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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Celebrating family life | Learn more about our faith
Today, we hear the prophet Jeremiah’s response to God building him up to go out on mission. Jeremiah says, “Ah, Lord God! I know not how to speak; I am too young.” Those last words, “I am too young,” are what most of us have said when we didn’t think we could do something, whether we were referring to chronological age, or experience, or even talent level.
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Ascension | Celebrating family life | Learn more about our faith
The Ascension of Jesus must have been the final evidence the disciples needed from Him. In addition to the fulfillment of the Father’s plan of salvation, it was the catalyst for the passing of the torch to Jesus’ disciples. At the beginning of today’s gospel from Mark, Jesus issues a profound and challenging command: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” This command is not a mere suggestion or a limited directive. It is a call to action to share the good news of salvation with every person, and creature, in every corner of the world. Jesus didn’t say, “Remember what I told you, take care of yourself, and one day you will see me again.” And likewise, He didn’t say, “Proclaim the gospel to some people, people you like—within the town where you live.”
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Celebrating family life | Lenten Reflections | family prayer
When our children were toddlers, we would socialize with other young families and try to shape how the kids played together, sharing, cooperating, taking turns, and being polite. It was a developmental challenge. When the little ones aren’t ready to share, forcing the issue can be counter-productive. It takes creative coaching and then waiting for development to take its course.
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We are in a new phase of Lent. There is no longer a focus on penance but on promise. The Prophet Isaiah describes God's promise to Israel. During the Babylonian exile, Israel felt that God had forgotten them because of their grievous sin. They believed God had "kicked them to the curb" or "thrown them under the bus." God uses colorful figures of speech to reassure them of His love despite the discipline He had enforced.
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We were trying to organize storage space recently and found a box of photo albums of our oldest grandchildren when they were very young. Many photos were from summertime, and the kids were playfully exploring the perennial gardens we had planted. It was a consolation for us to revisit the memories of the kids’ early childhood surrounded by vibrant blossoms. We didn’t get very far with our organizing. We spent most of our time leisurely reminiscing over the pictures.
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Celebrating family life | Holy lives of inspiration
When today’s saint's parents died when he was only a boy, his brother, who was a priest named Damien, lovingly took care of him. To honor this act of charity, his younger brother changed his name to Peter Damien. This future saint dedicated his life to God as a hermit and monk who became an abbot and ultimately a cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He’s known for his work in reforming the clergy of his diocese from laxness and immorality to fidelity to God and holiness of life.
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