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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
catholic family life | children at Mass | family prayer
I know that going to church on Sunday is not always easy. Getting the kids dressed and out the door on time on Sunday morning has its challenges. I would be lying if I said there were not some Sundays I wished I could just sleep in. Stay in bed for another hour. But every week, all five of us are at Mass. I often hear parents say that it is just “too hard” at this stage, and they will start going again when their kids are older. Those easier days turn into becoming complacent about not attending mass. Frankly, kids learn about how to behave and worship by being in Mass. There is not a magic age where everything just “clicks.”
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Today we hear Jesus in the Gospel journeying from town to town and from village to village preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. With Him, He had companions – the twelve apostles who helped Him in the work of preaching and proclaiming the good news; and He also had an army of women like, Mary Magdala, Joanna, Susanna who attended to all the needs of Jesus and His disciples out of their resources. The preaching and the proclamation of the Gospel requires resources. Today we are being introduced to a group of women who provided for Jesus and His disciples so that they could continue to preach and proclaim the Gospel. They provided food, water, lodging, and if someone on the team didn’t have any money to pay for Caesar’s taxes, they put together some resources to take care of that.
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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.
Jesus’ words, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” caused two very different reactions in Luke’s gospel. The first was the shock of Simon the Pharisee and the second was what each one of us feels when we go to Confession and are absolved of our sins: the joy of being unburdened by God through the grace of the Holy Spirit and the work of His priest, serving in the person of Christ.
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In the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, we encounter a seagull who refuses to settle for the ordinary. While the other birds are content scavenging for dead fish along the shore, Jonathan yearns for something more—he wants to fly higher and explore the deep sea. He challenges his community and, through determination, eventually soars to new heights, discovering a world beyond what others could imagine. Meanwhile, his companions remain content with their routine, never daring to dream or fly higher.
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Love thy Neighbor | Return to the Church
In the classic novel "Alice in Wonderland," written in 1865, we encounter a whimsical and thought-provoking exchange between Alice and a mysterious cat. As Alice finds herself lost in a strange new world, she asks the cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" The cat wisely responds, "That depends greatly on where you want to get to." Confused, Alice replies, "I don't much care where so long as I get somewhere." To this, the cat says, "Then it doesn't matter which way you go!" The Gospel of the Day invites us to view life as a journey, recognizing that the Lord, "The Way," should be our road, direction, and destination. Life is full of journeys—short and long, inward and outward, toward God and away from Him. Each journey, whether a simple errand or a life-changing event, shapes who we are. Our earthly journey begins at birth and moves steadily toward its inevitable end, death. In today's Gospel—the raising of the widow's son in Nain—we witness multiple journeys amid death and life.
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During Lent 2023, I started an adventure with a special writing project about Our Lady of Sorrows. As part of my Lenten practices, I prayed one of Mary’s Sorrows for each day of the week, which was so convenient since there were seven of them! That practice continued post-Lent, as did my writing project, and I still pray one of the Sorrows (most!) mornings. Each of Mary's Sorrows has its own inspiration, as we see how the virtues of our Blessed Mother shine through in the most traumatic moments of her life. Knowing how Mary continually leaned into God and trusted Him despite tragic circumstances helps me to try and do the same when life becomes dark and feels hopeless. It's also very comforting to know that I have a Mother who desires to console me and can understand what I'm experiencing when I face deep loss and grief.
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