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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
In 1998 I entered the novitiate as part of my Seminary formation. At our initiation to the novitiate, along with the Constitution of the congregation, we were given a best-selling book The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck. The book’s first sentence starts with “Life is difficult.” If I may add, “Christian life is more difficult.” The Beatitudes are a call to us to see ourselves, to live with ourselves in a way that probably does not come easily to most of us.”
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Today's first reading is like a play with three acts. In the first act, Tobit cries out in anguish about his death after a fight with his wife (over a goat, of all things). The pain of being unable to provide for his family, the faithlessness of his tribe, and the insults he endures from others become too much for him. Tobit becomes so depressed that he asks God to save him from his troubles, even if that means death.
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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.
Today Jesus promises rewards for those who give up their loved ones and possessions for His sake and the Gospel. He says, “No one has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for me and for the Gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times more." But, of course, giving up something or someone is not only for priests and religious who renounce family and personal property to imitate Christ more closely. We can all learn to sacrifice something to witness Christ's presence in the world.
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Let me share a few innocent and realistic prayers of little children. Dear God: Send Mommy a new baby. The baby you sent last week cries too much. How many angels live in Heaven? I want to be the first kid in my class to figure out the answer. Please help me in school. I need help in spelling, adding, history, geography, and writing. Are there any helpers in heaven? When I have summer vacation, I'd like to be one of your helpers in heaven. My birthday is tomorrow. Can you put a rainbow in the sky? I need an increase in my allowance. Would one of your angels be able to tell my dad about it? Sincere and innocent prayers.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
You might be puzzled by this phrase, and I almost hear you thinking, "What on earth is 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit?'" We all understand baptism with water – we've seen it many times. Sometimes it happens when adults come to faith in Jesus and step forward to be baptized to seal their commitment to Christ. But most often, it happens to babies when parents present them to be baptized, or 'christened' as it's still often called. But what is 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit?' If you feel confused about this, you're in good company!
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Holy lives of inspiration | Seasonal Reflections
On Ascension Thursday, we gather to reflect on the final moment of Jesus' earthly life—the moment He ascends into heaven. How did the apostles live through these last moments of Jesus with them? Just think of how the apostles felt—just a few years before, they were living perfectly ordinary lives with families, friends, village, or neighborhood communities along with day-to-day routines that they followed almost without thinking, just as we do.
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