We begin with the sign of the cross, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Examine your conscience. (Take a few minutes. In silence, remember and feel sorry for your sins, and think of ways you will amend your life.)

Pray the Act of Contrition.

To be a Catholic is to belong to one universal family, which extends all over the world. It is a privilege, which comes with the responsibility to care for those in need. Giving alms to those in need is not an option, but an obligation. It is paramount that we remember those in need, otherwise, on the judgement day, God will not remember us. Our eternal destiny depends on how we treat the poor.

The Judgment of the Nations

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Mt 25:31-46, NRSV).

The saints were moved with love for the poor since they saw Jesus Christ in the poor. During this Lent, pray and ask God to give you love for the poor, to be generous, and to provide for them in their need. You may not be able to help everyone, but surely you can help someone. The best way to love Jesus Christ, in this world, is to love the poor.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

To receive abundance of graces during this retreat, you can choose to do any of the following daily:

Attend the Holy Mass daily.

Pray the Rosary.

Pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

Pray and meditate on the Way of the Cross.

Pray at least 15 minutes in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Read the bible and mediate on scripture for at least 15 minutes.

Pray the Litany of Humility.

Invite others to join this retreat, as a family or as a group.

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