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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 | 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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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.
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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Holy lives of inspiration | Love thy Neighbor
In the first of the two Scripture readings today, Amos continues to rail against the abuses inflicted on the poor by unscrupulous people, cheating them in the sale of wheat that was so essential to their daily diet. Fake baskets with a false bottom were used to hold wheat. It was not uncommon to touch the scales to inflate the weight while items were being weighed. Evil and greed on display.
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As many of you know, I am blest to have lived at Lourdes in France for three years serving in our Family Rosary mission there. I’m looking forward to returning for a month in September, Lord willing. I have seen the place up close, so I can say that there have been thousands of physical healings – cures! It’s the real deal. Yet one could counter: there have been millions of sick people who have visited Lourdes. What about the rest of them?
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