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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Learn more about our faith | Strengthening family unity
Did you keep vigil on Thursday, May 8, along with the millions watching on television, livestreams, or in person at St. Peter’s Square, waiting for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the appearance of the new pope? I noticed that people from all over the world were waiting for the new shepherd to appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. All members of the one flock, under the leadership of the one shepherd. The Book of Revelation 7:9 came to my mind: “I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue.” I once read a story about a priest who asked his sacristan to write out the response to the Responsorial Psalm for the parishioners to recite during Mass. That Sunday, the response was: “The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.” But the board was too small. So the priest, thinking practically, told the sacristan, “Just write, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ That’s enough.” When the time came for the response, the congregation, dutifully reading what was written, echoed with deep conviction: “The Lord is my Shepherd. That is enough.” It was a mistake—but what a beautiful one. Because truly, isn’t that the whole Gospel in one line?
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Learn more about our faith | Return to the Church
Let’s talk about leftovers today. You know, the ones that have taken residence in the back of the fridge long enough to develop their own personalities. There’s always one suspicious container in your fridge with a fuzzy green lid, and no one remembers what it was or when it was made, but everyone agrees it is a science experiment now. And yet, how many times do we open the fridge, stare at a feast of half-eaten pizza and spaghetti, salad, and still complain: “There is nothing to eat!” In today’s Gospel, people chase after Jesus not because they were spiritually moved by His miracles but because they wanted more food, free food. The earlier miracle of multiplying bread and fish wasn’t enough. They treat Jesus like a traveling food truck: “Hey Rabbi, what’s on the menu today? Can we get the loaves and fish special again?” They want another buffet today.
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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.
Growing up, I had a neighbor who was a carpenter. Nothing fancy—small town jobs: fixing sagging doors, building dining tables, mending leaking roofs patched more times than you could count. His hands were rough like tree bark, his knees creaked like old floorboards. No one gave him awards. No crowds gathered to watch him work. But there was a quiet pride about him—the kind that comes not from money, the kind that comes not from fame, but from knowing you built something that mattered, something that would last. When I think of Saint Joseph, I think of that neighbor. And I realize something: holiness often wears work boots, not halos.
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March 13, 2013. The world watched with bated breath. White smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel. Habemus Papam! “We have a Pope.” But what followed next stunned the world—not just the announcement of the name Francis, but the gesture. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, newly elected Pope Francis, stepped onto the balcony, looked out at the massive crowd, thousands and thousands who had gathered there at Saint Peter’s square, and did something no pope had done before. He bowed to the crowd. He bowed...
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Imagine walking into your kitchen early in the morning. You're still sleepy. The coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. And then, out of nowhere, your five-year-old grandson asks, “Grandma where do people go when they die?” You are taken aback, what to answer. That jolt — that shift from the ordinary to the eternal — is what this Gospel feels like Doing What is Rite In Jewish tradition, funeral rites were sacred and precise. The body of the deceased was wrapped in cloth, anointed with spices and quickly buried- usually before sunset. But the mourning for the dead person was not rushed. For three days, it was believed that the soul would travel close to the body. During this period when the tranquility of the earth allowed space for mourning and prayer, it was customary for family and close friends to visit the tomb, especially early in the morning.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Have you ever walked into a kitchen hungry, and just after someone’s baked fresh bread or simmered a pot of soup on a cold day? The aroma hits you before a word is spoken. You feel warmth, welcome, love. In our homes, smells, scent and aroma carry meaning. They speak when words fail. In his article, The Fragrance of the Ointment, J.R. Miller says that the fragrance of Mary of Bethany's ointment that filled the house is a beautiful symbol of Mary's life. "She was not an active follower of Christ, except in her home and quiet daily life. She did not leave all and go with Him, as some other women and men did. Her name is not connected, even in tradition, with anything startling or great. Our first glimpse of her is her sitting at the Master's feet as a learner. Into her heart, she received the words of the Master, which were life to her. Like a handful of spices, they fell into her heart and transformed her life into radiant beauty."
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