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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Coming from Uganda or the African tropics where the weather almost stays the same throughout the season, it is fascinating to see the seasonal changes in this country. The leaves change color, the leaves fall off the trees, the trees are left bare for months, then the trees start coming back to life by growing the leaves again, and in the end are full of green leaves again!
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
I have a routine of prayers I get through every day. Two are Rosaries, and all contain at least one Hail Mary. These prayers are my anchor, and I won’t lay my head down until they’ve all been said. Building Good Prayer Habits As a creature of habit, some prayers must be said before my feet hit the floor in the morning, and some are not said until I’m sitting in bed again. Those are my bookends. They’re not long, but they set up my day, then set it back down again.
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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.
A story is told of a new prime minister of a country who, while addressing a group of journalists, harshly criticized his predecessor—a dictator known for committing many atrocities. During his speech, someone from the audience passed him a note that read, “What were you doing when the dictator committed all these atrocities, for you were in a position of influence even then?"
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
Dear Mom and Dad, For the longest time, I looked at praying the Rosary as a weekly chore, especially since we used to pray it together on Sunday evenings in my little bedroom. I remember kneeling in front of the twin bed with my hands holding the Rosary Grandma gave me for my first Holy Communion. The beads were that clear, crystal-looking type that seemed to have a rainbow of colors that reflected off them, changing depending on the light. I remember fidgeting with them as I continuously adjusted my position from kneeling upright to resting on my ankles until you noticed, Dad. You would promptly reposition me back upright. I remember my fingers moving from one bead to the next and opening my eyes to silently count how many beads were left of each decade, trying to determine how much longer it would take us to finish. When we prayed, I didn't realize I was spending time praying with our Blessed Mother.
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Saint Paul talks about his call: “God called me, the least of all his people”. The Melrose Suspension Bridge on the Niagara links the United States to Canada. The bridge was reportedly built in 1848 by engineer Theodore Elliot, in this fashion. First, a kite with a thread attached to it was flown across the Niagara River. Next, a cord was attached to the thread and pulled across. Then, a rope was attached to the cord. Finally, a cable was attached to the rope. The larger cables and the rest of the bridge were moved into place from the cable. Had Paul lived in our modern times, he might have used this story to make the point he stressed in today's reading. He, "the least of all God's people," was the tiny, fragile thread by which God began the conversion of the Gentile world. "I'm only a spark, / Make me a fire, I'm only a string, / Make me a lyre" said the poet, Amado Nervo.
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
When I first started dating my wife, Anna, I quickly learned about her devotion to our Blessed Mother and her commitment to praying a daily Rosary. For some reason, praying the Rosary did not interest me. It seemed boring, and I felt that other forms of prayer were more fruitful. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our Blessed Mother and understood her role in the life of the Church. I often talked about her with others, and some would say I was Mary’s biggest fan. But a whole Rosary, five decades, was reserved for when I couldn’t fall asleep. In fact, during different seasons of my life, I kept a Rosary on my nightstand. As soon as I lay in bed, I would grab it, usually not making it to the end of the Creed, before waking up the next morning with the Rosary on my face.
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