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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Recently I heard a Christian man on the radio say that he doesn’t really believe in religion; all he needs is his relationship with Jesus. He went on to say that he didn’t need stained glass or incense or the building we call a church or even the structure of the Church that provides governance and teaching. I was surprised and disappointed because I’d heard him before and was impressed with his knowledge of scripture and applying Jesus’ teaching to our everyday lives.
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Annunciation | Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary | pray the rosary
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." An interesting choice of words from the archangel Gabriel, this "favor with God." When I first read this, I questioned if Gabriel and I shared the same definition and understanding of "favor," as it turns out, we don't. This favor is not partiality, benefit, or worldly; instead, it is quite heavenly. Favor with God, of which Gabriel speaks, refers to the privilege of sharing in the Divine life of God—of accepting, receiving, and cooperating with grace. Mary, full of grace, models how your life can be a rollercoaster, but your faith, hope, and love can remain steadfast.
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Parenting | children at Mass | family life
I’ve been a Roman Catholic my whole life, and at one point, I absorbed the idea that during Mass, the congregation must be as still as possible—and that moving around would distract all the people nearby. I took this idea to an obsessive extreme, and even worried about exiting and entering the pew at the exact moments when I would be least distracting to others. I was hyper-aware of myself, and worried that if I moved an inch, I’d be completely destroying someone else’s prayer experience.
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Catholic Motherhood | St. Therese | family life
Like so many other women and mothers, I’ve been deeply inspired by St. Thérèse’s Little Way, a posture of approaching daily life in a way that imbues ordinary tasks with deep love. St. Thérèse’s influence has become a model for so many women—both those who work outside the home and those who focus full time on homemaking—on faithful dedication to the day’s tasks, no matter how grand or how modest.
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Healing the family | Learn more about our faith
So, in the tradition of teachers in my family (and the fact that it’s a Friday), I have a pop quiz for you. What word would you use to describe the gospel readings from Tuesday till today? If you answered “healing,” then we’d be on the same wavelength. It’s been said that if you want to make a point, you need to use ample evidence, and if you want it to be remembered, then you need to have repetition.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
William Hutton, an English Poet and Historian says, “The charity that hastens to proclaim its good deeds ceases to be charity and is only pride and ostentation.” Jesus healed and cleansed the leper, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone” (Mark 1:43). But the Leper could not withhold his excitement. Why would Jesus tell him to say nothing about the miracle? Was he afraid of appearing to be proud? Was he afraid too many people would be coming to him?
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