A Suggested Eucharistic/Prayer Celebration for Large Assembly for Elementary Schools
“Exploring Paths of Joy” is the theme for Catholic Education Week 2015. During this week of celebration there will be opportunities to gather in small and large groups to pray and celebrate liturgy. The following liturgical outline can be used in its entirety, for a Eucharistic Liturgy, or adapted to suit the need of the elementary school community as a prayer service.
Creating Sacred Space (especially in a gymnasium)
Setting the environment for worship is an important part of the liturgy. The Bible, cross and candles are symbols that can also be incorporated in breaking open the subthemes of the week.
Examples of symbols that can be used to reinforce the subthemes of “Paths of Joy.” These can be processed during the call to worship.
Walking Together and Sharing our Story: a cross, our reminder of the unconditional love of Christ.
Opening the Scriptures: a short lecturn put in place to receive the Word of God.
Welcoming Others to the Table: a banner of a school club that expresses an invitation to community.
Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread: A basket of pita bread, or a cup and plate representative of the Last Supper.
Proclaiming the Good News: a children’s News Bible.
Ideally, these symbols are already present in the space before the celebration formally begins. The liturgical colour is white because we are in the Easter season.
Preparing the Roman Missal
Collect for Friday May 8: page 402; Easter Preface I-V, pages 534-543 or 584.
Preparing the Lectionary
Readings: no. 290, page 566 or use the ones below and place them in a white binder
Outline for Eucharistic/prayer liturgy
Opening Songs (as chosen from your repertoire)
Some suggestions: I’ve Got That Joy, Joy, Joy
Shine, Jesus, Shine – Graham Kendrick
Lift Up Your Hearts – Roc O’Connor, SJ
Preparation of the Gifts (as chosen from your repertoire)
Some suggestions: Prayer of St. Francis (Make Me a Channel of Your Peace)
-Sebastian Temple
Two Were Bound for Emmaus – Bob Hurd
Communion Songs (as chosen from school repertoire)
Some suggestions: We Have Alleluia! - Dan Smith from
the Gr.2 Born of the Spirit series
Table of Plenty-Dan Schutte
We Come to Your Feast-Michael Joncas
Bread for the World-Bernadette Farrell
Closing Songs (as chosen from school repertoire)
Some suggestions: Exploring Paths of Joy by Nancy Bodsworth:
Catholic Education Week Song
Siyahumba
This Little Light of Mine
In the chart below are the readings as outlined in the Ordo. The readings for the Friday liturgy have been printed for you. The print is large so it is easier to read for the celebration. The readings have been placed on separate pages for ease of the students and staff who are reading.
Readings for CEW weekdays
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Theme- Exploring Paths of JoyActs
14:5-18 / Acts 14:19-28 / Acts
15:1-6 / Acts
15:7-21 / Acts 15:22-31 / Phil. 2:1-5
Ps. 115: 1-2, 3-4, 15-16 (R. 1) / Ps. 145: 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd+21
(R. 12a) / Ps. 122: 1-2, 3-4a, 4b-5 (R. 1) / Ps. 96: 1-2a, 2b-3, 10 (R. 3) / Ps. 57:7, 8, 9-10, 11 (R. 9a) / Ps. 16:7-8, 9, 11
(R. 11b)
Jn. 14:21-26 / Jn. 14:27-31a / Jn. 15:1-8 / Jn. 15:9-11 / Jn. 15: 12-17 / Lk. 24:13-35
Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. / Your friends tell the glory of your kingship, Lord / Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. / Proclaim God’s marvellous deeds to all the nations. / I will praise you among the nations, O Lord. / In your presence there is fullness of joy, O Lord
Call to Prayer: “Exploring Paths of Joy” is the theme for Catholic Education Week 2015. Pope Francis has written a letter entitled; ‘The Joy of the Gospel.’ During this Education Week, we explore the many ways that we see the joy of faith alive in Gospel accounts and in the life of the apostles. How do we feel this joy today?
Please join in welcoming our pastor and join in our opening hymn…
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Then the apostles and the elders,
with the consent of the whole church,
decided to choose men from among their members and
to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers,with the following letter:
“The brothers, both the apostles and the elders,
to the believersof Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us,
have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds,
we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas,
who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and
to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials:
that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and
from blood and from what is strangledand from fornication.
If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
So they were sent off and went down to Antioch.
When they gathered the congregation together,
they delivered the letter.
When its membersread it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 57)
Our response to the psalm is:
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations.
My heart is steadfast, O God,
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody. R.
Awake, my soul!Awake, O harp and lyre!I will awake the dawn. R.
I will sing praises to you among the nations;
for your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds. R.
Gospel Acclamation: a suitable acclamation for the Easter season may be sung
A reading from the Holy gospel according to John
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.You are my friends if you do what I command you.I do not call you servantsany longer, because the servantdoes not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection/Homily: Presider
Prayers of the Faithful
Our response to each prayer is: Lord, hear our prayer.
For our Church,
that it continue to be the messenger of pathways to joy in our
world. We pray to the Lord. R.
For world and community leaders,
that they continue to lead their citizens with a focus on peace
and the common good. We pray to the Lord. R.
For the poor, the lonely,
the forgotten and the struggling,
that they find support and comfort in community and concern for their human dignity. We pray to the Lord. R.
For our community gathered here,
that we may grow in faith persevering in love and in joy.
We pray to the Lord. R
If this is a Eucharist, continue with Mass.
If this is a Prayer service, pray the Our Father then close with the following prayer:
God of grace and goodness,
like the disciples on the road to Emmaus
we walk together this year.
You are the source of joy in our lives.
As we share in Word and sacrament,
let us hold on to the truth that you are always with us.
You love us, forgive us, and nourish us.
Inspire us to proclaim this Good News with our witness and words
so others may say “were not our hearts burning within us.” Amen+