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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Today we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Matthias the Apostle. He was not among the first twelve Apostles of Jesus, but was a substitute for Judas Iscariot who committed suicide after betraying Jesus, decreasing the number of Apostles to eleven. The number twelve was important in Israel because it symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve divisions of the priestly order, and the twelve doors of the temple in Jerusalem. The number twelve symbolized completeness and perfection.
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Learn more about our faith | Why pray?
Jesus came down from heaven to unite divinity with humanity, and He returned to heaven to seat humanity at the Father’s right hand. This is breathtaking, no more than that; it is the grandest surprise of all. God has astonished us with this revelation; He wants us to share in His very life through Christ our Lord, His only begotten Son.
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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.
In today’s Gospel reading, we encounter a profound message that resonates deeply within each of our lives. As we listen to Jesus’ urgent voice in the scripture from John 12:44-50, we hear Him not just speaking to the crowd, but addressing each of us personally: "He who believes in me believes not in me but in Him who sent me. And he who sees me sees Him who sent me."
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It’s great to be back: my first visit home since last June! I am serving in Santiago, Chile now, since a year and a half ago when our Provincial superior asked me to go there to be the director of the seminary for Latin America of our Congregation of Holy Cross. I am helping in our Family Rosary in Chile, too.
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The feeding of the 5000+ is one of my favorite Biblical stories. It mirrors earlier years when God fed the Israelites in the desert with Manna, and it also mirrors the Eucharist we celebrate where the Lord feeds us and satisfies our deepest "hungers."
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Holy lives of inspiration | Why pray?
Like St. Peter and the other Apostles, St. Stanislaus is an exemplary role model for courageous trust in Jesus. Born in Poland, Stanislaus lived in the 11th century and served as a priest and then bishop in Krakow. He was a gifted preacher, a compassionate benefactor of the poor, and a proponent of clerical reform. Like the Apostles, he faced opposition, in his case from the King of Poland, Boleslaus II, during his time as bishop. And, like the Apostles, Stanislaus refused to compromise his adherence to Jesus' teachings, which resulted in his being killed during the celebration of the Mass. Stanislaus knew the risk to his life and yet held to what Peter said in today's first reading: "We must obey God rather than men."
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