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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
There's a heartwarming story about an artist who sought to paint the most beautiful thing in the world. He asked a pastor, a bride, and a soldier, each offering a different answer: faith, love, and peace. But it wasn't until he returned home that he truly understood. In the eyes of his children, he saw faith. In his wife's eyes, he saw love. And within his home, he found the peace that faith and love had created. He realized that the most beautiful thing in the world was simply "home.”
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Wouldn't life be simpler if God granted our every prayer request? While that might seem appealing, the truth is that God's answers often come in unexpected ways, sometimes even through silence. The readings teach us the power of persistent prayer, a lesson beautifully illustrated by the Canaanite woman's encounter with Jesus.
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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.
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Today's Mass readings offer a profound message of hope and reassurance, especially for our families. They remind us of a fundamental truth: God's love for us is unwavering and unconditional. It's a love that never falters, even when we stumble or stray. God's mercy remains steadfast, always inviting us back into His loving embrace.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
The story is told of an unbeliever who died after willing his farm to the devil. The next of kin sued to have the will voided on the ground that this was a case in which the will of the deceased could not be carried out. After much legal research and judicial pondering, the Court decision read as follows: “It is decided that every effort should be made to carry out the deceased’s wish. And the best way to carry out the deceased's wish is to allow the farm to grow weeds, soil to erode, the well to run dry, and the house, barn, and fences to rot. In the opinion of the Court, the best way to leave something to the devil is to do nothing.”
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Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
On this feast day of St. James, the apostle, we hear a call echoing through the ages — a call to service, to love, to sacrifice. This call isn't just for priests or religious but for every one of us, especially within our families. Our families are the primary arena where this call is lived out, where our service and love have the most profound impact. In today's Gospel, we hear James and John misunderstanding Jesus' message. They sought positions of power and prestige, but Jesus gently corrected their vision. He taught them that true greatness lies not in ruling over others but in serving them.
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Brothers and sisters in Christ, in today's world, families face countless challenges – from the busyness of modern life to the distractions of technology, from the pressure to conform to societal expectations to the struggles of maintaining faith amidst secularism. Yet, amidst these challenges, there's a beacon of hope, a model of love and resilience: the Holy Family. Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) begins with the statement, “The joy of love experienced by the families is also the joy of the Church.” He further states “Every family should look to the icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth.”
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