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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Lent activities | catholic devotions | family prayer
The other day at the gym, I was pushing myself hard. It was a kickboxing class that day (my favorite), and I challenged myself to really jump during my kicks. I was happy with my ability to do what I thought was challenging until I returned to the beginning of the line. That’s when another woman approached me and gently told me that the combination we had just done caused her to twist her ankle back when I first joined the gym. She wanted to warn me to just be careful, and I was instantly humbled. Here I was, letting pride get the best of me instead of thinking about the consequence of injury from getting too comfortable in my jumps. The embarrassing part is that it has happened to me before; I fell one day during a jump and rolled my ankle. I was lucky enough that I didn’t injure it and could get back up and continue with the class. But I should have let that instance be a reminder to slow down.
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Parenthood | catholic family life | family prayer
“Come, Holy Spirit,” I said as I began a short period of daily personal prayer with my small kids. I closed my eyes, enjoying the momentary silence that fell over the room. Suddenly, I heard my toddler speak. “I’m going to talk to God. God, what do you need?” That simple, heartfelt prayer gripped my heart. Throughout the rest of the day, I continued thinking about this prayer. I marveled at my child’s beautiful simplicity and open vulnerability with God. Throughout Jesus’s public ministry, He looked upon children with love and reverence and held them up as an example: “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
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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.
Hope | Jubilee of Hope | family prayer
We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart, and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope. (Letter from Pope Francis announcing the Jubilee 2025) A Story of Hope A priest shared a beautiful story with me recently. He was asked to open his parish to a large group of individuals who were displaced due to the recent floods. He had plenty of room in the parish center, but the building had no power. As the individuals set up their cots in different areas of the room, he noticed two gentlemen who parked themselves right next to an electric outlet and immediately plugged in their phones. The priest approached them and jokingly said, “If you have found a way to charge your phones, you must definitely be connected to a higher power than I am.” One of the men smiled and said, “Once power is restored, guess who will be the first to charge his phone?”
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Marian devotion | Memorare | family prayer
I’m a convert, so my journey with the Blessed Mother started late in life. At the beginning of that journey, I read everything about the faith I could find. I was overwhelmed for the most part but determined. When our boys were little, I learned to pray the Rosary when they took their naps. Most of the time I fell asleep during the prayer, but I did learn it. The arrival of our daughter brought fear into my prayers. My mother and I didn't get along. My fears of being the mother that she was to my own daughter began to overtake me. I reached out to the Blessed Mother. This began my practice of Hail Mary-ing my way through everything. If I was afraid, I would immediately start the prayer; if I was overwhelmed, angry, happy, or sad—whatever was happening in my life—I would whisper a Hail Mary.
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Catholic Mass | Eucharist | family prayer
We thank God for many, many things over the course of a Mass, but it is this line during the Eucharistic Prayer that sticks out to me every time: "Thank you for counting us worthy to be in your Presence and minister to you.” As with many spiritual realities, this statement of faith causes my expectations to do multiple somersaults in my soul. God counts us worthy? Are we truly in God’s presence? We get the unbelievable privilege of ministering to/serving God, especially as He is ministering to us in the Mass.
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Venerable Patrick Peyton | family prayer | rosary novena
The annual Family Rosary Novena for Family Unity and Peace Celebrating Venerable Patrick Peyton’s Anniversary of Birth has been an incredible blessing for many these past nine days. Are you just discovering it today? You have not missed out! Day One can be found here. It is never too late to pray for and with your family! Families face many challenges, and navigating daily life requires consistent prayer. Participating in the Rosary as a family is a valuable tradition. We believe that taking part in this Rosary Novena is a wonderful way to start the new year and establish a routine of daily prayer. Please be assured of our daily prayers for you. Do you have specific prayer intentions? Please visit our World at Prayer website to submit your prayer requests to be included in our weekday 11:30 a.m. ET live-streamed Rosary. Keep a copy of our free, downloadable Rosary Novena booklet, which includes all the Rosary and Novena prayers and instructions, handy to pray throughout the year. Family Rosary is dedicated every day to inspiring, promoting, and fostering the spiritual well-being of families throughout the world—including yours! Read on for today's reflection and prayers.
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