The world is full of dating advice – much of which is toxic and damaging to relationships. We approach dating advice from the perspective of Catholic teachings as they relate to the persons and the role that dating and romantic relationships play in our lives as Christians.
In this section, we’ll explore dating advice for first time dates as well as advice for those who are going on their 20th date. More importantly, we’ll look at why relationships sometimes fail and what it takes to make the work.
When I was dating my now-husband, Joseph, we spent a majority of our relationship long distance. We met in a tiny town in western Kansas doing mission work over the summer, hours away from home. Then, when we started dating, we lived an hour away from each other. We went to different schools and only […]
When you’re in a committed relationship, a lot of tough conversations are brought up. You may discuss your hopes for a future family, or talk about significant job choices together. But even more important than the number of kids you’d like to have, or what job your significant other has is a huge—typically taboo—topic that […]
Dating should be fun. Probably a big part of the reason why you have an active dating life is to add some recreation and communal enjoyment to your life. So getting bogged down in awkwardness is probably something you’d like to avoid. Here’s another look at a set of awkward moments Catholics might face in […]
Dr. Gary Chapman is a world-renowned marriage counselor and author of the book The 5 Love Languages. In his book, Dr. Chapman writes that everyone has a love language, a way that they prefer to be loved. For Joseph, my husband, his love language is quality time. Mine, however, is physical touch. Joseph feels unloved when […]
There is no Catholic teaching that says you should never date, or that courtship is preferred. While Holy Scripture is silent on these topics, the Catholic view is that dating should be with the goal of ending in marriage. What is Courtship? Courtship is a relationship in which a man and woman seek to determine […]
Going on a date with someone new can be exciting, tons of fun, and… awkward. It’s probably a given that there will be moments when one or both of you might want to crawl under a rock and hide. But for Catholics, awkward situations can often pop up in ways that the rest of the […]
Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is—what is proper, pleasing, and perfect. Romans 12-2 Why is the Church teaching against contraception? Let’s be clear. The Catholic Church prohibits the use of any form […]
You’ve met someone special. Things are going great. Until suddenly, your significant other says those exhilarating but fearsome words: “I’d like you to meet my parents.” An entire movie was made about a guy fouling up that first meet-and-greet. So obviously, there are a lot of things that can go wrong the first time you […]
On January 21, 2017, Joseph and I got married at Saint Isidore’s Catholic Student Center in Manhattan, Kansas. It was an incredible day. It was a wedding that was us—a day filled with so many magnificent memories. Despite the warnings of wedding stress, our wedding day was one of the most stress-free, joy-filled days of […]
After the first date, you could be left on a rollercoaster of emotion. You wonder what your date thought of you and think about how the date went. Sometimes first dates go well and you can’t wait to ask or to be asked out for a second time. But if the hour or two that […]
