February 25, 2009 – Simply Catholic

Prayer requests are sometimes a daunting thing to keep up with. My homeschool email list, friends, family, blog-friends all frequently have requests or intentions that I want to pray for. Unfortunately I am crippled with a memory somewhat resembling swiss cheese so I would promise to pray for someone’s intention and then forget. This caused me some distress, I didn’t intent to forget, but I would then I would feel badly for not remembering. I found two little things helped me quite a bit.

What works for me:
I always have loved the line in the confession ” For these and for all my sins, known and unknown, I am truly sorry”. It is such a reflection of our broken humanity. There are things I just slip and forget, but I am none the less intensely sorry for my sins no matter if I can instantly call them to mind or not.

I bagan to slip something similar into my prayers “and for all those intentions that I have promised to pray for”. But it seems like such a cop-out in a way — but it is far far better than not.

The better solution:
A couple years ago I was listening to a talk on the radio where the speaker (who I can’t remember for the life of me… back to the swiss chess thing) urged his audience to take a notebook to mass an write down one thing. Just one thing, the most important thing to them for a year. I purchased a small leather-bound book that fits neatly in my purse. It has come to serve two purposes. First it serves as a place to write down those important thoughts from mass, but it also serves as a great place to jot down those intention which I want to pray for. It is a sort of prayer journal. Something I can look at and refer to not just for my current prayer intentions, but also to see the glory of God working in the answers to those things for which I am praying.

You can see more of the Works for me Wednesday ideas at We Are THAT Family
wfmwbannerkristen

40trashbags

Today is Wednesday, February 25, 2008 — Ash Wednesday

This is the first day of the 2008 40 trash bag challenge. The challenge is an opportunity to remove the excess clutter and “stuff” from our lives. The excess can be given away, sold, donated or trashed. The first goal is to let go; the second goal is to bless others.

The first bag of stuff for our family will come from the kitchen. I am going through an tossing anything that is expired, out of date, junk food (chips, cookies, etc.) that we are avoiding during Lent. In the fridge anything out of date or “gone bad” is getting bagged. The freezer and deep freeze are losing anything freezer-burned or expired. From the pantry we are taking any boxed or canned goods which are unopened but which we won’t use down to the food pantry.

We are talking about “fasting and alms-giving”.

Today’s Scripture Reading

Quote for the day: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

See and do activity: Take an empty glass and drop a single drop of water into it. Talk to the children about the quote of Mother Teresa and how sometimes it feels like our offerings are very small. Ask the children how long they think it might take to fill the glass one drop at a time. Set the sink to drip into the glass, check it throughout the day to see how long it takes. (it usually takes surprisingly little time)

Read the story of the Widow’s Mite. Select a charity to collect “pennies” for. You might try “Operation Rice bowl” , Aid to the Church in Need or a local charity.

Craft: Salt-bread dough wreath of thorns: This is a fun activity for even the preschoolers.

Lap book page: Draw or print out a picture of a face. Use charcoal to mark the cross on the forehead. Talk about the Ash Wednesday ashes and what the mean.

Other great ideas:

Jesus Tree

A Meaningful Lent