Pakistani Participation in the Lenten Journey 2026

We have been receiving lovely pictures from various Children's Rosary groups in Pakistan who are participating in the 40-Day Retreat on Suffering using the book, A Soul Prepared through Suffering.The picture above is from the Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Kaur, Pakistan.

The pictures below are from the Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart School II, Rawalpindi, where they are also participating in the Lenten journey.

It is not too late to participate in the retreat. A link to all the daily readings can be found HERE.

Mass Offered for all the Members of the Children's Rosary on February 25th 2021

 

A Mass was offered on February 25th for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary.  We continue to have a Mass said for the this intention on the 25th of the month. The Eucharist is such a powerful gift from Our Lord that when I wanted to extend thanksgiving to all of you I knew of no better way to express my gratitude.  May Our Lord's love be poured down on all of you through the powerful sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

The picture above  are members of the Children's Rosary from Front Royal, Virginia. They are siblings. Every day they pray the Rosary at home with our Children's Rosary video. 

Lenten Journey in Pakistan

Children's Rosary groups in Pakistan have been sharing some beautiful pictures from their journey through Lent. The children continue to meet to pray the Rosary but they also have been praying the Stations of the Cross.The pictures shown here are from the Children's Rosary group in Sago Bago in Pakistan. This week we hope to feature more pictures from some of the different groups that have shared with us a glimpse into their meetings.

It is beautiful to see the faith and reverence of the children during their prayers.

Other posts you may enjoy:
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
Find out ways to become involved and help the Children's Rosary

How to Start a Children's Rosary

How to Make a Cross out of Palms

Don't forget to unify prayers with the children during their meetings. A schedule of meetings is present on our website. By clicking "Join in Prayer" you can add your gold flashing light to our View from Heaven map.

For more information about the Children's Rosary visit our website: www.childrensrosary.org
Visite nuestro sitio web en español para obtener más información: www.rosariodeninos.org

Pour plus d'informations sur le Rosaire des Enfants, visitez notre site Web:www.rosairedesenfants.org

Additional Ideas for Lent 2018

Stations of the Cross
Plan an evening for the children of your Children's Rosary group to lead the Stations of the Cross at your Parish. At our parish of St. Thomas for example, the Stations of the Cross are led several Fridays in Lent. For a number of years members of the Children's Rosary have helped to lead the Stations of the Cross for one of the Friday evenings during Lent. Recently, we received the picture above from one of our Children's Rosary groups in Pakistan. This was taken in 2018 while they were praying the Stations of the Cross.
One of the things we noticed while leading the Stations was that it is nice to have music to accompany the Stations of the Cross. For this reason we included the song "At the Cross Her Stations Keeping" on our Sorrowful Mysteries CD. This could be played during the Stations of the Cross. More information is available on how to order the Sorrowful CD HERE.
Almsgiving
Consider making a donation to the Children's Rosary. There is great spiritual hunger in the world. This Lent help us to reach those souls especially the little ones. We send Rosaries and Children's Rosary materials to six continents. 
Add Your Light
Consider being a core light on our View from Heaven map. If there is a time each day you can "join in prayer" on our website and add your twinkling light this can be a way to encourage others around the world to also add their light and join in prayer. Through this we can help to illuminate the world in prayer. Email Blythe at blythe@childrensrosary.org if there is a 30 minute time each day you would like to commit to joining in prayer. We hope to have all 24 hours each day (48 slots) filled with people who will add their light to the View from Heaven map.

Our Plans for Lent...We are Starting Small

Lent is only a week away and we wanted to share our plans with you. Over the past year I have read to the children the life of St. John Vianney and also the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. Both gave many sacrifices to Our Lord.  St. John Vianney gave heroic fasting and mortification. St. Therese gave daily sacrifices also dear to Our Lord but they were of a different nature. They were tiny sacrifices but ones that also led to the heights of sanctity. While the life of St. John Vianney resonated deeply in my soul it seemed Our Lord was showing my children and I that there are many ways to please Him.  Such was what we learned in reading about St. Therese and the little sacrifices she would give Our Lord with love each day.  She spoke of little sacrifice beads she would carry in her dress.  When she found something particularly hard such as being kind to someone she did not like, she moved a bead with her finger and did that which was difficult but out of love for God.  In reading her story, I loved the idea of these sacrifice beads. I knew they would be different then Rosary beads as they would have to stay where you put them (see picture below). There is a time in everyone's life for different things to help them on their journey. It seemed my heart was earning for something to help me with these daily struggles. 

Something beautiful happened after we finished the book of St. Therese's life.  A package arrived with some sacrifice beads!  We had not asked anyone to send us these beads they just arrived in a box along with some Rosaries.  It was clear they were handmade and had a little card explained how to use the St. Therese beads. 

To receive these beads was as if a dear friend had read your heart and gotten you the gift you had been hoping for but had told no one. We were excited to put them to use.

A few days after the sacrifice beads arrived at our home a friend stopped by our house to drop off some handmade Rosaries. Our friend had recently suffered a terrible loss with the sudden death of her daughter. As we were talking I mentioned the unexpected arrival of the Sacrifice beads and gave her a string. She took the beads and felt they might help her.  Later I would find that she began making some for friends. People at her work seeing her beads asked if she could help make a string for them. As she runs the little Rosary making group at our parish which my daughter attends, my daughter was able to make a few of these sacrifice beads. This week we went to the post office and the lovely women who took our package at the counter mentioned she had one of the handmade sacrifice beads from our common friend.  This it seemed was only further confirmation that the time was right for these little beads.  Not only were our hearts open to them but it seemed other hearts were looking for something to help them, too.

Requests were coming in for more beads.  So we are now in the process of trying to make them. Well this is a rather long story to bring us to the place where we can share these beads and our plans to use them.  

Why are the beads helpful?  Well for me I find the beads are concrete.  When something difficult comes and I have a split second to decide how I will act my mind goes to the opportunity to do something for God.  A chance to move a bead for Him.  

To look at the beads at the end of the day and see none moved is sad and there is the opportunity to reflect at what could have been done differently...opportunities lost. But then there is the next day and one is more ready to take each chance to make an act of love.  In reading with my daughter tonight I found something that made a lot of sense. This is a portion from the book of Mother Mary Loyola (The Soldier for Christ):

"We cannot, then, afford to get into bad habits, the way to which is doing bad things once, twice, three times. It is much easier, I think to get bad habits then good. It may be. Yet we have this thought to encourage us - that by every good act we do, whether it is prompt rising in the morning, or forgiveness, or overcoming human respect, or checking impatience, we are helping to form a good habit. The effort will be less each time, and what was hard in the beginning will come to be not easy only, but pleasant."  The passage went on the share how very important it is to create these good habits young. "So Holy Scripture tells us if we train ourselves well whilst we are young, we shall keep in the right way when we get older, just as a well-trained horse goes,through habit along the right road without need of spur or bridle."

So this Lent we want to begin small.  We want to take our day and search in it moments to choose God. To choose to do that which is often the most difficult...being kind to those we live with and see each day.  For myself it is always easier to be kind to a stranger.  The thought of being kind to the person that drives me crazy, well this is much harder.  But having begun using the beads I can see the beginnings of new good habits.  They are new so Lent is a perfect time to make them more routine.  The kids are also excited about the beads.  For each person I have seen Our Lord will ask something a little different.  My daughter's first thought was to pick up some trash on the ground on our walk home each day from Church.  I told her if she picks up the trash and says in her heart I am doing this out of love for you God,  it is a beautiful sacrifice.  Tonight she and I sat together talking about Lent and a few places she could try to target.  There was a beautiful set of questions we came across in our reading together. Maybe they will help in searching for ways to move a bead.

We hope in the coming week or two to post a description of how to make your own sacrifice beads.  We also are a bit new at making these sacrifice beads but are happy to share what we will make. Donations for postage are always helpful to keep us able to help more folks. If you would like a string you can email a request to blythe@childrensrosary.org

There are a few other things we will be doing this Lent including adding more saints to our list through 9 day novenas (see Saints invited to Join the Children's Rosary). But our major effort will be with the small things each day. 

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary

Children's Rosary to Lead the Stations of the Cross Tomorrow

Stations of the Cross led by the members of
the Children's Rosary in 2013

The Children's Rosary will be co-hosting the Stations of the Cross tomorrow evening at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, Connecticut USA.  The Stations will begin at 7PM ET.  Some of the children will be doing readings others helping to carry candles and the Cross.  Please consider joining us at the Church if you live close by or unify prayers with us.  We will pray in a special way for all the members of the Children's Rosary.  

As Our Blessed Mother is always leading us to her Son on the Cross, it seems a beautiful grace that the children were honored with such a gift as to lead the Stations at St. Thomas the Apostle.  

For those visiting our Parish there is a Lenten fish dinner that will be hosted by the Knights of Columbus at 6PM in the Parish Center. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Begin a Children's Rosary
"Lord to Whom Shall We Go"
Children's Rosary theme song

Sacrificing for Our Lord

Ernesto, in white, traveled 3 hours this morning to attend the
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford CT.

Today we had a new child attend our Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford CT.  Ernesto, age 7, and his mother traveled from the Bronx in New York City.  They had called last night to let us know they would be coming this morning.  However, at 9:45 AM the time we begin our Children's Rosary they had not yet arrived.  With some of the children planning to attend the Mass following our Rosary we could not delay our start time.  As the decades went by, my heart kept hoping Ernesto would arrive before we finished.  Just as the fourth decade was complete ... little Ernesto entered the chapel.  He had the sweetest smile on his face..full of anticipation.  We paused our prayers to welcome he and his mother.  Ernesto and one of the other little boys were able to lead us in the fifth glorious mystery: The Coronation of Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth.  At the end of the decade, Ernesto placed a rose before Our Lady as we asked for the fruit of that mystery.  

One of the older children quickly helped Ernesto with the sheet music for our closing song: Rosary Children. After the Rosary was over, I expressed my apologies that they had come so far and had only been part of a portion.  Ernesto's mom, Omayra,  kept smiling and saying she was so happy she came and it was beautiful.  She mentioned that she likes to drive and a two hour drive is not that long.  Yet, when I asked if she left at 8 AM she said no 7AM which meant they really were driving for 3 hours.  They had gotten a bit lost at one point. My heart was aching to think of such a sacrifice for such a short time.  Yet, the sacrifice was made for Our Lord so in contemplating it later I realized that these two souls were giving God a most precious treasure.  They had ventured out in the coldest morning in Connecticut since 1956.  Some areas reaching - 20F without the wind chill.  They had set out on a journey that lasted longer then they thought with uncertainty of where they were going.  Why did they do it?  They did it out of love for Our Lord.  Ernesto's mom shared that they pray the Rosary each night but that she wanted her son to experience praying with other children.  Throughout the whole time I saw Ernesto and his mother, they were so full of joy.  They never once complained about the cold or the long trip.  Indeed Our Lord loves a cheerful giver as Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was fond of saying.
The sacrifices would continue as two of the members of the Children's Rosary who normally attend St. Peter Claver Church surprised us at the Children's Rosary this afternoon held with the Syro-Malabar Church.  Both mother and son had walked to the Church in the bitter cold.

More and more I am aware of the effort people are putting into the prayers they are giving to Our Lord.  The children too are giving in the most beautiful ways.   How pleasing must this be for Our Lord? How pleased must Our Blessed Mother be to see her children both big and small coming together in prayer when it is not easy?  As time goes by, there is a tendency to get accustomed to prayer and lose our fervor, yet we must once again commit ourselves to make each Children's Rosary no less special than the first.  If flowers can be obtained, let each Children's Rosary have such a gift to give to Our Blessed Mother.  Even if only one person attends and that one person places the flowers at the end of each decade is it any less special?  No, I venture to say such a sacrifice from a soul does not go without extra notice from heaven.  For who would do such things unless they had a strong faith in God and a love that lets them forget all discouragement. They give their gift of prayers for the sake of God as no one else is there to see it.  Indeed group leaders have shared that there are times when they find themselves alone.  They wonder for a moment, should I still pray?  They then know in their heart that they are called to pray the Rosary if children come or if they do not.  Yes, sometimes we have to dig deep down in our hearts and go forward in humility.  Lent is a time of trial and temptation as we heard in the Gospel today.  With little Ernesto as a witness, let us not give up and with joy give every sacrifice with love to Our Lord.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary

Year Of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting

Please join us for a special Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting!  We are just hours away from entering Lent.  Some have shared that there is a feeling that this Lent is special.  There is a desire in one's heart to do something more for Our Lord. Indeed, it is special.  We are within an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.  We are making our way toward the Cross, the source of Mercy. The Rosary and Our Lady both lead us to the foot of the Cross.  This year something remarkable also will happen.  The Annunciation, which traditionally falls on March 25th, is also the day Good Friday is celebrated.  The Catholic Church transfers celebration of the Annunciation to April 4th this year.  Yet, 9 months from March 25th is Christmas so even though celebration of the Annunciation is transferred, one is aware of the wonderful connection of these dates. Indeed it is a recognition of the moment Our Lord said, "Not as I will but as you will" (Matthew 26:39) and Our Blessed Mother said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to Thy will"(Luke 1:38).  What if we, in our humility, could come before the Cross this year and say, "Thy will be done," with our whole heart...allowing all the ties of this world to be stripped away and say, "Yes," to all God has planned for each of us? 

The words of a famous song come to mind, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.  Yes, may this year be something very special for each of us. Let it begin with each of us.  Recently, I heard a Rabbi speak about the time when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.  The Rabbi explained that unlike the English language, some languages have a separate word for you singular and you plural.  When God gave the Ten Commandments he chose to use you singular.  His directive was specific to each of us.  Likewise, in reading the life of St. Francis of Assisi one sees that it was only when St. Francis embraced the leper did the Lord begin to bring him a great many people to help with his Apostolic work.  Indeed, it would seem the Lord waits for us to embrace our leper or in another terms open our heart to His will completely which is guided in all things by love.  Once we achieve this, many things in our lives which seemed "stuck" become "unstuck".  
To help us all come before Our Lord on Good Friday this year with a completely open heart, we would like to invite you to participate in a 9 day novena of prayer and fasting from March 17th through March 25th.  The Novena will kick off on the evening of March 16th when the Children's Rosary will host the Relics of the Passion.  Included in this special Year of Mercy Tour of the Relics of the Passion is a piece of the True Cross.  The relics will be coming to a Church named after St. Helena, the person who is credited as discovering the True Cross.  For all those who would like to participate in this Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting you are invited to send your name to be placed at the foot of the Cross on March 16th during the visit of the relics.  We will pray and offer up all those names during the evening of prayer.  We are inviting all those in the vicinity of St. Helena Church in West Hartford, CT USA to join us that evening at 7PM EST.  For those who live far away unify prayers with us. We would like to have as many children involved with hosting the Relics of the Passion as possible on the evening of March 16th.
Novena March 17-25 
1) Pray one Rosary each day meditating on the life of Christ
2) Fast for 9 days
We feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to begin our fast at the cross and end with the cross.  
While some may be able to do a bread and water fast for the nine days, others may find the Lord calling them to some other sacrifice.  The Lord will ask something of each of us.  For children, some may be drawn to a level of fasting but careful discernment should be taken with their parents to help find a special sacrifice to give to Our Lord.
This past Sunday, the Pastor of our Parish stated, "without risk there is no faith.  The level of risk is proportional to ones faith". Indeed to venture out into the deep as Peter did is a risk, but when we do so for the Lord what will we find in our nets?  Let this be the Lent when we give Our Lord everything.  Let us fast and pray that we may say Thy Will Be Done on Good Friday and like never before join Our Lord at the Cross and bask in His Mercy.
If you would like to participate in the Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting and have your name placed before the relic of the True Cross on March 16th please email Blythe Kaufman at blythe.kaufman@gmail to give your name.
Please also email Blythe Kaufman if you have a child who would like to help with the Relics of the Passion Visit on March 16th at St. Helena Church in West Hartford CT.  The event will begin at 7PM.  Children involved will be asked to come at 6:15 PM.

Meet Mary

A little over a week ago I had the blessing to be able to travel to Washington DC.  Travel isn't easy with my disability but the flight was short so we made a go of it. The reason for the trip was a lovely belated birthday surprise from my husband who had heard months ago about an exhibit called Meet Mary at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  It included many precious works of art all featuring Our Blessed Mother.  Some were from the Vatican, private collections and other museums.  The museum exhibit would be the opening to a blessed weekend of prayer at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and the St. John Paul II Shrine.  Indeed it was a time to Meet Mary. Throughout the trip at each step all the members of the Children's Rosary were in my prayers.   

Basilica of the Immaculate
Conception

As Our Lady always brings us to her Son there were a great many pictures of Mary by her Son on the Cross.  Indeed to meet Mary is to meet her Son as well. This week may we accompany Our Blessed Mother to the Foot of the Cross and through our presence show our love.

Thank you all and God Bless you. Amen.

Other posts you may enjoy:
St. Padre Pio and Our Blessed Mother
How to Start a Children's Rosary

Relics of the Passion

Last Tuesday evening we were blessed to have the Relics of the Passion visit a Church near us.  I was grateful to be able to attend.  Among the relics present was a piece of the True Cross as well as many other beautiful relics from Our Lords Passion.  In a special way I prayed for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary.  

Several other members of the Children's Rosary were also present that evening.  One was a young girl and her mother.  They were present at the very first meeting of the Children's Rosary on April 10th 2011 and continue to be a very important part of the Children's Rosary.  For privacy reasons I would like to refer to this young girl as Little Flower as in many ways she is a sweet innocent flower whose mission it would seem is to to bear a heavy burden of suffering and yet always praise Our Lord.  Her ways of praising Our Lord come from the Heart as she is nonverbal.  She is completely dependent on the care of Our Lord which comes many times through the selfless hands of her mother.  The gentle and loving way her mother cares for her is a witness to us all of the bounty of Love Our Lord has for each of us especially those that are the most fragile and weak.

Last Tuesday as the veneration of the relics began, Little Flower was brought by wheelchair to each relic.  The Knights of Columbus stood with reverence holding each piece.  Tenderly she was allowed to approach the relics.  When she came to the relic of St. Longinus, the centurion who pierced the side of Jesus, she passionately took the case before her and kissed it with so much love.  All present were amazed.  The fact that a photograph was taken at just that moment was also providential.  

In thinking about the Little Flower and her mother this week,  I began to appreciate the mystery of Our Blessed Mother and her Son.  This little girl was called to the very first Children's Rosary.  With the help of her mother she has placed roses at the foot of Our Lady when a decade is prayed during our meetings.  Through the Rosary Our Lady leads her children to her Son.  In a special way I could see this innocent child clinging to the bone that released so much mercy upon the world as a little hand opening a door once again to a bounty of love not just for herself but for all of us.  How precious must be the prayers of these little children.  

In a special way I hope the Little Flower is a quiet witness of simple love and an invitation to all children especially those who many might think are not capable to pray or honor Our Lord to come to the Children's Rosary.  All children big and small have a home in the Children's Rosary.

Thank you all and please know you are all held in the prayers of the children.

Other posts you may enjoy:
How to Start a Children's  Rosary
No one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord
Give and it will be given to you

Suffering: A Call to Come Home

Last Saturday at daily Mass the Gospel was read of the prodigal son.  In listening to the story of the wayward son, we hear how he takes all his inheritance and squanders his property in loose living.  The parable goes on to say "And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you." (Luke 15:14-18)

There was a portion of the story that seemed to stand out in a way that had not occurred to me before.  The story mentions a famine that arose and created a want in the young son.  This suffering began a period of reflection that finally brought his heart home to his father.  It was not through words that the son left his ways but a period of struggle and suffering that served as the call home.  Such is the way Our Heavenly Father often calls us.  It is through our struggle and want that we initially find ourselves turning our heart to prayer.  Once we reconcile ourselves to Our Lord, we find that only Love is waiting.

As we contemplate the Passion during Lent there is a wonderful appreciation of the good that comes through suffering.  A purification and letting go of all the feelings of self dependence and an appreciation that we cannot do anything without God, not even to take a single step.

There are some beautiful quotes about suffering from the saints:

"Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In suffering, we learn who our true friend is" (Diary of St. Faustina 342).

"True love is measured by the thermometer of suffering"(Diary of St. Faustina 343)

Padre Pio led an intense spiritual life, full of both suffering and mysticism. From this he said,
"In order to attract us, the Lord grants us many graces that we believe can easily obtain Heaven for us. We do not know, however, that in order to grow, we need hard bread: the cross, humiliation, trials and denials."

You may also like the following posts:
For when I am weak then I am strong
Extended Hands

A Lesson Pope Francis Shared that he Learned from His Grandmother

Pope Francis as a child in Buenos Aires. Photograph: AP

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday when we are reminded of our eventual death by the placing of ashes on our forehead.  A wonderful surprise at 8 AM Mass was Bishop Peter Rosazza who came to celebrate Mass at our Parish in West Hartford, Connecticut.  In the Bishop's homily he mentioned something Pope Francis had shared last Palm Sunday in his homily. He stated, “My grandmother used to say, `children, burial shrouds don’t have pockets.’”  This beautiful window into the childhood and upbringing of Pope Francis, highlights wonderfully the important teaching that we should try to build our treasures in heaven not in earth.  Such treasures that do accompany us before Our Lord are the precious time we spent with Him in prayer, the Masses we have attended, The Rosaries we have said,  the love we have shared with others.  Such are the things that will be weighed and it is our hope that the answer will come, all has been weighed and not found wanting.  

In reflection it is most beautiful that something said last Palm Sunday would be mentioned during Mass on Ash Wednesday as the palms themselves from last year's triumphant celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem are the very palms used  to create the ashes we used yesterday.  A wonderful reminder that all early glory is fleeting.  Even Our Lord was rejected.

Another wonderful thing to contemplate is that Pope Francis still remembers what his grandmother taught him as a child.  In fact what his grandmother taught him stuck with him so much that over 60 years later he is using it in his  first Palm Sunday homily as Pope.  

This precious time we have with our children and the things we say to them have lasting affects.  Today the Children's Rosary at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Brentwood, California will meet at 3:30 PM PST. This group has chosen to meet weekly on Thursdays in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  Please consider joining them in prayer from your home. They always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

Those of you reading this now please prayerfully consider starting a Children's Rosary at your parish.  You do not need to have children.  We have had many wonderful groups begun by grandparents or even young people without children.  The important thing is to start such a group so that our children will have the chance to learn to pray and to pray with others on a regular basis.  Such lessons will stay with them their whole life.
Other posts you may enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary Group

Pope Francis Changes Holy Thursday Mass Location to a Local Prison

Pope Francis in 2006 chose to hold Holy Thursday Mass
 in a Children's Hospital in Buenos Aires

Pope Francis who was scheduled to hold Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Holy Thursday has chosen a new location for a celebration of the Lord's Last Supper.  He will be holding Mass and washing the feet of prisoners in a juvenile detention center in Rome. A beautiful example for us all of love and humility. 

May Our Holy Father continue to lead us in Peace and Love. Amen

Repentance

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:30-32)

A year and a half ago I was sitting in a Providence Church before Mass.  A women entered and  asked if she could sit next to me. She was unsteady on her feet and had braces attached to both arms that helped her walk.  As I have a problem myself that I dislocate joints if I am bumped I was a bit nervous to have her sit next to me but said yes to her request.  We began to speak and she shared with me that she has had cerebral palsy since birth. She was rather young maybe in her early forties and she had been brought from a local nursing home for Mass.  In her teens she shared with me she did something to which she was ashamed.  She had an incestuous relationship and gave birth to a daughter.  Since that time she felt she had much to repent for.  

I was aware that this church had perpetual adoration.  She humbly shared with me that she was instrumental in getting the 24 adoration started.  She did this by living at the church for 2 years.  Sometimes going to the lower level to rest but otherwise stayed at the church round the clock.  I asked what she ate and she replied only the Eucharist. I had never heard of anyone living solely on the Eucharist but there was no doubt in my mind that what she was telling me was the truth.  I also asked her how she dealt with bathing.  She replied she really didn’t beside using the rest room.  Her appearance was a bit rough so this too I could believe.  There was another disabled women not far from where we were sitting who asked this women to stop talking to me.  I could see that the women knew my new friend and the way that she was spoken to allowed me to see this friend of mine was no stranger to humility.  She had many scapulars on and had holy oil which she regularly placed on herself.  She had a joy about her despite her rather stark existence of living in a nursing home at such a young age.  

When the Mass began several priests processed in to an inspired choir with many musical instruments accompanying them.  When the priests reached the alter they turned to the tabernacle behind them and looked up at a large crucifix.  They began clapping.  Those in their seats began clapping and the floor was almost shaking as the whole Church was full of song and clapping.  We all were facing the crucifix.  It was so emotional that for a moment the joy of the event felt as if I was in heaven.  The reverence and joy in this Parish lifted me up.  Surely Mary and her Son were smiling that evening.  

The evening ended and I am embarrassed to say I don’t know this women’s name who was sitting next to me.  I am also embarrassed that I did not help her find her ride as I was rushing out to meet my husband and begin a rather long drive. This is something I think back on often.  I wished I had taken the time to help her and get her contact information.  Meeting this women was a gift from the Lord.  It allowed me to see that one person can change a whole Parish.  The Spirit was alive in that Parish.  This women and my experiences at this Parish exemplify the Gospels from yesterday and today.  Yesterday, Mark speaks of Jesus in the Desert for forty days when he leaves and resumes preaching He says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."(Mark 1:15) Mark in his brevity of words uses the word repent.  Therefore it must be extremely important.  We all have sinned, some more than others.  Often those who have the most grievous sins are just the people the Lord chooses to work through.  Luke in his gospel from today echoes this, the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:30-32)

Jesus also tells St. Faustina that sinners have first access to His mercy.  Paul, Matthew, and Mary Magdalene are perfect examples of those with serious sins who the Lord calls to witness to others.  

Lord may the children’s rosary and all associated with us experience true repentance for our sins this Lent and through our lives witness Your Love. Amen

Fasting

"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."(Matthew 4:4)

The gospel of Matthew yesterday raises the question of fasting. Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast". (Matthew 9:14-15)

As we enter Lent and begin the obligatory Ash Wednesday Fast and Friday fasts from meat it is worth revisiting the importance of such an old tradition.  We have evidence of the usefulness of fasting from the book of Jonah.  God shared with Jonah that he would destroy the city of Nineveh.  However,  when the people of Nineveh repented and began fasting God was merciful and saved the city.  This shows us that we can disarm the anger and wrath of God for our sins by sincere fasting from the heart.  To deny oneself for Love of God brings both forgiveness and blessings. 

According to Saint Alphonsus De Ligouri, "God has given us the goods of the earth, not only that we may enjoy them, but also that we may have the means of ... showing him our love by the voluntary renunciation of his gifts, and by the oblation of them to his glory. To abandon, for God’s sake, all worldly enjoyments, has always been the practice of holy souls."

We are governed either by the flesh or the spirit.  Galatians 5:17 states:“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh for these are opposed to each other...” If we choose to abide by the flesh we withdraw ourselves from God.  However, when we choose to deny the flesh the Spirit begins to govern our bodies and we seek direction from above.  The flesh does not go quietly and while one begins to fast there is a struggle but as the fast is continued the flesh finally gives into the Spirit. Scripture tells us that "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is profitable for nothing."(John 6:63) How good is our Lord to share with us a tool, fasting out of love for Him, that helps us be led by the Spirit.  

We were given a Free Will that we might be able to choose how we are to direct ourselves.  Jesus through example embraced His passion for love of us.  We may not be called to be physically crucified on a cross but we can choose to reject the things of the flesh.

Galatians 5:24 “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.”

Suggestions for Fasting more than the minimum prescribed by the Church.

A thread of common practices of fasting exists within the Church. The most prominent of which was fasting on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays.  Fasting to this extent may seem excessive, but prior to the 20th century, this form of fasting was commonplace in the Church.

According to Saint Peter the Hieromartyr: “Let no one fault us that we fast on Wednesday and Friday, according to a custom rightly commanded by tradition."  Wednesday on account of His being betrayed and Friday on account of His passion.

Likewise Saint Faustina wrote in her diary in1938:  "On three days a week, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, there will be a strict fast [on bread and water]...During the two great fasts, ember days and vigils, the food will consists of a piece of bread and some water, once a day." 

As Jesus fasted from food for 40 days in the desert he was tempted by satan.  The Lord is showing us something from this encounter and that is fasting is important when confronting evil.  Although His body was hungry his Spirit was strong and he responds to satan's taunts for Him to change stones into bread by saying, 

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’(Matthew 4:4) 

 Another thing one can contemplate is the extent of Jesus’ fast.  He abstained from all food. Fasting out of love allows the body to do things it normally wouldn’t be able to do.  We might not be able to skip a meal without feeling sick or some may develop a headache if they eat too many carbohydrates.  However,  when you fast out of Love for the Lord these feelings usually don’t happen.  The ability to fast is a gift.  If you cannot fast for some reason pray for the gift of fasting.  If you cannot fast on bread and water then consider fasting from something else.  St. John Vianney often fasted from sleep.

For those of us who can fast might we try beginning to fast more than the minimum fast prescribed by the Church.  Could we begin fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays on unlimited bread and water out of love for Jesus.  

In a special way I pray that the children’s rosary and all associated will be given the gift of fasting.   I also pray that those who receive this gift will choose to use it for the Glory of God.