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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Friends, I love this reading from Philippians because it reminds me of so many of the great Saints. Brothers and sisters. If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace and love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory. Rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not only for his own interests but also everyone for those of others. ~ Philippians 2:1-4 Certainly, Saint Charles was a great pastor who radically changed the large Archdiocese of Milan in Italy for the better. Or Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who left her home in Albania, went to Ireland, and then to India. When she heard the voice of the Lord saying, “I Thirst for you to go to the poor in the streets of Calcutta." She would go on to spend the rest of her life seeking and finding the Lord Jesus hidden in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.
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Catholic YouTube | Grief | prayer
As October becomes November, All Hallows' Eve, aka Halloween, followed by the Feast of All Saints and then All Souls' Day, reminds us of those who have gone on before us. It's a solemn time, but as the new series Grace in Grief: Hope After Loss shows, there are ways through the grieving process. Hearing the Stories of the Grieving Premiering Tuesday, Oct. 29, on Family Theater Productions' YouTube channel, the seven-part series follows people dealing with losses of different kinds, whether a sibling, a parent, or even a child. The Grace in Grief episodes will be released weekly and run between 10 and 15 minutes. Visit FamilyTheater.org/GraceInGrief or go straight to the YouTube playlist.
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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
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Declared by Pope Boniface IV in 609 A.D, the day celebrates all holy men and women of God we do not know about, men and women who are not on the list of canonized saints, yet we know they lived, and we believe they enjoy eternal fellowship with God. These are the uncanonized saints who form part of the “great multitude” in heaven, men and women “who have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb” as the John tells us in the Book of Revelation. Besides celebrating their lives and seeking their intercession, we also look at them as role models who can inspire us in our own pursuit of holiness.
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“Where do they find the strength?” That’s a question that most of us find ourselves asking about a family member, friend, or co-worker who is somehow persevering through an extraordinary challenge or challenges. It could be an illness, death of a loved one, troubled marriage, loss of a job or financial concerns, or perhaps a crisis of faith. Well, in the Letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul instructs the Ephesians, and all of us, through his opening sentence: “Brothers and sisters: Draw your strength from the Lord and from His mighty power.”
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Dia de los Muertos | Family Activities | Month of the Holy Souls
Día de los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead," is primarily a Mexican tradition of celebrating the Catholic feasts of All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Although the celebration incorporates pre-Columbian indigenous elements, the modern Día de los Muertos is a reverent way to celebrate the Church’s teaching on the Communion of Saints and to pray for the souls of the deceased. Unfortunately, there are some common misconceptions about the celebration that require clarification.
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Family Rosary | The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands
Growing up in Uganda, I came to learn early on in life the praying of the Rosary. Our family was active in the Church, and we had regular family prayer. Uganda is 41% Catholic, and it is the land of the Ugandan Martyrs, whose feast day on the universal Church calendar is celebrated as the Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions. The Catholic Church in Uganda is vibrant with full Churches, full seminaries, and full convents. The Catholic Church in Uganda runs some of the top schools and the best healthcare institutions in the country.
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