Happy Lent!
Every Lent the Elementary Faith Formation program raises money to sponsor children in our twin parish in Dos Palais, St. Jean the Baptiste. With Fr. Joseph coming to us from Haiti, I thought it would be fun to have him talk to the parish about Haiti. Hopefully you saw his Kanaval video last Tuesday on our Facebook page or had the opportunity to catch Fr. Joseph and Fr. Dan celebrating Kanaval in the rectory via livestream. This past Thursday's Flocknote to the parish contained a video of Fr. Joseph talking about Lent in Haiti. He mentioned that in Haiti all age groups often participate in Lenten Retreat opportunities and sometimes the children will reflect on a message such as, God loves a WISE child! So often we think of wisdom in the older generations but yet Jesus urges us to embrace a more child-like faith! Often children more easily accept and respond to God's love and mercy. This Lent I challenge you to embrace a child-like faith and embrace the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in your household. This Lent turn to God and take action. Help your child be a WISE child and see how their faith, and yours, grows!
You can see the first two videos I referenced at the end of this email and below is a message from Fr. Joseph to the children of St. Michael! Please watch it with your family!
How is St. Michael helping you journey through Lent as a family?
PRAY
This year's curriculum has been about prayer. We covered the petitions of the Our Father, praying before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, and this month, there has been an emphasis on the Hail Mary and the Rosary. If you have skipped the activities or family events related to these forms of prayer, I encourage you to try one new form of prayer during Lent. For example:
- If your child has not committed the Our Father or the Hail Mary to heart, pray those prayers every night with your child before bed.
- If you missed adoration in January or February, try attending the next one on March 4th, in-person at 7:00pm in the Church or virtually via the livestream on our Facebook page (Look back at my recommendations for taking kids to adoration on the www.saint-mikes.org/afofjan page)
- If you have never prayed the Rosary, open your child's activity book to pages 102-103 and try praying a decade a day as a family.
- Try the habit of reading the Sunday Gospel (in your Reading God's Words books or online at https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar) before you go to Mass. Adults can join us for Deacon Andy's Praying the Sunday Scriptures on Thursdays at 7:00pm. See recordings and get the Zoom link here.
FAST
What has your family decided to "give up" or fast from this Lent? Fasting isn't just about food. Maybe you have chosen to fast from a favorite food, or something you enjoy, something that takes up a lot of time, or doesn't help you be the best version of yourself. Remind your child that whenever you are tempted to give up on your fast, say a prayer to God thanking Him for His Son Jesus who gave up His life so that we can live better lives! Use the money that might be saved from your fasting to donate and give alms. You an also encourage family members to "pay" a fine into a jar when they break their fast. At the end of Lent you can donate the money in the jar to our Helping Hands for Haiti drive.
GIVE ALMS
Fr. Joseph spoke in the video about how the children in Catholic Schools in Haiti find ways to earn money to donate to help children who are unable to attend school. This is what we have been doing with our Helping Hands Sponsorship Drive. Encourage your child to work with the children of Haiti to be WISE children, sons and daughters who make God proud with their concern for one another!
Your family can keep a bag, box or jar to collect money throughout Lent and I will provide a collection jar in the office for you to drop your donations off. Let's see if we can help sponsor one or two children in Haiti! If everyone works to raise at least $3-$5, we can help one boy and one girl!
LENT TRACKING SHEET
Go to Catholic Sprouts to download and print this colorful Lenten Tracker to help your kids Journey through Lent!
LENTEN ACTION CARDS
I have attached some Lenten Action Cards from Loyola Press below. You can print them, cut them and place them in a jar, or basket on your kitchen table. Take one out each night and perform the action the next day. You can also link them together in a paper chain as you finish them and see how the chain grows during Lent OR you can assemble them into a chain and cut one off each day to watch the days before Easter dwindle down.
MARCH PARENT MEETING
Sun, March 7th at 7:00pm via Zoom
Finally, I want to remind you our next Parent Meeting is on Zoom at 7:00pm on March 7th. This is your chance to share with me your experience with A Family of Faith' your hopes for Fall Faith Formation and your interests for family events. We are beginning to consider planning our next year and your feedback is essential. I will send the Zoom link at 6:00pm. You may reply to this email and share your questions, concerns or desires before the meeting, or share them live in the meeting.