World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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Today in the gospel we hear about the elaborate celebration of the birthday of King Herod that ended with the killing of John the Baptist. A king got so excited at his birthday celebration that he made all manner of promises that ended in the killing John the Baptist! In the drama that unfolds in our gospel today, there are three main characters – Herod, John the Baptist, and Herodias. From each one of them we learn a lesson about human life.
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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast of Saint Augustine, a great Doctor of the Church whose restless heart finally found peace in God. His conversion is one of the most powerful stories of grace in the history of the Church. Yet we must remember that his transformation was not only the work of God’s grace but also the fruit of the persistent prayers of his mother, Saint Monica, who never gave up on her son.
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“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Alfred Lord Tennyson. I believe there is no greater power, in heaven or on earth, than the power of prayer. Prayer Invites us to surrender our lives and our agenda to that of the living God. If like the Pharisees, we think we are in control and we present a perfect but false profile to the outside world, we remain slaves to our egos and our own agenda. We find it difficult to surrender. Surrender is the keyword.
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Pharisees prioritize meticulous observance of rules, rituals, and outward displays of piety, frequently at the expense of inner transformation and compassion. Their focus is on the letter of the law, not its spirit. In contrast, a genuine disciple is animated by a deeper, more authentic calling. Their authority arises from a life transparently aligned with the core values of their faith—love, humility, truth, justice, and mercy.
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When I visited Niagara last winter, my friends and me took a tour of a vineyard close by. If you’ve ever been to the Niagara region in January, you know it’s not exactly vacation weather. The wind cuts through your coat, your toes start questioning your life choices, and your nose runs like it signed up for a marathon. You wonder why anyone lives there at all. And yet, in those freezing days and nights, you’ll see workers in the vineyards harvesting grapes that look more like raisins than fruit.
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Catholic Family Fun | Catholic Mass | catholic parenting
I hear a lot from families about how they struggle with getting their kids to Mass. If this is you or someone you know, I want to share with you what has worked for my family over the past decade of attending Mass with many little kids. Commit to Weekly Mass Attendance The big key to regular Mass attendance with kids (or without, honestly) is making the commitment. I grew up with only one Catholic parent, my late dad, and I was so blessed to have a wonderfully devout father who made Mass attendance the center of our week. Whenever we made weekend plans, the first question we always addressed was where and when we would attend Mass.
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