral entertainment and aggressive materialistic propaganda that we are subjected to.”  Mary Ann Budnik then explains the two different types of hope-human and supernatural, as well as an explanation of the importance of the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity and how they interact.  Budnik gives fascinating examples from real life and the saints to explain the virtues and how they help us to grow holy and happy.  She also touches upon the theme of suffering and it’s importance in developing our character.