x Close
World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
One time a priest was preaching. So, he told the Christians. Lift your burdens to the Lord. One man picked up his wife. One woman picked up her husband while another mother brought her children to the altar plus the husband! The gospel today states, “come to me who labor and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” As families we may have several things that we feel without the hand of God we cannot succeed. Even probably we may have stories to tell of how Jesus stood with us when everything seemed breaking. When the marriage was under certain trial, we came to the Lord! In Sickness. In times of heavy disagreements and we said, let us pray over it. We said let us go for mass. We asked someone to pray with us, and we emerged victorious.
Share
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bonaventure, a brilliant theologian, Franciscan, bishop, and Doctor of the Church. He is remembered as the "Seraphic Doctor." I had to look up that first part! The term “seraphic” refers to the seraphim, the highest order of angels, symbolizing a pure and burning love for God. And, this is combined with the term “doctor,” which is a title given to saints recognized for their eminent learning and contribution to theology.
Share
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.
It is possible that most of us in our families have had to deal with defiant people or defiant behavior. We have had people dear to us retorting, “Did I ask you to give birth to me?” or a son shouting back at his parents, “No.” Maybe you've experienced someone responding, "If you helped me, that was your choice; did I force you?” These phrases reflect a pattern of non-compliance, hostility, and refusal to cooperate with authority in whatever form it takes. These kinds of reactions and responses can indeed be heartbreaking for the recipient. Believing What You See In the Gospel today, Jesus had been healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and casting out demons in towns like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Despite these undeniable displays of divine power and God’s loving kindness, the residents refused to repent or accept him as the Messiah.
Share
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor, and the doctor was able to fit him with a set of hearing aids that let him hear 100%. He went back a month later, and the doctor said, "Your hearing is now perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again." The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. And I've changed my will three times." Maybe a lot goes on in our families, behind our backs. Raise your hand if your family is perfect. Anyone? I'll wait. The family I come from is not perfect. Maybe your family is not perfect either. And you know what? That's okay. We are all in this together, and no one has it all perfectly figured out.
Share
Catholic books | catholic mom | how to pray the rosary
Discover thoughtful reflections and practical guidance in Joy, Light, Sorrow, and Glory, a booklet that helps deepen your Rosary prayer experience. Margaret Rash reviews a booklet of reflections on each of the Mysteries of the Rosary by Catholic Mom contributing writer Leigh Ann Roman.
Share
The time that the prophet Hosea preached was a heartbreaking time for God. The children of Israel had abandoned God and drifted so far away from Him. They had foreign gods to worship, like Baal; their faith was in armies and foreign alliances; the law of God barely meant anything to them. They were terribly lost as a nation and consequently hurt themselves in all ways you can imagine.
Share
