World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Art | Family Fun | museum of family prayer
Over fifteen years ago, a friend invited me to Rosary and Mass at The Father Peyton Center in North Easton, Massachusetts. En route, she recounted the remarkable life of a holy man, devoted to the Blessed Mother, with an almost single-minded desire to help families pray together, especially the Rosary. It would be the first time I heard the message of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., "The family that prays together stays together."
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family life | family prayer | parenting teenagers
Just over four years ago, I wrote Praying Them into High School for Catholic Mom. It was June 2019, the month my son graduated from his wonderful K-8 Catholic school (where my daughter still thankfully attends), and just a few months from when he would start attending a local Catholic high school for boys. He was 13 when I wrote that piece, and I was worrying about him adjusting to high school and the enormity of this change. He is our oldest child, and thus we lack experience with all of these “firsts.”
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Holy lives of inspiration | Seasonal Reflections
Oscar Wilde was a brilliant, witty author. He was jailed on a moral charge at the height of his career. The humiliation devastated him. It also purified him. In de Profundis, one of his later writings, he says: "Where there is sorrow, there is holy ground." The devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its origins in Sacred Scripture and Christian piety. This devotion always links the Blessed Mother with her Son's suffering.
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Our Lady of Sorrows | Seven Sorrows of Mary | family prayer
The month of September has been dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows since the celebration of her feast day was developed by the Servites (Order of the Servants of Mary) in the 17th century. However, devotion to the Blessed Mother under this title began long before then.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Today, we commemorate several events central to our salvation on this Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross. The first is the finding of the true cross by Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helen; next, there is the dedication of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 355 and, most significantly, Jesus’ victory over death by His crucifixion and resurrection. Locally, it is the patronal feast of the Archdiocese of Boston, and closer to home, my parent's wedding anniversary.
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It is fun to think over the past weeks’ events in these waning days of summer. We remember all the conversations, gatherings, and family celebrations. We look back at the blessings and forward to fall and the promise of harvest. One memorable summer event was when our youngest grandson experienced a first bee sting on his finger. It was a difficult lesson that taught that small creatures can bring significant hurt. His mom was there to treat the pain and comfort with her words.
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