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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
From despair to Hope. Easter is about restoring hope. The news of Jesus’s resurrection brought hope to people who were overwhelmed by despair and grief. The disciples were wrapped in disappointment that all their hopes on Jesus as the Messiah had been dashed by his brutal death. It is possible that some were grappling with guilt of having abandoned Jesus and fleeing in fear. The gospel today, we have Mary Magdalene described as weeping. She was despondent that not only had Jesus died, but also the idea that his body had been taken to an unknown location and is not able to give a proper burial. It was to this kind of despair that, the fact of Jesus’ resurrection broke in with life-changing hope. Easter tells us that the risen Christ can break into our lives with genuine hope amid our worst trials.
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We are on the octave of Easter celebrations. As Christians who believe in the Lord’s resurrection as the foundation of our faith, Easter brings us great joy and wonder, why? it is a manifestation of how God’s love can overpower human sin. Easter brings us into a new life that is more profound than the death we human beings inflict on each other. Easter commemorates Jesus rising from the dead, overcoming the ultimate consequences of sin and death. It brings all of us into a new relationship with God demonstrated through God’s power and love. As believers we become forgiven through faith in the risen Christ, and we can attain salvation.
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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
“Guard against the leaven of the Pharisee and Herod...” Anger is something we are all familiar with; it is all around us. It is expressed in various ways, quarrelling with those nearest to us, envying others, rejoicing in their ill-fortune, speaking disrespectfully or seeking victory that harms others or even us as individuals, failing people who are in danger. Anger is an emotion we all struggle with at one time or another. Even saints have been known to struggle with controlling their anger. Historians think Jesus nicknamed the apostles James and John the “Sons of thunder “because of their anger, if you read some of the letters of St. Paul there are occasions when Paul had some outbursts whenever he felt that the gospel he preached was being misunderstood, St. Therese of Lisieux, the little Flower had to work on controlling his anger.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“Guard against the leaven of the Pharisee and Herod...” Jesus is cautioning his apostles against letting bad influence corrupt their lives. During my time in the formation house, it was interesting to see some young men especially those who were struggling with their discernment journey. Instead of dealing with their weaknesses rightly, some used to find it easier to seek relevance and security by trying to rally people around their weaknesses, acting as victims of being misunderstood. Implicitly and gradually becoming the bad apple.
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“With eyes of faith consider the greatness of your mission and the wonderful amount of good which you can accomplish” by Blessed Basil Moreau,CSC In today’s gospel we have Jesus coming ashore on the lake, as soon as he disembarks from the people, many people immediately recognized him, and started pushing and struggling to touch him looking for healing from all their ailments. What did they recognize in Jesus that moved them? It is possible that they had witnessed the miraculous deeds done somewhere else. Now, they recognized him as one with power from God to heal and make whole bodies, limbs, minds and hearts that were beset with diseases and afflictions. They believed that even by mere pressing up to Jesus and touching the fringes of his garment, they would be made well. They were filled with expectant faith that Jesus is ready to meet their needs. We know that Jesus’ mission was to do the will of God and specifically that is what is demonstrated in actions of healing and forgiving sins.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“When you face rejection, remember you are more than your setbacks.” This quotation simply spells out for us that our worth is not defined by how others see us or how often we may be rejected. It inspires us to maintain our self-esteem and confidence, knowing that our true value comes from within. When we understand this, we can face rejection with grace and resilience, allowing it not to define us. This is what is happening to Jesus who has returned to his home of Nazareth where people knew him so well as the son of Mary and Joseph. He had left Nazareth as a carpenter but now he comes as a great teacher and a miracle worker. For his village-mates this was too much for them. Someone they had known so well now displaying great wisdom in the words he spoke and the great power of his deeds. He is able to heal and chase demons from people. It was to much for the simple people of Nazareth to grasp, leave alone to wrap themselves around it. Jesus was too ordinary, too much like them to be taken seriously. While Jesus could not do any miracle or preach there, this did not deter him from continuing to preach in other places.
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