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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The Joy of The Ascension - Family Video Reflection

Saint Luke receives credit for writing both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of Luke. Among the New Testament writings, these two stand out for their frequent cries of joy. Last week in the Bavarian village where Pope Benedict was born, Marktl am Inn, our guide brought us to his family home, to the room he was born. She exuded immense joy and pride as she described his birth in the very room we were standing in and that four hours later, on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1927, he was baptized in the Church across the way.

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Abundant Life - Family Reflection Video

A man was boarding an airplane one day. As he came on board, he happened to notice that the head of the plane’s cockpit flight crew was a woman. That was no problem. Still, it was a new experience for him. As he found his seat, he noticed three persons sitting immediately behind him. One was a young boy about six or seven years of age. Next to him was a man in his early thirties. And next to the man was a woman in her early sixties.

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Saint Athanasius - Family Reflection Video

A female sharpshooter in Unkraine nicknamed "Charcoal" has been called the modern day "Lady Death," a deadly sharpshooter of World War II. Charcoal has recently become a Ukrainian folk hero for defiantly attacking Russian soldiers while remaining undercover. The young Markswoman fought for several years in the eastern Ukraine front against Kremlin-backed separatists, before shifting to the front line of hostilities, as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Feast of Saint Mark - Family Reflection Video

Is it wrong to steal the relics of a saint? Let me return to that question in a moment. First, Venice. The Republic of Venice, traditionally known as La Serenissima, or Most Serene Republic of Venice in English, was a proud world superpower in the middle ages, under the special patronage of Saint Mark of Alexandria in Egypt. La Serenissima was so rich, and had such a powerful navy and commercial trading fleet, that it dominated the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean Seas for centuries.

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Behold the Lamb of God - Family Reflection Video

Dear Friends, Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia! What a joy to keep experiencing the Risen Lord all around us this week, and realize that during the Octave of Easter all creation is charged with the 'Grandeur of God,' as Hopkins put it.

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The Sacrament of Joy - Family Reflection Video

Imagine what Lazarus is experiencing, brought back to life by Jesus from four days in the tomb. What overflowing gratitude must have filled his whole being. Now, with Jesus in their home in Bethany, what is he thinking as he sees how the presence of Jesus fill not only his heart, but Mary’s heart, filled with joy and gratitude for restoring her brother to life, as well as restoring her soul to grace.

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