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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Today's gospel evoked memories of my childhood when I and my classmates were eager to be the first in line for lunch or recess. I vividly recall my Saint Mary's High School teachers gently guiding us to form an orderly line. Often, a student who had rushed to the front would be sent to the back, a lesson in humility. Sometimes, we would line up in alphabetical order, and those of us with names towards the end of the alphabet would playfully lament their fate. No matter the order, there was always a shared desire to be near the front, a desire for recognition and status that we all understand.
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Oscar Wilde, an Irish wit, poet and dramatist, once said: “Some people cause happiness wherever they go; while others whenever they go.” Letting go is choosing the better part. In life, there are instances when we need to bid goodbye to people and things dear to us for a higher cause. A song lyric asks, “Why is goodbye the hardest part of speech?” Haven’t we all felt that pit in our stomach when we have to say goodbye to someone we love, whether that is after visiting with family or friends we don’t see often or spending time with a loved one who may soon pass away?
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Many true stories of sacrificial friendship have emerged from the sad reality of war. One such story tells of two inseparable friends in World War I, which I read from one of the preachings of K.P Yohannan, who was the president and founder of Gospel for Asia. This story is about two young lads. They both enlisted in the army together, completed their training, were shipped overseas, and fought in the trenches. During a battle, one of them sustained critical injuries in a field filled with barbed wire obstacles. He was unable to crawl back to his foxhole, and the entire area was under heavy enemy fire, making it impossible to reach him. Despite the danger, his friend made the brave decision to attempt a rescue. The sergeant yanked him back inside before he could get out of his trench and ordered him not to go. "It's too late. You can't do him any good, and you'll only get yourself killed."
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A wife ordered a tombstone for her late husband’s grave with the inscription, “Rest in Peace.” A few days later, she discovered that her husband had left a part of his will to another woman. Furious, she called the tomb engraver and asked if he could change the inscription. The man replied that “Rest in Peace” had already been inscribed and could not be changed. “Well then,” the wife snorted, “just add to it, ‘Until We Meet Again.’”
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Many of us stay informed about current events by tuning in to radio news, catching snippets of TV broadcasts, or reading newspapers. However, a common issue with these news sources is their overwhelming focus on adverse events—illness outbreaks, civil unrest, international conflicts, extreme weather, fires, crimes, corruption, etc. Interestingly, bad news tends to grab our attention more than positive or uplifting stories. Today, however, we celebrate St. Mark, the Evangelist, the bearer of great good news.
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Growing up, I noticed that my mother had a profound fondness for raising chickens. There were two primary reasons behind her affection for these feathered creatures. First, the chickens provided a steady supply of fresh eggs, which my mother skillfully transformed into delicious omelets. Second, the chickens themselves served as a source of meat, gracing our table in the form of tasty chicken curry, particularly during special occasions or when we had guests over.
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