World at Prayer blog

Reflections of Family and Faith

"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton

Father Willy Raymond, C.S.C.

Father Wilfred J. Raymond, C.S.C. (Father Willy), a native of Old Town, Maine, is the eighth of 12 children. He joined the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1964 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1971. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Stonehill College in 1967 and a master’s in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1971. He served in ministry at Stonehill College (1979-1992), Holy Cross leadership (1994-2000), National Director of Family Theater Productions, Hollywood (2000-2014), and President of Holy Cross Family Ministries (2014-2022). In addition to English, he is conversant in French and Spanish. He remains a diehard fan of the Boston Red Sox, even though he has served as Chaplain for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Learn more about our faith  |  Why pray?

A Mother's Powerful Prayer - Weekday Homily Video

Monica was unhappily married to Patrick, a pagan who only converted on his deathbed. Her son Augustine abandoned the Catholic faith for a cult, engaged in a life of promiscuity, fathered a son out of wedlock, and resisted the pull of her tearful prayers and relentless entreaties to abandon his dissolute life and return to the Church. Monica herself became addicted to wine and only recovered by God’s grace. The great Saint Ambrose of Milan’s preaching proved irresistible to Augustine, and he reverted to the Church, proving that a mother’s persistent prayers can overcome all resistance by God’s grace.

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Learn more about our faith  |  Why pray?

Raising Our Hearts to God - Weekday Homily Video

Today’s powerful Gospel verse raises two questions, one about the tail end of the Our Father and the other about not babbling like the pagans when we pray.

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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.

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Learn more about our faith  |  Return to the Church

We Are Truly Present - Weekday Homily Video

The disciples said to Jesus, “Now You are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that You know everything and that You do not need to have anyone question You. Because of this we believe that You came from God.” (John 16:29-30) This reminded me of the reaction of so many people who have heard Father Jonathan Meyer, an Indiana priest, one of fifty commissioned with preaching on Eucharistic Revival themes of Presence, Communion, and Sacrifice.

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Learn more about our faith  |  Why pray?

A Generous Father - Weekday Homily Video

Jesus came down from heaven to unite divinity with humanity, and He returned to heaven to seat humanity at the Father’s right hand. This is breathtaking, no more than that; it is the grandest surprise of all. God has astonished us with this revelation; He wants us to share in His very life through Christ our Lord, His only begotten Son.

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Return to the Church  |  Strengthening family unity

God Before Everything - Weekday Homily Video

“Lord, we have sinned, done evil, rebelled, and departed from your laws. We have not obeyed your servants, the prophets.” - Daniel 9:5 Behold Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, a rebellious, sinful young man, whose wife, by God’s grace, helped him to repent and become a model husband, father, and heroic disciple of Christ, putting God first even before family, friends and country.

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Holy lives of inspiration  |  Learn more about our faith

The Chair of Peter — Weekday Homily Video

When Pope Pius IX died in 1878 after 32 years, he would be the longest papal reign since Saint Peter himself. It appears the cardinal electors wanted to choose a relatively older person to succeed him. They elected 68-year-old Cardinal Pecci, thinking he would only last a few years. However, on his 90th birthday, when a nun toasted Pope Leo XIII by shouting, “Holy Father, may you live to be 100,” the pope exclaimed, “Why put limits on God?” When he returned to the Father’s House in 1903, he celebrated 25 years as pope. This feast of the Chair of St. Peter is our family celebration.

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