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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?
The Holy Father has proclaimed 2025 a Jubilee Year, a sacred time of renewal, reflection, and grace celebrated every 25 years. This year's theme is "Pilgrims of Hope," which invites all Catholics to embark on a journey of faith and transformation. Today, we're called to reflect and pray for all those involved in the World of Communications. Traditionally, this involved radio, television, newspapers, and magazines. Now, the world of communications has exploded to include the digital world, allowing people to communicate with people worldwide who share their particular interests.
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On January 23, we remember and pray to Saint Marianne Cope, a religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York. Sister Cope served as a principal and teacher in New York schools and helped establish two Catholic hospitals. From there, she went to Hawaii to serve the lepers of Molokai, where she met and assisted Saint Damien for thirty-five years.
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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 | Learn more about our faith
The Letter to the Hebrews draws our attention to a fascinating and mysterious biblical figure—Melchizedek. Though his appearances in Scripture are brief, his significance is profound, mentioned briefly in Genesis, celebrated in the Psalms, and expounded upon in the Letter to the Hebrews, offering us a deeper understanding of Christ’s eternal priesthood and God’s plan for humanity. Melchizedek first emerges in Genesis 14 as the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High. After Abraham’s victorious battle, Melchizedek greets him with bread and wine and blesses him. In return, Abraham offers Melchizedek a tithe of his spoils. This brief encounter is packed with meaning. The name Melchizedek translates to “king of righteousness,” while his title, king of Salem, means “king of peace.” These titles, righteousness, and peace, point us to Jesus, the ultimate King, and High Priest.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
A wealthy man was once seen driving his luxurious Lamborghini through a bustling city. As he stopped to park, a curious passerby exclaimed, “Wow, such an expensive car! But did you notice your rear windows are broken?” The man smiled and replied, “Yes, they’re broken for a reason—they remind me of God’s Providential Love.” Perplexed, the passerby asked, “Broken windows… God’s love? How?” The man began, “One day, I was speeding through these very streets when I heard a loud crash. A stone had struck my car. Furious, I stopped and saw a ragged boy, the culprit, standing nearby. My anger boiled as I approached him, but before I could say a word, he fell to his knees, hands clasped, tears streaming down his face.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Certain readings cause me to have some trepidation when said in mixed company—and by mixed company, I mean people with Boston accents and those without. The words “harden not your hearts” are not only a challenge for some people to say, but they are also something we all need to guard against. Fidelity to God, belief in God, is something that we all can agree is how we are made to live. However, as we hear in Holy Scripture and may personally experience, we don’t always remain faithful to God as we should.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Chess is a popular game that is loved and played by millions around the globe. It is a two-player strategy board game that is played on a chess board. The game of chess brings alive a war on the board with clever strategies and witty planning with constant movements. It’s a sort of a battle that rages strongly, a combat that is highly engrossing. It is a battle of minds, where each move is calculated, and the goal is to checkmate the opponent. Interestingly, our Christian lives can be likened to this game. We are engaged in a spiritual warfare, a constant struggle between good and evil, where the stakes are high, and the consequences eternal. But unlike a game of chess, this battle is not a mere fiction; it is real, it is alive, and it involves every aspect of our lives.
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