Friday 27^th January 2017

St Angela Merici

 She was born around the year 1470 at Desenzano near Brescia.  She became a Franciscan nun and gathered together girls whom she formed in the works of charity.  In 1535 she formed the institute of the Ursulines – a society of women with the task of teaching poor girls to be good Christian.

We pray that like the charity and wisdom you showed St Angela, this may inspire us to treasure your teaching and express it in our lives.

Our Father …….

School Prayer

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.

May I live it completely for You,

Through you,

With You and in you. Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us. 

Thursday 26^th January 2017

Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, Bishops

Timothy and Titus were disciples and helpers of the apostle Paul.  Timothy was placed in charge of the Church at Ephesus and Titus was in charge of the church at Crete.  St Paul wrote his pastoral letters to them containing a lot of useful advice for the instruction of the clergy and the people in the faith.

We pray that like Timothy and Titus, we will be given the power to preach your word.  Grant that living a life of integrity and holiness in this world, we may through their prayers come to our true home in heaven.

Our Father…..

 School Prayer

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.

May I live it completely for You,

Through you,

With You and in you. Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us. 

Wednesday 25^th January 2017

 The Conversion of St Paul the Apostle

St Paul is undoubtedly one of the most famous people in the history of the Western world. Famously converted on the road to Damascus, he travelled tens of thousands of miles around the Mediterranean spreading the word of Jesus and it was Paul who came up with the doctrine that would turn Christianity from a small sect of Judaism into a worldwide faith that was open to all.

We pray that St Paul will help us to carry your name to the whole world.  Help us to follow in his footsteps by witnessing to your truth before men and women today.

Our Father…..

School Prayer

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.

May I live it completely for You,

Through you,

With You and in you. Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us. 

Monday 23^th January 2017

Daily Scripture Reading – Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea  and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him.  And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him.  And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”  And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

We pray that we will have the strength to give ourselves to God without fear or reservation.  Jesus offered freedom to everyone who sought him out and wherever he went, people came to him because they had heard about his wonderful deeds. May we seek his presence in our lives that he may touch and heal us.

Our Father……..

School Prayer

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.

May I live it completely for You,

Through you,

With You and in you. Amen  

  Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us. 

Friday 20^th January 2017

St Sebastian was a fervent servant of Christ.  Although he did not see any need for combat Sebastian joined the army so that he would be able to aid the confessors and martyrs in their sufferings without suspicion.  He went to Rome, the scene of bitter opposition arising from the Christians’ zeal for the faith. Sebastian was discovered and every effort was made to turn him from his faith but he would not.  He was ordered to be put to a post and pierced with arrows. When everyone thought him dead, a devout woman named Irene arranged for his burial during the night; finding him still alive, she cared for him in her own house. After his recovery the emperor ordered him scourged until he expired. His body was thrown into a sewer.

We reflect today on the suffering of Christ. Following Christ the Suffering Servant, Christians are called to solidarity with all who suffer.

Hail Mary …….

School Prayer

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.

May I live it completely for You,

Through you,

With You and in you. Amen

Thursday 19^th January 2017

St. Canute was king of Denmark.  He opposed the aristocracy and kept a close association with the church in an attempt to create a powerful and centralized monarchy.  Canute generously patronized several churches and supported apostolic preaching throughout Denmark. He was assassinated with the entire royal party at St. Alban’s Church, Odense because of his faith and his zeal in working for its extension in his kingdom.

Canute was buried in St. Alban’s Church which was renamed St. Canute’s Cathedral. Miracles were recorded at his tomb, and, at the request of King Erik III Evergood of Denmark, he was canonized by Pope Paschal II.

Our Father…..

School Prayer

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.

May I live it completely for You,

Through you,

With You and in you. Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us. 

Tuesday 17th January 2017

Memorial of St Anthony, abbot
St. Anthony, the father of monks, retired to the desert at about the age of eighteen in order to live in perfect solitude. “His was a perfectly purified soul. No pain could annoy him, no pleasure bind him. In him was neither laughter nor sadness. The sight of the crowd did not trouble him and the warm greetings of so many men did not move him. In a word, he was thoroughly immune to the vanities of the world, like a man unswervingly governed by reason, established in inner peace and harmony.”
We pray for those in monastic life and pray for a resurgence of vocations to this life.
Our Father …..
School Prayer
Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.
May I live it completely for You,
Through you,
With You and in you. Amen
Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us.

Dear Lord, we pray for peace in our world. Not just the absence of war but good communications and trusting relationships between all nations. We pray that national leaders continue to strive for other ways to end disputes rather than war. Please help us to know what we can do to promote true peace in our world.

God sows in the hearts of those who love him. Our preparations for Christmas often overwhelm us with occasions for waiting. We wait in line at stores. We wait in crowded bus stations, train stations, and traffic jams as we travel. We wait for Christmas bonuses, travelling relatives, online deliveries, the cookies in the oven to finish baking, and Santa. Waiting is not, however, a passive action. Waiting is an opportunity to grow in faith, hope, and love. Advent is a lesson in waiting … dynamic waiting … transformative waiting.

Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Saviour and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Advent is a season of preparation. We prepare our hearts, families, and homes to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child. It’s also a season of waiting.
We wait to celebrate this joyous feast. We wait and keep watch, just like the disciples, for His return.
In the midst of this waiting, we are called to faith …to cultivate confident assurance in the One whose coming we anticipate.
We are called to hope … to look with joy for the fulfilment of the promises of God.
We are called to love … to give to others from the superabundance

Father in heaven, the day draws near when the glory of your Son will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the darkness not blind us to the vision of wisdom which fills the minds of those who find him. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Amen.

Well done to our fabulous Caritas pupils from St Gerard’s and Sacred Heart Parish.  Amy Ellis, Toni Jolly and Caitlin Kilpatrick  led the liturgy, and, Matthew Boyle and Jennifer Borden sung the post communion hymn.

Pope Francis addressed the assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which gathered at the Vatican to discuss “Evolving Concepts of Nature.”
“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,” Pope Francis said.
“He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfilment.”
Let us pray that each one of us, through our belief and trust in God, will reach our full potential.

School Prayer
Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.
May I live it completely for You,
Through you,
With You and in you. Amen

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us.

During this month we remember the Holy Souls in purgatory, especially all of those close to us who have departed in the past year. This month should not be a time of sadness but with a time of renewed confidence that we will meet our loved ones again in our eternal life.
Let us pray,

God our Father, Your power brings us to birth,
Your providence guides our lives and by Your command we return to dust.
Lord, those who die still live in Your presence, their lives change but do not end.
I pray in hope for my family, relatives and friends, and for all the dead known to You alone.
Amen.

School Prayer
Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.
May I live it completely for You,
Through you,
With You and in you. Amen

The Fruit of Silence is Prayer
The Fruit of Prayer is Faith
The Fruit of Faith is Love
The Fruit of Love is Service
The Fruit of Service is Peace

 
Mother Theresa believed that peace begins with a smile. Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. Let us always meet each other with a smile as sometimes the smallest things have the greatest impact.

School Prayer
Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day.
May I live it completely for You,
Through you,
With You and in you. Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us.

Every person is called by God for a particular purpose, for a specific vocation within their life. God calls all of us to lead a holy and faithful life, but He may call some of us to find that holiness as a priest or as a religious brother or sister. Today we pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Let us pray: Father, You call all who believe in You to grow perfect in love by following in the footsteps of Christ your Son. May those whom You have chosen to serve You as religious provide by their way of life a convincing sign of your kingdom for the Church and the whole world. Amen.

School Prayer Lord, I thank you for bringing me to another day. May I live it completely for You, Through you, With You and in you. Amen

Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for Us.