World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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Jesus came down from heaven to unite divinity with humanity, and He returned to heaven to seat humanity at the Father’s right hand. This is breathtaking, no more than that; it is the grandest surprise of all. God has astonished us with this revelation; He wants us to share in His very life through Christ our Lord, His only begotten Son.
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Ascension | Celebrating family life | Learn more about our faith
The Ascension of Jesus must have been the final evidence the disciples needed from Him. In addition to the fulfillment of the Father’s plan of salvation, it was the catalyst for the passing of the torch to Jesus’ disciples. At the beginning of today’s gospel from Mark, Jesus issues a profound and challenging command: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” This command is not a mere suggestion or a limited directive. It is a call to action to share the good news of salvation with every person, and creature, in every corner of the world. Jesus didn’t say, “Remember what I told you, take care of yourself, and one day you will see me again.” And likewise, He didn’t say, “Proclaim the gospel to some people, people you like—within the town where you live.”
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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.
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The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, was clearly guiding St. Paul as he made his way through Athens and then confidently stood up and spoke in the Areopagus, the main stage. Just to set the scene, Paul had entered a city that contained the greatest minds of Greece—men and women who were not Jewish or Christian, but pagan. And he, Paul, was not a man of learning, but a tentmaker by trade. Paul stood there without the benefit of rhetorical training and addressed eminent rulers, mathematicians, philosophers, scientists, and writers in a courtroom-like setting.
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Oscar Wilde, an Irish wit, poet and dramatist, once said: “Some people cause happiness wherever they go; while others whenever they go.” Letting go is choosing the better part. In life, there are instances when we need to bid goodbye to people and things dear to us for a higher cause. A song lyric asks, “Why is goodbye the hardest part of speech?” Haven’t we all felt that pit in our stomach when we have to say goodbye to someone we love, whether that is after visiting with family or friends we don’t see often or spending time with a loved one who may soon pass away?
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Locally and nationally, there are some high-profile trials going on that some of us follow day to day. In each trial, there is the question about the reliability of the witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense. If you’re the defendant, all you need to do is have the jury believe that there is reasonable doubt that you didn’t commit the crime you are accused of, and that doubt could arise from the credibility of the witnesses.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Many true stories of sacrificial friendship have emerged from the sad reality of war. One such story tells of two inseparable friends in World War I, which I read from one of the preachings of K.P Yohannan, who was the president and founder of Gospel for Asia. This story is about two young lads. They both enlisted in the army together, completed their training, were shipped overseas, and fought in the trenches. During a battle, one of them sustained critical injuries in a field filled with barbed wire obstacles. He was unable to crawl back to his foxhole, and the entire area was under heavy enemy fire, making it impossible to reach him. Despite the danger, his friend made the brave decision to attempt a rescue. The sergeant yanked him back inside before he could get out of his trench and ordered him not to go. "It's too late. You can't do him any good, and you'll only get yourself killed."
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