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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy lives of inspiration | Love thy Neighbor
When Pope Francis, whose birth name was Jorge Bergoglio, did one of his first major media spots after his election, the interviewer asked him the question, “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?”, and he answered, “I am a sinner.” While true, it was still a shocking opening response. It would have been as if Babe Ruth, near the end of his career, had been asked, “How would you describe yourself as a baseball player, Babe?” and he would have responded, “I’m a player who strikes out more than just about anyone else.” I mean, that was true, but it was also true that in certain seasons, Babe Ruth singlehandedly hit more home runs than almost all major league teams! Likewise, the Holy Father would have surpassed almost all of us in his prayerfulness and devotion and virtue. But he chose to lead with the truth that unites him to all of us: he is a sinner in need of God’s mercy, in need of the saving work of Jesus Christ.
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For many of us, the date 9/11 will always evoke a wide range of emotions and memories. Everything from shock and sadness to anger and fear and many more. Even though it has been twenty-four years since that tragic day, watching the news this morning can bring us back to where we were, what we were doing and who we first called.
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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.
On April 15, 2019, the world watched as flames tore through Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. For hours it seemed nothing could survive. Yet amid the smoke, firefighters and few daring cathedral staff formed a human chain to rescue what could not be replaced: the Crown of Thorns, relics of saints, the Blessed Sacrament. Reuters, the newspaer later reported that 90 percent of the cathedral’s treasures were saved because, in the moment of crisis, people knew instinctively what mattered most. When the fire subsided, a golden cross still hung above the altar, gleaming through the ashes. That image is what Paul is talking about in Colossians in the first reading today. “Seek what is above, not what is on earth.” Not because the earth is worthless, but because in the fire, we learn to recognize what endures.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
St. Paul, as he usually does, greets the Colossians, as brothers and sisters and reminds them and us that we have received the Lord Jesus Christ. He then encourages us to walk with Jesus and to have our lives rooted in our faith in God. But as Paul often does, he also draws to our attention to a potential pitfall that he wants us to avoid…
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
On September 8 each year, we celebrate not just a birthday, but the dawn of hope. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary marks the tender beginning of God’s promise—through the birth of a daughter who would become the Mother of our Savior. Mary’s life offers families today a model, especially in a world where parents juggle endless demands, children face digital distractions, and households often feel scattered. Her example speaks through three simple but powerful qualities: humble presence, hungry hearts, and sacred wisdom.
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catholic family life | family prayer | sacrament of marriage
Hillary Ibarra shares how prayer helped to keep her marriage and family together.
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