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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 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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Elijah’s question from today’s first reading, “How long will you straddle the issue?” is a classic and ageless one! It reminds me of one evening at Symphony Hall in Boston, when I was out of earshot, my Mom asked our family friend, Fr. Bill Walsh, what he thought about my applying to the seminary. Without blinking an eye and with a smile, Fr. Walsh said, “I think God gave him a good kick in the pants and got him off the fence!” Whether it is in politics, family life, relationships—whether deciding about a friendship or a deeper commitment to marriage, priesthood or religious life—or in our moral and ethical lives, we’re all called to examine whether we are straddling issues or, as we'd say, where I come from: fence sitters.
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Can you remember when your parents started going to their family and friends' 25th wedding anniversaries? Well, time has a way of flying by, and this past Sunday, my friends and I concelebrated our friend, Fr. Sean Connor’s 25th anniversary of ordination at Sacred Heart in Weymouth, MA. Before becoming a priest, Fr. Sean was a policeman, an imposing figure, who sometimes worked undercover. But in a letter to his family, friends, and parishioners, Fr. Sean shared a revealing and moving message.
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