“Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty.” —Pope Francis
All over the United States, including Hawaii, people are using Catholic Relief Service Rice Bowl activities such as “Lenten Prayer Eggs” and quizzes to deepen the Lenten experience. The Prayer Egg for week four contains the following short story and simple prayer.
“Five-year-old Tanious Issa’s house in Lebanon burned down because of the war in Syria — his family lost everything. The violence forced them to leave Syria to live with relatives in Lebanon. But Tanious’ father cannot find a job because he is a refugee. CRS is providing the Issa family with food vouchers to help them buy food during this difficult time.”
“For those forced from their homes due to war, natural disaster and other tragedies, that they may be welcomed with love and hospitality in new and foreign lands, we pray to the Lord.”
“For our own community of faith, that we may welcome the homeless, the lost and the wanderer, recognizing that Jesus himself lived without a permanent place to call home, we pray to the Lord.”
The Rice Bowl Quick Quiz is about hunger in the world. Try answering the following three quiz questions.
- _____ out of every _____ children in developing countries cannot grow to their fullest potential physically and intellectually because they do not have enough nutritious food to eat. (a) One, four (b) One, nine (c) Two, 11 (d) Two, 15
- Children need a healthy diet for the first _____ days of life — from pregnancy to age 2 — in order to grow strong, both physically and mentally. (a) 250 (b) 500 (c) 1,000 (d) 2,000
- How much does it cost per day to give a child the nutrients and vitamins he or she needs to be healthy? (a) 10 cents (b) 25 cents (c) $1 (d) $10
Here are the answers.
- (a) One out of every four children is stunted in his or her growth and development due to a lack of nutritious food.
- (c) The first 1,000 days are vital to a child’s development. Proper nutrition ensures a child’s survival and can also help a child rise out of poverty, and escape otherwise irreversible conditions like a weakened immune system.
- (b) It costs just 25 cents a day to feed a child porridge, rice or beans — food that will lay the foundation for a healthy, active life.
How did you do? The Lenten sacrifices you put in your CRS Rice Bowl help needy people around the world and in your community. What you give up for Lent really does change lives!
Seventy-five percent of your donation goes to support lifesaving programs in countries around the world, and 25 percent to your community. Please let us know how we can help CRS Rice Bowl deepen your Lenten experience and make a difference in your life and the lives of others.
Mahalo!
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
