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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
God teaches us in many different ways and places. Back when I lived in Taunton at St. Mary’s I used to go for walks around the neighborhood and it wasn’t long before I noticed all the Our Lady of Fatima statues with the three kneeling children in so many front yards. Now, this was a new thing for a guy from Quincy where the Irish who had a statue of the Blessed Mother kept her in the back yard all to ourselves! Because Quincy was mostly Irish and Italian, we focused on Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Knock. So, there I was walking through a new experience of faith and one that wasn’t in backyards but right out front.
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Learn more about our faith | Strengthening family unity
Did you keep vigil on Thursday, May 8, along with the millions watching on television, livestreams, or in person at St. Peter’s Square, waiting for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the appearance of the new pope? I noticed that people from all over the world were waiting for the new shepherd to appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. All members of the one flock, under the leadership of the one shepherd. The Book of Revelation 7:9 came to my mind: “I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue.” I once read a story about a priest who asked his sacristan to write out the response to the Responsorial Psalm for the parishioners to recite during Mass. That Sunday, the response was: “The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.” But the board was too small. So the priest, thinking practically, told the sacristan, “Just write, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ That’s enough.” When the time came for the response, the congregation, dutifully reading what was written, echoed with deep conviction: “The Lord is my Shepherd. That is enough.” It was a mistake—but what a beautiful one. Because truly, isn’t that the whole Gospel in one line?
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Mother's Day | catholic family life | motherhood
Through the channel of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, it is God’s love that molds women into virtuous mothers. There is no escaping that women truly desire to share love and to help those in need. The fruitful nature of women thrives when their purpose is to love beyond their selfish tendencies and to find God’s love in that process. This is the growth of the heart of every mother who strives towards virtuous living. The vocation of motherhood is a slow process toward sainthood, in which God patiently waits for our spiritual growth. Too frequently, society considers motherhood solely the process of raising children. This is a true and beautiful fact, but it has an even deeper spiritual element that is oftentimes lost in the secular world. Motherhood is the means towards sainthood—not only our own personal sanctity, but also that of our husband and children.
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Catholicism | Faith Reflection | Scripture
Growing up in South Florida, I longed to experience the natural shifts that came with the four seasons: colorful falls, snowy winters, blooming springs, breezy summers. When I moved to the upper Midwest, I finally got my wish, but in quite an unbalanced way. Winters here are so long, and spring is rushed too quickly into hot summers. And when spring does show up, it is often followed by an April snow. Because of this, I have never liked spring. However, my appreciation for spring has grown over the last few years. Even though spring is very short in Minnesota, when the sun warms the earth, the trees turn the most vibrant green, and bulbs display their flowering blossoms, it is a living miracle, a smile from God that promises new life, spiritual growth, and renewal of mind and heart.
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Learn more about our faith | Return to the Church
Today we reflect on what it means to eat the Flesh of Jesus and drink his Blood. We reflect on what it means to be a “Eucharistic People.” The Lord says in the gospel that unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have any life in you. He adds on that My Flesh is True Food and my Blood is True Drink.
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In the Acts of the Apostles, we encounter Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, whose story provides lessons for our daily lives. We see how an angel of the Lord directed Philip to the road to Gaza, and how the Spirit instructed him to approach the Ethiopian's chariot. This reminds us that God is actively involved in guiding us, if we are open to His promptings.
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