World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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.
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catholic parenting | family life | power of prayer
Discover how to combat negativity in parenting by focusing on positivity and emotional armor, ensuring peace prevails in your family dynamics. One of the many benefits of our faith is the reminders that we are in a constant battle. We daily face the world, the flesh, and devil, as the adage goes. We have the admonition to put on the armor for the Lord in Ephesians 6:10-20. And despite Christ’s gift of peace during the Last Supper discourse (John 14:27) we know peace isn’t easy to find, even in our own families.
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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.
A father once told me about his teenage son who had stopped speaking to him. For three years there was silence. No calls. No visits. No conversation. The father had said something hurtful, and the son had walked away. But every week, that father drove past his son’s apartment. He did not knock on the door. He did not force a conversation. He simply wanted to be near. He wanted to make sure the lights were on and that his boy was safe. When they finally reconciled, the son asked him, “Why did you keep coming?” The father answered, “Because you are still mine.”
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Today’s first reading from Hosea brings into focus the need for harmony between our internal and external relationships with God. This is a theme that we often hear about in both the Old and New Testament readings. When I read about the Israelites building more altars and more sacred pillars as they became more successful…I couldn’t help but think back to seminary when Father, now Bishop Chris Coyne, taught us about the different types of Church architecture.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own fact” by Daniel Patrick. Why is that observation? Because sometimes we can have skewed interpretations of situations that distort the truth. Our interpretations to situations often highlight how subjective biases, Personal prejudices, and flawed perspectives can distort objective reality. Sometimes as human beings, what we observe is often a reflection of our own conditioning rather than the raw truth.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Have you noticed what happens in waiting rooms? There are usually two kinds of people. One person walks straight to the desk and says, “Excuse me, I have been waiting forty-five minutes. Is my name still on the list?” Bold, Clear. Direct. Then there is another person who sits quietly, shy, watching everyone else go in, smiling politely while their soul slowly leaves their body. They keep telling themselves, “I don’t want to be difficult.” Meanwhile, the little fish tank in the corner of the room has become the most interesting thing. Some people come forward. Some people wait from behind. Both may be carrying real urgency. And sometimes, that is exactly how we come to God.
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