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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Flower crowns have a very long history. Today we associate them with little girls celebrating First Communion and of course, the Crowning of Mary in May, but they have existed for centuries in cultures all around the world. From 1967’s Summer of Love, to the Native Hawaiian Lays, flower crowns have always been an important symbol of celebration. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, and not only did she popularize wearing a white wedding dress, but she also wore a crown of flowers.
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Mother Teresa once said: "I do own things, but they do not own me." In the Gospel passage today, Jesus proposes his manifesto for being his authentic disciples. Humanly speaking, the task assigned to the twelve sounds impossible: cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leper, and expel demons. What makes it more impossible is that they were told to go penniless and wallet-less, depending on God and the people they were serving.
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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.
Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
The fox gazes at the little prince a long time. "Please tame me!" He begs. In a way, husband and wife, 'tame' each other, if they are patient. If they are self-sacrificing, and if they give the gift of themselves to each other. With God’s help and grace, they bring joy to each other. Priests and people 'tame' each other as well, with the help of God’s grace.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
A pastor asked his parishioners to pray for rain since there was a serious drought. As they were praying the pastor looked around and began criticizing the group for what he called their lack of faith. One parishioner sheepishly spoke up and said, "but father we do have faith, we showed up, didn’t we?" To which the pastor replied, "Why didn’t anyone bring an umbrella?"
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
What do you do when you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep? It was 3:30am, made a cup of tea, sat on my screened in porch taking in the silence, retired to my room, and gave some thought to this homily. In the today's reading from Genesis, Abraham's wife, Sarah, dies, and Abraham seeks to find a place for her burial. The scene resurrects thoughts of their marriage; and the playful exchange about her conceiving a child in her old age.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
A teenager refused to go home for weeks to punish his parents and two brothers, causing them to worry and become angry. When he finally returned, it took only minutes of conversation for his parents to forgive, hug, and welcome him home. However, his brothers didn’t get over their anger, and it grew as weeks passed. The mother sensed their attitude and asked, "Why can’t you welcome him back?"
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