Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten journey. Again this year, our school community will participate in Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl initiative, a faith-in-action program that invites us to encounter anew ourselves, our neighbors, and our God.
Each of the students has received a cardboard rice bowl into which they can place their donations during Lent. All of the funds will benefit CRS Rice Bowl which is sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services is motivated by the example of Jesus Christ to assist poor and suffering people in more than 100 countries on the basis of need, without regard to race, religion, or nationality.
While the act of sacrificial giving is an important part of our Lenten tradition, the experience takes on even greater meaning when our students understand the plight of those less fortunate and recognize the difference that they can make to alleviate suffering. So that the children may develop this appreciation of the needs of those around the world, each week of Lent the teachers will lead discussions and lessons using the materials made available by Catholic Relief Services. It is our hope that these conversations will inspire sacrificial giving among our students as they place their contributions into their Rice Bowls. At the end of Lent, families will be asked to convert the contributions from their children into a check to be submitted to All Saints after which our school will forward all of the funds to the diocese.
Here are some strategies that you may wish to consider in shaping your family’s Lenten plan:
- Use your CRS Rice Bowl and Lenten Calendar each day to guide your Lenten prayer,
fasting, and almsgiving. - As a family, read the online Stories of Hope and daily reflections to inspire your
Lenten journey and guide your Lenten almsgiving. - Prepare simple meatless meals on Fridays throughout Lent, in solidarity with our
brothers and sisters around the world. Recipes for simple meals can be found on the
CRS website.
For more information, including spiritual reflections, short video presentations on the topic of Lent, and
virtual Stations of the Cross, please see the link below.
Divine Mercy Chaplet – During Lent
Again this year, we will introduce our students to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, another devotion of our Church. With this in mind, we will pray the modified prayer found below at the close of the day in place of the Hail Mary on Fridays during Lent.
Helpful resources and the history of the Divine Mercy Chaplet can be found at the following link.
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet