x Close
World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
As a Catholic daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend, I have had many moments in my life where Hope is what held me together; dragging Faith and Charity along with her into the future with great expectations and keeping her eyes set upon the One Who was surprised at this little girl, Hope, in me.
Share
Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
When Pope Francis declared this to be the Jubilee Year of Hope, I was struck by the different connotations the word has. In our family, “Hope” is my beautiful niece, full of determination and confidence and grace and love. We often “hope” for a good grade, an athletic win, a part in a play. The theological virtue of hope, though, is more nuanced. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines hope as our “desire [for] the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (Section 1817). When I think about my own journey toward true hope, I go back to college and the first time I noticed my husband’s seizure activity. We were on our way to study at a local greasy diner, and as I chattered away at him about everything and nothing, his right arm flew up over his head and then his hand rested back on the steering wheel. Weird.
Share
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.
Celebrating family life | Strengthening family unity
"This little Band-Aid doesn't just cover scraped knees—it's a sign of God's mercy in your home. When Mom kisses a boo-boo, when Dad stays up late helping with homework instead of scolding over bad grades, when a sister shares her favorite toy without being asked—that's spiritual first aid. These are the moments when your family becomes a living Gospel." The Messy Holiness of Family Life A woman recently wept in my office: "Father, I love my 93-year-old mother, but I'm so tired. The constant care, the lack of gratitude—I don't know how much longer I can do this." I told her about Mother Teresa cleaning the wounds of lepers who sometimes spat at her. When asked why she did it, she'd count on her fingers: "I – do – it – for – Jesus."
Share
Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
I have a vivid memory of my grandmother sitting in the front seat of my car while my husband drove. It was early evening, and I can still hear her east Texas twang as she said, “How can you see a sunset like that and not believe in God?” I Forgot to Notice Sunsets While I can’t remember the colors of the sunset that day, my husband and I have often quoted her question over the last twenty years. But even then, I forgot to notice sunsets. A few years ago, our family hosted a foreign exchange student for a year, and she marveled at the sight of the pink, red, and orange sunsets from our house. She’d stop what she was doing and run outside to watch it and take pictures. It seemed so normal, a sunset. But I would stop what I was doing and go with her. My Instagram feed was full of sunsets that year.
Share
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” On Tuesday, I read and thought about those words from Jesus as I sat in a waiting area at the Brockton Hospital. From my corner seat, I could see patients and loved ones, doctors and nurses, and technicians passing by. Some walked by with confidence and others like me with hesitation, not knowing the outcome of the day’s visit, and still others also needed the use of a cane or to be assisted in a wheelchair. What I learned from talking to both the people who work at the hospital and those who are accompanying loved ones or those there for examination or treatment is that everyone has something that falls under a labor or burden in their lives.
Share
Faith Reflection | Hope-2025 | Jubilee of Hope | power of prayer
There are moments when we recognize God’s subtle but sure action in our lives. It may be an encouraging sign unexpectedly received, a word of encouragement at just the right time, or a long-awaited answer to prayer. Sometimes, it can be sensed in a gentle whispering in our hearts — an inner prompting from the Holy Spirit that challenges or convicts us. At these moments, we often clearly recognize the hand of God instructing and encouraging us. A Moment of Reckoning Among many such experiences in my own life, one memory stands out as a turning point in my life. It was a Sunday evening, and I was attending Mass as a college student at our campus church. Distracted by football games, parties, and social events, I thankfully managed to continue to go to Mass every weekend, though my faith and devotion were lukewarm.
Share
