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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Advent | Reason for the Season | celebrating Christmas | family life
What I only aim at is this: that we see Him, and remain with Him, to whom we are speaking, without turning our backs on Him. For I think that is what we do when we keep talking to God while thinking about a thousand trifles at the same time. --Teresa of Avila The above quote from Saint Teresa of Avila just about sums up my Advent season on an annual basis. I rush around thinking about a thousand trifles at the same time and talking to God in urgent snippets which usually consist of complaints and pleas.
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Advent | Catholic Faith | Jesus
Today we will reflect on an excerpt from a sermon offered by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The excerpt, known as “The Three Comings of the Lord” and taken from a series of homilies authored by St. Bernard concerning Advent and Christmas, is offered as the Second Reading on Wednesday during the first week of Advent in the Office of Readings. In his sermon, St. Bernard begins by identifying three “comings” of the Lord.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is one of the most important solemnities about our Blessed Mother. Pope Pius IX declared in 1854 that Our Blessed Mother, through a special grace, was preserved free from original sin right from the moment she was conceived in her mother, Anna’s, womb. It is part of the reason when the angel Gabriel came to tell her that God had chosen her as the mother of Jesus, the angel called her “full of grace.” She did not have a quarter of the grace, or have half of the grace, but she was full of grace!
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In the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis, we hear about the creation of the world and all things in it. The story of creation is not a documentary that yields accurate historical or scientific data. It is a spiritual lesson in story form telling us as much about God as it does about creation. Please note that there are two stories of creation.
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I recently asked one of my younger grandsons what he found interesting about school this year. He replied with a detailed description of an item on the lunch menu. Maybe it’s the teacher in me, but I expected him to respond with something about classes, friends, homework, or similar. I wasn’t ready for a food response, totally unexpected. In retrospect, it made great sense. Eating is a bright spot in our day.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Recently, the Holy Cross Family Ministries team in Easton had a beautiful day of retreat with Fr. Bill Dorwart, C.S.C. It was a precious opportunity for us to pause, reflect on our journey, and find nourishment to move forward. As Kierkegaard wisely said, "Life must be lived forward and understood backward." Today, as we come together to celebrate the Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, we are reminded of the profound connection between living our faith and our actions, our prayers, and our commitment to embodying the Gospel in every aspect of our lives.
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