World at Prayer blog

Reflections of Family and Faith

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

John Dacey

John Dacey is a retired Catholic high school teacher. He has taught Scripture, Ethics, and Social Justice. He enjoys being in the company of family, reading in the field of spirituality, and gardening. John and his wife have been married for more than 40 years and have two children and four grandchildren.

Blog Feature

Celebrating family life  |  seasonal reflection

Around Gaudete Sunday

About this time of year, when our children were young, we would drive miles into the country to a Christmas tree farm to select a tree for the season’s celebration. The process blended careful analysis and exuberant impulsivity to find the “perfect tree.” Our children scampered down the rows of evergreens through acres of trees. They would ask many times, “What about this one?”

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Celebrating family life  |  Seasonal Reflections

Home for Advent

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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Blog Feature

Celebrating family life

The Grace of All Saints Day

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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Celebrating family life

A Peaceful Exercise

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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Celebrating family life

Hear and Enjoy

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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Blog Feature

Celebrating family life

Her Usual Smiling Self

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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