World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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God's justice, compassion, and healing power can do amazing things, big and small, if you let Him in, if you invite Him into your life. This week, I had two writing deadlines due the same day. The first was today’s homily, and the second was a family Christmas letter. As I prayed and reflected on the tasks at hand, I had an inspiration for how to approach a Christmas letter in these unusual times.
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Today we celebrate Saint John of the Cross. He was born in Spain in 1542 and was ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567. After some years in the Carmelite order, he was persuaded by Saint Teresa of Avila in 1567 to initiate a reform. Saint John experienced and witnessed an increase in opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, and imprisonment of their reform efforts.
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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.
When Lucille Ball died in 1989, they celebrated her funeral at Saint Monica’s in Santa Monica, California. Lucille Ball was a comedic genius who entertained millions of viewers weekly on 100 episodes of the “I Love Lucy” show. Whether she lit up the television screen stuffing her cheeks with chocolates on an assembly line, or brawling with an Italian peasant woman as they both turned from stomping grapes to stomping on each other - everyone fell in love with Lucy.
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It is not by accident that two major Marian feasts fall in the middle of Advent: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12. They draw us more deeply into the warmth, the mystery, and the power of the season. As we approach December 12, let’s now turn our attention to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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In today’s gospel, Jesus compares His generation to children who tried to get their playmates to come out to play, but the playmates didn’t come.
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Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoaztzin was one of the few Mexicans who became Christian in the decade after Hernan Cortez and about 500 Spanish troops arrived in Mexico in 1519 – and soon conquered the powerful and rich Aztec empire.
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