x Close
World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
It is possible that most of us in our families have had to deal with defiant people or defiant behavior. We have had people dear to us retorting, “Did I ask you to give birth to me?” or a son shouting back at his parents, “No.” Maybe you've experienced someone responding, "If you helped me, that was your choice; did I force you?” These phrases reflect a pattern of non-compliance, hostility, and refusal to cooperate with authority in whatever form it takes. These kinds of reactions and responses can indeed be heartbreaking for the recipient. Believing What You See In the Gospel today, Jesus had been healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and casting out demons in towns like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Despite these undeniable displays of divine power and God’s loving kindness, the residents refused to repent or accept him as the Messiah.
Share
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor, and the doctor was able to fit him with a set of hearing aids that let him hear 100%. He went back a month later, and the doctor said, "Your hearing is now perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again." The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. And I've changed my will three times." Maybe a lot goes on in our families, behind our backs. Raise your hand if your family is perfect. Anyone? I'll wait. The family I come from is not perfect. Maybe your family is not perfect either. And you know what? That's okay. We are all in this together, and no one has it all perfectly figured out.
Share
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.
The time that the prophet Hosea preached was a heartbreaking time for God. The children of Israel had abandoned God and drifted so far away from Him. They had foreign gods to worship, like Baal; their faith was in armies and foreign alliances; the law of God barely meant anything to them. They were terribly lost as a nation and consequently hurt themselves in all ways you can imagine.
Share
A father once told me about his teenage son who had stopped speaking to him. For three years there was silence. No calls. No visits. No conversation. The father had said something hurtful, and the son had walked away. But every week, that father drove past his son’s apartment. He did not knock on the door. He did not force a conversation. He simply wanted to be near. He wanted to make sure the lights were on and that his boy was safe. When they finally reconciled, the son asked him, “Why did you keep coming?” The father answered, “Because you are still mine.”
Share
Today’s first reading from Hosea brings into focus the need for harmony between our internal and external relationships with God. This is a theme that we often hear about in both the Old and New Testament readings. When I read about the Israelites building more altars and more sacred pillars as they became more successful…I couldn’t help but think back to seminary when Father, now Bishop Chris Coyne, taught us about the different types of Church architecture.
Share
Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own fact” by Daniel Patrick. Why is that observation? Because sometimes we can have skewed interpretations of situations that distort the truth. Our interpretations to situations often highlight how subjective biases, Personal prejudices, and flawed perspectives can distort objective reality. Sometimes as human beings, what we observe is often a reflection of our own conditioning rather than the raw truth.
Share
