x Close
World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Faith | family prayer | pray the rosary
Several years ago, my mom found herself in a precarious situation. Financial struggles and the complexities of her ordeal made her problems seem insurmountable. Her mental health—and her very future—hung in the balance, and I did everything I could to help. At the same time, my wife and I were new parents, and the weight of trying to pull my mom out of her difficulties threatened to pull my marriage down with it. I felt trapped, as if caught between Scylla and Charybdis—every path forward seemed to lead to disaster. I was treading water, searching for something—anything—to hold onto, even just a tiny glimmer of hope. And that consoling presence I longed for? It was nowhere to be found. I remember sitting in my mom’s living room one evening, anxiety pressing down on me. I worried about her. About myself. About my wife and our child. Then, as if something deep within me was praying through me, I began murmuring the Hail Mary. Over and over, I whispered: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee… My thought—or maybe my hope—was that another mother might step in to help us. Without even realizing it, my mind had slipped into a practice I had learned as a child in Catholic school—the Rosary. That night, as I whispered each prayer, I asked for a miracle. And do you know what happened?
Share
Almsgiving | Christmas Season | Feast of St. Stephen | rosary
If you are someone who lends your favorite books to family members or friends only to find that the loan has become permanent, or sends thank you notes and birthday cards only to realize with a heart that sits somewhere between resignation and a slight ache that not everyone remembers your birthday or sends you messages of thanks, then the Church’s teaching on almsgiving and charity will be a source of much consolation—for in essence it is that only what is given away will be ours to keep. St Augustine places this teaching in the mouth of Christ as Augustine speaks of this to his congregation: “…on earth, my members were suffering, my members were in need. If you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head….I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury.” Then Christ laments to those who have not given to the poor and suffering, “But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my presence” (Sermon 18, 4.).
Share
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.
First Reading Reflection (Titus 2:1-8, 11-14) Beloved: You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine, namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance. Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers, under the control of their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited. Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves, showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame without anything bad to say about us. For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.
Share
The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
During my freshman year of college, I was thinking about joining a particular household. At the Franciscan University of Steubenville, “households” are like Catholic fraternities and sororities. One of the regular commitments of this household was a Sunday evening Rosary. Let me paint the picture for you. Twenty college-age guys sitting comfortably on couches and chairs in a nice warm room praying a very repetitive devotion late at night. Someone was bound to fall asleep. On this occasion, someone did. Somewhere around the third Glorious Mystery, a good friend of mine started to nod and snap back. Nod and snap back. And then, after a valiant struggle, just nod. Everyone else in the room seemed to silently acknowledge that our friend was, shall we say, no longer with us.
Share
The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
Growing up in a small village in Ireland, it was from my Grandmother Hannah, whom we called Nanny, that I observed and learned the power that prayer holds to ground and shape our lives through joy and struggle. She was the first person I saw praying the Rosary. Never far from her gnarled, arthritic hands, the beads moved between her fingers in a fluid rhythm as her lips murmured the familiar words.
Share
The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
When I first started dating my wife, Anna, I quickly learned about her devotion to our Blessed Mother and her commitment to praying a daily Rosary. For some reason, praying the Rosary did not interest me. It seemed boring, and I felt that other forms of prayer were more fruitful. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our Blessed Mother and understood her role in the life of the Church. I often talked about her with others, and some would say I was Mary’s biggest fan. But a whole Rosary, five decades, was reserved for when I couldn’t fall asleep. In fact, during different seasons of my life, I kept a Rosary on my nightstand. As soon as I lay in bed, I would grab it, usually not making it to the end of the Creed, before waking up the next morning with the Rosary on my face.
Share
