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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Learn more about our faith | Strengthening family unity
Did you keep vigil on Thursday, May 8, along with the millions watching on television, livestreams, or in person at St. Peter’s Square, waiting for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the appearance of the new pope? I noticed that people from all over the world were waiting for the new shepherd to appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. All members of the one flock, under the leadership of the one shepherd. The Book of Revelation 7:9 came to my mind: “I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue.” I once read a story about a priest who asked his sacristan to write out the response to the Responsorial Psalm for the parishioners to recite during Mass. That Sunday, the response was: “The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.” But the board was too small. So the priest, thinking practically, told the sacristan, “Just write, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ That’s enough.” When the time came for the response, the congregation, dutifully reading what was written, echoed with deep conviction: “The Lord is my Shepherd. That is enough.” It was a mistake—but what a beautiful one. Because truly, isn’t that the whole Gospel in one line?
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Holy lives of inspiration | Strengthening family unity
Picture this: A neglected backyard garden. Weeds choke the flowerbeds, tomato plants sag under their own neglect, and the once-vibrant roses are now a tangle of thorns. We’ve all been that gardener—distracted, busy, or just plain forgetful. But then, one day, we step outside, clippers in hand, and think: “What if I tried to revive this?” The prophet Hosea paints a similar scene for Israel. Their spiritual garden is overgrown with idolatry and pride, yet God whispers, “Return to me. Let me heal you. I will be like the dew, and you will bloom like the lily” (Hosea 14:2-5). Lent is that moment we pick up the clippers and say, “Let’s try again.”
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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.
Holy lives of inspiration | Strengthening family unity
Ever been in a group project where everyone is shouting ideas, but no one is really listening? You have got the overachiever bulldozing the agenda, the philosopher questioning the meaning of a PowerPoint slide, and a cool guy just hoping someone brings some snacks to the meeting and another looking at the clock for the meeting to be over. It’s chaos. And yet, somehow, it’s how most of humanity operates. Which brings us to the Tower of Babel—the Bible’s version of a group project gone hilariously off the rails.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Strengthening family unity
The question echoes through time, "Who do you say that I am?" It's a question posed not just to the disciples then, but to each of us today. Who is Jesus for you?
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In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches us a powerful lesson: it's not what goes into a person that defiles them, but what comes out of their heart. He warns us about the "evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness" that can lurk within (Mark 7:21-23). This message is a challenge for all of us, but especially for families.
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Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews uses the metaphor of running the race of life to Heaven. Way back in the 70’s not many adults ran or jogged in races, that is until marathon runners like Bill Rogers and Jim Fix made it popular for everyday people of all ages to go out for a jog or run. I was a young teenager when this was going on and because my family was into playing and attending sports, we used to attend the Boston Marathon each spring up on heart-break hill, the most challenging part of the course.
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