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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Expressions like wow and whoa convey feelings of surprise, wonder, and great acclaim, and are articulated particularly when we come across a fascinating building, a great piece of art, architecture, scenery, or a grand monument. When we scan through some of the fine buildings, monuments, or structures around the globe, we find that many of these majestic edifices and constructions are tombs or burial places.
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Saint John, one of Jesus's twelve apostles, is known as the Apostle of Love because his writings mainly focus on love. According to a legend from the early church, Saint John was the only one among the twelve apostles who lived to an old age. In his later years, he experienced failing health, including diminishing eyesight and mental faculties. Saint John's mind had deteriorated to the point where he could only speak five words, a single sentence that he would repeat over and over. Legend has it that every Sunday, Saint John would address the congregation that had gathered for worship in the church at Ephesus, where he spent the last years of his life. Even though the congregation already knew what he would say, Saint John would stand and look over the assembly. Then, the elderly apostle would speak five simple words: "My children, love one another."
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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.
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Pompeii was an ancient Roman town city located near modern Naples, Italy. In 79 AD, the city was greatly devastated by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed it and buried it under nearly 13-20 feet of ash and lava. I think Netflix has a series of documentaries about this. The eruption killed the city's inhabitants and buried it under tons of ash. Plaster was used during the excavation to fill the voids in the ash layers, revealing the exact position of the victims. Several years later, while construction workers were laying the foundation for a building outside the city of Pompeii, they made a very strange discovery.
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Today, Catholics around the world unite in marking the feast of the Assumption of Mary, a solemn commemoration of the end of her earthly life and assumption into heaven. On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Dogma of the Assumption, declaring, "The Immaculate Mother of God, the Ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."
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An older man collapsed on Brooklyn Street and was taken to Kings County Hospital. From a faded address in the man's wallet, the hospital authorities tried deciphering the name and address of a marine, who appeared to be his son. They then made an emergency call for the marine. When the marine arrived, the older man reached out his hand feebly. The marine took it and held it tenderly for the next four hours until the older man died. After the man had passed away, the marine asked, " Who was that old man?" The nurse said, "Wasn't that your father?" "No," said the marine, "but I saw he needed a son, so I stayed."
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Let me take you to a CCD class of confirmation students today. The teacher asked students in her class which part of the Eucharist or Mass was the most important. One bright student immediately answered, “it is the Consecration.” Another one said, “no, it's the rite of penitential service.” Another said, “it's the rite of communion when we receive Jesus through His body and Blood.” Another one added that it's “the proclamation of the Word.” What would your answer be if I asked you this question?
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