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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Motherhood | Confession | Life Lessons | Sacrament of Reconciliation
"I hate you. I hate you!” my daughter screams from behind her door. Her words cut me, but this is hardly the first tantrum that we’ve weathered. I stand outside, deaf to the sound of kicks and screams. They used to break me inside; familiarity has numbed their sting. “Let. Me. Out!” She punctuates every word with a pound of her fist against the door. This is her mantra, her fit of rage. I listen, but I don’t respond. In her anger, she has forgotten the truth: I am waiting for her outside. The door isn’t locked. If she chose, she could walk back into my arms at any time. Instead, my prodigal daughter sits and stews in the fumes of her own fury. Justice, Mercy, and Fear This is where I vacillate as a parent. I waver between wanting to toe the hard line of justice and wanting to embrace her with arms of mercy. I want her to learn her lesson, to have the discipline to calm down and sort through her feelings and transgressions in a productive way. I want her to seek reconciliation. At the same time, I feel for her. I know the paralysis of the fear of rejection, even as an adult woman. I want to reach in, salve her pain, and help her breathe again.
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Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic Faith | praying the Rosary
Saint Louis de Montfort highlights ten imitation-worthy virtues of Our Blessed Mother in his writing True Devotion to Mary. Some of these virtues we may recognize in ourselves; others offer us an opportunity to grow in awareness and holiness. Let us examine each virtue and contemplate how to integrate these vital principles into our lives.
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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.
Today we continue with our ongoing reflections on the Book of Genesis. I titled my reflection as “The dangers of putting words into God’s mouth.” This is what we see Eve do when he interacts with the Serpent in the Garden of Eden.
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I recently heard a homily in which the priest said that he loved the readings at the beginning of the Book of Genesis. This priest spoke of how they have a rhythm that describes God’s thoughts and actions that reveal both an order and the goodness of God.
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In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches us a powerful lesson: it's not what goes into a person that defiles them, but what comes out of their heart. He warns us about the "evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness" that can lurk within (Mark 7:21-23). This message is a challenge for all of us, but especially for families.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Love thy Neighbor
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. We also hear the Blessed Mother’s instruction in the Gospel of John to the waiter, to “Do whatever he tells you.” One day I hope to make a pilgrimage to the Shrine at Lourdes in France. For, it is a place that I have heard about since I was a child, beginning with my mother’s powerful experience of witnessing throngs of people from around the world assisting family, friends, and even strangers who were ill and infirmed in wheelchairs and stretchers to join in the procession and Rosary prayer for all those seeking healing.
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