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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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In today’s Gospel, Jesus blesses as He departs and ascends. How wonderful God is that He would depart in a posture of blessing. At every mass, we offer Jesus back to the Father. And as the great offering ascends to the heavens, again we are blessed. Jesus departed to be received by the Father. To mount his throne in the heavens. Every mass, we are blessed to receive Jesus on the throne of our hands. As Jesus takes his place in heaven, He takes his place in our hearts.
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Some years ago, I visited a family I knew well in the parish right after their third child was born. The older two, aged four and six, were buzzing with excitement. The four-year-old daughter tugged at my sleeve and asked, “Father, how did the baby get in Mommy’s tummy?” Now, as you can imagine, the mother froze mid-diaper change. The father blinked, looked at me as if to say, You are the priest. You answer this one! But then the older child chimed in with great authority: “It’s okay. I already told her. God puts the baby in, and when it’s grown, the hospital gets it out.” And that was the end of the conversation to my consolation.
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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.
Learn more about our faith | Love thy Neighbor
Let me begin with something every Indian, whether in Mumbai, Delhi, Dallas, or Denmark, knows deeply in their bones: no matter the crisis, there’s always a song and dance for it. In Indian cinema, if you have watched, characters break into song at the strangest moments. A couple just met five minutes ago? Suddenly they’re on top of the Alps, dancing in sync. The hero is heartbroken? Cue the sad violin on a rain-drenched street. A wedding is coming up? Get ready for six different dance numbers with matching costumes. Even we Indians laugh about it, but deep down, we also love it. Because these songs aren’t just music, they’re the language of the soul.
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Learn more about our faith | Love thy Neighbor
Speaking about slavery is considered a hot-button issue given the complex global history that we all know about. Without implying in any way that slavery is morally right under any circumstances, the fact of the matter is that slavery has been practiced in many human societies around the world. It is a sad part of human history around the world and a reality of human brokenness.
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Today's Gospel resonates with a profound tenderness, a direct whisper from the heart of Jesus: "Do not let your hearts be troubled." "I will come back and take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be." This is the very essence of our Christian hope: we are not destined for isolation, for a lonely end. Our ultimate purpose is communion, a deep and abiding connection with Christ himself.
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The ending of our first reading and the beginning of today's Gospel passage both convey important messages about humility. In the first, John the Baptist says about Jesus: “Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.” This is in response to John’s good work in preparing the way for the Lord, but the people wondered if John was the Messiah they had long awaited. John humbly and correctly explains to the people who he is and how he relates to the Messiah.
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