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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?
The prophecy today from Zechariah is a bold one, one that no person would have dared to predict on his own without divine inspiration. When Zechariah wrote, the people of Judah had just returned from Exile at the mercy of great Persia; they had re-built the Temple, and as we heard in last week’s readings, it was a meager replica of the original. Judged by appearances, they were a tiny, insignificant nation, surviving at the pleasure of far more dominant civilizations. And yet, here Zechariah is, prophesying that all peoples, including the mighty nations, will seek Jerusalem out and look to the Jews for guidance and wisdom, as the people who uniquely know the LORD. It is a stunning vision.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Some years ago, I read a story about a little boy named Eamon, who was gravely ill and being treated in a children’s hospital. His parents kept vigil by his bedside day and night. One nurse recalled walking past his room in the small hours of the morning and finding his mother singing softly to him, holding his frail hand. She said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed: in that dimly lit hospital room, it felt like she had stepped into holy ground. The boy Eamon eventually passed away, but his parents said they felt surrounded, carried even, by a strength beyond their own, the kind you can’t explain but only receive. That, I believe, is the quiet work of angels. Not always with trumpets and fire, but with presence, with consolation, with a reminder that God is near. When we hear Daniel’s vision in the Bible—thrones set in place, rivers of fire, the “Ancient of Days” clothed in glory, it feels like something out of a movie. You almost expect special effects and a booming soundtrack. Daniel wasn’t writing a screenplay. He was trying to put into words an experience of God’s majesty that words can hardly hold.
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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.
Family Rosary | family prayer | how to pray the rosary
During Pope Leo XIV's September 24, 2025, General Audience, he said, “I invite everyone, each day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace—personally, in the family, and in the community.” As they say, great minds think alike! Family Rosary had the same idea when we created the October Rosary Challenge free download. As we prepare for our October 22 Global Rosary for Peace, we invite families to come together each day in prayer. While an entire Rosary is a beautiful goal, it is important to remember that any prayer shared with your family is a grace-filled gift! Join Family Rosary in Prayer
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Family Rosary | everyday miracles | family prayer
In this week of Marian devotion, Debra Black shares her testimony to the Rosary’s power in a homeless woman’s life. In September, 2025, Holy Cross Family Ministries held the 75th Anniversary Venerable Patrick Peyton Rosary Rally. This begins a week of Marian devotions in our Church tradition. Monday was the birth of our Blessed Virgin Mary; Friday we honor the Holy Name of Mary; and on September 15 we venerate Our Lady of Sorrows. Reflecting upon this brought to mind a time when the Holy Spirit used my rosary to bring about a miracle in someone’s life. When my daughter was 12, we were in a park with Our Lady of the Streets Homeless Ministry providing conversation, compassion, and care packages to the sleeping homeless men and women. The homeless loved to carry prayer cards in their pocket and wear rosaries around their neck. One woman named Josephine was eagerly taking our rosaries and bringing them to the others. But she was so disappointed that every rosary we had did not fit around her head. We had no rosary for her.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
One of the most fascinating things when you visit the Mediterranean lands such as Greece, Italy, Egypt, and Turkey are the historical sites of castles, temples, and cities that now lie in ruins. Each of those sites tell a story of a “golden age” when these places were sites of glamor, wealth, and influence. In their current state, they tell of a past, an end, and a death. In our first reading today from the book of the Prophet Haggai, we continue reflecting on the return of the Israelites from exile in Babylon. They found their influential city and magnificent temple in Jerusalem all in ruins. Everything had fallen apart while they were in exile. Before them stood a depressing state of hopelessness when they looked at what had happened to the city and especially the temple that King Solomon had spent so much on building.
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Have you ever had a day, or maybe a week, where you work so hard, you run from one thing to the next, and at the end of it all, you still feel… empty? Unfulfilled? If you have, then the Word of God today is speaking directly to you. Through the prophet Haggai, God says to His people, “You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied.” They were busy building their own homes, managing their lives, but they were deeply restless. Why? Because they had neglected the one thing that gives meaning to everything else: their relationship with God.
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