Prayer Service for a Community Catholic Education Week Gathering

Prayer Service for a Community Catholic Education Week Gathering

Prayer Service for a Community Catholic Education Week Gathering

Preparations

If you wish to incorporate music into the prayer service, consider using these songs:

  • All Are Welcome – David Haas
  • Anthem – Tom Conry
  • Gather Us In – Marty Haugen
  • Go Make a Difference – Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomasek
  • God is Love – David Haas
  • God’s Love is Everlasting – Tom Tomazek
  • One Bread, One Body – J. Foley
  • Send Us Your Spirit – David Haas
  • Shepherd Me O God – Marty Haugen
  • Song of the Body of Christ – David Haas
  • Table of Plenty – Dan Schutte
  • The Cry of the Poor – John Foley SJ
  • The Servant Song – David Haas
  • The Summons – John Bell
  • Ubi Caritas – Taizé
  • Veni Sancte Spititus – Taizé
  • Voices that Challenge – David Haas
  • We are Called – David Haas
  • You are Mine – David Haas
  • You are the Voice – David Haas
  • World Peace Prayer – Marty Haugen

You may want to project images of students learning, playing, gathering, praying and celebrating as a background to one of these songs.

A prayer focus such as a school altar may be decorated with white cloth for the Easter Season, flowers or other Easter symbols of new life; symbols of the Spirit such as a dove or a flame; a Bible, candle and Crucifix; symbols of learning such as books, globe, ball, keyboard.

OPENING PRAYER

+Come Holy Spirit,

fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them, the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Holy Spirit, protect us and bless us this year as we live in your love.

Amen

READING:Ezekiel 36:24-28

Thus says the Lord:

‘I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you and a new Spirit I will put within you and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people and I will be your God.’

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

The response is‘God hear us’.

Celebrant:Ever living and ever loving God, coming together in prayer, we entrust to you ourselves, our neighbours, the Church and the entire human race, imploring your mercies and your blessings.God hear us.

Reader:For the Church, that your Spirit of hospitality flow out of all our doors to welcome God’s people, we pray, God hear us.

Reader:For our parish, our community, our First Nations peoples, our province, our country, all people of the world, that your Spirit of understanding removes unjust barriers of fear and discrimination, we pray, God hear us.

Reader: For our school, may your Spirit of wisdom flow through the classrooms, halls and grounds of this Holy place of learning, we pray, God hear us.

Reader:For our students and staff, may your Spirit of justice spark acts of healing, reconciliation and peacemaking in our schools, we pray, God hear us.

Reader:For our families, may your Spirit of gratitude touch our hearts so that we give thanks for all the gifts with which you bless us, we pray, God hear us.

Celebrant:Hear, O Lord, the prayers humbly offered by your Church and grant them according to your will, for they are made in the name of your beloved Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER

Jesus, send us your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

You know our strengths and weaknesses.

Transform us into messengers of your Gospel for those who yearn for you.

Jesus, send us your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

You know our history, with its beautiful and painful experiences.

Help us to be untiring promoters of a society based on love, justice and peace.

Jesus, send us your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

You know our longing for love and community.

Make us instruments of unity and service, especially for those who are weak and those who are lonely.

We pray in the Spirit of your love.

+Amen

Source: Catholic Youth Bible, St. Mary’s Press

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