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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
One of Bruce Springsteen's most recognizable songs is Hungry Heart. The song tells the story of a man searching for happiness, belonging, and fulfillment. Beyond Bruces musical talent, it became popular because it touches something universal: every human being has a hungry heart. We all long for love, purpose, peace, and someone who truly knows us. The question is not whether we are hungry—but where we go to satisfy that hunger.
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Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bonaventure, a brilliant theologian, Franciscan, bishop, and Doctor of the Church. He is remembered as the "Seraphic Doctor." I had to look up that first part! The term “seraphic” refers to the seraphim, the highest order of angels, symbolizing a pure and burning love for God. And, this is combined with the term “doctor,” which is a title given to saints recognized for their eminent learning and contribution to theology.
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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.
Today’s first reading from Hosea brings into focus the need for harmony between our internal and external relationships with God. This is a theme that we often hear about in both the Old and New Testament readings. When I read about the Israelites building more altars and more sacred pillars as they became more successful…I couldn’t help but think back to seminary when Father, now Bishop Chris Coyne, taught us about the different types of Church architecture.
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As Fr. Boby preached about yesterday…relationships matter. In many ways, our lives are shaped by the relationships we cultivate—with God, with spouses, children, parents, friends…and even with the things we use every day. In fact, I'd like to talk about a relationship that almost every one of us has. One with this little…but powerful device. A marvel that helps us communicate, learn, work, pray, stay connected, and, my favorite, not get lost! Yet many of us spend hours each day fixed on a screen. Whether we realize it or not, we’ve formed a relationship with our phones.
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Has anyone seen the commercial for a service that promises to clean up your online reputation? Having seen it multiple times and heard today’s first reading, can make any of us wonder, “What example, what legacy, will we leave behind for our family members?” In today’s first reading, we hear that Jehoiachin was only eighteen years old when he became king; can you remember being 18…there’s so much ahead and a sense of hopefulness, and yet Scripture gives a sobering assessment of the king’s reign: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his forebears had done.”
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Today's message from Jesus comes at us right out of the gate without any metaphors. Jesus tells his disciples which also includes us "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them." At first hearing, that seems straightforward enough. But then something happened to me this past Saturday that made me think a little more deeply about those words. While I was waiting to have my oil changed, dressed in my finest Notre Dame T-shirt and cargo pants, blissfully thinking about World Cup soccer, one of the technicians came over to check me in and do a visual inspection of the car. A few minutes later, he returned with a broad smile and said, "Hey, man, I love your license plate!"
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