World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Celebrating family life | Seasonal Reflections
I have been thinking about how much time everyone spends waiting. We wait with various feelings, anticipation, apprehension, and sometimes impatience. We wait for news, for babies to be born, for guests to arrive, and for children to come home. We wait for things to get better.
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As I walked into church early on All Saints Day, I noticed parents dropping off their children at the parish school. There was a lot of commotion, car doors closing, voices saying goodbyes and wishes for a good day. With bags and backpacks, students hurried through the school doors. I remembered when we did this same drill with our children and grandchildren. It was challenging, with traffic and safety always in mind – and trying to be on time. Also, there was the ominous last-minute question to our young ones, “do you have everything you need for school?” That’s a better question for before you leave home.
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It is autumn in this region, and we are watching the natural rhythm of the season unfold. “Rhythm” is one of those words we use in different ways. A few examples include the beat of our hearts, the meter of a poem, or musical tempo. When we set out for a walk with loved ones, we find a mutual sense of stride – a “together rhythm” for the walk. Rhythm can describe how we pace our daily activity; we’re “off rhythm” when we don’t feel our usual efficient selves.
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It is autumn in this region, and lately, I’ve noticed the sounds distinctive to the season: acorns bouncing off the roof, thumping to the ground, their crunch underfoot, the rustle of walking through leaves, and the wind whistling through branches of dry foliage. It’s interesting which sounds draw our attention and how they make us feel.
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In this autumn season, I’ve been reminiscing about my childhood school years. A lot has changed since the mid-twentieth century, yet what we long for, what delights and motivates us, these things seem to endure.
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We have moved into the new school year with all its possibilities. We may also feel a little nostalgia for years past. We often remember the past as simpler, easier – even if it wasn’t that simple. We know that life unfolds in relative time. Years fly by, and sometimes we feel “the day will never end.” With new challenges, what’s familiar gives way to uncertainty. Our experience beckons us to move forward; in this way, we test ourselves and deepen our experience of life – realizing who we are becoming. I believe we find God’s Spirit in our longing to grow – grace at work in our lives.
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