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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 | Why pray?
Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes and his fellow martyr companions. St. Christopher was born in Mexico, and after ordination to the priesthood worked with the poor and indigenous people, most notably founding schools and forming agrarian cooperatives. He lived in a time when the Mexican government was strongly anti-Catholic and closed all seminaries. He repeatedly sought to have them reopened. For his good works, he was falsely charged with promoting armed rebellion and was arrested on his way to celebrate Mass on this date in 1927. Four days later, he was executed along with 21 other diocesan priests and three laymen. St. Christopher is a patron saint of Mexico and a symbol of resistance against religious oppression. He is an example of being willing to give courageous witness to Christ despite worldly challenges.
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The ending of our first reading and the beginning of today's Gospel passage both convey important messages about humility. In the first, John the Baptist says about Jesus: “Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.” This is in response to John’s good work in preparing the way for the Lord, but the people wondered if John was the Messiah they had long awaited. John humbly and correctly explains to the people who he is and how he relates to the Messiah.
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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.
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
God teaches us in many different ways and places. Back when I lived in Taunton at St. Mary’s I used to go for walks around the neighborhood and it wasn’t long before I noticed all the Our Lady of Fatima statues with the three kneeling children in so many front yards. Now, this was a new thing for a guy from Quincy where the Irish who had a statue of the Blessed Mother kept her in the back yard all to ourselves! Because Quincy was mostly Irish and Italian, we focused on Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Knock. So, there I was walking through a new experience of faith and one that wasn’t in backyards but right out front.
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In the Acts of the Apostles, we encounter Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, whose story provides lessons for our daily lives. We see how an angel of the Lord directed Philip to the road to Gaza, and how the Spirit instructed him to approach the Ethiopian's chariot. This reminds us that God is actively involved in guiding us, if we are open to His promptings.
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Learn more about our faith | Return to the Church
This past Sunday, Fr. Fred Jenga and I had the opportunity to speak at a Rosary Rally at a Catholic High School in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Carmel Catholic H.S. was our host but it was open to the wider community. There were people of all ages including an infant, Mary Rose, attending her first Rosary Rally only months after her birth. There was even a former basketball player from the Chicago Bulls who was there because of one of the keynote speakers Kevin Matthews. Kevin is the subject of an upcoming movie from Family Theater Productions called “Broken Mary.” When Kevin Matthews shared his conversion story, he spoke of how he heard a voice say to him: “will you deny me and my mother?” When Kevin heard those words, “will you deny me and mother?” he knew it was God trying to get him to come back to the faith and that it was Our Blessed Mother that was included in that question.
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Today, as we continue our Jubilee of Hope, we pray especially for all those experiencing disability, we pray for their families, and other caretakers. I thought of this special intention, as I reflected on the life of Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort. Saint Louis was born in France and lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He dedicated his life to the care of the poor and sick as a hospital chaplain and would later form the Missionary Priests of the Company of Mary and Daughters of Wisdom.
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