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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Learn more about our faith | Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
In 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts became the first humans to orbit the moon. As they swung around the far side, completely cut off from all radio contact with Earth, alone in the cosmic dark, astronaut Jim Lovell looked out into the void and said something unexpected: “I feel like there were more than three of us up there.” He couldn’t explain it. No religious vision, no sudden apparition, just an unmistakable sense of presence. Years later, he still maintained: “We were not alone.” Today, on the feast of the Guardian Angels, we hear a curious reading from Nehemiah. The people of Israel gathered to hear words they had forgotten, and when they remembered, they wept. But Ezra told them to stop crying and start celebrating. Because they discovered again what it means to be accompanied, what it means to not be forgotten.
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Learn more about our faith | Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
As we begin October, the month of the Holy Rosary, we celebrate St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus—a saint who reminds us that holiness is not found in great deeds, but in doing ordinary things with extraordinary love. This is a message families deeply need today. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says simply: “Follow me.” Not "Follow me when the kids are older," or "Follow me after you finish your degree," or "Follow me when life settles down." Just follow me—now, in the midst of everything.
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Global Rosary for Peace | Holy Cross Family Ministries | how to pray the rosary
All Holy Cross Family Ministry centers around the world will gather online to pray together for world peace on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 4:00 p.m. Rome Time. Join the world in prayer!
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
The prophecy today from Zechariah is a bold one, one that no person would have dared to predict on his own without divine inspiration. When Zechariah wrote, the people of Judah had just returned from Exile at the mercy of great Persia; they had re-built the Temple, and as we heard in last week’s readings, it was a meager replica of the original. Judged by appearances, they were a tiny, insignificant nation, surviving at the pleasure of far more dominant civilizations. And yet, here Zechariah is, prophesying that all peoples, including the mighty nations, will seek Jerusalem out and look to the Jews for guidance and wisdom, as the people who uniquely know the LORD. It is a stunning vision.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Some years ago, I read a story about a little boy named Eamon, who was gravely ill and being treated in a children’s hospital. His parents kept vigil by his bedside day and night. One nurse recalled walking past his room in the small hours of the morning and finding his mother singing softly to him, holding his frail hand. She said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed: in that dimly lit hospital room, it felt like she had stepped into holy ground. The boy Eamon eventually passed away, but his parents said they felt surrounded, carried even, by a strength beyond their own, the kind you can’t explain but only receive. That, I believe, is the quiet work of angels. Not always with trumpets and fire, but with presence, with consolation, with a reminder that God is near. When we hear Daniel’s vision in the Bible—thrones set in place, rivers of fire, the “Ancient of Days” clothed in glory, it feels like something out of a movie. You almost expect special effects and a booming soundtrack. Daniel wasn’t writing a screenplay. He was trying to put into words an experience of God’s majesty that words can hardly hold.
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Family Rosary | family prayer | how to pray the rosary
During Pope Leo XIV's September 24, 2025, General Audience, he said, “I invite everyone, each day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace—personally, in the family, and in the community.” As they say, great minds think alike! Family Rosary had the same idea when we created the October Rosary Challenge free download. As we prepare for our October 22 Global Rosary for Peace, we invite families to come together each day in prayer. While an entire Rosary is a beautiful goal, it is important to remember that any prayer shared with your family is a grace-filled gift! Join Family Rosary in Prayer
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