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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 | Return to the Church
As I read and reflected on today’s readings several questions arose: “When was the last time you felt Jesus’ compassion? When was the last time you felt compassion for another person? How do we grow in compassion?” We’ve just heard, “When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them…” In Jesus’ Sacred Heart there is more than enough compassion for all men and women and children who are experiencing suffering of any kind. The reason in today’s gospel that Jesus felt compassion was because the people were like sheep without a shepherd; a people who were lost and needed someone to guide them. And Jesus knew what that could lead to…
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Holy lives of inspiration | Return to the Church | Saint Andre Bessette
Saint Joseph’s best friend and tireless disciple, Saint Andre, always said, "Go to Joseph. You have a powerful friend in heaven. He will never let you down." Brother Andre Bessette, born August 9, 1845, drew his last breath at 12:50 AM on January 6th, 1937. It was the feast of the Epiphany, but because of the holiday, no paper was published that day. The radio spread the news like the wind, and early that morning, all knew that the holy man who had founded Saint Joseph's Oratory had passed away. Before setting the date and time for the funeral, two rather unusual decisions were made earlier that morning. One was to preserve his heart; the other was not to embalm his body.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Return to the Church
As we have stepped into the New Year, we are reminded of the festive celebrations and activities that marked the past week. We’ve shared sweets, meals, laughter, and reflections on God’s Word. But as the celebrations subside, life begins to feel ordinary again. This transition can be dangerous, leading to laxity, a lack of enthusiasm, and a tendency to take things for granted.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
It’s fitting that we remember and pray to both Saint Basil and Saint Gregory today, for they were close friends. Together they fought against a heresy called Arianism, which sought to deny the full divinity of Jesus.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Recently, after a Sunday Mass that I had preached about the importance of going to Mass as a family, I spoke to a young father. He told me that he agreed with me but that sometimes, life seems to get in the way of families going to Mass. On the one hand, there was a bridal shower that some of his family got the wrong day and so didn’t make it to the morning Mass, and then there was his daughter who said that going to Mass on Monday at her Catholic school should count instead of Sunday. We all know that life is continually changing, especially within the family. There are more challenges in our society’s weekend scheduling and our kid's perspective on whether being told it’s their obligation to go to Mass is a help or a hindrance. In my childhood and high school years, going to Sunday Mass was as natural as going out to breakfast after Mass. You’d see your neighbors at Mass and also at the diner afterward. Wanting to see your family grow in faith now comes with more and more obstacles; however, God never asks for the impossible.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
As Advent draws to a close, today’s readings share two deeply moving stories—those of Manoah and his wife, and Zechariah and Elizabeth. Both couples endured the profound heartache of being without children, a struggle that brought cultural stigma, personal pain, and perhaps moments of silent questioning. Their journeys invite us to reflect on the power of faith, patience, and endurance.
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