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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
When my father-in-law retired, he spent considerable time in his basement workshop. He became a skilled woodworker, crafting many projects that he generously gifted to family members. Some of his most delightful endeavors were wooden toys for his grandchildren – a cradle, trucks, planes, cars, a dollhouse, a toy train, boats, and many more. His great-grandchildren now enjoy the toys; they keep them in the box he also made. Things we treasure have a way of enduring.
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Around here, we are in the latter days of summer, and the garden flowers are in full bloom. We have tended the garden with weeding, feeding, and watering; it has been a dry summer. Taking care to sustain the growth has yielded vibrant blossoms.
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Celebrating family life | Holy lives of inspiration
“Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?” (Under the fig tree is code for learning to know God and His ways in the scriptures.) Nathanael is flabbergasted and wide-eyed in surprise at what Jesus has disclosed about him. “You will see greater things than this. You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
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Celebrating family life | Learn more about our faith
Below is the beautiful “Exhortation Before Marriage” from the 1962 Roman Ritual. In the Catholic marriage rite before Vatican Council II, many priests used this to form at least part of their sermon.
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As a little boy, I remember my mother pointing me in the direction of the night sky to view the moon and the stars. I recall her enthusiasm for me to appreciate the moonlight and the myriad of stars populating the darkness. She told me about moon phases, the North Star, and the Big Dipper. I could tell she found beauty and consolation in the night sky. Her delight in the heavens became mine. In those days, there was less artificial light to interfere with stargazing.
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Celebrating family life | seasonal reflection
Some days in the Liturgical season, by their cultural and religious nature, lend themselves better to celebrating as a family than others—such as Christmas and Easter. Yet, every Solemnity, Memorial, or Feast in the Catholic Church is worthy of acknowledging in some special way. For families, additional feast days can offer beautiful teachable moments and the creation of lifetime memories. This month, the Church will celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15, commemorating the entry of Mary into heaven—body and soul. The Assumption falls into the category of “Solemnity,” which means it is among the highest rank feast days celebrating a mystery of faith.
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