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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
While growing up, I didn’t give much thought to my last name, Perpetua, other than it was hard for telemarketers to pronounce (they always put the emphasis on the wrong syllable, if they could say it at all) and when the priest chose the long form of the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, Perpetua was named as part of the Roman Canon, along with Felicity and some others. I knew that Perpetua and Felicity were women saints, and that is where my knowledge began and ended, for many years. It wasn’t until I was an adult and, eventually, a mother that I embraced these heroic Christian martyrs and shared the story of my (and their) eponym with my children. Only then did I begin to fully appreciate their sacrifice. Saints Perpetua and Felicity were young mothers martyred in the early 3rd century. Perpetua was a noblewoman with a young nursing child. Felicity, a slave, was eight months pregnant at the time she, Perpetua, and others were imprisoned. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
I first encountered the Focolare Movement (an ecclesial movement within the Church) and its founder, Servant of God Chiara Lubich, through my then-boyfriend, now husband. His family had been a part of the movement his entire life. Over the summers, members of the movement gathered for a family conference, and I was invited to attend. Little did I know that this would begin a new spiritual journey with Chiara, which our family still travels on today. It’s hard to pick just one thing that I have learned from Chiara over these last 17 years of slowly learning the spirituality of the Focolare. While I was introduced to the movement in college, it wasn’t until a few years later, as a young mom, that I started to consciously learn more of the theology found in Chiara’s spirituality. I did this with my mother-in-law, who is deeply invested in the movement. Together, we shared many conversations about the movement’s history, its founding principles, and way of life. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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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.
Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
Have you ever in your life been subjected to public shaming? Ridicule? I experienced being “cancelled” long before it entered the mainstream. My crime? Taking an unpopular stand as an elected official in our town. I remember it like yesterday, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary over and over, and feeling the Lord calling me to walk with the person at the center of the controversy — and not abandon him. And guess who else entered the picture? Saint Joan of Arc. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Book Club | Catholic Reads | Holy lives of inspiration | catholic mom
We're excited to announce our March 2025 Book Club selection: Catholic Mom media editor Maria Morera Johnson's A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace, published by Ave Maria Press. What's the Book About? In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life’s second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and “soul sisters” who faced these challenges with courage.
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Catholic books | Celtic Spirituality | catholic mom | inspiration
Reading along, not required, to enjoy learning more about Celtic Spirituality with author Julianne Stanz, author of Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace (Loyola Press). This week, author Julianne Stanz and I began the conversation by exploring the concept of anam cara, or "soul friend." You won't want to miss the opportunity to learn about this beautiful way we connect with others, and about how you can pray to recognize your soul friend! And, of course, there's much more to the discussion in this session. Don't miss it!
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Catholic books | Celtic Spirituality | catholic mom | inspiration
You don't need to be reading along to be blessed by this inspiring conversation with author Julianne Stanz, author of Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace. What a blessing to be joined for three weeks with author Julianne Stanz as we delve into the Catholic Mom Book Club selection for Fall 2024: Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace, published by Loyola Press. Listen in (and share your thoughts in the comments) as we discuss the concept of a "thin place" and how that relates to our spiritual life. We unpack our spiritual "junk drawers" and contemplate what the "potato masher" in our lives may exist that keeps us from letting go of our stubborn habits and behaviors.
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