Archbishop: Dear Children, how are you?
At the moment we are living in the time of Lent. Who can tell me what Lent means to us?
Boy: The Lent is a time for thought, prayer and for helping that in need.
Girl: It is the time when we do some sacrifices, meaning, we omit something from what we like, so we can have more control of ourselves.
Boy: The time of Lent is the time when we prepare for when Jesus was resurrected for from the dead to save us.
Archbishop : Good ! That is correct, children …
Prayer
Archbishop : This time is appropriate so we can realise how much Jesus Christ truly loved us. One of the things we should do mostly to love Jesus more, is by praying more during this time.
For what should I thank Jesus ?
Boy: This is the time when I talk to Jesus and thank him for giving me so many people to look after me
Girl: I thank him that I have food to eat, a place to live in, and a school to learn from.
Boy: I should thank him also for giving me people that love me, amongst them my parents, or those who look after me, the catechists from whom I learn and [for the] the priest where I attend Mass.
Girl : I can say to Jesus in my prayer sorry for maybe not having behaved correctly at school or at home, or for having quarrelled with my friends.
Archbishop : Good ! All these [things] I can say them Jesus in my prayers !
Once they also asked Jesus how they should pray. And Jesus told them the beautiful prayer or the Our Father. This is the prayer which we pray during Mass, but we can also pray by ourselves. Don’t forget children, that Mass is the most beautiful prayer that I can pray, because we are united with other Catholics and that together we can also receive the Body of Christ at Holy Communion. We also have the prayer of the Rosary we pray to Mary, which is a very beautiful prayer and I encourage you to say it often.
I can pray to Jesus also after I would have a story from the Bible. In that way I will be talking to Jesus about that story how it will help me to become a better Catholic. In the end, when I am at home, before I go to sleep I encourage my parents to pray together as a family.
Children, when we pray, we don’t pray hurriedly, or being distracted about other things, but we recollect as much as we can, we close our eyes and pray in silence – because then we would be truly talking to Jesus heartily.
Charity
Children, in the beginning we mentioned that we can thank Jesus for what we have to eat, where to live, and that we have many people to take care of us. Do you know that there are children like you that do not have where to live, or that they do not have the chance to learn like you ? It is good that we realise that when Jesus was on earth he told us that the people we help them as best as we can.. Jesus mentioned the word Charity – what do think this word means ?
Children: Charity means that we give from what we have – because we know that God gave us a lot of things…
Boy : Charity, is for an example, we give an amount of money we saved in the money box to give it to the poor.
Girl: Or we give a piece of our lunch to whom could not bring to school with him. All these are things we could do charity with children of our age.
Archbishop: Once Jesus was in the Temple of Jerusalem and when people entered they used to give an offering, they used to give money in the box of the offerings. There were people that began to throw a lot of money – but Jesus saw a woman that her husband had died and she was very poor, all she gave was two small cents. And Jesus said : Those people gave from their extras but this woman in her poverty gave for what she had for her living.
What do we learn from these story children?
Boy: From this story we learn that we should always give from what we have, and not from our extras.
Archbishop : Very good and well said ! (Name of boy or girl) – That will truly be Charity.
So, children, let us prepare ourselves well in this time of Lent, by, firstly we pray more often to Jesus and secondly give Charity from the Heart. [Heartily] Jesus will surely be very pleased with us.
And children, when you will be talking to Jesus, don’t forget to pray for me.
I give you my Blessing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
✠ PAUL CREMONA O.P.
Archbishop of Malta
Points for discussion together with children :
1) What does Lent mean to you?
2) Why is prayer important more than usual during this holy time?
3) How can we pray ?
4) What are those means that help us to pray ?
5) What does the Word Charity mean ?
6) The Archbishop reminded us of the story or a poor woman but she gave all that she had. What do we learn from this story?
7) What have you learnt from this Letter that the Archbishop wrote for you?