World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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.”
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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.
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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.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Have you noticed what happens in waiting rooms? There are usually two kinds of people. One person walks straight to the desk and says, “Excuse me, I have been waiting forty-five minutes. Is my name still on the list?” Bold, Clear. Direct. Then there is another person who sits quietly, shy, watching everyone else go in, smiling politely while their soul slowly leaves their body. They keep telling themselves, “I don’t want to be difficult.” Meanwhile, the little fish tank in the corner of the room has become the most interesting thing. Some people come forward. Some people wait from behind. Both may be carrying real urgency. And sometimes, that is exactly how we come to God.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
“Faith brings the needs of others to our sight and faith in Jesus gives an inspiration to be the ones who help heal the sick and help anyone in difficulties.” In today’s gospel we have this paralyzed man who is brought to Jesus by people probably friends or neighbors to Jesus for healing. These friends must have had great faith in Jesus that He could heal, for it is not easy to carry a human being lying on a stretcher. These men were carrying a full-grown man on this stretcher nobody knows how heavy he might have weighed.
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As Fr. Boby preached about yesterday…relationships matter. In many ways, our lives are shaped by the relationships we cultivate—with God, with spouses, children, parents, friends…and even with the things we use every day. In fact, I'd like to talk about a relationship that almost every one of us has. One with this little…but powerful device. A marvel that helps us communicate, learn, work, pray, stay connected, and, my favorite, not get lost! Yet many of us spend hours each day fixed on a screen. Whether we realize it or not, we’ve formed a relationship with our phones.
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