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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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Today, as we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, we are invited to reflect on the theme of connection—connection to God, one another, and the whole of creation. Most of us know the term "conference call. But that may be a bit of an old concept; we now have Zoom or team meetings" It means having several people talking or having meeting together on the telephone or a computer. The people talking are online with each other. In this way, you can meet people from all over the world. It is possible you can see and interact with each other online as if you are speaking with someone or others face to face.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus whose feast day we celebrate today is one of the most beloved saints. But like most future saints, her life was not easy, and her plan to live it was different than God’s. After death of Therese’s mother when she was only four, she received a maternal care and faith formation from her sister, Pauline. However, Pauline felt the call to religious life and entered the Carmelite convent. Therese would recount how this caused her to want to follow in her sister’s footsteps. When Therese was fourteen, her sister, Mary, would enter the same convent as Pauline.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
The Book of Job (1:6-22) offers us a profound perspective on life’s fleeting nature. Job, in his suffering, reflects, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return” (Job 1:21). His words remind us that everything we accumulate and achieve in this life will ultimately be left behind when we depart from this world. We often hear people speak of a “bucket list”—a list of things they wish to experience before they die. "I am reminded of a film titled ‘The Bucket List’ which is a heartwarming film that explores life’s deeper meaning through the unexpected friendship of two terminally ill men, played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. As they embark on a journey to complete a list of dreams and adventures, the movie delves into themes of mortality, forgiveness, and self-discovery. With humor and poignancy, it reminds us that life’s true richness lies not in the number of days we have but in how we choose to live them—making each moment count, embracing the joy of connection, relationship and daring to pursue the dreams we’ve put on hold."
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Today we hear Jesus ask his disciples what word was out in the public was about him. “Who do people say I am?” The disciples gave him the different versions of what they heard people thought he was. The question he asked though was a leading question. It was meant to lead the disciples to reflect on what they thought about Jesus. “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter appropriately answered that Jesus was the "Christ of God.” – The Anointed One, the Messiah.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Luke's Gospel reminded me of an expression from my childhood: “You’re brothers! Act like it!” My brother Pat and I heard that more than a few times from our Mom when we’d be in a battle of words or fists…and it always did the trick. Growing up in Quincy, your family was a big part of your identity and a source of strength. Many conversations began with, “My Mom or Dad were just telling me… or My brother Pat’s coming with us too.” There was a definite understanding of who was part of our immediate…and extended family. At Mass each Sunday, I don’t remember the priest using the phrase “My brothers and sisters (in Christ)” in his homily very often.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
When I thought and prayed about today’s readings, two bullet points came to mind. The first is that we are spiritual men and women and boys and girls. The second is that we have a Savior who has come to set us free from the power of evil and redeem us. To the first point, you may have had a conversation with someone who says they don’t go to church, but they’re “spiritual.” On one hand, you might feel badly that they are not connected to their parish or yours…and all that it offers. But there’s reason for hope.
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