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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
family prayer | forming children of faith | pray the rosary
Prayer is difficult to explain and accomplish with squirming, young children. Mass can be an hour of tension trying to get little ones to sit still and be quiet, so much so that you have trouble listening or paying attention yourself. And trying to get through a whole Rosary with children can be frustrating. As a mother of adult children, I’d like to share three tips for praying with your children that worked for us when they were young. Encourage Personal Prayer at Bedtime When our oldest was very little, I made up a short prayer for us to say together every night while tucking him into bed. It was personal and pertinent to him, easy to remember, and taught him the key components of prayer: Awe, Thanksgiving, and Intercession. It went like this: “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for another fun day. Thank you for my health, my faith, and my family, especially Daddy, Mommy, [insert names of other loved ones]. Please help with [intention]. Amen.”
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catholic family life | easter | inspiration
What a glorious time of year this is: celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection after experiencing the sorrow of Lent. For forty days, we wallowed in sadness as we walked through not only the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ but also our own struggles with temptation as we tried to unite our little sacrifices with His. By devoting extra time to prayer and church services, fasting, and giving alms, we fight Satan just as Jesus did during His forty days in the desert. I was blessed to spend time this Lent studying St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, which were almost exactly in sync with our liturgical readings. As I read and meditated on three different Gospel readings each week, I was touched more than ever by really contemplating the events and how they applied to my life.
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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.
God's love | family prayer | trust in God
Their backs were up against a wall, cornered with nowhere to go. The Israelites had triumphantly been released from being slaves to the Egyptians after more than 400 years; they took their families and all of their belongings and left town. They had gone as far as the Red Sea, only to hear in the distance the Pharaoh’s chariots barreling down on them in revenge. They had a dead-end in front of them with the deep Red Sea. They couldn’t turn around or they would be heading right into the army. And going left or right would just mean eventual capture as well. They were trapped, afraid, and hopeless. Their triumphant exit from Egypt just led to doom and despair from what they saw.
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Holy Thursday | Holy Week | disciples
Holy Thursday takes on a whole new dimension of depth and meaning when reflecting on Jesus' Passion from the apostles’ point of view.
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Advent | Parenting | St. Joseph
Colleen Mallette reviews the qualities of St. Joseph that we can follow to be better parents, especially during Advent. One of the wonderful qualities St. Joseph exemplifies is his example of good parenting especially important for us to consider during the harried weeks of the Advent season.
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