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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Blessed Virgin Mary | Celebrating Marian feasts | Nativity of Mary
Mary’s birth is not recorded in the Bible. What we celebrate on September 8th each year is not Mary’s birthday in the traditional sense, but we honor the blessing of her being born. The word nativity refers to the circumstance or occasion of one being born. We honor the Nativity of Jesus, celebrated on December 25th, the date nine months after the celebration of the visit of the angel, Gabriel at the Annunciation. In a similar way, we remember Mary´s nativity, coming exactly nine months following the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the December 8th Solemnity when we commemorate Mary’s gift of prevenient grace allowing her to be born without Original Sin.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Peter, a humble fisherman, experienced a profound encounter with the Divine that speaks to our daily experiences and struggles. Just imagine, after a night of tireless effort, Peter and his companions found their nets bursting with an abundance of fish. Their hopes must have soared as they anticipated the ease of selling such a catch. It's natural for us to think, "If Jesus could do it once, why not invite Him as a business partner for a joint venture?" Yet, Luke's Gospel surprises us.
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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.
The first time I visited the Holy Land of Israel, we had our first Mass as a pilgrimage group in the town of Capernaum. The all-round glass Church is built above the place where tradition holds was Simon Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. The pastor of the place was a Ghanian Franciscan Friar, who knew our Congregation of Holy Cross very well and the good work it does in Ghana, especially in the schools.
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Healing the family | Why pray?
Today, we gather to explore a profound message drawn from the Gospel of Luke. To set the stage, I'd like to share a personal story, an incident from my own life that emphasizes the enduring significance of this message. Back in 2005, as the administrator of a school in Northeast India, I found myself thrust into an extraordinary situation one evening.
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Faith Life | family life | prayer life
Quite often, we tend to relegate holiness and prayer to priests and those in religious life. We know that all people are called to holiness, but when we spend our days in the office or tackling housework while caring for our children, we can slip into a mindset of, "I'm just a layperson, and I can't spend my days in prayer like nuns, so I can't be that holy." On the contrary, we can draw closer to God as we live out in the world, and we can glorify Him with our lives — and in our work.
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family life | patron saints | praying for your family
Back-to-school time is just around the corner and despite your feelings about it (euphoria or dread), you’d better be ready! Below are a few heavenly friends to turn to as you prepare your family for the start of the school year. First, and arguably most important: St. Drogo, patron of coffee and sure intercessor for your energy levels.
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