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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Marriage | St. Valentine's Day | catholic family life
Catholic Mom contributor, Laura Vazquez Santos, reflects on how small acts of respect, sacrifice, and tenderness teach children what real, Christ-centered love looks like. February always arrives dressed in red and pink, with Cupid’s arrow carrying heart-shaped chocolates and the gentle pressure to make one day in the year especially romantic. The world tells us that Valentine’s Day is the height of love and that flowers, dinner reservations, perfectly filtered photos, and grand gestures meant to sweep someone off their feet are the epitome of love. And while those gestures can be sweet and absolutely part of a healthy marriage, they are only the faintest echo of what Christian love is meant to look like. For Catholic spouses, Valentine’s Day is not a single calendar event. It is a vocation lived moment by moment, a daily choice. It is the quiet, unglamorous work of two people trying to lead each other to heaven. In our homes, in the chaos of raising children, and in the unpredictable rhythms of family life, we have the opportunity not only to celebrate our marriages but to model for our children what real love actually looks like.
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Catholic Motherhood | My Rosary Story | peace | pray the rosary
When a friend suggested adding the Rosary to her day, Laura Vazquez Santos found a spiritual lifeline. My mornings used to begin with noise (well, they kind of still do, but the ensuing panic that normally followed has since been calmed). It was not just the noise of children — though that was part of it — but the noise of worry, to-do lists, and self-criticism. I’d scroll through my phone, gulp down coffee, and start the day already anxious. Then a friend challenged me to pray the Rosary daily. “I don’t have time,” I laughed (and, I admit at this time, I wasn’t fostering time in prayer or my faith as seriously as I should have). But something about her calm, peaceful demeanor stuck with me. I thought to myself ... well, I guess I have already tried mindfulness practices and other ‘techniques’ to keep my anxiety at bay before, so why not prayer?
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Catholic womanhood | peace | pray the rosary
When a friend suggested adding the Rosary to her day, Laura Vazquez Santos found a spiritual lifeline.
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