March 2017
Brought to you by the Catholic Standard
With charity, penance and sacrifice, we observe Lent
O
n Ash Wednesday,
week, or offering prayers
March 1, Catholics
asking Jesus to draw us
around the world
closer to Him.
began our 40-day period of
You and your family can
fasting and prayer in
also participate in
preparation for Easter.
activities your parish has
This period of penance,
planned for Lent, such as
called Lent, begins each
penance services, Stations
year on Ash Wednesday
of the Cross, Lenten days
and concludes on Good
of prayer and reflection,
Friday.
and other programs. All of
This year, Good Friday
these help us remember
is April 14, and Easter
the great sacrifice Jesus
will be celebrated on
made for us.
Sunday, April 16.
Usually, as a sign of
Why is this time before
penance, Catholics
Easter so important?
“give-up” a favorite treat
Because the Church
or favorite activity during
wants us to look at how
Lent. That is a good
we live our lives, and to
practice because it can
rededicate ourselves to
lead us to think more
being faithful Catholics.
about others and to reach
During Lent, we pray for
out to those in need.
the strength to turn away
That is why during
from sin, which we were
Lent, many parishes,
reminded to do when the
Catholic schools and
priest put ashes on our
religious education
foreheads on Ash
programs participate in
Wednesday.
Catholic Relief Services’
The ashes that we
Rice Bowl program.
received on our foreheads
The program features a
also served to remind us
cardboard “rice bowl” that
that our physical bodies
we bring home and fill
will not last forever,
with coins during the
but our souls will live
Lenten season.
forever with God in
The collected money is
Heaven.
used to support programs
All Fridays of Lent
around the world and in
(including Good Friday)
our own communities.
are days of abstinence,
Charity can be in the
which means everybody
form of helping the sick,
14 years old and older
the hungry and the lonely.
does not eat meat. Ash
If we use this time of
CS FILE PHOTO BY JACLYN LIPPELMANN
A young girl looks through information on how to participate in the Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl program.
Wednesday and Good
Lent wisely, we will truly
Friday are also days of
prepare our hearts to
fasting, which means
receive the great gift that
us that we are more than just our
We feed our souls not only by
people over the age of 18 eat one sinJesus gave us at Easter when he rose
physical bodies. By fasting and
fasting, but by praying and doing
gle full meal and two small meals.
from the dead and pomised us
abstaining, we remember that we
works of charity.
Abstinence and fasting are not only have to be just as careful feeding
eternal happiness with Him.
Prayer can take many forms:
a sign that we are willing to sacrifice
our souls as we are feeding
reading the Bible, saying a rosary,
– Richard Szczepanowski
for Jesus, but are also a reminder to
our bodies.
attending Mass more than once a
Copyright 2017 Carroll Publishing Company
2 Junior Saints
3
Women who made history…
Harriet Tubman by Aikira Taylor, eighth grade,
The Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
Betsy Ross by Maria Orellana, second grade,
St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Derwood
St. Joan of Arc
by Mia Plakos,
fourth grade,
Our Lady Star
of the Sea
School,
Solomons
“I honor her
ability to
spread peace
with joy.”
Mother
Teresa by
Jacob
Kiwanuka,
seventh grade
St. Andrew
Apostle
School, Silver
Spring
“I admire Harriet Tubman because, although
she was born a slave, she managed to escape.
I also admire her for helping other slaves
escape even though she could have just been
safe. I admire her for taking the right road.
Taking the right road in life is often difficult,
but it is the right thing to do.”
Jasmine Zerby, fourth grade
St. Mary’s School, Bryantown
“Mary Winston Jackson was discriminated
[against] for two reasons, her gender and race.
She was a black woman who was a mathematician and the first aerospace engineer in
NASA. She inspires me because I am both a
young woman and African American. She
“I admire her because she was adventurous and brave.”
Amelia Earhart by Erin McRoy, seventh grade,
St. Mary’s School, Bryantown
Rosa Parks
by Maya
Wilson,
seventh
grade,
The
Academy of
St. Matthias
the Apostle,
Lanham
Mae Jemison
by Hayden
Hernly,
third grade,
The
Academy of
St. Matthias
the Apostle,
Lanham
“Mary is a very special person. I chose her
because she said yes to God.”
Mary by Kyla Pohren, fifth grade,
St. Mary’s School of Piscataway, Clinton
“I like Malala
because she is
a brave young
girl who
wanted all girls
to receive an
education and
she is very
inspirational.”
Malala
Yousafzai by
Julia Palor,
fourth grade,
St. Columba
School, Oxon
Hill
showed me that I cannot let my race or gender
keep me from my dream.”
Camryn McMurray, fifth grade
St. Pius X Regional School, Bowie
serve God. That’s why she inspires me, and I
hope I can do what God asks me.”
Chloe Lynch, sixth grade
St. Bartholomew, Bethesda
“What I admire most about Rosa Parks is that
she fought for what she thought was right.
She stood up for her beliefs and changed the
future for the better.”
Maricka Sembria, sixth grade
St. Mary’s School of Piscataway, Clinton
“Anne Frank changed how people think of the
Holocaust with her diary, which millions of
people have read. Through everything she
went through, she still saw the good in people.”
Caroline Bloodgood, eighth grade
St. Jude Regional Catholic School, Rockville
“When God asked Mary to have Jesus she said
‘yes’ even though she might have been scared.
She knew if she did what God asked that it
would be a graceful thing to do. She strived to
“I admire my mom because she is my inspiration and hope. She is there whenever I need
help.”
Dami Funsho, fourth grade
St. Pius X Regional School, Bowie
“I admire Katherine Johnson because she was the first African
American to be in NASA’s computer program. She stood up for her
rights by staying in the program even though she was black. When I
grow up I want to work in NASA’s computer program too.”
Katherine Johnson by Sofia Jackson, fifth grade,
St. Mary’s School of Piscataway, Clinton
“I chose Mother Teresa because she showed
kindness to those with sickness, even though
she was risking her life. She devoted her life to
God, and she is a true role model to everyone.
She made a big difference in the world.”
Madeline Peppo, fifth grade
Blessed Sacrament School, Washington
“St. Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s friend. She
helped by spreading the Word of God. She also
was very holy, and she cared very much about
others. I picked her because she is a great
example for others.”
Gianna Chadwick, third grade
Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings
My teacher by Arabia
Roberts, fourth grade,
St. Augustine Catholic
School, Washington
NEXT ISSUE
F
For the April Junior Saints, draw a
picture of something that Jesus did at
Easter or during Holy Week (Palm
Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday),
and write about what that means to you.
Please send your drawings and writings by
March 18 to:
Junior Saints
P.O. Box 4464
Washington, DC 20017
Please print or write your full name clearly
on your work and include the name of your
parish or school and your grade. Please only
send original drawings, not pictures copied
or traced from somewhere else. Thanks!
4 Junior Saints
St. Joseph is patron saint of the whole Church
T
his month we celebrate a great saint’s feast
day. Most people can recall that St. Patrick’s
feast is celebrated on March 17. However, not
as many Catholics recall that St. Joseph – under
the title husband of Mary – is celebrated by the
Church on March 19.
Sometimes St. Joseph gets lost amid the fun of
celebrating St. Patrick, but the foster father of
Jesus is truly worthy of honor and celebration.
Jesus entered this world as a helpless infant,
and looked to St. Joseph the way any baby looks to
his or her father. That is why we should show our
love for St. Joseph.
The Catholic Church venerates St. Joseph as
patron saint of the universal Church. It is easy to
see why the Church would ask Joseph’s protection.
After all, it was God Himself who chose Joseph to
be the protector of Jesus and Mary, and his sacred
duty has been extended to the entire Church.
Little is known of the historical Joseph. The only
Wo rd s e a rch
CNS FILE PHOTO
The Holy Family – Joseph, Mary and Jesus - are depicted
in a painting by Michael D. O'Brien.
mention of him in the Gospels is a few references
in Matthew, Luke and John. We know that Joseph
was born into the House of David, that he was a
carpenter, and that he was engaged to Mary when
he learned Jesus would be born.
(The highlighted words are forward, backward and diagonal)
We pray the Stations of the Cross at Lent
D
Joseph was present when Christ was born,
when Christ was presented in the Temple, and
when the Wise Men found the baby. It was also
this great saint who led the Holy Family to safety
during their flight into Egypt. He also shared
Mary’s worry when Jesus, at the age of 12, was
lost for three days in the Temple and was later
found talking with the teachers there.
It is believed that Joseph died several years
before Jesus began His public ministry.
In addition to being patron of the universal
Church, St. Joseph is also invoked as the patron
saint of a happy death, and of fathers, treasurers,
manual laborers, carpenters, married people, sick
people and those who travel.
While other saints – Patrick and Valentine, for
example – have more popular celebrations,
St. Joseph should not be forgotten. He is very
much a model for average people. Joseph lived an
ordinary life, and his example shows that our own
everyday experiences present us with the
opportunity to live holy lives. He shows that
holiness can grow as we live as God has called us
to live.
– Richard Szczepanowski
uring Lent, which begins March 1, we pray the
Stations of the Cross – sometimes called the Via Crucis
(Way of the Cross) or the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow) – to
commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. Each event, or station,
recalls a particular incident as Jesus made His way from
Pilate’s house to Mount Calvary.
The 14 Stations of the Cross are:
1. Jesus is Condemned to Death
2. Jesus Accepts His Cross
3. Jesus Falls the First Time
4. Jesus Meets His Mother
5. Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
6. Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
7. Jesus Falls the Second Time
8. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus Falls the Third Time
10. Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
11. Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
CS PHOTO
BY MICHAEL HOYT 12. Jesus Dies on the Cross
The Eighth Station
13. Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
of the Cross.
14. Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
The stations are prayed by going from one station to the
next, offering prayers about the particular incident we are
remembering and thinking about the suffering Jesus endured
for our sins. Praying the Stations of the Cross lets us think
about how much God loves us and how Jesus suffered and died
for us. Through the Stations of the Cross, we ask God to
forgive our sins and show us mercy.
– Richard Szczepanowski
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