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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 | Love thy Neighbor
In the year 1886 in my home country of Uganda when Christianity had been introduced in the country for around 20 years, the King of Buganda then, Mwanga, issued an order that there was not to be any more practice of the faith in his kingdom. He ordered all who had embraced the faith and were practicing it to renounce it or he would put them to death.
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Today’s gospel from Matthew is known as the Great Commission and it takes place after the Resurrection of Jesus and up on a mountain. This final scene also takes place in Galilee which brings the story full circle. For it was in this area that Jesus grew up, where the first apostles were called, and where the message of the kingdom was first preached.
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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.
It's often said that familiarity breeds contempt. We witness this firsthand in the Gospel of Mark as Jesus returns to His hometown, only to be met with skepticism. The locals question, "Isn't this the carpenter's son?" Their familiarity blinds them to the divine presence among them. This narrative mirrors our own tendencies to judge others based on superficial perceptions, overlooking the unique gifts God has bestowed upon each individual.
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Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews uses the metaphor of running the race of life to Heaven. Way back in the 70’s not many adults ran or jogged in races, that is until marathon runners like Bill Rogers and Jim Fix made it popular for everyday people of all ages to go out for a jog or run. I was a young teenager when this was going on and because my family was into playing and attending sports, we used to attend the Boston Marathon each spring up on heart-break hill, the most challenging part of the course.
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Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
A few years ago, a friend told me a hilarious yet profound story. He was on a road trip when his GPS suddenly rerouted him through a creepy, deserted road. His phone signal dropped, the gas light flickered on, and to make matters worse, he saw an abandoned house straight out of a horror movie. “This,” he thought, “it is how I die.” Just as panic set in, he spotted a small gas station, barely lit but open. Relieved, he pulled in, refueled, and got directions back to safety.
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Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic Motherhood | everyday miracles | rosary
Some people believe the scent of roses when no flowers are present is thought to be a sign that God’s presence is with us or that a blessing from God is imminent. This same occurrence with the smell of roses has often been associated with miracles and encounters with Marian apparitions. Mary is sometimes referred to as “Our Lady of the Roses,” perhaps because the name Rosary means “a garland of roses,” or perhaps she is pictured surrounded by these beautiful flowers. St. Juan Diego, in the 1530s, was asked by Mary to gather roses to prove her presence to the bishop since it was in the middle of winter when no roses would be in bloom. He climbed a hilltop and found them blooming abundantly and when opening his coat to show the roses to the bishop, the picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe was present.
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