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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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“You are under CCTV surveillance!” This is a notice we increasingly encounter today. Institutions, offices, public places—almost everywhere—is scanned by CCTV cameras. The purpose is clear: to capture every movement, identify mischief, trace mishaps, and deter harmful actions. Though CCTV is a modern technological marvel, humanity has had its own "human version" of surveillance long before its invention. Today’s Gospel offers proof of this.
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A wealthy man was once seen driving his luxurious Lamborghini through a bustling city. As he stopped to park, a curious passerby exclaimed, “Wow, such an expensive car! But did you notice your rear windows are broken?” The man smiled and replied, “Yes, they’re broken for a reason—they remind me of God’s Providential Love.” Perplexed, the passerby asked, “Broken windows… God’s love? How?” The man began, “One day, I was speeding through these very streets when I heard a loud crash. A stone had struck my car. Furious, I stopped and saw a ragged boy, the culprit, standing nearby. My anger boiled as I approached him, but before I could say a word, he fell to his knees, hands clasped, tears streaming down his face.
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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.
Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Chess is a popular game that is loved and played by millions around the globe. It is a two-player strategy board game that is played on a chess board. The game of chess brings alive a war on the board with clever strategies and witty planning with constant movements. It’s a sort of a battle that rages strongly, a combat that is highly engrossing. It is a battle of minds, where each move is calculated, and the goal is to checkmate the opponent. Interestingly, our Christian lives can be likened to this game. We are engaged in a spiritual warfare, a constant struggle between good and evil, where the stakes are high, and the consequences eternal. But unlike a game of chess, this battle is not a mere fiction; it is real, it is alive, and it involves every aspect of our lives.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
I still vividly remember the journey of becoming a priest. As a teenager, applying to the seminary felt like trying to get into the most exclusive club—only with more paperwork and no party. There were workshops, psychological tests, preliminary interviews, letters of recommendation, and a medical fitness certificate. Since I belonged to the Syro-Malabar Rite but was joining a Latin Rite congregation, I needed a special permission letter from my bishop. When I was finally accepted, it was only the beginning of a long formation—14 and a half years, to be exact! It involved undergrad studies, philosophy, theology, spiritual and pastoral formation, and mission work, all designed to prepare me for the priesthood. After successfully navigating it all, I was finally ordained. Now, compare that to the disciples in today’s Gospel. Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John as they simply go about their daily routines—casting nets, mending them—and they immediately leave everything to follow Him. No interviews, no recommendation letters, no years of discernment. Just an instant, wholehearted “yes.”
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Healing the family | Strengthening family unity
A traveler came to an old inn and knocked on the door with the iron knocker. No answer. He tried again; only a hollow echo. But he knew people were inside; he had seen them in the window. So, with growing anger, he grabbed the knocker and banged it 10-15 times. Then he heard footsteps approaching and saw a face of an older woman out of the latch hole who timidly inquired whether the good gentleman wanted to come in. "Did I want to come in?" he shouted. "Anyone who knocked as I did must have."
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Have you ever played with little children? When we elders play a game with little children, we usually change the rules. It could be baseball, basketball, football, or any board game. We relax some of the rules to make it easier for the child to enjoy the game a little more. For fun, we also sometimes intentionally play poorly to allow the child to win. We might even make adjustments to our gameplay, pretending not to know how to play well. At times, we act as if we are losing badly so that the child can enjoy the game even more. We do a bit of “acting” and some pretense to see the reaction of the children.
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