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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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Let me start with a question: Have you ever tried to walk into the ocean slowly? You start with your toes. It's cold. So, you wait. Then your ankles. Still bearable. Then to your knees, still ok. But then comes that dreaded moment, the wave crashes, and you’re suddenly soaked to your waist. Some laugh. Some run back to shore screaming. Some just dive in. Ezekiel had a vision a bit like that, we hear of water trickling out from the Temple—starting small, ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then waist-deep, and finally a river so vast no one could cross it. Wherever this water flowed, life bloomed. Trees bore fruit. Salt water turned fresh. Everything lived because of the water.
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The Gospel of John gives us a powerful encounter between Jesus and a royal official, an encounter that illustrates the transformative power of faith. It’s meant to lead us to reflect on the nature of our own faith and how we, like the official, can come to a deeper trust in the Lord's promise. In this passage, Jesus returns to Galilee and is found in Cana, where He had previously performed the miracle of turning water into wine. It’s here that a royal official from Capernaum seeks him out, his heart heavy with worry. His son is gravely ill, on the brink of death, and he’s heard of Jesus' power to heal. Driven by a father's love and desperation, he implores Jesus to come and heal his son. Initially, Jesus responds with what seems like a rebuke: "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
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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.
The explanation of Luke's Gospel on the driving out of demons from the man who was mute is rather complex. Jesus is making the point that Satan has his realm where he is active and strong, but someone stronger than him has come along. Of course, it is the Lord himself who announces the breaking in of the Kingdom of God. This Gospel reminded me of a remarkable story I read by a Harvard Professor and observant Jew, Roy Schoeman. This is one of the most remarkable witnesses I have ever encountered, and I want to share it with you today. Professor Schoeman writes, "During the spring of 1987, I took a few days off from work and went to Cape Cod to spend time communing with nature. I was walking in the early morning, in the woods just back from the beach, when God intervened, dramatically and distinctly, into my life to pull me back and put me onto the right path. As I was walking, lost in my thoughts, I found myself in the immediate presence of God.
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We live in a time where remembering is harder than ever. Our attention spans are shrinking faster than the lifespan of an Instagram story. We have passwords we can’t remember (I now have started keeping a word document for my passwords alone; and that document is password protected too, and I have difficulty remembering that password!), phones and keys we misplace daily, and memories that vanish somewhere between breakfast and lunchtime.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
What does the Annunciation of the Lord mean to you and me? How has it changed our lives? Today we give thanks to God and our Blessed Mother. We thank God that the Word of God took on human flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We give thanks to Mary for her saying “yes” to becoming the Mother of God. Each Monday and Saturday, as we pray the Rosary, we have the chance to reflect upon the Annunciation of the Lord in the first Joyful Mystery. We enter into that incredible exchange with the angel Gabriel greeting Mary with a blessing from God, then reassuring her: to not be afraid.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
A few years ago, my friend’s kitchen sink started leaking. Drip. Drip. His wife asked to call the plumber. For weeks, he ignored it. Finally, he thought, “I can fix this myself. He bought some tools, watched tutorials on YouTube, and dismantled the sink. Water sprayed everywhere; His children had a good laugh. His spouse sighed. His dog hid himself in the closet. Finally, he had to call in the plumper; a plumber arrived with his own toolkit, twisted a single valve, and said, “You just needed to tighten this.” The Plumper charged him 50 Dollars, but my friend had purchased tools costing more than $200 already. Lesson: Pride is expensive. That’s Naaman’s story. A decorated general but inflicted with leprosy, he’s told by the prophet Elisha to wash seven times in the muddy Jordan River. Naaman storms off, furious. “I expected a grand ritual.” But His servants—bless them— they nudge him: “If the prophet asked you to do something hard, you’d do it. So why not this?” Reluctantly, Naaman obeys. His skin heals. His pride cracks.
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