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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Blessed Virgin Mary | Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Years ago, I was called to the hospital for a woman in critical condition. Her son, a grown man in his forties, stood beside her bed weeping silently. He had always been the strong one, the no-nonsense, keep-it-together type. But now, seeing his mother barely able to speak, all that strength melted into grief. When she realized he was crying, she didn’t say much. She simply reached for his hand and said, “Shh… I’m still here.” That moment of motherly presence, even in her weakness, reminds me of another scene, on a hill called Calvary.
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Catholic Momcast | Catholic Motherhood | Podcast
Hosts Maria Morera Johnson and Allison Gingras have a heartfelt conversation about summer memories and dive into the archives for summer ideas for the family, including some mom hacks for young children. To listen to this week's podcast, simply hit "play" above, or subscribe in iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Visit CatholicMom.com for more ideas to entertain, educate, and inspire your family this summer!
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Brief and contemporary inspiration focused on hope and family prayer will be delivered to your inbox! Articles include live video, written word, and links to resources that will lead you and your family deeper into faith.
Rosary with kids | family prayer | pray the rosary
“All good giving and every perfect gift is from above.” (James 1:17) We receive countless gifts from God in our lives, from food, clothing, and shelter to the graces He gives us each day. When we count our blessings, do we remember to return blessings and adoration to God? The prayer of blessing and adoration is one of the five forms of prayer designated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise) — the form in which we worship God or invoke His grace. “Blessing expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer: it is an encounter between God and man. In blessing, God's gift and man's acceptance of it are united in dialogue with each other.” (CCC 2626) The Catechism describes the prayer of blessing as an “encounter” between God and man. What is an encounter? The dictionary definition of the word is a meeting or experience with another person. As in a visit with a good friend, an encounter is an exchange, a back-and-forth between two people. In the Rosary, we engage in an encounter with Christ and our Blessed Mother, especially through the prayerful recitation of the Our Father and the Hail Mary. As our fingers move over the Rosary beads and our lips recite the words of these prayers, we listen and respond to Jesus and Our Lady.
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We have just gone through the exercise of the election of a new Pope. The days preceding the election of the Pope were fascinating. Media houses spent a lot of newsprint and broadcast time analyzing and the predicting the kind of Pope we would get. They were filled with extensive analysis of who was suitable to become the next Pope. News anchors analyzed left and right who would suit the role. They analyzed the experience one needed to have to suit the job, the level of education they needed to have, the languages he needed to speak, his theological views he needed to espouse, what continent and color they needed to have. All the potential candidates were analyzed like you would analyze politicians running for public office. In the end, the Holy Spirit gave us Pope Leo XIV.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Today, as we reflect on the lives of the saints and hear the words of Scripture, we are called to consider the challenges to our faith, both the internal and the external. Saint Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, and Saint Paul, in his address to the elders at Ephesus and his testimony before the council in Jerusalem, offer us profound lessons.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
This is the face of our Lord—not made by human hands but revealed by His divine love. On November 15, 2013, during Mass in Vilakkannur, Kerala, as the priest elevated the Host, a sacred image of Christ appeared. For twelve years, this Eucharist has remained perfectly intact—without decay, without stain—a living testament to His Real Presence.
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