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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Have you ever played with little children? When we elders play a game with little children, we usually change the rules. It could be baseball, basketball, football, or any board game. We relax some of the rules to make it easier for the child to enjoy the game a little more. For fun, we also sometimes intentionally play poorly to allow the child to win. We might even make adjustments to our gameplay, pretending not to know how to play well. At times, we act as if we are losing badly so that the child can enjoy the game even more. We do a bit of “acting” and some pretense to see the reaction of the children.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Return to the Church
As I read and reflected on today’s readings several questions arose: “When was the last time you felt Jesus’ compassion? When was the last time you felt compassion for another person? How do we grow in compassion?” We’ve just heard, “When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them…” In Jesus’ Sacred Heart there is more than enough compassion for all men and women and children who are experiencing suffering of any kind. The reason in today’s gospel that Jesus felt compassion was because the people were like sheep without a shepherd; a people who were lost and needed someone to guide them. And Jesus knew what that could lead to…
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Holy lives of inspiration | Return to the Church | Saint Andre Bessette
Saint Joseph’s best friend and tireless disciple, Saint Andre, always said, "Go to Joseph. You have a powerful friend in heaven. He will never let you down." Brother Andre Bessette, born August 9, 1845, drew his last breath at 12:50 AM on January 6th, 1937. It was the feast of the Epiphany, but because of the holiday, no paper was published that day. The radio spread the news like the wind, and early that morning, all knew that the holy man who had founded Saint Joseph's Oratory had passed away. Before setting the date and time for the funeral, two rather unusual decisions were made earlier that morning. One was to preserve his heart; the other was not to embalm his body.
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Humility | Saint Andre Bessette | Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal | intercession of saints
“Let not the wise boast of his wisdom, nor the strong boast of his strength, nor the rich man boast of his riches; But rather, let those who boast, boast of this, that in their prudence they know me.” (Jer 9:22-23) The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the invaluable role of the virtue of humility in cultivating a life of faith. Jeremiah understands that humility is what guides us to know God. If one is so in love with their own wisdom, their own strength, their own wealth, they will never know the love of God. Humility is the strength to submit to the will of God, the strength to recognize that God is far greater than oneself. Our human nature often leads us to hold tightly to our own will and constantly seek control. We want to know how each day will go and want to dictate as much as we can. This so often gets in the way of recognizing God in our lives. Saint André's humble life of service and profound faith demonstrate that we, too, can boast, as Jeremiah spoke in the Scriptures.
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Epiphany | New Year's Resolutions | family blessing
I’ll be honest. I have mixed feelings about New Year’s resolution season. Between the guilt-ridden goals to look better or do more, the temptation for self-centered navel-gazing, and the thinly veiled marketing gimmicks, I’m not excited to set goals on a prescribed January timeline. A natural southerner, I also lack winter motivation for pretty much anything. I’d much prefer hiding under a blanket fort with my kids and a good cup of tea until at least April. Despite my hesitations, I recognize that this is a fresh start for many of us. Thanks to the intentionality that this turning of the calendar provides, I’ve watched friends accomplish some amazing things for themselves, their families, and for God. The act of reflecting and growing is certainly graced by God. With this in mind, how is the Lord guiding our steps in 2025?
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Marriage | New Year's Resolutions | family prayer | sacrament of marriage
2025: The Year of the Marriage? We are just beginning 2025, so many people are still thinking about resolutions they might make for this new year. Have you made one yet? If not, consider choosing a resolution that will strengthen your most important relationship this side of heaven: your marriage. Our marriages are covenants: sacred contracts that bond the two spouses into a family. The Catholic Church provides a comprehensive and truly beautiful list of vows to seal the marital covenant. The more I study these vows, the more grateful I am to the Church for them! Here they are, in simplest terms: I have vowed to love my husband freely, fully, faithfully, and fruitfully; for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death parts us.
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