Catholic Life
W/C 118th November 2024
Unity
Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts longing for unity within Your Church. Help us to set aside our differences and focus on what unites us: our faith in Jesus Christ. May we love one another deeply, just as You have loved us. Guide our leaders to make decisions that foster harmony and peace. Let our actions and words reflect Your love, drawing others to You. Strengthen our bonds so that we may stand together as a testament to Your grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.
Thought for the week
“A dead end street is a good place to turn around.” — Naomi Judd
W/C 11th November 2024
Remeberance
Prayer for the week
God of justice and peace,
we pray for those who have been injured
or disabled through war.
For those who have lost homes
and security through conflict;
for those who have lost loved relatives in wars;
for those who face danger and take risks for peace;
for all those, especially children, caught up in current conflicts;
for refugees and all those in need of aid and other help.
God of encouragement
and Saviour of the despairing,
comfort those who remember past sacrifices
and guide us in building
a just and peaceful community for all.
Amen.
Thought for the week
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
Earl Nightingale
W/C 4th November 2024
Courage
Prayer for the week
Almighty Father, thank You for giving me another day to share my blessings with others and live out Your will. I offer this courage prayer to You, humbly asking that You grant me the courage to overcome any challenges I may face today. I know I can do anything with You, so I pray that You continue to watch over me today. May I find the courage to push through and come out of today’s troubles stronger than ever. This I ask through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Thought for the week
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
—Winston Churchill
End of half term (october 2024)
Prayer
Oh Lord, You know our hearts and our efforts. You know how diligently we labour and how exhausting it can feel to complete the last, often harried, rush of tasks at the end of the term. Today, we come to You. You have promised to give us rest, and we ask that our hearts would rest in You even as we work toward the deadlines that beset us.
Amen
Thought for the week
“As important as it is to have a plan for doing work, it is perhaps more important to have a plan for rest, relaxation, self-care, and sleep.”
Akiroq Brost
W/C Monday 14th October 2014
'Music'
Prayer for the week
Creator God,
You hear us, our words in prayer, our silent thoughts and pleas and each note or melody we sing and play. May our praises today connect with heaven and unite our hearts with the sound of eternity. Lord, may the gifts of our voices and melodies of our instruments move with the work of your Holy Spirit. May we bring light into dark places, restore hope and vision to all who are oppressed, and well-being and health to all those who suffer. Today Lord, we give you our worship. May it be a platform for you, Father God, to touch our lives afresh and build your church.
Amen.
Thought for the week
One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” ― Bob Marley
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W/C Monday 7th October 2024
'Light'
Prayer for the week
In the busyness of today, help us to take a moment to be still and sit with you. To slow down, breathe deeply, and release our burdens to your strong hand. You are trustworthy, good, and true, and we thank you for caring for us so deeply and beautifully. Open our eyes to see you at work today. Give us your light.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Thought for the week
“You have a choice in this life – you can either be right or be happy!” – Unknown
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W/C Monday 30th September 2024
Autumn is our theme
Prayer for the week
Shades of Gold
So many shades of gold
Autumn
Another miracle we take for granted
Another expression of the artist's vision
The blending of the autumn hues
with the setting sun
Warm
Comforting
Perfect
Thank you for autumn, Lord.
Amen
Thought for the week
Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship in your life." - Unknown.
W/C Monday 23rd September 2024
Rain
Prayer for the week
All-Powerful Lord Jesus, what reason do I have to doubt You? Every promise You have ever made has been fulfilled through the incarnation of Your Son. Send Your wondrous hope into my soul, so that I know that I can trust in Your word and count on Your promises. You know that rain is needed, and I want to place my hope in You.
Amen.
Thought for the week
When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.
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W/C Monday 16th September 2024
Rules
Prayer for the week
Dear God, Thank you for rules to help us live and grow. Teach us to do what is right, whether people see what we do or not.
Amen.
Thought for the week
Real power lies in building others up, not tearing them down.
W/C Monday 9th September 2024
Friendship
Prayer for the week
Almighty Father, I give thanks today for the friendships in my life.
Lord, this life isn’t meant to be lived alone, so I am grateful for the people who walk alongside me, supporting me, loving me, and encouraging me.
For we cannot do it all alone but are better together.
Amen
Thought for the week
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell
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Final Reflection - Last day of the year.
Thursday 25th July 2024
Prayer
May God's blessing go with us today,
At the end of this school year we pray.
That you keep us safe and give us rest
So we start again renewed and refreshed.
Full of health, full of fun
Ready to come and learn again.
May God's blessing go with us today,
As we begin our school holiday.
Give your peace and your joy,
To every girl and every boy.
Help the teachers to enjoy the break,
and prepare and plan for the new intake.
May God's blessings await us next year,
To embrace each new challenge without fear.
Fill this school with your love,
and guide our hearts from above.
Full of faith, full of hope,
full of joy, and full of love.
Amen.
Thought for the summer holidays
“The greatest sign of success for a teacher … is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’”
Maria Montessori
W/C 22nd July 2024
Final week of the year and reflection
Prayer
Gracious and loving God, watch over us in these final days of school. Guide each day as you have done this past year. Let our efforts of this past year bear fruit. Bring all of our plans to a joyful conclusion and bless us all.
Amen
Thought for the week
Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning. – Senator Orrin Hatch
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W/C 8th July 2024
Theme - St Benedict
(We celebrate St Benedict's day on 11th July )
Prayer of the week
Lord, because of the sins I committed, I present my faults to You. I acknowledge my lapses and my ignorance. At this time, I acknowledge my transgressions to You. Lord, I am sinful and I am lost. With this, I ask of Your forgiveness to free me from the chains of my sins and my dark past. I seek Your intervention to lead me to the Light and to hear Your Voice in my daily life and the years to come in my life. Undoubtedly, my eyes bare no sight without You. My Lord, I adore You and therefore, I seek Your Mercy. Amen.
Thought of the week
You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
André Gide
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Prayer of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
“O Lord, I place myself in your hands and dedicate myself to you. I pledge myself to do your will in all things: to love the Lord God with all my heart, soul, and strength; not to kill, steal, covet, or bear false witness; to honor all persons; to love fasting; to relieve the poor; to clothe the naked; to visit the sick; to bury the dead; and more.
May I prefer nothing to the love of Christ.”
Amen
Thought of the week
“Knocked down but not beaten. Tired but not giving up. I saw the sun peek through the clouds. Sometimes all we need is a glimmer of hope.”
– Jon Gordon
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W/C 1st July 2024
Theme - 'water'
Prayer for the week
A prayer about water
God of rain and river,
of stream and storm,
of sea and silent pools,
of waterfall and waterhole,
of wells and waves,
of aquifer and aqueducts,
Hear us as we pray
for water fresh and pure for all.
And guide us to use your water
wisely and well,
ensuring that all your creation
can share in your bounty.
Used with permission of – Ruth Williams
Thought for the week
I opened two gifts this morning. They were my eyes.
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W/C 24th June 2024
Theme - 'Jesus '
Prayer of the week
Dear Lord, as we welcome this new day, we lift our voices in gratitude for the gift of life and the opportunities it brings. O Lord, we come before you this morning, seeking your guidance and strength for the week ahead. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and minds with your presence as we embark on this new week.
Amen
Thought of the week
“Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn’t going to get the job done.” – Jim Rohn
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W/C 17th June 2024
Theme - 'Values'
Prayer for the week
Lord, when doubts about my worth creep into my mind, help me to replace them with the truth of Your love. Remind me that You have created me with a purpose and that my life has meaning. Give me the courage to step out in faith, knowing that You are always with me, guiding my path. May I trust in Your plan for my life and find confidence in Your unwavering support.
Amen.
Thought of the week
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Abraham Lincoln
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Whit Holidays
Prayer for the week
Dear Lord, as we gather to celebrate this coming holiday, we ask for your guidance and protection. Keep us safe from harm and illness, and bless our travels and activities. Help us to remember the true meaning of this holiday, and to honour you with our words and actions. Amen.
Thought for the week
“I don’t care if Monday’s blue, Tuesday’s gray and Wednesday too. Thursday I don’t care about you. It’s Friday I’m in love.”
The Cure
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W/C 20th May 2024
Topic - Mary (Stories about Mary)
Prayer for the week
Help us, Blessed Mother, to embody the virtues of patience, humility, and understanding. Teach us to look beyond our differences, finding common ground in the shared love for your Son, Jesus. Under your tender gaze, may we grow closer to each other and to the Divine, forming one Church, one Body of Christ.
Amen
Thought for the week
Only when you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you.
Stephen Richards
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W/C 13th May 2024
Pentecost
Prayer of the week
Holy One, when Christ ascended into heaven
to reign with you in power and glory,
you sent the Spirit of truth to guide us
into the way, the truth, and the life of Christ.
Let your Spirit, our Advocate, guide us still
preserving us from judgment,
protecting us from sin,
and leading us into righteousness,
so that we may testify to the good news:
fullness of life and joy for all;
through Jesus Christ our Savior
and in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Thought for the week
“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”
― Malcolm Forbes, entrepreneur
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W/C 6th May 2024
Prayer
Happy new week! May the Lord bless the week ahead. I pray you will not be overwhelmed or discouraged by its challenges. May you find the grace to overcome everything that comes your way. As we step into a new week, our hearts are filled with hope and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. It is a time when we surrender our intentions, dreams, and desires to the hands of our loving Creator. In the midst of life’s uncertainties, we find solace and guidance through prayer, knowing that our faith in Christ is our unwavering anchor.
Thought for the week
“It’s not about perfect; it’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs.”
– Jillian Michaels
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Truth
w/c 29th April 2024
Prayer for the week
Father, You are the Source of all truth and wisdom, I come before You now seeking Your guidance and direction.
I ask that You lead me into all truth, that I may know You more fully and follow You more closely.
Amen
Summer term
Week commencing 22nd April 2024
Our theme is 'loving'.
Prayer for the week
Dear God, thank You for Your unconditional love. Lord, help me to know myself and to love myself. If I don’t feel self-worth, how can I expect someone else to cherish me? Help me to develop a healthy self-identity, remembering that I am a child of the King, created in Your image. Help me know who I really am, what I really want from life, and what I want in the person I will spend my life with. Amen.
Thought for the week
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” -Walt Disney
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Prayers and thoughts for the Easter Week
Prayer for Easter
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, by Your radiant and magnificent resurrection, You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a conqueror. You reconciled Heaven and Earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us. Your resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence, and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your love! — Saint Gregory the Great
Thought for Easter
“Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket.”
Evan Esar
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Prayers and thoughts for the week commencing 25th March 2024
Prayer for the week
Creator God,
Because of your abundant love
you chose to bring light and order into the formless void,
to create a world of unsurpassed beauty
and you saw that it was good.
We ask that you continue to recreate the world
with that same attentive love,
to bring light into today’s ever increasing chaos and darkness
where we have failed to be stewards and carers of your creation.
Replenish our hearts
so that we too can renew the face of the earth.
Amen.
Kieran O'Brien/CAFOD
Thought for the week
- "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." — Steve Jobs
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Prayers and thoughts for the week commencing 18th March 2024
(Topic - Celebration)
Prayer for the week
Dear Lord, to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die. So, as we journey together in this celebration of life at St. Benedict's, we rejoice in knowing that You are the resurrection and the life. So, we shall not be sad this day because You promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes. We celebrate life and pray that Your light shall continue to shine upon us, Amen.
Thought for the week
Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward, because If you want to fly......
......you have to give up what is weighing you down.
Prayers and thoughts for the week commencing 11th March 2024
(Topic - Spring)
Prayer for the week
Creator God, forgive our moments of ingratitude,
the spiritual blindness that prevents us
from appreciating the wonder that is this world,
the endless cycle of nature,
of life and death and rebirth.
Forgive us for taking without giving,
reaping without sowing.
Open our eyes to see,
our lips to praise,
our hands to share,
and may our feet tread lightly
on the road that, together, we travel.
Thought for the week
Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’
Robin Williams
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Prayers and thoughts for the week commencing 4th March 2024
(Topic - Mothers)
Prayer
Loving God, Thank you for mums and children and for all the joy of family life. Be with those who are grieving because they have no mother; be close to those who are struggling because they are alone; be near to those who are sad because they are far apart from those they love. Let your love be present in every home, and help your church to have eyes to see and ears to hear the needs of all who come.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
Thought for the week
I am sure if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.
– E. M. Forster
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Prayers and thoughts for the w/c 26th February 2024
(Topic - A study of Judaism)
Prayer for the week
A Jewish prayer for peace:
"Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more."
May these words inspire hope and promote peace in our troubled world.
Thought for the week
"Savoring the prayers of other people and religious traditions — especially those who have been on the spiritual path longer than we have — is a wonderful way to 'spice up' our spiritual diet. Other people's prayers can open our taste buds beyond our familiar prayers to new flavors that renew our spiritual energy."
—Nancy Corcoran in Secrets of Prayer
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Prayers and Thoughts as begin to prepare for Lent
13th February 2024 (Shrove Tuesday)
Prayer for the week
Heavenly Father, I’m truly sorry for the moments today where I missed the mark. I ask for your forgiveness and the strength to better follow Your call tomorrow.
Amen
Thought of the week
"Lent comes providentially to awaken us, to shake us from our lethargy." Pope Francis
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Prayers and Thoughts of the Week
Week commencing - 5th February 2024
Good News
Prayer
Help me, O Lord, to carry this good news with a spirit of gratitude, never forgetting the journey and the lessons learned along the way. Let my rejoicing be an echo of Your love, resounding in the lives of those around me.
Amen.
Thought of the week
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said and people will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Prayers and Thought of the Week
Week commencing 29th January 2024
Happiness
Prayer
Dear Lord, I pray that you bless me with true happiness and peace in life. Lead me away from hate and anger toward love. From restless mind and anxiety, give me peace. Lead me from fear of death to eternal life.
Thought of the week
Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.
Greg Anderson
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Prayers and Thoughts for the Week ahead
Week commencing 21st January 2024
Prayer
Bless the work we do,
the words we say,
the love we share
and the grace we show,
on our daily walk
through this beautiful
and precious world.
Amen
Thought for the week ahead
"If you can’t fly, then run, If you can’t run, then walk, If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King
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Week Commencing - 15th January 2024
Prayer
Heavenly Father, remove anything in me that will cause me to make rash decisions. Give me the patience to handle big and small decisions in different areas of my life. Fill me with divine strength that I may always follow your leading. May I take the path you are showing me even if it seems long.
Thought
“If you are positive, you’ll see opportunities instead of obstacles.”
Widad Akrawi
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Prayers and Thoughts for the Week ahead
Week Commencing - 8th January 2024
Prayer for the Week Ahead -
Lord, bless our journey through this coming week.
May the pace be steady, paths made safe, no obstacles impede, and conversations with fellow travellers be fruitful and uplifting.
Amen
Thought for the Week Ahead -
Encouragement is awesome. It (can) actually change the course of another person's day, week, or life.
- Chuck Swindoll
Prayers and Thoughts for the Week ahead
Week Commencing - 18th December and throughout the Christmas Holiday
Thought for the Week Ahead - Pope Francis warned against reducing Christmas to a gift exchange. He says it is so much more. 'Christmas is preferring the silent voice of God to the turmoil of consumerism. This is the invitation for Christmas. Take some time, stand in front of the manger and be silent.'
Prayer for the Week Ahead -
Dear God, As we contemplate the wonder of your birth,
Stir in us the desire to cradle those who have no where to lay their head,
That together we may rock the boat of injustice.
Give us grace to offer our hands to those who reach out
That with faltering steps we may find a way home
And kindle our hearts to embrace the rejected and dispossessed
And so meet you face to face.
We ask this in your name. Amen
Week Commencing - 11th December 2023
Thought for the Week Ahead (linked to Collective Worship theme of Joy) - If you are joyful, do not worry about lukewarmness. Joy will shine in your eyes and in your look, in your conversation and in your countenance. You will not be able to hide it because joy overflows. Mother Teresa
Prayer for the Week Ahead (linked to Advent) – Christ, come into our world of darkness. Light up our lives with your coming. Fulfil all our longings with the joy of your birth. Strengthen our resolve to work for change in our world. And to share the hope of your birth that each Advent brings. Amen. Sr Bridgetta Rooney/CAFOD
Week Commencing - 4th December 2023
Thought for the Week Ahead (linked to the Collective Worship theme of Faith during Advent) - Pope Benedict said, "that the faith is not a theory, a philosophy, an idea; it is an encounter. An encounter with Jesus."
Prayer for the Week Ahead (linked to the Collective Worship theme of Faith during Advent) – We pray that we may keep our faith in you as we prepare for Jesus’ coming at Christmas. May we always live in the peace of your love. Amen
Week Commencing - 27th November 2023
Thought for the Week Ahead - The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognise him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord. Henri Nouwen, Catholic Priest and Writer
Prayer for the Week Ahead (linked to the Collective Worship theme of Hope at the start of Advent) – Father, we thank you that in a world of despair, You are our Hope. In a world of darkness, You are our Light. In a world of sorrow, You are our joy. Amen.
Week Commencing - 20th November 2023
Thought for the Week Ahead (linked to the Collective Worship theme of Unity) - Unity requires tenderness and kindness. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness or despair, but manifestations of the strength and resolution required to achieve unity. Unknown
Prayer for the Week Ahead (linked to the Collective Worship theme of Unity) – We pray for the teachers that they have wisdom. We pray for the children that they show kindness. We pray for all the staff that they have patience. We pray for the parents that they continue to support and guide their children. Lord, educating the next generation is so valuable and we want to be faithful to this responsibility. O Lord, bring unity to all we do. Amen.
Week Commencing - 13th November 2023
Thought for the Week Ahead - We ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him to implore peace for all the world. Pope Francis
Prayer for the Week Ahead (for peace in the world) - Dear Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Amen
Week Commencing - 6th November 2023
Our Collective Worship theme for this week is Remembrance and on Friday 10th November at 11:00am
we will hold of Remembrance Day Service with the whole school.
Thought for the Week Ahead - Taken from the Poem 'For the Fallen' written by Laurence Binyon
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Prayer for the Week Ahead - Dear Lord, we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may the same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Week Commencing - 23rd October
Our Collective Worship theme for this week is Saints
Thought for the Week Ahead - Life is a journey. When we stop, things don't go right. Pope Francis
Prayer for the Week Ahead - We pray, Lord, that everything we do may be prompted by your inspiration, so that every prayer and work of ours may begin from you and be brought by you to completion. Amen Prayer of St Benedict
Week Commencing - 16th October
Thought for the Week Ahead - Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so. (unknown)
Prayer for the Week Ahead - Dear Lord, we pray for those whose lives are being damaged and destroyed by the war between Israel and Hamas. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths - Jews, Muslims and Christians. We pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace. Amen
Week Commencing - 9th October
Thought for the Week Ahead - Having faith does not mean having no difficulties, but having the strength to face them, knowing we are not alone. Pope Francis
Prayer for the Week Ahead (linked to the Collective Worship theme - Light) - Dear Jesus. Bring your light and restoring presence to the dark places in our lives. Bring your hope to hearts that feel fed up. Bring your love and compassion to those who feel sad. Amen
Week Commencing - 2nd October
Thought for the Week Ahead - It is not enough to say we are Christians. We must live the faith, not only with our words, but with our actions. Pope Francis
Prayer for the Week Ahead - Let us pray for the strength to be generous when we don’t feel like being so. Let us remember that there are many things we can give – time, effort, a kind word. Let us pray that we can always act in the way we would like other people to act towards us. Amen
Week Commencing - 25th September
Linked to the Collective Worship theme - Rain
Thought for the Week Ahead - When Jesus stepped into the waters of the Jordan and was baptized by John the Baptist, he did so not because he was in need of repentance, or conversion: he did it to be among people who need forgiveness, among us sinners, and to take upon himself the burden of our sins. Pope Francis
Prayer for the Week Ahead - God of rain and river, of stream and storm, of sea and silent pools, of waterfall and waterhole, of wells and waves. Hear us as we pray for water fresh and pure for all. And guide us to use your water wisely and well, ensuring that all your creation can share in your bounty. Amen
Week Commencing - 20th September
Thought for the Week Ahead - I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. – Pope Francis
Prayer for the Week Ahead - We pray for you to comfort those affected by the earthquakes in Morroco and the floods in Libya. For those who have lost loved ones, homes and all they know. Bring solace in their grief, healing in their pain and help in their time of need. Amen
Week Commencing 11th September 2023
Linked to Collective Worship theme - Friendship
Thought for the Week Ahead - Jesus said: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Prayer for the week Ahead - Dear Jesus, Thank you for our friends. We ask that you will be our friend too. Help us to be good friends to each other, today and every day. Amen
