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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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Assumption | Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic Faith | family life
On August 15 each year, we celebrate the glorious Feast of the Assumption of Mary, our Holy Mother, into heaven. This solemnity reminds us of Mary’s unique role in salvation history and her deep relationship with God. As we reflect on her life and her Assumption, I would like to focus on three qualities of Mary that we can all strive to embody in our own lives: humble, hungry, and smart.
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Blessed Virgin Mary | Family Rosary | praying the Rosary
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. (Romans 8:18) I’d prayed the Rosary for two and a half years before I finally confessed to my friend, Father Joe, “Father, I don’t think it’s working. I feel more miserable than when I started.” Fr. Joe smiled at me and simply replied, “That’s a good thing … because it means you’re being purified.”
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Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic Family Fun | Family Activities | May
May begins next week, a perfect time to plan a May Crowning with your littles. My two-year-old daughter Ellen and I put together a super simple and quick May Crowning activity. We did most of it during my son's nap time while I was still unshowered and in my PJs. What is it that G.K. Chesterton famously said (and I use it as a crutch far too often)? “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.”
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Blessed Virgin Mary | prayer | rosary
I was introduced to the Blessed Mother almost thirty years ago before I became Catholic, while working at a psychiatric hospital as a mental health technician. My supervisor at the time had noticed that the demands of the stressful job were taking their toll on me and offered the “Hail Mary” prayer as a way to ease some of the tension in my life. “I am not trying to push anything on you,” she explained, “I just think you may find it soothing and relaxing.” Having grown up Episcopalian, I had heard of the prayer, but never gave it any serious consideration. Nevertheless, given the state of my life at the time, I was happy to give it a try.
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Blessed Virgin Mary | Intercessory Prayer | Our Lady of Prompt Succor
In June 1983, Poland's Solidarity movement seemed crushed beyond hope. Pope John Paul II bravely traveled to his native land to become its great unifier. Consoling his fellow countrymen, he prayed for the patroness of Poland's intercession. "Mother of Jasna Gora, you who have been given to us by Providence for the defense of the Polish nation, accept this call of Polish youth together with the Polish pope, and help us to persevere in hope.” (His Holiness: John Paul II and the Hidden History of Our Time, pp. 379-380.)
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