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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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“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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“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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Normally on the day of ordination, parents or guardians walk the person to be ordained up to the bishop, they do a ritual of handing him over. Simple as that may appear, but it has great significance in both the life of the one to be ordained as well as his parents. He leaves his family of origin and surrenders to the authority of the bishop a representative of the wider spiritual family; to serve all as he shares in Jesus’ priesthood. For the parents, it’s an act of letting go and not holding on, much less the generosity of offering their child to God.
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Rigidity is something that can be problematic in many ways in every aspect of our lives. It creates social isolation and loneliness, not to mention physical and psychological problems. Rigidity thrives on “It is my way or the highways”, thus one becoming too controlling and judgmental. In the long run, it pushes others away because there is no space for flexibility or adaptability. I am not suggesting that there aren't certain boundaries and principles and values to hold. But excessive adherence to strict rules can stifle creativity and prevent personal growth that comes from experiencing new perspectives and venturing out of one’s comfort zones.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
In Africa we have a saying that “it takes a whole village to raise a child” everyone in the community has a responsibility to make sure that a child grows into a responsible, respectful, well integrated person. A neighbor can offer discipline to a neighbor's child. In our faith as Catholics or believers there is also what we refer to as “interdependence of faith” which implies that as believers we rely on each other as parts of a larger whole, the Body of Christ” to grow, find strength, and live out our beliefs. As Christians we can move beyond our individualism to mutual support, shared burdens and collective witness to Christ’s teaching of mercy and love.
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