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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
I am delighted to be here today at the Father Peyton Center in North Easton, Massachusetts — the Global headquarters for Holy Cross Family Ministries. I was blessed to grow up in a family. Families are found everywhere, and their challenges are pretty much the same. I come from India, the Diocese of Agartala, where I have been Bishop for the last 28 years. Today, I am also the Chairman of the Health Commission of the Bishops’ Conference in India. We have 171 Dioceses in India, and traveling through some of them, I find that a major health issue is mental health. Mental health affects families at all levels: divorced families, faithful families, hurting families, and dysfunctional families.
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There's a heartwarming story about an artist who sought to paint the most beautiful thing in the world. He asked a pastor, a bride, and a soldier, each offering a different answer: faith, love, and peace. But it wasn't until he returned home that he truly understood. In the eyes of his children, he saw faith. In his wife's eyes, he saw love. And within his home, he found the peace that faith and love had created. He realized that the most beautiful thing in the world was simply "home.”
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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.
Wouldn't life be simpler if God granted our every prayer request? While that might seem appealing, the truth is that God's answers often come in unexpected ways, sometimes even through silence. The readings teach us the power of persistent prayer, a lesson beautifully illustrated by the Canaanite woman's encounter with Jesus.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Today’s readings are remarkable. First, there is the majestic and supernatural imagery of the first reading from Daniel, which prefigures Jesus’ Transfiguration. Then there’s Saint Peter’s eyewitness account of the majesty of God revealed in Jesus in our second reading and described in the Gospel of Mark.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
If you have ever visited Rome and had a Catholic tour guide, you most likely were taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, whose dedication we celebrate today. If you haven’t been, I’d highly recommend it. It is a beautiful and grand basilica dedicated to honor our Blessed Mother. The original basilica was built in the fourth century under Pope Liberius and was named after him. However, after the council of Ephesus proclaimed Mary, the Mother of God, the basilica was repaired and reconsecrated to honor the Blessed Mother. It is called “major”…is because it is the oldest and largest church in Rome dedicated to Our Lady.
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Daily Gospel Reflections | Scripture | family prayer | power of prayer
In many ways, learning to listen for God’s voice is like trying to get a good phone signal. Again and again, God reaches out to us asking patiently, “Can you hear me now?” Our response might be a robust “Yes, Lord! Your servant is listening.” Or there may be no response at all because we’ve become deaf to His voice. But no matter our response, God doesn’t give up. He continues asking us, “Can you hear me now?”
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