Breaking the fast at Tante Jerina’s

This is a letter from a few friends in LaSalle, Que. who describe an evening in March where they broke the fast, prayed together and enjoyed each other’s company. The evening was hosted by a friend affectionately known as Tante (Aunt) Jerina. 

The fasting period is a special time. . . We make new friends, share a meal together, say prayers, laugh, and share stories about our day . . . and teach the Faith.

Each one expresses his or her thoughts about the trials that have been given to them to make them stronger. “Often, after such difficulties we become stronger, kinder, more generous, more forgiving and less quick to judge . . . . ,” someone says.

We each talk about our path to finding truth and we share reflections about the Creator and His Messengers and the reason they appeared. We share stories about far-off places like West Africa, Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Gambia and Lesotho and our own neighbourhood. We welcome someone who arrived in Canada only a month ago and is still learning English. We speak in several languages including Créole, French, English and Persian.

No one seems to remember that they are tired from a long day when all help in some way. Some cook, others clean up, while still others teach the visitors about the Faith. Food is plentiful. We eat a fine berry pie which was prepared by a child named Noah, with the help of his grandmother. The grandmother instructed him to “just add half of the berries,” but Noah insisted, “No Grandmamma, you have to include [it] all,” and poured in the whole box.

It was certainly an uplifting way to end a day of fasting or any day for that matter!

–A group of friends in LaSalle, Sud-Ouest, Que.