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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Family Time | pray the rosary | summer activities
A creative way to count your blessings A few weeks ago, Chris Stefanick — a Catholic writer, speaker, and founder of Real Life Catholic — spoke at my parish about joy. During this incredible evening, Chris discussed the importance of living with joy and suggested ways to attain it. By adding gratefulness to our days, he explained, and by giving thanks for everything, we can increase the joy we feel and the joy we project outward. One of the ways he said he expresses thanks is by holding his Rosary and giving thanks for one thing on each bead. I loved that idea, and I started doing it immediately. Every day since then, I have either started or ended my day with that practice. And I can tell already that it has made a difference.
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Family Time | Grandpa's Garden | Grandparenting
We recently had a delightful visit with our youngest grandkids. When one of them ventured into the backyard, we reminded him not to leave the gate open. Our dog loves the yard, but dogs have a way of following their noses. A fenced yard is of little value without a latched gate. As a child, when I forgot to close the door after coming in from outside, I was sometimes asked, “Do you live in a barn?” Years later, I worked briefly in a barn and realized how ironic the question was. Leaving a door or gate unsecured in a barn is unwise – unless you want to chase a startled animal everywhere.
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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.
Family Dinner | Family Time | Parenthood | family prayer
The New Evangelization is all the buzz. Savvy evangelizers pick the hippest of the ever-multiplying array of platforms, target their demographics, and employ slick production values. Well, I’m jumping in the game. Actually, the game jumped me, whether I willed it or not, about fifteen years ago when my first child was born. As a parent, I am responsible for teaching the faith to my kids. And as all parents are only too keenly aware these days, I can’t count on anyone else to do it, not in any school (private or public, religious or secular), church, sports program, youth group, or YouTube channel. So it falls to us.
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Family Time | Grandpa's Garden | Grandparenting
I recently had several conversations with some old classmates, one of whom I’d known for almost seventy years. We hadn’t been in touch for a lifetime, yet we immediately started reminiscing about people and experiences. Our conversation flowed easily, naturally drawing on the riches of memory. It is interesting how circumstance brings people into and out of our lives at various times. In families, our children move into their own autonomous lives. Family relationships endure and evolve.
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Easter season | Family Dinner | Family Time
We hosted our family on Easter. There were ten of us ranging in age from seven to seventies. We are still harvesting the blessings of conversation, reminiscence, and eating together. We were at peace in our little corner of the world. Families are unique communities, sources of consolation, renewal, and healing. The relationship that binds us together transcends our differences, frailties, and challenges. Whenever we have a family gathering, the time seems to fly by. As the celebration comes to a close, we would like it to last a little longer.
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Easter season | Faith | Family Time
I’ve seen with seven grown children how the religion lessons and discussions about their faith come back to them when they are grown. Sometimes they help us to understand spiritual things. My son, Jarred, helped me to understand a profound truth about Lent and Easter and how to live this out through the liturgical year. He commented, “Mom, the Passion of Jesus strengthens our faith while the Resurrection increases our hope!” These words inspired much reflection.
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