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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 | Learn more about our faith
In 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared at Guadalupe, near Mexico City. Juan Diego was an Indian who first encountered our Blessed Mother as he traveled from his village to take part in divine worship and listen to God’s commandments. As he approached a hill named Tepeyac, with the dawn breaking, he heard someone calling his name. As he traveled up the hill, he caught sight of a woman, the likes of whom he had never seen, whose clothing was radiant as the sun. She said in the most kind and gentle way, “Juanito, the humblest of my children, know and understand that I am the ever-virgin Mary.”
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Healing the family | Holy lives of inspiration
Normally, when I read today’s gospel, I’m so drawn to the extraordinary act of love by the friends of the man who is paralyzed, that I miss the first line where it says, “One day as Jesus was teaching …”
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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.
St. John Damascene, priest and doctor of the church, is quoted as saying, “Prayer is the raising up of the mind to God.” It was the phrase “raising up” that caught my attention as I reflected on the reading from Isaiah, where Isaiah speaks of the Lord’s house “established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.”
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Celebrating family life | Why pray?
As I read over today’s readings and began to reflect on their meaning, asking God to help me to write this homily, I was also thinking of Mrs. Howley, the mother of my friend, Joe, who is preparing to go home to God.
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St. Cecilia is the patroness of musicians, poets, and singers. Some of you may have heard of, or even visited, St. Cecilia church in Boston. It is truly beautiful, located near the Berkeley School of Music and, not surprisingly, blessed with incredible musicians and singers.
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Blessed Virgin Mary | holy-family
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “This feast commemorates the dedication of the church of St. Mary, built in Jerusalem near the site of the Temple. Additionally, with Christians of the East, the Latin Church also remembers on this day the tradition according to which Mary as a small child, was presented to the Lord by her parents in the Temple” (The Liturgy of the Hours, Volume IV, p. 1572).
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