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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Today, we reflect on the well-known gospel text where the Lord asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” His disciples gave him all the public opinion that was out there on the streets. The disciples said, some call you John the Baptist, others call you Elijah, and still others call you one of the ancient prophets. The Lord asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Let me share a short story with you: I grew up in the Church, practicing the faith. We prayed at home. I went through all the instructions for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. I knew almost every prayer by heart. I was an altar server. I sang in the choir and played the drums. I was a Lector at Masses. I was in the youth group of our Church. I was the leader of our Church’s Boy Scouts Troop. I went to Catholic grade school. I volunteered for almost everything at Church. I was a “pretty decent and disciplined kid," as the Americans say. Watch Here
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Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Long before computer games, TV, and other sedentary indoor games came to dominate families, children in good-weather places used to play outside in the open. They acted out roles that were dominant in society then. They played policemen, soldiers, lumberjacks, builders, farmers, priests, teachers, and housewives. They acted out social events like funerals, and weddings. They climbed trees to look for fruit, they rode bicycles and they competed among themselves in soccer and sprints. It was an active, creative, and outdoorsy world for most children. Watch Here
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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.
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Today, both our First Reading and the Gospel confront the dangerous illusion of self-sufficiency. They confront the notion that we human beings feel we have acquired so much power, fame, and wealth that we no longer need God in our lives! It is the illusion we see in the life of the Prince of Tyre who acquired so much wealth and power that he declared: “I am a god!” It is the difficulty the Lord addresses when he said, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” Human history has shown that whenever individuals, families, and even countries become so successful in wealth, power, and fame, they grow so comfortable that they start questioning whether they still need God in their lives! It is at that point that you start to see celebrities who were raised in the Church, educated by the Church, and given a big head start in life, stop attending Church.
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The time that the prophet Hosea preached was a heartbreaking time for God. The children of Israel had abandoned God and drifted so far away from Him. They had foreign gods to worship, like Baal; their faith was in armies and foreign alliances; the law of God barely meant anything to them. They were terribly lost as a nation and consequently hurt themselves in all ways you can imagine.
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I would like to invite us to reflect on today’s gospel that focuses on the fragility of earthly security. The Lord says in the gospel “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth; store up treasures in heaven.” It is a reading where the Lord gently yet piercingly warns us about the vulnerability of our earthly collections.
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On the Universal Church Calendar, the 3rd of June is designated as the Memorial of St Charles Lwanga and Companions, also known as the Uganda Martyrs Day. On the 3rd of June is also the day Father Patrick Peyton died at the Convent of the Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro California. Both the Uganda Martyrs and Father Peyton carry significant value to me personally but also to the ministry of Holy Cross Family Ministries.
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