World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Advent | Almsgiving | corporal works of mercy | family prayer
The Corporal Works of Mercy—feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless—can all be categorized with one powerful word: Almsgiving. We often associate that word with Lent, but the truth is people and organizations who serve those in need require assistance all year long. As Christians, we must love and care for those in our society who are in most need. That is why it is important to continue the practice of almsgiving year-round. On the Feast Day of Saint Stephen, we remember his role not only as the first Christian martyr but also as one of the first deacons! As a deacon, Saint Stephen was charged with giving alms to the poor and serving those in most need. On the Feast of Saint Stephen, December 26, make time to reflect upon how you can best serve our brothers and sisters in need.
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Family Activities | celebrating Christmas | family prayer
Most of us are familiar with the Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and how it represents symbols of Catechism for the early Christians with the gifts that God gave to us. From the partridge representing Jesus Himself, each day brings numbered gifts to represent various elements of our faith. I think that it's helpful to dig deeper into these Gifts of our Faith and to see how they apply to us individually while introducing key feast days within the season of Christmas. We can use these gifts from God as a journey in gratefulness and faith-building prompts to pray in the new year ahead!
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Christmas Season | Church family | family prayer
"Something has changed within me...something I can't explain." Those are some of the first words from one of my favorite Broadway songs, "Gravity," from the musical Wicked— about sums up what happened to me seven years ago on Christmas.
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Advent | Christmas Season | family prayer
In this month of December, we have the Advent and Christmas seasons. In this same month, the Board of Holy Cross Family Ministries will sit to reflect on the work that we do, and plan. At every Board sitting we have a theme that sets the tone for the Board meeting. As the President of the organization, I am given the privilege of choosing the theme and offering a reflection about it. I chose the theme “Emmanuel: God is with us” (Isaiah 7:14,8:8; Matthew 1:23) that speaks to the Advent and Christmas seasons yet is deeply rooted in the Third Joyful Mystery of the Rosary about The Nativity of the Lord.
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Advent | Family Fun | family prayer
The celebration of Advent enters its second week, and like many families, you are probably finding your calendar busier than ever. Family Rosary invites you to use our many inspirational and family-friendly resources to carve out time this week to share the precious gift of prayer with your family. Please visit FamilyRosary.org each week for new resources!
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