FEBRUARY 2002

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I lay in my hospital bed, I am reminded that we are locked in the cold of winter, as I watch the snow fall and cling to the trees as it falls. It is absolutely beautiful and I wish that I were well enough to be out there enjoying it.

Why am I in the hospital? The answer is, as I wrote to each of you in the August 1997 Newsletter, that I had been diagnosed with Chronic Lympocytic Leukemia. Over these past fifty-four months, I have been hospitalized several times for various reasons: infections, blood transfusions, etc. On January 15^th of this year, I was hospitalized with a possible infection, origin unknown. After these few weeks of treatment and excellent medical care, I am improving, very slowly, but progressively.

Fortunately, the Lord has blessed me with hundreds of brothers and sisters in our Community who are praying for me around the clock. Many of our friends throughout the world have also been praying. We all are praying the Novena to St. Jude (my favorite saint) and would very much appreciate your joining us:

"St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord Jesus. You saw his compassion for the sick and dying. You yourself touched the sick, shared the sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority and healing power to work wonders, to cure the incurable, to make people whole. We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his saving grace to heal the sickness and suffering of Bobbie Cavnar, to uplift his despondent spirits, and to instill hope in his heart. Amen."

With all of that said, my staff and I have decided to include in this month's Newsletter, excerpts from the Message of the Holy Father for Lent 2002.

"We are preparing to follow the path of Lent, which will lead us to the solemn celebration of the central mystery of faith, the mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. We are preparing for the favorable time that the Church offers the faithful, so that they may
contemplate the work of salvation accomplished by our Lord on the Cross.

"Lent, the providential time for conversion, helps us to contemplate this stupendous mystery of love. It is a return to the roots of our faith, so that by pondering the measureless gift of grace, which is Redemption, we cannot fail to realize that all has been given to us by God's loving initiative. In order to meditate upon this aspect of the mystery of salvation, I have chosen as the theme for this years Lenten Message the Lord's words: "You received without paying, give without pay" (Matthew 10:8).

"God has freely given us his Son: who has deserved or could ever deserve such a privilege? Saint Paul says: "All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, but they are justified by his grace as a gift" (Roman 3:23-24).

"In setting before us the example of Christ offering himself for us on Calvary, Lent helps us in a unique way to understand that life is redeemed in him. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus renews our life and makes us sharers in the divine life that draws us into the intimate life of God and enables us to experience his love for us. This is a sublime gift, which the Christian cannot fail to proclaim with joy.

"What do you have," Saint Paul asks, "that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). The demand, which follows this recognition, is that of loving our brothers and sisters, and of dedicating ourselves to them. The more needy they are, the more urgent the believers duty to serve them. Does not God permit human need so that by responding to the needs of others we may learn to free ourselves from our egoism and to practice authentic Gospel love?

"Dear Brothers and Sisters! Let this be how we prepare to live this Lent: in practical generosity towards the poorest of our brothers and sisters! By opening our hearts to them, we realize ever more deeply that what we give to others is our response to the many gifts which the Lord continues to give to us. We have received without paying let us give without pay!

"What better time is there than Lent for offering this testimony of gratuitousness, which the world so badly needs? In the very love that God has for us, there lies the call to give ourselves freely to others in turn. I thank all those throughout the world -- lay people, religious and priests -- who offer this witness of charity. May it be true of all Christians, whatever the circumstances in which they live.

"May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Fair Love and Hope, be our guide and strength on this Lenten journey. Assuring you all of an affectionate remembrance in my prayers, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing to each of you, especially to those engaged day after day on the many frontiers of charity." JOANNES PAULUS II

While all of this has been going on in my own life the work of our organization continues to escalate. Throughout the entire world, Bishops are requesting help in training their personnel and selection of equipment. We continue to receive requests every day for The Way Home television programs to be used in many different countries.

If we are to respond to these legitimate requests, we need your prayers and financial support more than ever. Please, be as generous as possible.

Today on the card you will note that we are offering two videotapes of Father Cantalamessa, an interview between he and myself, and the other a talk given at the 1990 Priest's Retreat in Rome. These are two very excellent videotapes. You may also order a pamplet entitled: "What Am I doing for Lent this year?" It is about a way to get ready for Lent (even if you start after Ash Wednesday).

P. S. As long as I am hospitalized I will be unable to write a "thank you" letter - please know that I

am praying for your intentions, even though I don't visually read the prayers requests.