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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Faith | Grandpa's Garden | catholic family life
It is autumn in this region, and the vibrant colors of falling leaves remind us of nature’s life cycle of growth and rebirth. Creation sheds old growth in preparation for new life. I’ve spent a lot of time in the garden pruning and thinning the plants and shrubbery. After my reductions, I’m always amazed at how the branches grow back with increased vitality.
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Catholic Faith | Grandpa's Garden | catholic family life
Several years ago, I came across an online photo from a news outlet at the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. The image stayed with me. The setting was late winter before any hint of spring in the air. The sky was overcast, trees were bare, and patches of snow scattered the ground. A solitary woman sat on a park bench, dressed in a winter coat and stocking cap. In her hands, she held a rosary. In a way, she was a symbol of all of us at the time.
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Catholic Faith | Grandpa's Garden | catholic family life
Our oldest child just celebrated a birthday. The day she was born, we drove country roads in the predawn darkness to the community hospital. It was the first day of school in the town, and as it happened, the weather was beautiful. When we arrived, the staff whisked away the expectant mom. I donned delivery room attire and waited. I learned that “labor” is appropriately named. Eventually, I joined my wife and listened, encouraged, and supported the best I could, realizing I was somewhat helpless. My role was to be there with her.
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Catholic Faith | Marian devotion | Nativity of Mary
Last year, the staff at the Father Peyton Center organized and celebrated a small and beautiful surprise birthday party for me. We were all together in the same space. It was a wonderful time—there was cake, donuts, and drinks; everyone was relaxing and laughing. In addition, I got all sorts of messages from around the world. When we celebrate birthdays, we offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the gift of the life of the person whose birthday we celebrate. We tell God that we don't take the gift of that person's life lightly, that we are grateful for it, and that we deeply value it.
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Catholic Faith | family prayer | pray the rosary
The first time the Rosary crashed into my life, I was helping with an event at my parish. One night, I felt God telling me to pray a Rosary every day until the event. I’d never prayed a daily Rosary, so it seemed like a big ask. I did a quick count of the number of days remaining: a Biblical 40 days. My response was not the immediate fiat of Mary. Are you sure? I asked God. I attributed this to an overactive imagination. The next day, the request returned. I decided to go for it. I launched in and quickly learned that a daily Rosary is work. I wasn’t great at managing the prayers and meditations and hadn’t memorized which Mysteries went with which days. There were even a few Mysteries I needed to look up because I wasn’t sure what they were. I got through it, and we had a successful event. Then I stopped...
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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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