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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Christmas Season | Family Activities | Nativity
Michelle Nott reflects on how we can still find joy at Christmas despite the chaos. I am sure we can all agree that the weeks leading up to Christmas and even the weeks after Christmas are a busy time of year. The holidays can bring lots of emotions and make you feel lots of pressure to get things done and to do them the right way. I am guilty of this, but I am trying to learn to let go of things this year, as we are missing a core part of our family this season. In the past, I have held high expectations for myself to get Christmas cards mailed, shopping done, baking done, help with class parties, and still manage to teach the kids about the true meaning of Christmas.
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Christmas Season | Family Activities
Rosemary Bogdan imagines what those last few days before the birth of Jesus might have been like. Bethlehem rejoices, as the hymn goes. Might it not be rejoicing already as we come so close to Jesus’ birth? All of creation is awaiting the arrival of the God-man. Surely there is a strange anticipation in the air. Everyone coming to Bethlehem was journeying because they were of the House of David. David’s Line and the Birth of the Savior Perhaps most of them knew that the Messiah would come from David’s line and that He would be born in Bethlehem. How many, inspired by the Holy Spirit, may have been thinking that of all the bustle in the city, perhaps a pregnant woman would come to give birth to the Messiah at that very time?
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Brief and contemporary inspiration focused on hope and family prayer will be delivered to your inbox! Articles include live video, written word, and links to resources that will lead you and your family deeper into faith.
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
As we approach the final days before our celebration of Christmas, we are reminded once again of the many ways that God has been sending messages and messengers to us in advance of his coming among us as a man. Time and again, different prophets spoke to us of God’s concern and compassion for his people, assuring them that he walked with them. We were given an example of one such prophet today in the person of Malachi, whom God sent to assure people that He would send a messenger to prepare their hearts, restore relationships, and turn them back to God. The messenger God is sending would not simply announce news; he would shape hearts. In Luke’s gospel today, the prophecies of God took flesh in the birth of John the Baptist. We heard the neighbors who asked, “What will this child be?” The answer was clear: John is the messenger that Malachi spoke of. John’s very name, God is gracious - announces the new area of salvation. His life becomes a bridge between the old and the new. John is the one who calls people back to God, reconciles hearts, points away from himself and towards Jesus, lives simply, boldly, and faithfully.
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As we come down the homestretch of Advent toward Christmas, it’s good to pause and remember why December 25th is a holy and special day. The opening prayer says it all: “O God, who seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your only begotten Son…” In just one line, we recognize our need for a Savior and profess that one has been sent. The prayer then turns to our response: “…grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor may merit His company as their Redeemer.” That phrase—“confess his Incarnation with humble fervor”—is a powerful reminder of what we strive for in our faith: to proclaim that Jesus, the Son of God, took on our human nature to redeem us, and to do so both humbly and with passion. That balance is not always easy.
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Living the Faith | The Holy Family | catholic family life
Janelle Peregoy considers families' universal call to holiness, prayer, and discernment — even in the messy parts of their lives.
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anxiety | family prayer | pray the rosary | self-help
If you’ve ever battled anxiety, you know it can feel like your brain is hijacked — spinning with thoughts you can’t seem to stop, flooded with emotions you didn’t invite. You may even feel like your body is working against you. But in the middle of all that chaos, the Rosary offers something astonishingly gentle and effective: peace. Not just a moment of calm, but real, neurological, heart-level peace. As a Catholic therapist, I’ve had the privilege of walking with many individuals through their struggles with anxiety. I’ve seen how combining faith and neuroscience can be powerfully healing, and the Rosary is a beautiful example of this integration. Here’s why the Rosary is not only spiritually beneficial, but also scientifically helpful for calming an anxious mind.
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