St.Francis of Assisi Parish

Tilling the Ground with Prayer A Three O’Clock Challenge In 1935, our Lord revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska that the most holy hour of the day is 3pm, the hour of Mercy, and that prayer during this time releases profound and powerful graces, as it was the moment Jesus offered Himself to the Father in expiation of our sins. The celebration of the Eucharist allows us to join Christ in that offering to His Father and commune with Him. Unfortunately, many no longer respond to Our Lord’s invitation to remember his passion, death, and resurrection in the Eucharistic Celebration. Jesus describes such a heart as barren ground; no longer fertile, as the seeds of his grace struggle to penetrate deep and take root so that they may bring about the transformation necessary to prepare for eternal life. In an effort to till that ground and allow grace and inspiration to flourish once again, our parish is launching, “Tilling the Ground with Prayer,”where parishioners will be invited to join in prayer during the holiest hour of the day between 3pm and 4pm for loved ones who have fallen away. Fr. Jamie will pass hour cards with a simple prayer and explain this effort to help our loved ones come back home to God. Back in September Fr. Jamie introduced us to the fact that the 3 0'clock hour is said to be the holiest hour of the day. He passed out cards with the 3 O'clock prayer and challenged us to sign-up to pray the 3 O'clock Prayer and offer the sacrifice of being silent for 3 minutes for the intention: for all who have left the practice of the Faith .... At the time we had 34 people sign up to take this challenge If you didn't have a chance to sign-up, we have brought back the sign-up sheets in the back of each of our churches. You can pick-up a copy of the prayer too! For all who have signed up - Keep Persevering! You are not alone. If you find that you miss a day a two, or those 3 minutes seem like forever. Keep Going! Our prayers are tilling the hearts of our loved ones.

Photo's of St. Joesph & St.Thomas Becket courtesy of https://statues.vanderkrogt.net Church of St.Thomas-a-Becket and St. Joseph Chapel Are Wheelchair Accessible Diocese of Worcester ©Copyright St.Francis of Assisi Parish 2013-2022. All rights reserved. 398 Vernon Ave., P.O. Box 186 South Barre, MA 01074 fax (978) 355-0042 • Office phone (978) 355-2228