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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
New Year's Resolutions | catholic family life | family prayer | pray the rosary
Something that has become more and more apparent as my kids one-by-one enter adulthood is that while my vocation as Mom never ends, it does change! I remember those days of mothering with littles running around the house. They needed me for the physical things; food, drink, shelter, safety, comfort, and clothing, and they were learning so much from basic skills and interests, and subjects at school, and picking up prayers, Bible stories and beliefs of our Catholic Faith. As they got older, entering the teenage years, they still relied on us heavily (whether they cared to admit it or not). As they entered young adulthood, they'd talk to us about matters of the heart, of conscience, and questions in the Faith. While we might want to provide all the answers, we just don't have them! We can counsel or suggest to a certain point, but our best approach is to remind them to pray: to seek the Lord for His answers and to sincerely pursue His will. But like everything, we need to set the groundwork early on.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Recently, after a Sunday Mass that I had preached about the importance of going to Mass as a family, I spoke to a young father. He told me that he agreed with me but that sometimes, life seems to get in the way of families going to Mass. On the one hand, there was a bridal shower that some of his family got the wrong day and so didn’t make it to the morning Mass, and then there was his daughter who said that going to Mass on Monday at her Catholic school should count instead of Sunday. We all know that life is continually changing, especially within the family. There are more challenges in our society’s weekend scheduling and our kid's perspective on whether being told it’s their obligation to go to Mass is a help or a hindrance. In my childhood and high school years, going to Sunday Mass was as natural as going out to breakfast after Mass. You’d see your neighbors at Mass and also at the diner afterward. Wanting to see your family grow in faith now comes with more and more obstacles; however, God never asks for the impossible.
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Blessed Mother | Celebrating Marian feasts | Christmas Season | family prayer
Each year, on January 1, in addition to welcoming another year, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. If unfamiliar with the phrase, ‘Mother of God,’ it would seem to imply some supernatural or divine being. It seems a little daunting to imagine ‘Mother of God.’ Perhaps the title brings to mind some supremely far away, celestial, or an unreachable person. However, in truth, the ‘Mother of God’ refers to Mary, the young girl from Nazareth, who, by her Fiat, brought to the world the Incarnation of God, Jesus... The title “Mother of God” is a Western derivation from the Greek “Theotokos,” which means “God-bearer.” This important title, which proclaims Mary’s divine motherhood, was proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in 431. The foundation is based on the understanding that Mary is the mother of Jesus, whom we believe to be God. She would then be the Mother of God.
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Luminous Mysteries | Praying with images | family prayer | pray the rosary
Beauty has a way of lifting our hearts and souls to God, much like a heartfelt prayer. There is something truly captivating about seeing a breathtaking landscape or a detailed piece of art. These experiences have a special quality that makes us think and feel deeply. For example, a stunning waterfall can make us pause and marvel at creation, while a detailed painting can fill us with awe as we imagine the artist's hard work. Beauty reminds us of God's greatness and the care He put into the world around us. Art doesn't just stir our emotions; it can also tell a story or share an idea. For years, art has been used to convey messages about faith, especially during times when many people were unable to read. That's why you'll find so much religious art around: it speaks to us in ways words sometimes can't.
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Christmas Season | Family Fun | catholic devotions | celebrating Christmas
The world will be taking down decorations in a week, but we Catholics will just be getting started celebrating Christmas! Did you know the Church season of Christmas lasts from December 25th all the way through January 8th, the Sunday of the feast of Epiphany? We have over two weeks of celebrating the wild and wonderful gift of a God who wrapped Himself in flesh to come and save us. Here are five ways your family can keep the spirit of Christmas alive through the entire Christmas Season this year!
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Almsgiving | Christmas Season | Feast of St. Stephen | rosary
If you are someone who lends your favorite books to family members or friends only to find that the loan has become permanent, or sends thank you notes and birthday cards only to realize with a heart that sits somewhere between resignation and a slight ache that not everyone remembers your birthday or sends you messages of thanks, then the Church’s teaching on almsgiving and charity will be a source of much consolation—for in essence it is that only what is given away will be ours to keep. St Augustine places this teaching in the mouth of Christ as Augustine speaks of this to his congregation: “…on earth, my members were suffering, my members were in need. If you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head….I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury.” Then Christ laments to those who have not given to the poor and suffering, “But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my presence” (Sermon 18, 4.).
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