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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
We all know what a dilemma is. It is a perplexing situation in which a choice has to be made between two or more desirable or undesirable alternatives. Going by that definition, it may be said that it is a choice of the best among the better or worse. Facing dilemmas is like going to a restaurant with an enormous menu. You spend ages deciding between two dishes, only to blurt out “I’ll have the usual” when the waiter or waitress takes your orders! In Matthew's Gospel, the chief priests and the elders find themselves in that exact type of situation. They challenge Jesus’ authority but, in turn, find themselves challenged and in a dilemma about how to answer that question of Jesus. So, they end up choosing the worst of the worst alternatives with that reply: We do not know. Or, in simple terms, no comment.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
“Blessed be God forever!” That’s a prayer you and I have probably said hundreds, if not thousands of times at Mass. And, yet, yesterday I heard it in a different way. A little girl sitting with her Mom and Grandfather, caught our attention, as she heard our prayer responses and then would repeat what she had been taught and heard us say. The little girl’s sincerity of faith and desire to join in the celebration of the Mass, came through in those four powerful words, “Blessed be God forever.”
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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.
Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Today, we celebrate a profound mystery of our faith: Mary's Immaculate Conception. From the moment of her conception, she was preserved from original sin and chosen by God to bear His Son, Jesus Christ. Mary was uniquely prepared not just to carry Jesus in her womb but to live her entire life as a vessel of God's grace. But this feast isn't just about Mary. It's about us, too. Think about that for a moment: God didn't just choose Mary. He chose us, too. Saint Paul reminds us, "In Him, we were also chosen" (Ephesians 1:11). Because of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, every one of us is invited to carry Him in our hearts and to bear Him into the world.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Today is the Feast of Saint Francis Xavier. A Saint categorized by uncommon zeal for preaching the Word of God. When he was young, he studied at the University of Paris along with Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The two became friends and later would go on to cofound the Society of Jesus - the Jesuits. A little later on Saint Francis Xavier was sent by his friend to preach in the new mission territories of Asia. Despite the long journey and the many unknowns, he went dutifully to bring the Light of Christ to all he met. While in India he would write letters back to his friend in Europe, this is an excerpt from one such letter...
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
The Nicene Creed, which we pronounce on Sundays during the Mass or on other solemnities, is also called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. This Creed is a deep and powerful statement of Christian faith. It is accepted by Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Protestant churches. This Creed was created and adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The council wasn’t just a gathering of scholars debating theology; it was a holy assembly of people who had suffered greatly for their faith. Many of the approximately 318 bishops present bore the marks of intense persecution—missing eyes, maimed hands, or limping from injuries inflicted during the reigns of emperors Diocletian and Maximian. These visible scars led Theodoret, an ancient writer, to describe the council as “an assembled living army of martyrs.”
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
The readings today might seem unsettling, speaking of a harvest of judgment and troubling times. How many of us have stayed up late worrying about our children's future? About whether they'll be safe, happy, and find their way in a world that seems so uncertain? It’s natural to feel a sense of unease, as people throughout history have when faced with uncertainties about the future. Remember the anxieties surrounding Y2K? Or the predictions of Nostradamus? Even today, with concerns about climate change and global unrest, those fears can creep into our hearts.
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