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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?
Picture this: a family road trip. The GPS fails, the kids fight over snacks, and Dad misses the exit—again. Mom finally snaps, “Whose idea was this?!” Silence follows until one child mumbles, “I lost the map.” Another adds, “I hid the snacks.” Dad sighs, “I ignored the signs.” Mom laughs, “And I didn’t pack patience.” Suddenly, blame turns into confession, the tension lifts, and they pull over for ice cream, ready to start over. That’s the heart of Daniel’s prayer in today’s reading. Exiled in Babylon, he gathers his people and says, “We have messed up—all of us” (v. 5-6). There’s no finger-pointing, just raw, family-style honesty. Lent invites us to do the same: ditch the blame game and clean up together.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Throughout life we have seen people who on the outside appeared calm and settled, then out of the blue exploded into a fit of violent anger. Some even ended up doing stuff of a magnitude that was simply unimaginable. The question on every one’s lips was “Where did that come from? What triggered it?” The implicated person was of course arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced for their actions. However, the question “Where did that come from?” was never properly answered.
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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?
In 1943, German industrialist Oskar Schindler faced a moment that would etch his name into history. Initially motivated by profit, he employed Jewish workers in his factory to exploit cheap labor. But as the Holocaust’s horrors escalated, he began to see his workers not as pawns, but as people. Risking everything—his wealth, reputation, and life—he pivoted, spending his fortune bribing Nazi soldiers to save over 1,200 lives. When asked why, he confessed, “I could not just stand aside.”
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Imagine you’re at a family dinner. Everyone’s talking about their jobs, their promotions, their new cars. Your uncle brags about his new vacation home. Your cousin mentions her fancy job title. Then your little niece of 4 years tugs your sleeve and says, “Look! I drew you a picture!” Suddenly, the room becomes quiet. No one knows what to do with her crayon scribbles. But you take the drawing, tape it to the fridge, and say, “This is my favorite thing here.”
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
The Gospel from today's Mass picks up right after the Transfiguration of Jesus upon the mountaintop with Peter, James, and John, as we’ve just heard: “As Jesus came down from the mountain…” Like many of our faith-enriching mountaintop experiences, for instance, coming off a great retreat, Jesus and the others are faced with a challenge. The scribes and Jesus’ other disciples are having an argument and there’s a large crowd to make it even more charged. Amidst this chaotic scene a father’s love breaks through the mass of humanity and raised voices to seek Jesus’ healing for his son. He explains to Jesus his son’s symptoms with desperation and the disciple’s inability to drive out the evil spirits.
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Book Club | Catholic Reads | Holy lives of inspiration | catholic mom
We're excited to announce our March 2025 Book Club selection: Catholic Mom media editor Maria Morera Johnson's A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace, published by Ave Maria Press. What's the Book About? In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life’s second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and “soul sisters” who faced these challenges with courage.
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