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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Love thy Neighbor | Return to the Church | Why pray?
I have heard this story about the committal service of a man. As the casket was about to be lowered into the grave, a mourner came forward and said, "He was a very nice man; he loaned me a hundred dollars, and I owe him that money." He took a hundred-dollar bill and placed it on the casket. Another man came forward, stating that he also owed the deceased a hundred dollars and wanted to pay him back at that very moment. He also placed a hundred-dollar bill on the casket. Then, as the undertaker was about to lower the casket into the grave, another man came forward and declared that he owed the deceased three hundred dollars.
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Love thy Neighbor | Strengthening family unity
Back in the old days, in the Quincy public schools, grades 7-9 were called junior high. In ninth grade, many of my classmates and I had Mr. Jack Buckley for history class. Mr. Buckley was a gifted teacher and storyteller who could draw you into any historical period of time, causing you to boo the villains, root for underdogs, and cheer on heroes, and have you wanting to know what happened next, even after the bell had rung. But his greatest gift was how he convinced each of us that we had some talent or gift that we should share with our class and the wider community.
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There was this pastor at a particular parish who was having difficulty with his assigned parking space in the church parking lot. People parked in his spot whenever they pleased, even though there was a sign that clearly said, "This space is reserved."
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Growing up in Uganda, all through high school I was active in scouting. I was a Patrol Leader of one of the best Patrols in the country and in East Africa. We won District Championships, National Championships, and represented Uganda in the East Africa Regional Scout Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. Scouting teaches young people cooperation, integrity, belief, respect, innovation, organization, and care for others. The founders of the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides movements, Lord Baden Powell and Lady Olave Baden Powell, are buried in Nyeri, Kenya. It is in Kenya where they settled in the evening of their lives and eventually rested and were buried.
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Love thy Neighbor | Return to the Church
Eighteen times in his gospel, Luke mentions wealth and its dangers. Mary sings about the difference between the poor and the rich before Jesus' birth. Only Luke says the poor shepherds are the first to hear about Jesus' birth. He notes that Jesus belongs to the poorer class and that Mary and Joseph brought the sacrifice of the poor to Jesus' circumcision in the temple. He reminds those who had two tunics to give one to those who had none.
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Love thy Neighbor | Return to the Church
Today's Gospel opens with a furious Jesus accusing the Pharisees of paying their tithes to "look good" rather than acting out of love of God and love for their neighbor. Jesus is also challenging us to examine why we do what we do! Do we do something just because it is expected of us? Do we want others to think well of us? Or do we choose to do something because it is the "loving" thing to do?
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