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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Richard Hutton and Frank Kendig have co-authored a book called “Life Spans, How Long Things Last,” which is about life expectancies of things living and otherwise. The book is filled with unusual facts. For example, the shoes of an average major league baseball player last two months. The stick of an average hockey player lasts two games. The boots of a combat soldier last two months. Life spans of things are easily predictable.
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Love thy Neighbor | Return to the Church
Eighteen times in his gospel, Luke mentions wealth and its dangers. Mary sings about the difference between the poor and the rich before Jesus' birth. Only Luke says the poor shepherds are the first to hear about Jesus' birth. He notes that Jesus belongs to the poorer class and that Mary and Joseph brought the sacrifice of the poor to Jesus' circumcision in the temple. He reminds those who had two tunics to give one to those who had none.
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Love thy Neighbor | Return to the Church
Today's Gospel opens with a furious Jesus accusing the Pharisees of paying their tithes to "look good" rather than acting out of love of God and love for their neighbor. Jesus is also challenging us to examine why we do what we do! Do we do something just because it is expected of us? Do we want others to think well of us? Or do we choose to do something because it is the "loving" thing to do?
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Learn more about our faith | Return to the Church
Suppose you are a mother or father working two jobs every day to meet the needs of your family. You seldom socialize with your former friends and classmates to spend more time with your children. Instead of buying new clothes for yourself, you save the money for your daughter's birthday celebration. Then, one day, your daughter says: "Mom, Dad, give me a sign that you truly love me." How would you feel?
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Midnight is a rather late hour for a guest to arrive, especially if the guest was not expected. However, it was common for people to travel at night in Palestine because it was cooler. It was considered unwise to journey long in the heat of the midday sun. Unfortunately, when this unexpected guest arrived, his friend had no food in the house. This was not only distressing but also embarrassing for the host. In the Middle East, hospitality is regarded as a sacred duty.
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Love thy Neighbor | Strengthening family unity
Today's reading from Luke's Gospel paints a vivid picture of a profound message that resonates deeply in our current times. We read about the sending of the seventy-two disciples in Luke's Gospel. As we delve into this passage, I thought I could reflect on several things, such as the idea of being sent "like lambs into the midst of wolves" in the trials of our present time. Indeed, following Christ is challenging when there is so much division and social discord all around us. Or I could reflect on Jesus telling his disciples to "carry no purse, no bag, no sandals." Their lack of material support would force them to trust God completely!
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