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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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Today, we reflect on the well-known gospel text where the Lord asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” His disciples gave him all the public opinion that was out there on the streets. The disciples said, some call you John the Baptist, others call you Elijah, and still others call you one of the ancient prophets. The Lord asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Let me share a short story with you: I grew up in the Church, practicing the faith. We prayed at home. I went through all the instructions for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. I knew almost every prayer by heart. I was an altar server. I sang in the choir and played the drums. I was a Lector at Masses. I was in the youth group of our Church. I was the leader of our Church’s Boy Scouts Troop. I went to Catholic grade school. I volunteered for almost everything at Church. I was a “pretty decent and disciplined kid," as the Americans say. Watch Here
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Holy lives of inspiration | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
I have a question for each of us to consider: What would happen if we really believed, if we really trusted that God would provide everything we need? What if we could let go of our need to control everything, simplify our lives, and just trust that the Lord will give us what we need for the journey all the way to Heaven? That’s really the question at the heart of today’s readings—and it is a question St. Pius of Pietrelcina, also known as Padre Pio, answered with his life. Watch Here
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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.
Homily Video | Learn more about our faith | family prayer
Today’s first reading helps us to see that sometimes we simply need a reminder. For we can forget what God has done for us. Amid the busyness of life, fatigue, or even success, we can forget how many times God has been patient or helped us. All the times He’s forgiven us and given us another chance. And, at times, we can become discouraged by our failures and lose sight of God’s grace at work in our lives amidst the struggles.
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Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Long before computer games, TV, and other sedentary indoor games came to dominate families, children in good-weather places used to play outside in the open. They acted out roles that were dominant in society then. They played policemen, soldiers, lumberjacks, builders, farmers, priests, teachers, and housewives. They acted out social events like funerals, and weddings. They climbed trees to look for fruit, they rode bicycles and they competed among themselves in soccer and sprints. It was an active, creative, and outdoorsy world for most children. Watch Here
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Homily Video | Learn more about our faith | catholic devotions
Each year, September 11 calls us to remember. We remember the terrible loss of life, the fear and confusion, and the courage of so many ordinary people who heroically chose to put the lives of others before their own. One of those people was Welles Crowther, now known by many as “the Man in the Red Bandana.” On September 11, 2001, Welles was working on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. As others desperately tried to escape, he did something remarkable: he went back up. Wearing a red bandana over his mouth and nose, he helped guide people to safety. Survivors later recalled the young man with the red bandana who carried injured people, gave encouragement, and repeatedly returned into danger to save others. Welles Crowther did not survive the tower's eventual collapse. But because of his courage, many others did.
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Catholic Faith | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith | Scripture
As part of my ministry as chaplain to a pro-life club at the University of Portland, I interacted for many years with a wonderful group called the Equal Rights Institute, or ERI. One of their primary missions is to train pro-life advocates to have conversations with abortion supporters, especially on high school and college campuses. They take a very data-driven approach to this mission, testing out many pro-life arguments “in the field” and employing or modifying their arguments accordingly. Their over-arching desire is to try to identify those pro-life approaches that are not only accurate, but, more important, would move the hearts and minds of people who aren’t yet pro-life. They often remind the students they train that the goal is not to win an argument or a debate, but to win over people.
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