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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Celebrating family life | Why pray?
Today’s gospel is one that gets a reaction. For some, it’s a justification to say God is unreasonable. For others, it’s a reason to look more deeply into our relationships with God, our families, and our friends.
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"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. They will see his face." (Revelation 22:1-4)
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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 | Strengthening family unity
Today’s gospel continues Jesus’ instruction to His Apostles for their mission. Jesus wants to prepare them and us for the real world, which will involve persecution. He compares the Apostle’s situation to sheep being sent out among wolves. However, Jesus doesn’t want them to have the passive posture of sheep.
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Healing the family | Strengthening family unity
Some people read their horoscopes, others go to Facebook and see what their five hundred friends are up to. I look at the obituaries every morning and inclined to read the death notices of younger people, their educational background, their religious affiliation, and burial plans. There was a sad obituary the other day of a young man who was in his thirties. He lost his battle with addiction.
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I’d like to invite you to close your eyes, if you feel comfortable, and imagine this scene: a beautiful summer day, like it is at this time of the year here in Massachusetts. You are in a beautiful countryside, as is Galilee, with other disciples. Jesus is teaching and leading you all in prayer. Then He chooses the 12 apostles … Simon, Andrew, James, John, Philip …. You know something important is going on and you have a sense that nothing will ever be the same. Sending the 12 is just the beginning. Eagerly you wait your turn soon.
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I sometimes wonder if wonder and skepticism are, ultimately, the two primary emotions available to us when we encounter the unknown. The crowd demonstrates the first as they are amazed by Jesus’ acts of healing, culminating most recently in casting out a demon that restored speech, health, and community to the one possessed. The Pharisees, on the other hand, react with skepticism. Unable to explain Jesus’ healing power and unwilling to acknowledge his relationship to God, they not only dismiss His miracle, but even accuse Him of conspiring with the prince of demon.
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