World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
We can sometimes hear or read the Word of God and wonder, is that even possible and why would God say that? For example, when Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife, and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
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Return to the Church | Why pray?
Imagine you planned what you thought would be a lovely garden party. You planned a variety of fruits, vegetables, small sandwiches, dips and delicacies, making sure you had considered food allergies and diets. Calculated what you would need in the way of furniture. Persuaded some grandchildren to help set up, serve and clean up. You knew the kids and your friends would enjoy each other. The weather forecast was a lovely spring afternoon. You anticipated it would be a perfect gathering of friends, family, and neighbors.
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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.
Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Friends, I love this reading from Philippians because it reminds me of so many of the great Saints. Brothers and sisters. If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace and love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory. Rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not only for his own interests but also everyone for those of others. ~ Philippians 2:1-4 Certainly, Saint Charles was a great pastor who radically changed the large Archdiocese of Milan in Italy for the better. Or Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who left her home in Albania, went to Ireland, and then to India. When she heard the voice of the Lord saying, “I Thirst for you to go to the poor in the streets of Calcutta." She would go on to spend the rest of her life seeking and finding the Lord Jesus hidden in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.
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Catholic books | Celtic Spirituality | catholic mom | inspiration
You don't need to be reading along to be blessed by this inspiring conversation with author Julianne Stanz, author of Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace. What a blessing to be joined for three weeks with author Julianne Stanz as we delve into the Catholic Mom Book Club selection for Fall 2024: Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace, published by Loyola Press. Listen in (and share your thoughts in the comments) as we discuss the concept of a "thin place" and how that relates to our spiritual life. We unpack our spiritual "junk drawers" and contemplate what the "potato masher" in our lives may exist that keeps us from letting go of our stubborn habits and behaviors.
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Catholic YouTube | Grief | prayer
As October becomes November, All Hallows' Eve, aka Halloween, followed by the Feast of All Saints and then All Souls' Day, reminds us of those who have gone on before us. It's a solemn time, but as the new series Grace in Grief: Hope After Loss shows, there are ways through the grieving process. Hearing the Stories of the Grieving Premiering Tuesday, Oct. 29, on Family Theater Productions' YouTube channel, the seven-part series follows people dealing with losses of different kinds, whether a sibling, a parent, or even a child. The Grace in Grief episodes will be released weekly and run between 10 and 15 minutes. Visit FamilyTheater.org/GraceInGrief or go straight to the YouTube playlist.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Declared by Pope Boniface IV in 609 A.D, the day celebrates all holy men and women of God we do not know about, men and women who are not on the list of canonized saints, yet we know they lived, and we believe they enjoy eternal fellowship with God. These are the uncanonized saints who form part of the “great multitude” in heaven, men and women “who have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb” as the John tells us in the Book of Revelation. Besides celebrating their lives and seeking their intercession, we also look at them as role models who can inspire us in our own pursuit of holiness.
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