x Close
World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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.
Share
Today’s reading from the book of Revelation begins with a hope-filled message that says, “I, John, had a vision of an open door to Heaven...” I’m sure that’s what all of us want to see when it’s our turn to go home to God, an open door that leads to God and all that’s described in our first reading.
Share
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
Zacchaeus was wealthy and famous. Although he was a Jew, he enjoyed power and prestige in the society of the Romans because he was a rich tax collector. Zacchaeus’, the name means, “pure and clean” in Hebrew, but ironically, in the eyes of his contemporaries, he was considered “dirty,” dirty as the lepers and harlots. However, deep within him, he had a hunger for a forgiving God. Upon hearing that Jesus was passing through his town, he ventured out and climbed up a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of him.
Share
Return to the Church | Why pray?
“Lord, please help me to see” (Luke 18:41). Those words spoken by the blind man to Jesus are a prayer, an attitude, and a recognition that we need Jesus, particularly when we’re discouraged, lost, or confused. Jesus responds to this man, saying, “Have sight; your faith has saved you” (Luke 18:42). In those seven words, Jesus concisely teaches us about the need for faith (in God) and its role in our ability to see what we need to do and where we’re going so that we make it to heaven.
Share
A few months back, our family was about halfway through Sunday Mass when our son declared that he was tired of moving so much. He was kind of right- there is a lot of moving. The Catholic Mass involves a lot of movement. We stand, we sit, we stand, sit some more, stand again, kneel, take a walk to receive Communion, kneel again, and finally stand up before walking out of church on the heels of the priest. To say that Catholics move a lot during Mass would be an understatement. I’ve heard people jokingly refer to it as a Catholic workout, and more recently, Catholic acrobatics. It’s a fitting description of what we do. But that leaves the question: Why the Catholic acrobatics?
Share
Aging Parents | praying the Rosary
My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade, very debilitated for most of that time, unable to walk, scarcely able to talk or recognize the people who loved her most. My three youngest children had never known her in any other condition and yet, inexplicably, each still had a relationship with her.
Share
