The Spiritual Theme for this year is “Restore One Another in a Spirit of Gentleness”
Galatians 6 New Living Translation (NLT)
We Harvest What We Plant
1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone
“Restore One Another in a Spirit of Gentleness.”
Call to Prayer:
This year’s spiritual theme is based on Galatians 6 where Paul reminds the community to overcome differences, restore one another with gentleness and bear each other’s burdens. Let us take a moment in silence to centre ourselves and consider this beginning as a time to commit to restoration in its many facets.
Leader: In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love For it is in giving that we receive- it is in pardoning that we are pardoned. And it’s in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
Opening Prayer: God of the seasons, thank you for the gifts of community and the relationships that bring joy to our lives. Give us your wisdom to face challenges and hardships as we live in community that coming school year. We make this prayer in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Amen A Reflection on Forgiveness from the book, “Forgiveness: One Step at a Time” by Fr. F. Joseph Sica
To Forgive Is not to forget
To Forgive
Is really to remember That nobody is perfect That each of us stumbles When we want so much to stay upright That each of us says things We wise we had never said That we can all forget that love Is more important than being right.
To forgive Is really to remember That we are so much more Than our mistakes That we are often more kind and caring That accepting another’s flaws Can help us accept our own.
To forgive Is to remember That the odds are pretty good that We might soon need to be forgiven ourselves That life sometimes gives us more than we can handle gracefully.
To forgive Is to remember That we have room in Our hearts to Begin again And again And again.
A Litany for Peace
Please respond ‘Lord, make us instruments of peace.”
When there is conflict that seems insurmountable. We pray. R
When we are overwhelmed by demands and busyness, bring us to a calm place. We pray. R
When there is illness and for those who are suffering whom we hold in prayer now. We pray. R
For the students and families in our care and for our work for their wellbeing. We pray. R
For our Church, for pastors, for faith communities, that healing may come to challenging situations. We pray. R
For Pope Francis, Archbishop Prendergast and our pastor, that they may find joy in their ministries and support from community. We pray. R
Let us join in the prayer our Saviour modelled for us…..OUR FATHER…
A Communal Blessing…..Together…let us pray: Lord, bless us as you bless our land with the seasons. Be with us in our joyous moments and strengthen us in our challenges. Hold us in your care and restore us when we stray. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen Let us offer one another a sign of peace…..
Beautiful words of God.