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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
A few years ago, a friend told me a hilarious yet profound story. He was on a road trip when his GPS suddenly rerouted him through a creepy, deserted road. His phone signal dropped, the gas light flickered on, and to make matters worse, he saw an abandoned house straight out of a horror movie. “This,” he thought, “it is how I die.” Just as panic set in, he spotted a small gas station, barely lit but open. Relieved, he pulled in, refueled, and got directions back to safety.
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Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco who are dedicated to educating the youth. It is currently one of the largest orders in the Catholic Church with more than 15,270 members. We continue praying for more vocations to the Salesians and for their ministry in the Church.
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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.
Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, states that for our bodies to thrive, they must “live on the wings of change.” Science tells us that our bodies are in a constant state of renewal—our skin replaces itself every month, our liver every six weeks, and our skeleton every three months. By the end of the year, 98% of the atoms in our bodies will have been exchanged for new ones.
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Healing the family | Strengthening family unity
A traveler came to an old inn and knocked on the door with the iron knocker. No answer. He tried again; only a hollow echo. But he knew people were inside; he had seen them in the window. So, with growing anger, he grabbed the knocker and banged it 10-15 times. Then he heard footsteps approaching and saw a face of an older woman out of the latch hole who timidly inquired whether the good gentleman wanted to come in. "Did I want to come in?" he shouted. "Anyone who knocked as I did must have."
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Healing the family | Strengthening family unity
Every now and then I’ll notice how people in television news or ads will refer to getting together with friends and family. Back when I was growing up, the order would have been reversed; we always said family and friends. It seems like such a simple thing; maybe even trivial. But as one of my seminary professors always said, “Words matter … pay attention to them and fight for their use and meaning.”
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Seasonal Reflections | Strengthening family unity
In both our First Reading and the Gospel we hear reference to “blindness.” The Prophet Isaiah, speaking of the Messianic time, notes that a time is coming when “out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” Many centuries down the road in the gospel we hear Jesus heal two blind men, painting a fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies.
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