World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Some of you may remember a popular TV program in the 1980s called “Family Ties.” It starred a young Michael J. Fox. His character, Alex Keaton, was that of a son with very different economic and political views than his parents and sister. I loved the show because, in the end, despite their often-comical disagreements, their love for one another superseded the biggest challenge of their day.
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Today, we honor the life and legacy of Saint Bartholomew, one of the apostles personally chosen by Jesus. As we explore the passages from the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of John, we find in Saint Bartholomew a guiding light for families in our modern world.
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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.
Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
Saint Matthew’s emphasis on Jesus' wondrous deeds enables him to reveal Jesus’ true Messianic identity. In the Old Testament, Moses commanded the sea with his rod; Joshua with the Ark of the Covenant; Elisha with the prophet's mantle, but Jesus calms the Sea of Galilee with His Word.
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Return to the Church | Strengthening family unity
As I prayed and reflected on today’s readings, I found myself being drawn to the drama in the Book of Exodus; with God, Moses, and the children of Israel. And this led me to ask myself three questions. 1. Who am I trying to please? 2. What does God expect of me? 3. How am I doing?
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Strengthening family unity | Why pray?
I think there’s a part of most people that can identify with the Israelites in today’s first reading. They’ve been through a lot! First in Egypt and now in the desert after a long march and facing a legion of Pharoah’s warriors, they’ve reached a breaking point. (Can you relate?) This is why they remind Moses that they asked him to leave them alone when he first told them they were about to set out for a promised land and freedom.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Strengthening family unity
Having grown up in a city, Jesus’ instruction to “be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves” only made partial sense to me. I get the idea of shrewdness in order to watch your back or anyone else’s who is part of your flock. But the "simple as doves" has always seemed to be a contradiction to the vigilance part of the instruction.
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