Nothing excites me more than a "day off" from sitting in the office and spending the day talking about the missions with students in our Catholic schools and parishes. The Missionary Childhood Association's (MCA) "Lent Well Spent" program is typically the busiest because prayer and sacrifice tie into the spirit of the liturgical season. Students commit to pray a daily Hail Mary for the missions. They also sacrifice their time and talent to fill their Mite Boxes (mission banks) by finding money, which a student from Saint Mary School, Lynn, calls "coins from heaven", doing extra chores, or even running a lemonade stand.

During our Lenten visits, students "travelled" to the missions to see examples of MCA at work. This year, through footage of cheers, songs, and dances in Malawi, students witnessed how new schools, water pumps, and the presence of missionaries transform entire communities.

Next come the questions.

Almost every child's favorite question is "Why?" Why do we do this? The Great Commission commands every baptized Catholic to spread the Good News of the risen Christ. Imagine Mary of Magdala, who, for a short time, was the only one in all of humanity to know that Jesus had risen from the dead. What did she do first? She ran and told the other two disciples. MCA inspires students to do the same.

"What if my Mite Box fills up early?" asked a girl from Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Peabody. Father Christopher answered by encouraging the class to refill their Mite Boxes beyond Lent because the missions need support year-round.

"Why do the girls look like boys?" asked a student from Saint Brendan School, Dorchester. Imagine the difficulty in maintaining long hair without access to running water.

A boy from Our Lady's Academy, Waltham, questioned, "Does the value of my Mite Box purchase more items than it would here?" The answer? Yes. Also, because it is put into the hands of a local missionary who shops for local goods, it strengthens their economy.

Most impressively, after a visit to Sacred Heart Parish, Waltham, one girl decided that instead of presents on her birthday, she would ask for donations to the missions. I was stunned at her level of commitment.

It's a big deal for children to give up new toys and sweets, but their actions reveal a desire for a greater gift -- God's grace to help them act in faith towards those in most need.