x Close
World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
I have a question for you: can you remember the last time that you gave praise to God like the psalmist that we have just heard? A time when you couldn’t help but praising God’s goodness and mercy, maybe even going beyond prayer with God and telling others…. As I reflected on this question, I thought about what it takes to get us out of normal dialogue with God whether in our formal prayers or in times of exasperation or fear when we simply call out to God for help. It’s then that I remembered the Air India plane crash that tragically killed 241 souls but somehow one man not only survived but walked out of the plane. That man and everyone involved used the same word to describe his beating the odds: miraculous.
Share
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Saint Paul addressed his letter to the Corinthians with a heartfelt appeal. Paul says, “As brothers and sisters in Christ, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Immediately, this made me ponder the questions: How are we receiving the grace of God? Are we letting this great gift help us fulfill our mission each day, or do we sometimes fail to use this gift from God to help us? Paul reminds the people of his time and ours of God’s message: “In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation, I helped you.” In every Sacrament…we receive the grace of God, and we know that we also receive His grace in moments of prayer and even in moments we cannot even find a way to ask for His help. In this spirit, St. Paul reminds the Corinthians that God has heard them and helped them throughout their lives in various ways.
Share
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.
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Have you ever seen an unfinished bridge? I once visited a village where they proudly began building a beautiful concrete bridge over a river. Great foundation. Impressive pillars. It even had decorative railings on one side. But halfway through, the project stopped. Politics changed, policies changed, Budgets dried up. Now it just stands, suspended midair like a promise never kept. It’s funny until you realize: that’s what many of our relationships look like, half-built. We start with connection, trust, and love… and then something happens. A harsh word. A betrayal. Silence. Ego. Or like most of us, we don’t explode in rage, we freeze in silence. We master the art of polite distance, just smiling at people we secretly avoid. leaving that bridge hanging, unfinished, awkward, and unusable and slowly, quietly, we let the bridge rot. One misunderstanding at a time.
Share
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
"You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world." — Matthew 5:13–14 These powerful words from Jesus are a direct call to each of us. Salt adds flavor, preserves what is good, and purifies. Light dispels darkness, reveals truth, and shows the way. But today, I invite you to consider: are we truly being salt and light—first and foremost—within the walls of our own homes?
Share
Blessed Virgin Mary | Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Years ago, I was called to the hospital for a woman in critical condition. Her son, a grown man in his forties, stood beside her bed weeping silently. He had always been the strong one, the no-nonsense, keep-it-together type. But now, seeing his mother barely able to speak, all that strength melted into grief. When she realized he was crying, she didn’t say much. She simply reached for his hand and said, “Shh… I’m still here.” That moment of motherly presence, even in her weakness, reminds me of another scene, on a hill called Calvary.
Share
Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Today, as we reflect on the lives of the saints and hear the words of Scripture, we are called to consider the challenges to our faith, both the internal and the external. Saint Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, and Saint Paul, in his address to the elders at Ephesus and his testimony before the council in Jerusalem, offer us profound lessons.
Share
