BLOOMING KIDS | KAIROS GLOBAL | FEBRUARY 2021

Journey with Saints – Feedback from the little travellers!

The Advent Journey with Saints helped me because it spoke about interesting details of the saints. In addition, the videos inspired me to tell other people about the saints, so Jesus can influence the world. Besides, I felt closer to God because I tried to do the right things like the saints.

Riya George, 9 yrs., Baltimore, USA

Jesus Youth Kerala started a programme called Journey with Saints. They had posted videos about saints for the twenty-five days of Advent, which were so inspirational that they forced me to live like a saint. When I learnt about their lives, I was so excited that I started to pray more. These videos were also helpful to know about new saints. After watching the videos, I too wish to be a saint.

Joseph Bobby Korah, 11 yrs., Mananthavady, India

At the beginning of last Advent, my mother told me that I should prepare for Christmas in a prayerful and meaningful way. That was when Jesus Youth Kids Ministry introduced a new saints’ activity. There were videos sent to us each day about a saint. We also kept a special diary to write a prayer, our decision and a good deed. The speciality about the saints was that there were all children. Having to make our own prayer and a new decision every day and to keep a record of our good deeds and offer them for particular intentions was fun. I even had one of my favourite saints, St. Germaine in it. I like stories of saints and this helped me know more about them. Because of these activities, last advent was a fruitful one and with the intercession of all those saints, I could prepare for Christmas.

Gianna Liz Mathews, 12 yrs., Abu Dhabi, UAE

It has been very hard in 2020 due to the Covid-19, but lockdown gave me more time to learn about different saints, and their journey. By following Mother Teresa’s footsteps ‘do small things with great love,’ we can be saints too. I thank everyone who helped make the videos for Journey with Saints. 

Alannah Thomas, 6 yrs., Maryland, USA

It was one of God’s greatest blessings that I was able to give my voice for Journey with Saints to Baby Jesus. It felt like I was on a journey too, each day and was able to come to know more about many child saints. I had thought that the lives of saints were only about prayer and sacrifice. On this journey, I realised that they were like us too. That we too can love Jesus like them, along with our games and the joys of everyday life. For this and for everything, I am very grateful to God.  

Drishya Preash, 14 yrs., Palakkad, India

While preparing the script for Journey with Saints, I went through the lives of almost a hundred saints, from which twenty-five saints below the age of eighteen were chosen. The first thing I felt on reading their biographies was humiliation, for despite being a couple of decades older, I did not even have one-fourth of their love for our Lord Jesus. 

Many of them were uneducated but their knowledge of Jesus knew no bounds. These young saints were able to live holy lives for Jesus and were ready to die for him. The price that they paid for Jesus was very high. In spite of the challenges of this world, then and now, they proved that we can live in holiness. 

These little saints have transformed my life and renewed my spiritual journey. Their love, commitment and sacrifice for Jesus made me realise my unworthiness and this realisation kindled in me a fire to do more for him. My journey with all of the saints still continues and I can feel their presence, bond of friendship and protection for me. Even though humiliated, I know there is hope and I still can aspire to grow in holiness, like them. 

Suja Siju, Palakkad, India (Suja researched about and prepared the content for Journey with Saints.)

Journey with Saints has changed my perspective in life, especially in those areas we dismiss as ‘trivial’.

The common trait among these saints was their passion for the Eucharist – this touched me and questioned my own love for the Holy Eucharist. They taught me the value of obedience – an area that I grapple with. What astounded me was the great things that these little kids did. It made me realise my lack of commitment that prevented me from doing, because I doubted my abilities. 

Three valuable lessons I learnt from these little saints:

1. What man may reject as worthless, God gives great value.

2. Great tasks should be undertaken believing in the power of God.

3. We need to be courageous to do what God asks of us. We are weak when we trust ourselves instead of Him. 

Priscilla, Palakkad, India (Priscilla created the videos for Journey with Saints.)