World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Family Fun | Hail Mary | family prayer
When my firstborn was a baby, I started the habit of singing the Hail Mary to her at night as a lullaby. I hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but soon enough she was singing along with Mama—praying without even knowing what prayer was yet. And so began our family’s tradition of starting bedtime prayers by singing the Hail Mary. I can already hear the reactions of those of you who can’t carry a tune. Guess what? Me too!
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After listening to Father Leo’s homily yesterday, I was inspired to seek ways to use our hands, feet, and eyes--our bodies, to do good and care for those in need. Father Leo, like Jesus, building upon the Ten Commandments with the positive actions of the Beatitudes, made me think about today’s readings in the positive, regarding honoring our commitments through holy perseverance.
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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.
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Father Leo Polselli, C.S.C. offers a thought-provoking and unique take on today's Mass Readings. We invite you to listen to his brief homily video below, then reflect on the questions below alone, or even better, with your family.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Love thy Neighbor
Today in our gospel we hear how the disciples of Christ found some villager who was blessing the sick and praying for their healing, all in the name of Jesus, and how they tried to stop him because he was not part of their group or company. When the disciples told Jesus about this, He reprimanded them for their envy and fear. Jesus told them that, “No one can perform a miracle in my name and at the same time speak ill of me. Anyone who is not against us is with us.”
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Last night, I spoke with Father George Piggford, a Holy Cross priest and Stonehill professor, about how his love of literature and writing inspires his preaching. Over the years, Father George and I have compared notes on where we were going with our Sunday homilies and shared ideas. It’s been both helpful and insightful to see how God was working in each of our lives.
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From the 4th century, St. Ambrose gave the Blessed Mother the title of “Mother of the Church,” underscoring her profound role in our spiritual journey. It was also proclaimed by St. Paul VI in 1964 at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council’s third session. Finally, after centuries of thought and devotion, Pope Francis brought this teaching and title to the General Roman Calendar so that we might better remember that Our Blessed Mother provides a maternal care that began from the moment that Jesus spoke from the Cross the words, “Behold your mother.”
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