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Our Word of the Week this week is
ENCOUNTER
23rd week of Ordinary Time
The definition of an Encounter is “An unexpected meeting”. We can encounter Christ in lots of different places but maybe this week we can think about finding Christ in those places we don’t expect to. Maybe we should also think about how we can take Christ to unexpected places too. We can be the face of Christ to other people and by trying to live our lives like him we can help other people meet him, even if they don’t expect it!
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- FORM PRAYER BOARDS HOUSE COMPETITION – This year we have launched our new form prayer boards. Every form classroom will have its very own form prayer board. Our prayer boards are there to help us have a prayerful space in our form rooms when we are using Be Inspirational each morning. The prayer boards will help us to interact with our faith – to display prayer intentions, the word of the week, our favourite scripture, inspiring saints and quotes or chaplaincy notices.
- You have until the 24th September to put a personal touch on your form prayer boards – perhaps you might want to make bunting to go around your board, you might want to put up some of your favourite pieces of scripture, scripture art, or your favourite saints names and quotes. We look forward to coming round and seeing your prayer boards!
- This weekend is Education Sunday where the Church marks a Day of Special Prayer for Education. Try to get to Mass or tune into a Live Stream of Mass this weekend to add your prayers to the rest of the Church community as we pray for the Education of young people around the world over the coming year!
Welcome back everyone to our first full week of the academic year! In 2018, Bishop Patrick encouraged all schools within the Nottingham Diocese to promote and explore three spiritual themes: Encounter- an encounter is a personal meeting with Christ. We can have a personal encounter with Christ in lots of different places and ways. We can also be the face of Christ to other people as we try to live more like Jesus. In this week’s word of the week video we hear some of the ways we can encounter Christ as we start back at school and we are also going to encounter some of our new staff and learn a little bit about them… Discuss and Comment: Where have you seen Christ working over the holidays? Is there a special place, person, Liturgy or Mass that you saw or attended over the holidays that made you feel Christ’s presence? Help us to be the face of Christ to others. Amen. Let us pray our school prayer together… Today as a Church we celebrate the Feast of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of the 8th September, nine months after the 8th December celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her that she will be the Mother of God. Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, the Mother of the prophet John the Baptist. Mary sings a song of praise to God which we know as ‘The Magnificat’. Mary, pregnant with the Son of God, is accepted by Joseph to be his wife. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem for the census and, upon finding no where to stay end up in a stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus. Mary, Jesus and Joseph are visited by the Shepherds and the Wise Men. Mary, Jesus and Joseph return to Nazareth via Egypt to King Herod. Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the Temple where Simeon and Anna rejoice at meeting Jesus. Mary and Joseph have to search for Jesus when he is lost in the Temple as a young boy. Mary tells Jesus that the they have run out of wine during the Wedding at Cana and Jesus performs his first miracle by turning water into wine. Mary is at the foot of the cross with Jesus when he died. Mary goes with the other women to visit Jesus’ tomb but finds there is no body there because Jesus has risen. The Holy Spirit comes down upon Mary and the other followers of Jesus at Pentecost. Now take 1 minute to think of how we can we encounter Christ through the example of Mary and how she responds to the challenges and situations that she faces in the scripture above? How can we use the example of Mary to help us to live in the right way? Share your ideas in the comments box below to inspire others. Mary gives us the example of trusting God, even if we don’t fully understand or are scared. Let us ask Mary to pray for us as we say, Let us pray our school prayer together…. In this week’s Act of Worship we have had the launch of our new school prayer and mission statement and we have reflected on how we encounter Christ through fulfilling our school mission statement and saying our school prayer. In demonstrating our mission inside and outside of school we can be the face of Christ and help others encounter and see the love of Christ. As Christians, we hope that our actions will make others think of Jesus. I have come in order that you might have life – Life in all its fullness. John 10:10 In pairs or by yourself we invite you to read our school mission statement and then write down on a post-it-note or in your prayer journals some of the ways or times you have encountered Christ through seeing others work hard, be kind and loving and doing the right thing. For example you could write… When you have finished writing on your post-it-notes, stick them up on your form prayer board as a reminder of all the ways we practice our mission as a school! Let us pray our school prayer together as we pray that we may live life in all its fullness…. As always we take time to listen to Sunday’s Gospel. This week’s Gospel reflection is going to be led by Marsha, our lead lay Chaplain. May we always be open, searching for new ways to encounter your love. Amen. Let us pray our school prayer together…. Have a great weekend everyone!Leader/Young person: Let us start our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
WORD OF THE WEEK VIDEO
Leader/Young person – Let us Pray together:
Leader/Young person: We end our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Leader/Young person: Let us start our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Take a Minute
Mary in the Bible
Leader/Young person – Let us Pray together:
Leader/Young person: We end our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Young person: Let us start our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
RESPONSE
Young person – Let us Pray together:
Young person: We end our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Leader/Young person: Let us start our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Leader/Young person – Let us Pray together:
Leader/Young person: We end our prayer by making the Sign of the Cross.
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
