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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 | Learn more about our faith
Sometimes we tend to think of saints as extraordinary human beings and larger-than-life figures who had it all together. Today we celebrate a man who struggled in his faith to the extent that his second name became “The Doubter.” He was a man who, doubted the resurrection of Jesus. As we say within Holy Cross circles, he thought Jesus was “dead, dead, dead!” He demanded proof for him to believe the resurrection: “Unless I see the mark of nails in his hands, unless I put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Well, the Lord appeared to the disciples and said to Thomas, "Come here, put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
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Today's Scriptures speak powerfully to our lives, reminding us that we are never alone, no matter what fears, uncertainties, or even jealousies we might face. God's boundless compassion and care reach into every corner of our existence, stretching far beyond any limits we could imagine.
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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.
Feast of the Sacred Heart | Learn more about our faith
Last week, I had the joy of accompanying a wonderful group on a pilgrimage to Montreal and Quebec, Canada and one of our stops was the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupré in Quebec. Nestled along the St. Lawrence River, this shrine has welcomed pilgrims for over 350 years. Miracles have unfolded there, crutches left behind, burdens laid down, faith renewed. But for me, the most unexpected grace came not in the grand basilica, but in the crypt church, in front of a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At first glance, it was like any other statue until I noticed something peculiar. A kneeler was placed not directly in front of the statue but awkwardly off to the side, toward Jesus’ right. Our guide encouraged us to kneel there and look at the face of Jesus. I did, and some of us did, too. And what I saw caught me off guard.
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Today’s readings, particularly, the gospel can lead us to ask ourselves, “what are we building our lives upon…is it our 401k plans, educational degrees, whatever makes us happy, or something else…? Compounding this question but related is the fact that life is complex and with lots of twists and turns. Anyone who has been on this earth for more than eighteen years or maybe even less knows this from experience….just consider the two couples: Elizabeth and Zechariah and Abram and Sarai and their stories that we have heard about this week.
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Our Gospel today offers a simple, yet profound, truth from Jesus: "By their fruits you will know them." This isn't just a general observation; it's an invitation to look inward, particularly at our own homes. What kind of fruit are our families bearing? Are they overflowing with prayer, patience, kindness, and joy?
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
There is a curious art form in Japanese pottery called Kintsugi, maybe you have heard of it. When a pottery breaks, instead of throwing it away, the artisan repairs it with a gold polish. The cracks aren’t hidden. They’re illuminated. What was once broken and useless is now more beautiful, more valuable, precisely because of its fractures and brokenness. In today’s Gospel, Zechariah is a man silenced. For nine months, no words. Heaven has hit the mute button on him. Now remember, he’s a priest. Words are his tool, his identity. He blesses, he prays aloud, he chants in the temple. And yet, for 9 months Zechariah is a man of gestures and scribbled tablets. Heaven, it seems, doesn’t trust his voice, yet.
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