With his books, his TV show Living Right with Dr. Ray, and his radio program The Doctor Is In, Ray Guarendi has become a household name for many Catholic families. As a Catholic clinical psychologist and home-schooling father of 10 children, Guarendi and his counsel have earned the respect of countless Catholic families across America. His advice in his public work has largely focused on family issues; more specifically, his wisdom is often directed toward the struggles most common to Catholic families. His latest book, Family Faith Under Fire, provides another entrée of the great advice we have come to expect from him over the years.

In this book, Guarendi has assembled the questions he has been most frequently asked by Catholics about family life, along with some pithy answers.

Most of book contains questions about raising children in an environment that is often disruptive, even hostile, toward the true faith. Giving the relatively short page length of the book, Guarendi adroitly covers a surprisingly wide array of topics that deal with parenting infants, toddlers, adolescents, adult children in college, and adult children now living on their own. Though he addresses dozens of specific questions, he is essentially centered on one particular theme: How can we, as a family, grow closer to the love of God? His responses provide answers that are beautiful, practical and hopeful.

Some of the questions that Guarendi seeks to answer pertain to teenagers and 20-something children who no longer want to attend Mass on Sundays. Guarendi stands firm. Referencing an adult-age son who has come home from college, he writes, "Mass is nonnegotiable. It is a given of his summer home relocation. Otherwise, the perks of twenty-hood (no doubt financed in whole or part by you) -- car, computer, cell phone, insurance, haircuts -- can be reassessed. After which your son could conclude he went from Disney World to Alcatraz in one short day in May." He also points out that an older (and seemingly "cooler") brother can negatively influence his younger siblings. Parents must not let that happen. He writes, "Let's college-proof younger brother. Rein in older brother. Absolutely no reeducating his sibling."

It's no secret that many Catholic parents have seen their adult children stop attending Mass after they move out of their parents' home. While many mothers and fathers might feel compelled to constantly discuss religion with their children, Guarendi advises, "Your best persuasion is a good relationship. Since you have that, continuing to broach a sore subject may only make it more sore." I appreciated that response, since we've all seen parents cut off relationships with their children, which can create a further obstacle to their children returning to the Catholic Church.

I also appreciated Guarendi's point that our past lives should not negatively influence our present parenting. Many parents might think that they are in no position to instruct their children because they were sinful at that same age. But Guarendi assures parents, "First and foremost, your moral authority as a parent does not depend one whit upon your moral conduct as a teen."

Not all Guarendi's advice pertains to the parent/child relationship. Much of it deals with spouses towards each other. On that note, he has a very interesting insight into what happens when a wife becomes more alive with her faith than the husband. He observes, "The rule rather than the exception: No two spouses are on an identical spiritual page. Some aren't even in the same book." Guarendi has some fascinating insights on how to positively proceed in those circumstances.

Guarendi's book also contains a very favorable view of homeschooling, including answering the objection that home-schoolers are boys and girls who don't have much interaction with others. As a second-generation home-schooler, I've personally heard this objection for more than 40 years, so I'm glad Guarendi answered it. He assures home-schooling parents, "My positive view of homeschooling does not imply a negative view of other education. Many fine parents, teachers, and kids are involved in public and private schools. My intention is to knock flat the cliché and baseless objection leveled at homeschooling. It is to defend those who choose that option. These parents are typically involved and conscientious. They are not unwittingly shortchanging their children's well-being."

For those who aren't familiar with Guarendi and his writing, you should know that he has a delightful sense of humor -- and that sense of humor is on full display in one of my favorite chapters in the book, titled "Sins Against Society." He observes, "Tolerance is the pervasive, preeminent new moral virtue. Whatever others want to do is their choice -- indeed, their right -- and is to be accepted, even celebrated. Yet our society is quite narrow in its tolerance. For all its vaunted openness, the tolerance movement is riddled with ironies."

One of those ironies, he explains, is "Irony #7: One mustn't criticize others -- except mothers." He explains, "Those who religiously shun talking politics or religion feel unrestrained license to opine about the most personal of someone's life decisions. The clichés are predictably similar -- thought clever but, in fact, tiresome. 'Are they all yours?' 'Don't you have a TV?' 'So this is it, right?'"

Guarendi is not exaggerating here at all. As the father of nine children, I've received these responses more times than I care to remember. In fact, asking if we have a television is one of the least negative responses I've received. I remember someone asking me once if I knew how to use contraceptives. I've always to tried to answer the question with both wittiness and charity -- though I haven't always succeeded. I love Guarendi's list of responses:

"Is this all your family?" "Of course not; our oldest is at home with the triplets."

In addition to all Dr. Guarendi's insights and sage advice, the book well illustrates the principle that humor often works as a healing salve in our fallen world.

As I mentioned, this little book is full of wisdom, offering much needed assurance and guidance to parents and to spouses. All in all, Catholic parents -- at all the stages of parenting -- will enjoy this latest offering from a most relatable Catholic psychologist and father.