Term 4 Week 37 |
13-17 NOVEMBER
ORDINARY TIME |
Sunday
|
32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Matthew 25: 1-13 Gospel Reflection "The consequences of being and not being attentive to the one who loves us. The oil is the anointing of Godʼs Spirit that fills the hearts of those who respond in love to the invitation to be with the bridegroom. Of course one cannot give oneʼs oil to another any more than one person can love for another. We are ultimately responsible for our own personal attitude". (From Michael Fallon msc) God, how attentive am I to the one who loves me? |
Monday
|
Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
Review two different translations of the Psalm for the day – Psalm 139 - and allow students to choose which translation speaks most strongly to them. Rewrite this psalm as a personal prayer to God, staying faithful to the concepts expressed in the psalm. (Psalms can also be illustrated and laminated.) |
Tuesday
|
sk students to find a quiet space and sit, lie or stand in stillness and silence for one or two mintues. "Notice your breathing, happening without you even thinking about it. Imagine that every time you breathe in you are breathing in God's love, goodness and peace. Imagine that every time you breath out you are breathing out anything that is worrying you. Focus carefully on every breath in, and every breath out, and notice how calm and peaceful you begin to feel". (Prayer tip: Students who have poor core muscle strength cannot physically sit still for long without needing to move, so standing or lying in a sensible space will enable them to achieve stillness.)
|
Wednesday
|
Who in the world needs our prayers today? Ask students to think about their families, their school community; people in Australia and people throughout the world. Who might need to feel God's love today? Who might need to sense God's justice today? Who might need God's wisdom today? Who might be feeling lonely; unsafe; scared; worried; deeply sad; hungry; fearful or be in pain today? Invite students to write one word on a card to describe who needs God's help today (e.g people who are feeling _______). Brainstorm different names for God (e.g. God of Love, God of Wisdom; Creator God; God of Peace...). Invite students to choose a name for God to go with the issue that they want to pray about today and write this as a sentence. 'God of Hope, I pray for people who are feeling hungry today'. (Older students can elaborate on their sentence, such as 'God of Hope, I pray for people who are feeling hungry today, because they are living in the midst of drought and famine'.) Students take turns to pray their prayer, and also moments of silence for all students to pray this prayer silently.
|
Thursday
|
Read the First Reading of the day Wis 7:22b–8:1. What can we learn about God from this reading? What can we learn about God's wisdom?
Ask students to think of a situation in life where they need God's wisdom at the moment. Invite them to write a script between themselves and God. For example: Lucas: God, I'm not sure what subjects to choose for next year. God: What are you thinking about? Lucas: I'm trying to choose between.... God: Students spontaneously write whatever they believe God would really say to them. When the script comes to a natural conclusion read it from the start, and then silently thank God for the wisdom imparted through this prayer. |
Friday
|
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Students to move into groups of 4 or 5. Reflect on the people who've made our world a better place, and spent much of their lives helping others to have a better quality life. Ask each group to identify three different qualities of such people, then complete the following three lines: God, we give thanks for those who have shown _________ in our world. God, we give thanks for those who have shown ___________ in our world. God, we give thanks for those who have _________ in our world. (Mercy; compassion; love; justice; faithfulness). For the last line elaborate more, such as, 'God, we give thanks for those who have had the courage to care in our world'. Each group say the prayer for the whole class or in their groups. |