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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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Let me introduce you to Jochebed, mother of Moses from the first reading. No burning bush, no Red Sea yet. Just a woman, in a time of terror, doing what mothers do best: protecting life in the face of death. Pharaoh, in all his regal might, had issued a royal decree: every Hebrew baby boy must be drowned in the Nile. And what does Jochebed do? She looks at her newborn son, sees something “special” in him, and let’s be honest, what mother doesn’t think her child is special? But Jochebed’s faith isn’t just sentimental, it’s strategic. She hides him for three months, then weaves a basket, like a tiny ark, places him in it, and lets him go into the very river meant for his death. That’s not fear. That’s Trust You know what strikes me most? Jochebed never hears a voice from heaven. No angel appears with a five-point plan. She has no assurance this will work. All she has is maternal instinct and mustard-seed faith. And sometimes, that’s more than enough.
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Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
Praying the Rosary was not something I grew up with in my family. Today, I would like to share how I came to learn and pray the Rosary and how praying with our Blessed Mother always brings me great hope! Early in 2020, our lives were all turned upside-down. My husband’s uncle, whom we were both close to, suddenly passed away. I also had to accept not seeing my parents in Florida for quite a while due to lockdowns. This was not an easy time for anyone. During this time, I also felt a strong and loving nudge to pray the Rosary. I know that this was our Blessed Mother guiding me to the protection of her mantle. It was a time when I was very much in need of hope.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.” “I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother…[so that] one’s enemies will be the members of one’s household.” ~ Matthew 10:34—11:1 These proclamations from our Lord can strike us particularly harshly here at Holy Cross Family Ministries, because Venerable Patrick Peyton dedicated his life to family unity through prayer and proclaimed that prayer brings peace. What do we make of this? First, we must understand that when Jesus speaks of peace in this passage, He means freedom from conflict, particularly oppression from one’s enemies. There was, in fact, an expectation that the Messiah would usher in an era where nations no longer engaged in conflict, and God’s people, especially, no longer suffered oppression. Jesus, instead, makes no such promises, at least not for His first coming upon the earth.
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Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
As I was driving, following the ambulance with my husband inside, my car became a sanctuary for praying to God to heal him. I can still see the yellow line on the machine move up and down like on a Richter scale, then stretching out to a flat line. This took about a minute, but in those seconds, I prayed with all my heart in the hope that the line would move again to signal life had returned to the body of my beloved. My hope was gone, and my husband was dead. Whether a loved one dies in an instant, days, months, or years, you hope for healing throughout the period that life hangs in the balance. I have heard the anecdote that sometimes the answer to a prayer is yes, no, or not now. The “No” for me triggered a deep hope that my husband was on his way to Heaven. So many people requested a Mass intention for the repose of my husband’s soul immediately. As I attended those Masses, I would hear his name as part of the prayer of the faithful. It consoled me, but didn’t restore my hope.
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Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
One of my favorite scenes involving our Blessed Mother is the Wedding at Cana. Some Scripture scholars like to point to its significance because it marks Jesus’ first public miracle. Others think that its main intent was to draw attention to the validity and dignity of marriage. Mariologists sometimes look at it as exemplifying the fact that Jesus and Mary were, like us, human beings with family ties and important life events. All of these are true, and I appreciate each perspective. But I have one of my own. Mary Is Attentive to Others' Needs When I contemplate the Cana event, I am drawn to Mary’s attentiveness. While the other wedding guests are celebrating, she notices that something is amiss. The wedding couple has run out of wine, which, in that time and culture, would have been a huge embarrassment. First-century Jewish weddings were major occasions. Not only the family and relatives, but often the entire town was invited. Additionally, the feasting went on for days as opposed to the way modern weddings are conducted, with a single afternoon or evening reception. It was the responsibility of the wedding couple and their parents to keep everyone happy and satiated with food and drink.
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Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
On my life’s journey, I am not sure that I have always been aware of hope or have even been hopeful. I know that in my later years, hope and faith are the only things that kept me standing, especially during some of the hardest moments of my life. As a kid, I remember many moments that were scary and maybe even traumatic at the time. Even then, I remember just thinking of Jesus or Mother Mary. I knew they could help, but that’s about it. Coming Back to the Faith I can say that I really didn’t know what faith really meant until my reversion about 19 years ago. I am a cradle Catholic who went to Mass, not understanding what real faith meant. After I lost my mom 25 years ago, I stopped going to Mass. I remember my pain being so overwhelming that I thought God had failed me. After all, if you have faith, you are guaranteed that your prayers will be answered.
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