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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
In real social phenomena, there exist some kind of classes that define who we are or what we do. This status deploys certain responsibilities in us. In the division of these responsibilities comes seniors, bosses, employees or lords and subjects. Some may not have search names, however, there exists a life/social distinctive feature. If we look at this with a keen eye, it sounds awkward and even sometimes unexpected for ‘Lord’ to serve the subjects or even bosses to serve the juniors. And even due to such, those beneath us feel unworthy for such services towards them. For those in higher status or privileges which are even gifts or endowed duly by God’s blessings require a higher degree of humility and empathy to come down and serve those lower to them due certain social, economic, spiritual or political factors or any other form of factor that depreciates them. This does not diminish who we are. It does not make us less. Indeed, it uplifts us to true human nature. This is why in the gospel Jesus washes the feet of the disciples, and this does not make him lower. It makes him a true servant. A true leader. A good father or mother in a family lead by example.
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God implanted in our human nature a desire to love and to be loved. When we are accepted by others, we have the assurance that we are lovable. The desire for acceptance is so great that any sort of rejection causes us much pain.
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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.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most tender and powerful images: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” This is not just poetry—it is identity. We are the sheep. Christ is the Good Shepherd. But this raises a serious question: What does it mean to truly be His sheep?
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Let me begin with a picture of Australian sheep farming. They have roughly 70 million sheep in this country, more than almost anywhere else on earth. But shepherds? Barely a handful. They have motorbikes, sheepdogs, and helicopters. Somewhere right now, a man in an Akubra hat is mustering a hundred thousand sheep from the air, probably listening to a podcast. This is the world into which Jesus's words land with a somewhat comedic thud today. Because Jesus is not talking about drones or GPS ear tags. He is talking about something far more intimate, There is an old Middle Eastern story that brings it to life. A traveler once spent the night near a sheepfold where several shepherds had brought their flocks into one shared enclosure. By morning, hundreds of sheep were hopelessly tangled together. The traveler assumed it would take hours to sort them out. Instead, one shepherd simply stepped forward and called. Not loudly, just a familiar voice. Slowly, sheep began lifting their heads and moving toward him. Another shepherd called, and a different group peeled away. Within minutes, chaos became order, just by recognition of voice.
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Catholic Motherhood | Daily Family Prayer | pray the rosary
Moms are busy, and time for prayer is limited (especially for the rosary). Ginny Kochis offers thirteen tips for fitting a beautiful devotion into your hectic day. Little people are busy. And needy. And no matter how intently the two-year-old insists he can put on his shoes by himself, he will inevitably attach the velcro strap to the drawstring of his pants and cry, cry, cry because his shorts are stealing his shoes (or something). The kindergartner Simply Will Not Leave without the sparkly doggy purse no one has seen since last summer, and the nine-year-old has to catch the Pokémon hiding under the couch. Suddenly, the spare 15 minutes to get everyone in the car and buckled becomes a “We’re 20 minutes late!” drive of desperation. Every day is like this for me, plus the added bonus of laundry that multiplies, dirty dishes that appear out of nowhere, bellies that always need feeding, and the husband who leaves his dirty socks on the stairwell (oh, how I love you, you sock-shunning man). I barely have time to get dressed in the morning before someone or something needs my attention. All of this leaves little room for dedicated prayer.
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Catholic YouTube | family prayer
Venerable Patrick Peyton, founder of Family Theater Productions, famously said, "The family that prays together stays together." But is that really true in practice? Staying Together: Families Praying Together, a new YouTube series, seeks to answer that question. Staying Together: Families Praying Together Brings the Saying Into Real Life Starting Tuesday, April 21, with six episodes premiering weekly on Family Theater Productions' YouTube channel, Staying Together: Families Praying Together talks to families on both coasts about how prayer has helped keep them whole, despite all the things in the world that can tear families apart. Says series creator Jay Cooney, "I wanted to find families who could exemplify this saying, and to share with audiences the fruits of praying to God and having those prayers answered." Click here for the official website.
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