try prayer! it works!

Children and teens from Catholic schools, parishes, and other Catholic organizations are invited to contemplate a theme during or after a family meal. Then, the students use their creative skills to express an aspect of that theme through artwork, poetry, prose, or video. Recently, the contest was expanded so that our 26 regional ministry centers could submit entries for an international contest.  The theme of the 2020-21 “Try Prayer! It Works!” Contest, “Do Whatever He Tells You” (John 2:5), offered families an opportunity to discover that discipleship is practiced in small things as well as in great ones. Meditating on the scene of the Wedding at Cana, families discussed the meaning of obedience and the importance of listening to God’s voice. In Jesus and Mary, families saw examples of simple, generous adherence to God’s will. Mary’s maternal attentiveness to the needs of the newlyweds at Cana and Jesus’ willing response to her request anticipated the “fiat” that they would offer together during Jesus’ Passion. Thus, families discovered that to be able to say, “Yes,” to God in small things is a necessary prerequisite for saying, “Yes,” to Him in greater ones.