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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Charles Borromeo | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith | family unity
Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel can be a bit challenging even to understand, because they at least touch on aspects of the end-times, known by the fancier word of “eschatology.” And part of Jesus’ consistent teaching about the end is that we shouldn’t try too much to figure out times and places, signs, and chronologies. And so, in some sense, delving into the details about precisely what Jesus’ comments and images could mean about the end times not only misses the point, but even kind of goes against His instructions.
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Gospel Readings | Learn more about our faith | catholic family life
Sometimes we ask someone, “How is your family?” They smile and say, “We are fine.” But behind those words may be a painful story: a marriage growing distant, a betrayal too difficult to discuss, a child caught between parents, or someone lying awake wondering, “What will happen to us?” Some homes are filled with arguments; others have grown painfully quiet. Silence does not always mean peace. Sometimes it means someone no longer feels safe enough to speak. Into these homes, Jesus says today: “The Kingdom of God is among you.” We might ask, “Lord, if you are among us, why do I feel so alone?” Jesus does not promise a life without sorrow. He promises His presence within it. Your suffering has not placed you beyond God’s reach. You do not have to put your life in order before approaching Him. Come with your questions, your exhaustion, even your anger. Begin with this simple prayer: “Lord, this is where I am. Meet me here.”
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Catholic Faith | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith | saints
On this Veterans Day in the United States, we remember and give thanks to those men and women of our military…who have served, sacrificed, and contributed to our nation. We pray for them as they have sought to protect our nation while maintaining moral and ethical standards—a high bar in a complex and dangerous world. Today’s Saint, Martin of Tours, was also a soldier who lived long before us in the 4th century, but his transformation from Roman soldier to priest and bishop came as the result of the grace of Baptism that we’ve all received. St. Martin’s adult baptism caused him to rethink what it meant to be a Roman soldier in light of his Christian faith. That led him to be open to answering the call to the priesthood. For Martin, it was realizing he was called to be a soldier for Christ, not for Caesar.
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Gospel Reflection | Learn more about our faith | temple of the Holy Spirit
“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, positions, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.” — William Arthur Ward Today, Jesus offers us the parable of the unworthy (or unprofitable) servant, in which He teaches His disciples about humility, duty, and the proper mindset for serving God. He discourages or rejects spiritual entitlement. He says: “When we have done everything commanded of us, we must confess: ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what our duty was.’” Jesus illustrates the fact that our relationship with God is such that we don’t have a claim on God or special favors through obedience; rather, serving God is a privilege and an obligation. Obedience and service to God are expected duties rather than achievements that earn special rewards or entitlement.
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Gospel Reflection | Learn more about our faith | temple of the Holy Spirit
Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. It is the highest-ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome and the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome. It is the oldest church in the West, built during the time of Constantine. This feast became a universal celebration in honor of the archbasilica, the ecclesiastical mother church and the mother of all churches in Rome and throughout the world, as a sign of love for and union with the See of Peter. In the Gospel, Jesus enters the temple in Jerusalem. He finds people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, along with money changers operating in the outer courts. He makes a whip of cords, overturns the tables, scatters the coins, and orders them to stop turning His Father’s house into a marketplace. Many of us don’t want to imagine Jesus as the lash-out-in-anger type of guy, yet others might find themselves thanking God that we are not the only ones who get mad or raise our voices at our family members or friends.
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Faith Reflection | Learn more about our faith | prayer
Raise your hand if you have ever packed for a trip, and then had to unpack when you got home. There is something satisfying about it. You open the suitcase, take everything out, and put it back where it belongs. I recently returned from a priests' retreat in India, where I did a different kind of unpacking: not just my suitcase, but the burdens I had been carrying.
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