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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
It is a moment that is seared in my mind forever. I rush into my father’s room in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in the town in which I was born. As I approach, I see my father lying, motionless, in front of me. The nurse tells me he is the sickest patient in the ICU. My strong, resilient Daddy. Powerless. Weak. Immobile. It wasn’t that long ago that I'd phoned him to reveal a personal victory I had achieved. I was brimming with excitement and couldn’t wait to share the news. He listened, but then quite abruptly handed the receiver over to my mother. I was caught a little by surprise, but I figured he might have been in a hurry. He often seemed to be in a hurry. But not on that day in the ICU. His hurrying days were over. I tried speaking with him, but his eyes were closed and he did not appear to grasp what I was saying.
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Luminous Mysteries | The Family That Prays Together Stays Together | pray the rosary
I’ll admit it—I had to be sold on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. I had been praying the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries since I was a child, pleading desperately that my father, an accountant, would be able to make payroll so that we could eat. I relied on that trio of Mysteries for consolation during difficult times. It was difficult for me to imagine branching off into praying a new set of Mysteries. But I realized that Pope John Paul II must have had good reason to add something to what I considered to be the perfect form of prayer. I had to trust in the Holy Father’s judgment on this.
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acts of kindness | community building | corporal works of mercy
It was one of those days when I was questioning God. Not in an angry, confrontational way, but rather a bit wistfully. I just wondered why a long-time, urgent prayer request had not been granted. It was like a Who-Done-It mystery that offered few clues for solving. I was the bumbling detective, chasing leads, only to find myself completely baffled. All this was going through my head as I approached the restaurant drive-thru. I placed my usual order, a creature of both habit and caffeine withdrawal. I could not wait to take that first sip of morning java.
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Behold Your Mother | Blessed Virgin Mary
A few years before I gave birth to my daughter, I had consecrated myself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, using the method popularized by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort. The consecration meant that I had handed over my temporal goods and my spiritual blessings to the Blessed Mother with the hope of drawing closer to not only Mary but to Jesus as well.
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Behold Your Mother | pray the rosary | seasons of motherhood
Today we will pray the Introductory Prayers. The “feminine genius,” a term popularized by St. John Paul II, is perhaps best expressed in the receptivity represented by pregnancy. A woman opens herself up to the physical presence of another person—tiny and fragile though he may be. She conscientiously focuses on providing the best nutrition for her growing baby.
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Celebrating family life | Christmas Season
When I was a young child, my over-achieving personality kicked into high gear at Christmastime. I was determined each year — using my father’s money — to buy the “hot” new appliance for my mother. This led to an array of hot-dog cookers, hamburger cookers, crepe makers, popcorn machines, and other trendy finds.
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