O God of all beginnings and endings, we praise and thank you for the gift of this school year.

This year has been a time filled with grace and blessings, with challenges and opportunities, joys and sorrows. 

We are grateful for each day. 

As we begin this much needed Summer break, give us the rest and refreshment we need.  Bring all of our plans to a joyful conclusion and watch over us in the weeks of rest ahead.

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

In today's prayer we invite the Creator to enjoy the goodness and joy of this week with us.  Our capacity for friendship, enjoyment and appreciation are among the simplest ways to enjoy greater connection with the one who made us.

For the goodness hidden in every moment and every relationship we give thanks.

Let us pray,

Creator God, we come before you, we invite you, by your Spirit, to be among us again today. We ask you, Spirit of God, to enjoy our fellowship today; to enjoy being with us: to enjoy the praises we sing; to enjoy the words we speak. We ask you, Spirit of God, to help us respond to our Creator's love. We ask this in the name of Jesus. 

(Prayer by Ray Minniecon 

Australian Indigenous Elder and Christian Pastor)

As we make our way through the next few days trying to find the balance between the hope of much needed rest and the effort needed to bring this school year to a successful close, we might find ourselves with a conflicting mix of restless energy and feelings of anticipation.  

It's in times like this that we need to hear again the words of St. Paul: 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

So let us bring all that we are, all that we hope for and all that we need into this moment prayer.  

Let us pray,

Lord God, you welcome us just as we are, you know what upsets our peace and what causes us to lose hope.  Nothing is beyond your concern and so we entrust everything to care.  As we pour our hearts to you, pour your peace, a peace that surpassses all understadning, into us.  

In your kindness, we trust you to lead us into the rest we long for and refreshment we look forward to.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As we continue our reflection on the symbolism of the Sacred Heart, we notice that the Sacred Heart is surrounded by flames.  Flames intended to offer light to a world darkened by division and self-interest; flames intended to offer warmth to a world that too often is cold, flames intense enough enough to burn off indifference.

Let us pray,

Sacred Heart of Jesus, shed your light on us and warm our hearts anew.  Burn away the indifference that keeps us from taking interest in the circumstances and suffering of others.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As we prepare ourselves for the feast of The Sacred Heart this Friday, we continue our reflection on the symbolism of this amazing sign of divine love made present among us.

The Sacred Heart is portrayed as encircled by a crown of thorns. It's an unexpected kind of crown for an unexpected kind of king.  Compared to any worldly kingdom, the kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom where worldly values and priorities are reversed.  Where those who need the most love get the most love.

In our hearts we know this is how love should work, but we know also that it doesn't always work this way.  Choosing to love those who need it most (no matter what others think), is a sure sign the Kingdom of God has come close to us.

Let us pray,

Sacred Heart of Jesus, your teachings so clearly run counter to the way things are usually done in our world. Whenever people are mocked, marginalised, bullied or rejected in any way, help us to boldly love those who need it most.   

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

This Father's day weekend we celebrate all fathers, fathers-to-be, step-fathers, fatherly-figures, mentors and role models. We also celebrate our spiritual fathers and the fatherly heart of God that always welcomes each one of us as beloved children.

Let us pray,

Loving God, we lift up all fathers, grandfathers, and all those who reveal your loving heart to us. We ask that you bless them and give them great joy and peace. May they always enjoy the adventure of fatherhood, now and in the days to come.

As we pray,

Notre Père, qui es aux cieux, Que ton nom soit sanctifié, Que ton règne vienne, Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel. Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour. Pardonne-nous nos offences Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés. Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation, mais délivre-nous du mal,

Amen

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avons confiance en tois.

There is a story about a little girl drawing a picture with her crayons.  Her teacher asked, "What are you drawing?"  The Little girl replied, "I'm drawing God."  The teacher remarked, "No one really knows what God looks like." The little girl looked up and said: "They will when I'm done."  

I wonder if Jesus could have said the same.  

The image of the Sacred Heart is a sketch of divine love; of a tangible kind of love that dared to enter into the human condition; a love that didn't hesitate to feel the full weight of the human experience, including suffering and injustice.   Love like that makes God visible.

Let us pray,

Sacred Heart of Jesus you reveal the closeness of God’s heart to the human condition.  Thankfully your love goes beyond what we can imagine is possible.   At times your love comforts us and reassures us beyond words, but your love also unsettles us and challenges us to love beyond our weaknesses, our selfishness, our complacency and our pride.  Your love makes it possible to open our eyes and our hearts to the fulness of reality and all that it asks of us.  

This past year our hearts have felt the weight of injustice and as a result have learned to beat in solidarity with the marginalised, the vulnerable and the afflicted. 

As we pray for victims of injustice, especially the victims and survivors of residential schools in Canada, we pray that in the work of truth and reconciliation our hearts will become more like yours; more compassionate; more active; more divine; more human.

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

This coming Sunday (Trinity Sunday) is set aside every year to shake up our thinking about God.

The Trinity reveals God more as a verb than a noun, but we rarely speak about God that way in either our preaching or our prayers. God is three “relations,” which itself is mind-boggling for most believers...(ultimately this surprising way of naming God)... names everything correctly at the core—from atoms, to ecosystems, to galaxies...Everything is in relationship and nothing stands alone. (Richard Rohr)

Prions,

"Dieu, Seigneur de toute la création, amoureux de la vie et de tout, aide-nous s'il te plaît à aimer à notre toute petite manière ce que tu aimes infiniment et partout. 

We thank You that we can offer just this one prayer and that will be more than enough,  because in reality every thing and every one is connected, and nothing stands alone.

Prier pour une partie, c'est vraiment prier pour la totalité, et c'est ce que nous faisons. 

Help us each day to stand for love, for healing, for the good, for the diverse unity of the Body of Christ and all creation, because we know this is what You desire: as Jesus prayed, that all may be one."

(Center for Action and Contemplation)

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, Nous avons confiance en tois. 

The month of June, also known as the month of the strawberry moon according to Anishinaabe tradition, is a wonderful reminder of how we might live out this month together.

The strawberry known by many as the heart berry "...reminds us of reconciliation and teaches us how to maintain heartfelt relationships in our families and communities. During the strawberry harvest in June, many communities hold annual feasts, welcoming everyone home, and letting go of differences, judgment and self-righteousness."

(information provided

by Wabano Center for Indigenous Health) 

Let us pray, 

Creator, the teachings of the strawberry are fitting for all of us right now.  May this final month of our school year be a time to reach out and make one anther feel at home, to let go of differences, judgement and self-righteousness.  Throughout this month, let’s be reminded of strawberry moon teachings and how much we need the medicine of reconciliation and forgiveness to maintain personal balance and connection with our communities 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Yesterday we spoke about how love is the starting point or the “motor” of our spiritual lives and that without love we can't get anywhere.

There will be times in our lives when we forget to begin in love, that is when the Holy Spirit reminds us to begin again.

As Pope Francis pointed out in his Pentecost message: "We always remember the things that go wrong; we listen to the voice within us that reminds us of our failures and failings, the voice that keeps saying: “Look, yet another failure, yet another disappointment. You will never succeed; you cannot do it.” This is a terrible thing to be told. Yet the Holy Spirit tells us something completely different. He reminds us: “Have you fallen? You are a son or daughter of God. You are a unique, elect, precious and beloved child. Even when you lose confidence in yourself, God has confidence in you!” This is the “memory” of the Spirit, what the Spirit constantly reminds us: God knows you. You may forget about God, but God does not forget about you. God remembers you always." 

(Pope Francis)

Let us pray,

Spirit of God, Memory of God, Gift of Love, you reminds us of the tremendous gift of love offered to us in Jesus.  

O Comforter, heal and set us free from the hurtful memories that hold us captive and twist our understanding of ourselves and others.  You give us the permission to hold onto what really matters; to the love of God that sets our  lives in order; that teaches us to accept one another, to forgive one another and to forgive ourselves; a love that teaches us to be reconciled with the past. And to set out anew. 

Come Holy Spirit, we need you to be our memory today,

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

"Deep respect and honor is always due to those created in the image of God... To speak poetically, we are formed from God’s good earth, with the wind of God—our immortal soul—breathed in. Any heart can be fertile soil for the seed of the Kingdom of God." (Eden's Invitation.) 

You and I are sacred ground.  But if this is meant to be more than a nice idea, we must ask ourselves, what does it mean to  reverence each other (including ourselves) as holy ground?  What might it mean to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of another?

Perhaps it means stepping outside of my own head, my own preferences, my own worldview so that we might be in touch with what is sacred in another.  To encounter the sacred is to discover a beloved being both unique and unrepeatable.

Removing our sandals involves respect and humility. It's about seeking to first understand (before being understood). It's about being empathetic in burden-bearing and taking care of each other. It's about taking a step back from one's own demands to respect the freedom of the other. (Cf. Eden's Invitation)

Let us pray,

Maker of life, Giver of Breath, give us the wisdom to remove our sandals as we stand before one another today. 

We believe each person (without exception) is a beloved blend of God's good earth with the wind of God breathed in.  That is what we are.  That is why we remove our sandals.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

There are many simple and creative ways “to protect the

earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations”

(Laudato Si’ 67).

Our generation has been given an opportunity to pause; to consider where we are heading and perhaps even kick-start new habits to help preserve and care for our common home.  It is immense privilege to be born into this time.

Creator,

Help us to attune our hearts and minds to the song of creation; to the great mystery imprinted across the cosmos.  May it's song stir us to gratitude and praise for such a precious gift that has the power to awaken in us an incredible sense of fellowship with every part of creation.   

Great Mystery, help us to "approaches life with serene attentiveness... which accepts each moment as a gift from you to be lived to the full.” (Laudato Si’226) 

Today's special intentions:

For access to clean water for all peoples in Canada and in the world, We pray to the Lord. 

For the healing of our world and the wise utilization of the earth’s resources based on need and not on greed, We pray to the Lord. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you

For many last week was really challenging, for others it was much less so, but if you sift through all the memories, all the ups and downs; what will you hold onto?  

Did the events of last week inspire you to look at things differently or even move you to think about living in a new way.  Perhaps it taught you about the fragility of so many things we take for granted or the unexpected strength and generosity of the people you barely knew.  Maybe it taught you something about yourself, the power of nature or the goodness of the community you live in.   

As we start this day with a moment of gratefulness and awareness, we invite the creator to enjoy it with us. 

Let us pray,

Creator God we come before you, we invite you, by your Spirit to be among us again today. We ask you, Spirit of God, to enjoy our fellowship today; to enjoy being with us: to enjoy the words we speak; to enjoy the way we make ourselves available to one another; to enjoy the moments we stop to admire the beauty in this world.  

We ask you, Spirit of God, to help us respond to our Creator's love. We ask this in the name of Jesus. 

(adapted from a prayer Ray Minniecon)

Sacred Heart of jesus we place our trust in you

Has arguing about beliefs caused a strain in your relationship with a loved one? If so, what could you do today, to loosen the grip of the argument on your mind and on your relationship? (Randy Woodley, #67 Tolerance)

Let us pray,

Great Mystery, I am humbled that I will never know everything about the people I share life with, but I am grateful that your plan includes getting to know them a little more each day.

Creator God, let me hear an echo of your voice in the voice of my neighbour today calling me to greater understanding and connection.  

We look forward to learning something new today.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

"Great Mystery, I am humbled that I will never know everything about you, but I am grateful that through the lives of the other I can know more of you..."  

I thank you for those who are like me, but I especially thank you for those who are different than me... It is the you in the other that I most value Great Mystery." (Randy Woodley)

Creator God,  we are grateful that through the lives of others we can know more of you.

We look forward to getting to know you better today.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As we begin a new week, we pray for more love in our world and in our hearts, we pray for a movement of peace to rise in us and among us as we confront the challenges and brokenness of this world.  We pray that every work of change needed in this world would find its origin in your loving plan of mercy and reconciliation.  When we find ourselves discouraged or overwhelmed by an undisguised disregard for human dignity and life, you ignite a spirit of unity and prayer within us.  

Let us pause now as we call to mind the persons and situations most in need of our prayers and love today.

Lord, thank you for helping us to pray with more love in our hearts. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, We place our trust in you.

On this feast of our Lady of Fatima, we remember the urgent call to pray for peace in this world, for the conversion of hearts and the disarmament of nations capable of not only harming their enemies, but the entire world. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus says, “They will be called the sons and daughters of the God of peace.”  

Let this be our prayer: to be children of the God of Peace.

Prions,

Jésus donne nous ta grâce; pour que nous puissions vous voir tel que vous êtes réellement; donne-nous un cœur pur et confiant; donne nous un cœur sans soucis, sans distraction, sans découragement et sans lourdeur. Donne-nous tout ce que nous avons besoin pour aime les une les autres.

Sacré-Cœur de Jésus, nous avon confiance en vous.

At the beginning of May, Pope Francis asked people around the world to pray the Rosary for peace every day in May. 

The Rosary is by its nature a prayer for peace... peace for the world and peace for those who pray it.

Let us pray,

Lord when our arms cannot reach the people we hold close to our hearts, may we embrace them in our prayers.   

We pray for more peace in our families, our friendships, among nations and within our hearts.  We know that by praying for peace we allow you to enter our time so that you can transform our everyday experiences into places where the Spirit of peace is welcome.  

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Note: With so much going on in the world and so many needs to pray for, join us every Thursday at lunch  in the chapel for a student-led rosary and time of prayer.  All are welcome. 

Gracious God, You created us for joy and peace. For the days when we have so many questions and concerns you give us the gift of hope. 

Lord God we place before you the needs of our world, our province and the needs of our community.  We want to bring all our intentions and needs into your presence; so that your presence which is larger, stronger, and quieter can come flowing in. 

Continue to watch over us and guide us.  Bring wisdom to our leaders, decision makers and give strength to those who serve the health of our community.

Bring healing to those who are ill and protect those who are most at risk. 

Continue to draw us together and unite us in our daily efforts to learn together and care for one another.  

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

Creator, we give you thanks for all you are and all you bring to us for our visit within your creation. In Jesus, you place the Gospel in the centre of this Sacred Circle through which all of creation is related. You show us the way to live a generous and compassionate life. Give us your strength to live together with respect and commitment as we grow in your Spirit, for you are God, now and forever. Amen. 

The Gathering Prayer 

As we wrap up this amazing Catholic education week with the most anticipated and delicious event of the year, our annual cake auction, we need to take a moment to give thanks for all the bakers, makers and builders of cakes, all the door-knocking, fund-collecting and gift-giving members of our community that have shown such community and school spirit to support an impressive list of charities and many important causes.   We are grateful for the opportunity to lend our support and give back to our local and global community.

Prions,

Dieu créateur, bénis notre communauté à travers cette expérience. Continuez à nous utiliser pour bénir les autres à travers de nos talents. Merci pour cette belle vie que nous partageons.

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avon confiance en tois.

Translation: Creator God, bless our community through this experience. continue to use us to bless others through our talents and gifts. Thank you for this wonderful life that we share.  

Our theme today is: Restore! Together as a community, as we discern the truth and as we reflect and grow in understanding, we hope to unlearn our internal biases.  Let us be mindful of the words of Pope Francis: “A love capable of transcending borders is the basis of what can be called ‘social friendship.’ Genuine social friendship within a society makes true universal openness possible.” (Fratelli Tutti, No. 99). (pause …. ) 

Our question for reflection is: what biases do we need to unlearn in order to be more inclusive? 

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, Master Teacher and Saviour, guide us as we unlearn biases that keep us from welcoming each other and your image and likeness in our neighbour. Give us the courage and strength to restore relationships that need care and healing, and nurture us to Rebuild, Restore and Renew together, now and always. For this, we ask your blessings. Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

Note: Thursday May 5th is "Red Dress Day" - a day to call for action on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Consider and learning about this important issue and wearing a red shirt tomorrow to show your support and raise awareness. 

This week is given to us to rebuild, renew, and restore together.  There is a key insight hidden in the prefix of each of the theme words.  The "re" in rebuild, renew, and restore is all about going back and doing again the things we enjoy.  It's about remembering good memories, returning to places we've always wanted to go back to and spending time reconnecting to the people, places and traditions we love.  

Let us pray to really live the insights contained in these important ideas.  We pray for inspiration and a sense of purpose and opportunity to intentionally go back and do again all the things that give us life and bring us joy and fill our days with gratitude.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you

Today marks the start of Catholic Education Week, which means our week will be filled with special events, prayers and activities such as the staff and student hockey game, celebrating award winning staff and teachers and not least of all enjoying delicious cake and the satisfaction of knowing that we are making a difference in the lives so people through all the charities and organizations we support.

I think this years' education week theme: Rebuild, Restore, Renew Together captures our hopes for this week and offers a fitting place to open up today's prayer. 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Creator God you "make all things new" (Rev. 21:5), may the events and activities of this week; the conversations and connections we enjoy and the people we celebrate reminds us of the goodness of being together, the joy of sharing life even with all its ups and downs and most of all may it reminds us that we share life with so many caring and good-hearted people.  If we have overlooked one another in any way, been too busy to spend time together or mistreated anyone or taken anyone for granted, guide us this week as we rebuild, restore and renew together. 

Creator God, "make all things new".

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you. 

It is impressive to see how prayer opens one’s eyes to nature. Prayer makes a person contemplative and attentive. 

(Henri Nouwen)

If you spend quiet-time outdoors (with an open-mind), you begin to realise that nature itself is a wonderful language of prayer.  Perhaps that's why  many people feel closest to God outside. Nature itself is a language that has been heard and spoken all around the world for millennia.  It is a universal language that has been translated into many cultures and spoken languages; you might even say that nature is the mother tongue given to the human family.

In a world of many beautiful languages and mass communication, are we forgetting our first language?  

As we begin our day, let us stand with hands and hearts open to the sacred speech preserved in the natural world. 

Prions,

Dieu créateur, le monde naturel nous apporte la son de ta voix chaques jours. Aide-nous aujourd'hui à être attentifs aux professeurs inattendus que tu nous envoies. Que les cedres, les pomme de pin, les rouge-gorge et le vent nous apprennent a nouveau notre première langage (une language oublié) afin que nous puissions apprendre à bien vivre sur cette terre et à vivre en paix avec toutes les membre de ta famille.

Translation: Creator God, the natural world carries your voice to us.  Help us to be attentive to unexpected teachers you send us today.  May the cedar tree, the pinecone, the robin and the wind teach us our forgotten language so that we might learn to live well upon this land and live in peace with the entire human family.

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avon confiance en tois.

Have you ever looked up the meaning of your name? Have you ever had your name mispronounced or been teased because of it?  The name by which we are known is a powerful thing.  You might even say, our name is a sacred reality that needs to be treated with reverence and care.

Let us pray.

Creator God, each of us is known to you by name.  When I feel lost, help me to remember the true sound of my name.   

As I rise each day, may I speak be the first to speak my name to you (as it ought to be spoken), as a prayer of gratitude; as a record of my presence and a remembrance of my relationship to those who have spoken my name in love.   

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you.

Today is administrative professionals day, a day to honour and show our appreciation for the amazing administrative staff that keep us connected, organized and well-cared for.

Take a moment today to thank all those wonderful people who greet and guide us each day from the main office, student services and the learning commons.

Let us pray,

Loving God, bless in a special way all our administrative professionals who bless us with their gracious smiles, welcoming words and generous assistance each and every day.  Without them we simply could not succeed. We rely upon their grace under pressure and their never-failing commitment. Strengthen them when they need your strength, console them when their need your compassion,and always build them up as your faithful stewards tasked with your own compassionate work among us.

We ask this in the name of your Son and in your Spirit, God forever and ever.

Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Jesus, you passed through the towns and villages "healing every sickness and every infirmity among the people." »

Heal those who are sick.

Heal us from fear, which prevents us from working together and helping each other.

Jesus, healer of all, remain with us today.

Grant us rest and restoration in the days ahead...

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our rust in you.

A sure sign of having a good time is that we don't want it to end.   We want the good things in life to last.

Seven days ago we found ourselves  preparing for a much needed Easter weekend and  like many of the good things we experienced during Holy week we could say it's finished, but the purpose of this week is to realize that it's not over.   

After the events of Good Friday, it took the disciples of Jesus a few days to realize that Jesus was alive.  Day by day, it would become clearer that in Christ all that is beautiful can last.

Let us pray,

Lord, as your friends and disciples discovered that your gift of life; your willingness to face reality in all its aspects, makes it possible for the most beautiful things in life to last.  Your resurrection offers us the same hope they found.  

In the days ahead, as we compare our own experiences to the hope you offer, may we discover that nothing can separate us from this wonderful hope we find in you.

Today, we pray for  those who doubt their value or worth.  

Let us pray,

Dear God,  inspire us and lead us to speak and act in such a way that everyone can know with certainty that they chosen and loved by you.   

In your Sacred Heart we find comfort and kindness. Let your light shine on us and warm our hearts anew.  Enkindle in us a love that shines brightly for those most in need of reassurance and acceptance today.  Make us more like you.  Increase our ability to welcome and understand one another.  

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As the days grow warmer and the signs of spring greet us more and more each day, we take a moment to pause in gratitude for beauty and goodness of the natural world around us.

Each change in the season is fresh opportunity to remind ourselves that nature is more than a nice backdrop for a selfie.  The beauty and goodness of the landscape can be enjoyed for no other reason than the fact that it is beautiful and good.

Let us pray,

Creator God, we stand in reverence before the awesome gift of our common home.   Goodness and beauty are present throughout the universe and can be found even in the smallest of your creatures. You supply all that exists with significance and importance.  Let a sense of wonder and reverence be renewed in us; a reverence that protects life and all forms of beauty. And let us live more and more with a deep respect for land we inhabit.    

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you. 

Dear God,

Speak gently in my silence.

When the loud outer noises of my surroundings

and the loud inner noises of my fears

keep pulling me away from you,

help me to trust that you are still there

even when I am unable to hear you.

Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:

“Come to me, you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest . . . for I am gentle and humble of heart.” Let that loving voice be my guide.

Source: Henri Nouwen

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Faith leads a us to see one another through the lense of family; to recognize one another as brothers or sisters to be supported and loved.   This is the basis of the social friendship that unites us and renders us equal.

As Christians enter the final week of Lent leading up to Holy week, we unite ourselves in a spirit of friendship and prayer with all Muslims just beginning the 30 days of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.  

Let us pray for one another and let us express mutual support as we enter more fully into these holy days.

Let us pray,

God of Mercy, may acts of friendship between Christians and Muslims be a sign of the closeness "between all who believe that you have created us to understand one another, cooperate with one another and live as brothers and sisters who love one another." (Joint Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together)

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

In prayer what we think, or the kinds of thoughts we think, are not as important as the confidence we have in the one we share these thoughts with.  

When we pray we tend to divide our thoughts into two piles, the thoughts we can share with God and the ones we think we should keep to ourselves.  At first, the two piles aren't equal in size.   A lot more goes into the pile of things not to share.  But it's the things we hesitate to share that are usually the most important to us.   

Over time, and with a little encouragement from those who pray, the size of the piles get reversed until eventually everything goes into a single pile.  With a prayerful mindset all  our thoughts: the beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud or shameful, sad or joyful can be shared in the presence of God.

Let us pray,

Lord, when we are tempted to hold back our thoughts from you or pre-judge the things we have to share as unfit for prayer, we remove you from our daily life and place you in a nice little pious box.  But as we learn to trust you, we begin to open up our lives to you and discover your presence in all of it.

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

The season of Lent offer us the chance to make changes that will help us grow spiritually.   

But it's hard to live a spiritual life without a supportive environment, just like it's hard for a seed to grow if soil conditions aren't right.   For example, it's easier to pray when others pray with us.  It's easier to grow closer to God if the people we live with don't ridicule the idea of a loving God.   

Although we can't always guarantee a supportive environment for ourselves, we do have options to improve it.  We can choose friends, books, churches, art, music, places to visit and people to be with, that taken together can change the spiritual atmosphere around us.

Let us pray, 

Lord we cannot live a spiritual life alone, help us to examine our inner disposition towards personal growth.   Help us to make choices that improve the spiritual atmosphere around us and lead us to supportive environments where the little seeds of faith planted in us can grow stronger and bear much fruit.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Friendship, togetherness; sharing our lives with others is such a holy gift, but we don't always give it the attention it deserves.  It is so easy to let "what needs to be done" take priority over "what needs to be lived".  Togetherness is more important than the work we do together.  

Let us pray,

Lord, togetherness is your sacred gift to us.  We know its importance and feel its goodness.  We are mindful of the times we have not lived it well. We are sorry for the times we have rushed or placed what needed to be done before what needed to be lived.  lead us back to togetherness, to the place where we can stay longer with one another; have more time to talk, more time to listen or simply more time to just "waste time" together. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

"We often wonder what we can do for others, especially for those in great need.  It is not a sign of powerlessness when we say: "We must pray for one another." " (Henri Nouwen)

We might be tempted to think that praying is insignificant or unrelated to actually doing something. But the act of prayer, especially praying for one another, is a powerful reminder that above all we belong to each other.   When we pray, we show we are not rivals or competitors, but members of one family.

Let us pray, 

Lord, in prayer we listen to your voice; a voice that calls us your beloved;  a voice that excludes no one. May our prayers for one another renew our sense of belonging to one another; our sense of solidarity with those most in need and when circumstances or needs overwhelm us, may our prayers for one another renew our sense of togetherness.  

May all our actions flow from this sacred place.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As we enter the fourth week of Lent and the days leading up to the ultimate example of Jesus' compassion for us, let us focus on creating a little more space for compassion in our lives.

In the Gospels, Jesus tells that in the house of God there are many rooms.  He's reminding us that in God's heart there is a place for everyone.  Is there room for everyone in our heart?

Do we live, act and speak like there is room for everyone in our community or do our words or actions shut others out?

Let us pray,

Lord you know how hard it is for us to accept and welcome others, especially when we feel afraid or lose sight of our own goodness.  As longs as fears or self-doubt guide us, we cannot create space for compassion, without You we cannot discover and celebrate the gift of our neighbour.

Be with us and guide us today.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Annunciation. That wonderful day when the archangel Gabriel announced the surprising way God would unite himself to our humanity so that we might be fully reconciled to God and at peace with one another.

On this day of great significance, Pope Francis has asked us to join in praying for peace as he consecrates the church and the world, especially Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  

I would like to share a portion of the consecration prayer with your now.

Let us pray,

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. 

May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from war and conflict. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

Mother Mary, we welcome you into our lives and our history. At this hour, we stand with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust ourselves to you and, through you, to consecrate ourselves to Christ. 

The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you. Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine. 

Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love...To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Immaculate heart of Mary, we entrust ourselves to you. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

You're also welcome to join us in the chapel at 10:45 for the full prayer and to pray the rosary for peace. 

If you can't join us at lunch, please drop into the chapel anytime or join us in spirit by praying a decade of the rosary throughout the day. 

In times of difficulty; times of personal defeat or discouragement it's tempting to think that we have chosen the wrong road or that others were smarter than we were.  

In these moments we find ourselves surprised by our struggles.  It's as if, at some point in our life we came to believe that if we were smart enough or strong enough we should never struggle or suffer.  That's why we're so surprised when things do go as planned. 

Let us pray,

The desert imagery of Lent reminds us that in life struggle is to be expected.  What is truly surprising is the joy, we didn't expect to find.  Like a little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, the promise of God's steadfast love can be found.   Trusting in love and receiving it when we feel we least deserve it, that is the joyful surprise we need.

Lord, help us to keep our eyes focused on joy, and help our hearts to trust that we will find it.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

If there was no TV to watch, phone to check, call to make, project to finish, how would you feel?

Have you ever tried to spend a whole hour doing nothing but listening to the voice that dwells deep in your heart?

2O days ago, on Ash Wednesday we heard the words of Jesus calling us to listen to what our hearts have to say.

Jesus spoke these words:

“But whenever you pray, go into the inner room of your heart 

and speak with the One who sees what is hidden.” 

(Cf. Matthew 6:6)

Jesus is reassuring his listeners (and us) that the human heart is a very sacred place; that deep within us the Spirit of God can be found and and if we dare to embrace our solitude and befriend our silence, we will come to know the voice that dwells deep in our hearts.

Let us pray,

Lord there are so many reasons to avoid silence.  There are so many things to do and so many other voices to listen to in this world, other than the sound of your voice.  When we are afraid to be silent or slow down, you remind us of the sacred place within us.  May our Lenten practices help us find you there and hear the things we long to hear most deeply. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

This is the 19th day of lent.  It is also world water day.  In the book of the prophet Amos (5:24), it is written:  Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Peace is like water: as long as both are present, we don’t often think about how valuable these things are and how much our life depends on them.  At this time, we need peace as much as we need water to live. 

Let us pray:

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

O Compassionate God, Creator who breathed over the waters and filled it with life, we seek forgiveness for the times when we choose conflict over peace, for the times that we mindlessly use the precious gift of clean water.   Give us conviction and strength so that we can be instruments of peace and justice in our daily lives.   

Lead us to greater consciousness and a deeper examination of our own habits and how our lifestyle affects the planet and people we share it with.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Mindful of everything going on in the world and in our own lives let us pray for one another,

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it: a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry; a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them; a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect; a world where peace is built upon justice and guided by love.   We are grateful to take part in building your kingdom; show us where we are needed and strengthen us in our efforts.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Lent is a favourable time for personal and community renewal.  

Ordinarily we think of time simply as the passing of time; as something that just happens whether we pay attention or not.  But instead of just waiting for time to pass, we can experience a moment in time as a favourable or opportune time to begin something new.  

Let us pray,

Open our hearts and mind, so that we might recognize the favourable and opportune moment offered to us this season.

Attentive to goodness and beauty, wherever we find it, may we make the most of this present moment.

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

In this morning’s prayer we pause to give thanks for all the good things that happened this week 

We give thanks for the friends who make us laugh; for the teachers and mentors who never give up on us.  

We give thanks for all the little details that make our school welcoming and enjoyable; the kindness and patience of the office staff; the countless hours of care shown by our caretakers and the unseen efforts our vice-principals and principal, and so many kind people we encounter each day.

Let pause in a for a quiet moment to recall something good in our week; something that we can be grateful for.

Prions,

Dieu notre créateur, tes dons sont innombrables et ta bonté est sans limite. Alors que nous nous rassemblons pour rendre grâces, apprends-nous à utiliser sagement les richesses de la terre et toutes les bénédictions qui viennent de toi. Accorde-nous des cœurs qui connaissent les besoins des autres afin que nous puissions donner aussi librement que nous avons reçu de toi.

Translation:

God our creator, your gifts to us are countless and your goodness is without limit. As we gather to give thanks, teach us to use wisely the riches of land and to cherish all the blessings which come from you. Grant us hearts that know the needs of others so that we may give as freely as we have received from you. 

Time spent listening is never wasted...

Increasingly, world events show just how small our little planet is.  What once seemed like the other side of the world, now feels like our own backyard.  More and more distant events touch us personally and awaken our desire to pray and respond in solidarity.

Pope Francis has asked that this Ash Wednesday be a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine, the surrounding region and for people in anguish and pain all over the world.  Please remember them in your prayers in the days ahead.

Let us pray,

Lord, in moments like this, when we are unsure of how to pray; when we are tempted to react out of fear or rely on our own understanding, we must once again make ourselves available to you.  

We place ourselves and the inner space of our hearts at your service.   Enter into this space; enter into the space within us where the problems and the struggles of this world find us and come to work themselves out.

Bring peace the battlefields of this world and bring peace to our own inner battlefields. Help us to reclaim large areas of peace within ourselves.  Let us make room for more and more peace and reflect it towards others.  

We place our trust in your ways, knowing that the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Thank you for joining in Black shirt day to celebrate the learning of an amazing Black history month.   This past month  our Black Student Association has done an incredible job of helping our community grow in awareness and understanding.   As we continue to honour all the influential Black leaders activists, policy makers, athletes and entertainment figures who have broken down barriers and continue to fight for change, we join together in prayer to mark this moment together.

Let us pray,

Lord, you never cease to awaken our hearts to the cry of our neighbours and those we share life with.   You know the struggle of the marginalized and the racialized among us and You know the work that remains to be done to address systemic barriers faced by many in our community. 

Inspired by so many stories of courage and examples of change,  we pray for a better appreciation of how we can encourage positive change through our relationships, our word and our actions.  Strengthen the bonds of friendship that dissolve barriers and build up communities.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

To bless someone, literally means to say good things or speak well of someone.  For many people the feeling of being blessed isn't as strong as it ought to be.  It’s much easier to feel or believe exactly the opposite.  

So how do we hold onto the truth of our blessedness?  How do we open ourselves to hear the good things God and others have to say about us?

One way is this, the next time someone says something good about you, don’t brush it aside.  Instead let it sink in.  Most blessings that come to us through come us through words of gratitude, encouragement that other speak to us.  Often they come to us unexpectedly, we just need to give ourselves some time to appreciate and receive them.

Let us pray,

Lord help us to receive the good things you want to say about us.  Help us to gently push aside the critical voices that question our goodness so that we might hear the encouraging message you have in mind for us.   Use us; use our words and use our simple presence to bless the people around us.

Today's special intention: we pray especially for the people of Ukraine and the surrounding region.  We pray for peace and protection for those who are most at risk today.

Sacred heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

O Lord, our God, your goodness fills creation and we find your presence wherever we go. 

You are the God who walks with us an travels by our side. 

You are the God who lifts up those who are weighed down. 

You are the God who provides for your children. 

Inhabit our prayers and our praises as we gather in prayer today.  

In a special way bless the students and staff of Sacred Heart, bless everyone working at home or in the building.  Keep safe all travellers throughout the day and watch over our city and those most in need at this time.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, We place our trust in you.

How many times have you or someone you know said, "we need to connect" or "It's so good to connect."  

It's probably happened a few times this week.

It's important to hold onto and remember these moments.  

On the surface, the time we spend together may appear ordinary and unsurprising; that being together is nothing special.  But, how beautiful is it to just be together and share a meal together, take a walk and enjoy simple things!  These simple moments show us that  we don't have to do anything extraordinary to experience the promise of belonging to each other.   Even after these moments have past, just remembering these moments renews the promise of belonging to each other.  We can pray with St. Paul, ""I thank my God every time I remember you." (Philippians 1:3)

Prions,

Seigneur, nous rendons grâce pour ces moments qui nous rappellent que nous sommes aimés. Nous te remercions pour le profond désir de vie qui nous rapprochent et nous rassemblent. Nous vous remercions pour les liens d'amitié qui renouvellent la promesse d'appartenir les uns aux autres.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

In our homes, in our places of learning and work, in our churches and in our communities we are being called to promote a culture of dialogue by every possible means.   A culture of dialogue enables us to view others as valid dialogue partners, as partners worthy of being listened to. 

We know that, in our times, "Dialogue is often confused with something quite different.  It has devolved into a feverish exchange of opinions, often based in impatience and frustration. As a result, these exchanges become nothing more than parallel monologues.   

Let us pray, 

Lord, may our conversation today be true dialogues.  A place where we learn from one another; an opportunity to build mutual understanding and respect.  May we not miss the opportunity for authentic encounter offered to us each day.   May we never give into cynicism and self-interest.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Black history month reminds of the important social milestones that have been reached, and it reminds us of those that still to need to be realized.

Pope francis recently tweeted, "Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think,” he also tweeted:" Everyone can be dedicated, even in small ways, to re-building social friendships..."

Let us pray, 

Lord help us to reach out in friendship.  Help us to seek out others and meet the world as it is, without fear of pain or a sense of inadequacy.  

Lord, help us to rediscover the goodness that you have planted in every human heart.  Help us overcome glum resignation and apathy.  Help us play a part in the work of of reparation and reconciliation that still remains to be done.  Let us work together so that we might enjoy a new kind of  life free from fear and division.” 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Love is the most amazing capacity that God has blessed us with. We give thanks for the ability to love and be loved.  On this St. Valentine’s Day we pray for those we love and we give thanks for those who love us.   

On this day, we are all called upon to bear witness to and to proclaim the message that ‘God is love,’.  Authentic human love reveals that God is not distant from us or insensible to our human realites. Through others, we come to trust that God is close to us, God is always by our side, that God walks with us to share our joys and our pains, our hope and our strife.

May the love we share always reflect God’s love and goodness.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Happy Friday, 

As we look back at this week, to what we've learned and experienced; what's one new and interesting thing you've been thinking about lately? What's one thing that brings you energy and joy? 

Let these question shape your prayer and your plans for the weekend. 

Let this day begin with gratitude and end with even more reasons to give thanks.

Prions,

Seigneur merci pour une vie abondant, merci que je tend vers la meilleure version de mois meme. Merci pour l'inspiration et la consolation de mes amie.  Merci pour la joie qui me guides vers les meilleur décisions.  Merci pour ma famille et the confort de mon foyer.

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avon confiance en tois.

We all need a space were our minds (sometimes busy, and sometimes blank), our bodies (sometimes restless and sometimes exhausted) and our spirits (sometimes anxious and sometimes hopeful), all have a place to slow down and rest.

Let take a moment to appreciate that we begin each day with a pause; a chance to slow down and gather ourselves up.

Let us pray,

Loving God, to everyone of us and to every part of us, we hear your gentle voice calling: "Be here and now."   In your company we find that no part of us is unwelcome and in your mercy every part of our lives finds a place to belong.    Send us the Holy Spirit so that we might know how be present to ourselves and one another.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you..

To say that there is a lot going on these days is an understatement-

It's tough because it is TOUGH!  And yet sometimes we tend to blame ourselves when we get overwhelmed. 

Have you found yourself saying something like this lately:

-I "should" have done this earlier. 

-I "should" have left sooner.

-I "should" have seen this coming. 

-I "should" have handled that situation better. 

-I "should" be able to do everything myself. 

It's hard to crawl out from under these heavy words.  But what would it be like to make a little more room for understanding and compassion, especially when it comes to yourself?

Let us pray,

Lord, your compassion and concern opens the door for self-compassion and the possibility of "being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate."  In your kindness, you won't back down; you won't let us ignore our troubles and you won't let beat ourselves up with self-criticism.   Instead you invite us to participate in your compassion and follow your lead.

This week, as we build new routines into our daily lives help us to make room for self-compassion.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As we enter the second week of Black History month, I'd like to take a moment to thank Sacred Heart's own Black Student Association for the amazing resources and activities they've created for our entire community to engage in and enjoy.   

This week is focused on the history of black history month itself; its a chance to explore the nearly one hundred year old roots of this annual tradition; and as it was in each generation that came before us, it's our turn to increase our knowledge of its meaning and message.  

Let us pray

Lord, throughout Black History Month, we give thanks and for legacy and gift of each person working to make our nation, our community and our school a place of welcome and respect.  We give thanks especially for the students of our Sacred Heart BSA for their generous gift of awareness and social concern.  Like all those impressive and committed leaders who have come before them, their work at Sacred Heart is opening new ways and new opportunities for everyone.  We join them in praying that each effort we make this week will help create the conditions for a more compassionate community; a place where history matters and where the dignity of every person is honoured.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

We live in an age of information overload and noise.  It's so tempting to tune it out as much as we can,  but under all the restless noise there is a still small voice trying to be heard.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, there is much noise in our world and many words filled with manipulation and fear. Help me to stay in a different place, to learn to deeply listen with my heart

before I speak to others. 

May the anxiety brought on by noise and activity be dissolved in me, and may I find fellowship with You in that place of holy silence where You speak with deep tones of mercy, compassion, and justice and are fully present with me.

Amen. 

We ask for God's blessing as we begin a new semester.   May we discover God's gentle voice of reassurance and guidance.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Each day, even the most routine ones, present us with new experiences, new questions and new wonderings.   That's why, in some way, we never feel completely settled or ready.  

It may be humbling, to feel like we're still searching for something we haven't found yet, but it's a good sign.

If someone feels they have already found everything and have nothing new to discover, they risk discarding the encounters that can be the most meaningful.  The person who thinks he "already knows", will never really come to understand.  

Let us pray,

Let us be attentive to the things we experience and the questions that move us to search and seek out new understanding.  Help us to face the part of ourselves, that thinks we "already know", the part of us that would make us give up or miss out on the newness that each day brings.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Reflecting on the events of this past weekend, let us pray for our city, our communities and those most in need across our country.

For the reconciliation of our nation and for the salvation of humanity, remove all traces of racism and privilege from our hearts and our society. Grant us in your mercy, resolve to renew our commitment to unity; to encourage one another, and to live in peace. Grant us the wisdom to build a community where fear and hatred are overcome by mutual respect and justice; a place where the dignity of each person is protected; where racism and prejudice are are dissolved by concern for the good of others and the needs of the vulnerable.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, We place our trust in you.

Happy Friday, 

As we look back at this week, to what we've learned about ourselves; to the experiences and encounters we had; to the fresh starts we've needed each day, hopefully we’ve started to notice the subtle or even the unexpected ways that goodness is growing in our lives.

If we’re open to it, perhaps we've even noticed how our experiences this week have encouraged us to grow.

The more we pay attention to what our lives are saying to us, the more we begin to see that we’re being shaped, or as the bible says,  pruned so that we might grow.  

So let us ask God to prune away the old habits or attitudes that leave us feeling discouraged; let us ask for the gift of freedom to let them go.

As we give thanks for all that we have discovered and accomplished this week, let us ask God to clear the path to growth and make us ready for the next step of our journey.

Prions,

Seigneur Dieu, nous te demandons d'élaguer les vieilles habitudes et les attitudes qui nous découragent; accorde-nous le don de la liberté de les laisser partir.

Nous rendons grâce pour tout ce que nous avons découvert et accompli cette semaine, ouvrez le chemin devant nous et préparez-nous pour la prochaine étape.

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avons confiance en tois.

This morning let us gently turn our attention away from the concerns of the outside world…to encounter an inner world…a world far more vast…one with unlimited potential and possibility. 

Thoughtful people everywhere in the world today are beginning to see that spiritual growth, spiritual awareness, is a real priority for our time. But the question is: How do we enter on this path of spiritual growth? 

In our own Christian tradition, Jesus tells us of the Spirit, the Life Source, who dwells within each human person.  Contact with this life source is vital for us because without it we can hardly begin to suspect the potential that our life has for us. 

Let us pray, 

Lord in the vision you proclaimed, each one of us is invited to understand the sacredness of our own being, the sacredness of our own life.  Through moments of stillness and self-awareness we are beginning to understand the mystery of our own being, the mystery of life.  Nurture this awakening so that it might grow into its full full potential.

Sacred heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Lord,

Every one of us, during these pandemic years has had to consider health. Physical health and mental health. Every one of us.  Truly, has there ever been a better time to end the stigmas surrounding mental health?  We are all on a journey together with our own struggles and strategies.

God give us the wisdom and courage to be real with ourselves and each other about our mental health, so that we may normalize community engagement in this realm of life. When it comes to mental health, help us to end any shame, judgement or guilt. 

Make us a people ready and willing to talk; a people who are Willing to go share our realities with you and one another. 

God we pray today for all who are suffering with mental health struggles. Keep us mindful that this struggle could be anyone's, and that our kindness to all is essential. 

Merciful God as we continue our journey help find a greater sense of togetherness as we walk with each other and lift one another up.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

We tend to judge ourselves by how seriously we take our work or how faithful we are to our tasks and our grades, but perhaps it's how seriously we take our free time that matters most.

Think back to a moment of free time that really made a difference.  Why was it so good?  Perhaps it reminded you of what you wanted to remember more often.  Maybe it made you better toward others; maybe it made you more thoughtful or less hurried; maybe it made you look at your life with greater intention or appreciation.  It's even possible that it made it easier to take on your work and it's many sacrifices a little more joyfully.   

Let us pray,

Help us to make the most of our free time.  Help us to learn the lessons it has to teach us.  Use it to show us where our hearts are at.  Use it to show us what's most dominant in our lives and it what's still missing.  Make the regular breaks in our work and our daily routines fruitful in a whole new way.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Today we join our prayers to the prayers of Christians of diverse backgrounds and traditions around the world in praying for unity.  

The realities faced by Christians around the world vary greatly.  In many places Christians are the minority; they are marginalized and oppressed, something they share in common with many people groups around the world.  

May our prayers and our prayerful offering of our shared experience of struggle and suffering today strengthen and bring greater unity to the entire human family.

Let us pray,

Lord, to be a Christian, to follow you, is not to be immune from suffering, rather it is to is to willingly embrace those who who suffer, to seek them out and offer ourselves in friendship and hope, just as you did.   

Be with us and keep us close to one another and to you.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As this week draws to a close, let us pause to sort through the experiences of we've had in order to hold onto the good we've received and the good we've managed accomplish.

So considering everything we've lived this past week, what's been the best part? What's been the biggest challenge (if any)?  What are you grateful for and what are you praying for?

Let these four questions shape our prayer this morning. 

Prions,

Seigneur, aide-nous à faire une pause en se temp de prieres afin que nous puissions conserver le bien que nous avons reçu, et le bien que nous avons réussi à accomplir cette semaine.

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avons confiance en tois.

Our experiences are full of lessons.  We each have deep wisdom accumulating within us.   But are we listening? What would we discover if we held ourselves and our daily experiences with greater reverence?  

What is your life telling you?

Let us pray, 

Lord help us to listen to life; to our lives, to the mystery of it, to the ups and downs, and the grace. Help us pay attention to our experiences and to treat them with reverence.

Lead us and walk with us today. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

Pope Francis  recently encouraged us to ask ourselves, "Are we good at listening? How good is the hearing of our heart? Do we allow people to express themselves, to walk in faith even though they have had difficulties in life, and to be part of the life of the community without being hindered, rejected or judged? Let us not soundproof our hearts." 

Let us pray,

Lord, we pray for those who feel overwhelmed by their circumstances.  For those who feel it would be pointless to speak up or call out for help.  We pray for those who feel no one is listening. 

Lord help us to speak out in hope.  Silence the isolating and discouraging inner voices that keep us from leaning on one another.   In these times, let us hear voices of reassurance and empathy; let us hear the sound of your voice; a voice that enables us to take heart.  

This week, restore our hearts by making them more like yours so that we might help one another, even if it means having to stop what we’re doing to stand still and listen to one another.   

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

We know that sharing life together isn't easy, especially when people are stressed, anxious or tired.   In these moments being together often brings us face to face with our own limitations; to a point where patience, gentleness and kindness don't flow as freely as they used to.  But it's in these moments that hope nudges us to make a new start and begin again.   

Let us pray,  

Jesus you understood the difficulty of the common life we share, so you opened for us a way to start over.  In your compassion you lead us to countless new beginnings. 

So when the flow of love slows, may you open a new way for honesty and love to circulate again.  We trust that when we respect and love one another (with our strengths and weaknesses) it is then that you are surely in our midst.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Across Canada and throughout our school board, January 17th is being recognized as Black Shirt day.  It's an opportunity to come together to raise awareness about anti-black racism and the systemic barriers faced by Black and racialized students in our school communities.  Days like this are a reminder to speak up against racism wherever it shows itself.

Let us pray,

Lord, you never cease to awaken our hearts to the cry of those who suffer; to those who the feel pain of loss and the anger injustice.   You know the struggle of the marginalized and the racialized and You know the work that remains to be done to address systemic barriers faced by many in our community. 

Today we pray for a better appreciation of how our words and actions or even our silence can impact our communities. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

As this week draws to a close, we pause to give thanks and lift up the people and situations most in need of our prayers.

Prions,

Dieu Créateur, source de toute bonté  et de grâce, daigne répandre un rayon de ta bénédiction et de faveur, sur nos amis, nos famille, nos enseignants et enseignantes; tous les membres de l’équipe de l’entretien and administration.   Protège toute la famille de L’école Sacré Coeur.

God the Creator, source of all goodness and grace, pour out your blessing and favor, on our friends, our families, our teachers; all members of the maintenance and administration team. Protect the entire Sacred Heart school community.

Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avons confiance en tois.

If you take time to think about it, despite all the changes and challenges we've faced these past weeks, we have grown and that growth is worth noting.

Part of nurturing hope in times of change is about noticing how we've changed; where we've adapted or adjusted for the better.  The change may be subtle, so we need a little time to look back and appreciate the good we've accomplished; to value how we've learned to live differently just by living the challenges of each day.    

Let us pray,

Lord in your goodness help us to see where we have grown and changed for the better. Help us to hold onto the good and appreciate how each day, no matter how challenging  is contributing to our growth.  

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

For some having hope means looking at life with rose-tinted glasses, for others being realistic  means having no hope.  But hope is precisely what enables us to look at things without needing to erase or escape anything.  For this reason, the only realistic outlook  is a hopeful one.  

Let us pray, 

“O God, source of all good, hear the prayers of your people beyond every wish and all merit, pour out your mercy upon us: forgive our conscious fears and bestow that which prayer does not dare to hope.”  (Opening prayer to the Liturgy of the word)

Lord we know that hope is not generated by what we can see, but by the unexpected curiosity that is awaken within us each morning; a curiosity that moves us to seek for the goodness hidden in the ordinary and the unexpected. 

At times it is so easy to get discouraged and if it was not for your promise of finding, we might stop seeking.  So provide for us today, provide what prayer does not dare to hope, so that this evening may find us grateful and more certain that what you provide is "always more", always more than we expected, more than we dared to hope for.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Today we begin a new liturgical season.  The period between Christmas and Easter known as "Ordinary Time".  Interestingly, today's Gospel (the first gospel of this new season) reminds us that our lives are anything but ordinary.

It's as if this season is offered to us as chance to catch our breath; to digest the extraordinary realities we have just celebrated and to compare it to what we have been living in our own lives.   It's a chance to ask: "How is God using the ordinary, the familiar or the routine, to get my attention?"

Let us pray,

Lord God we place before you the needs of our world and the needs of our community.  Continue to watch over us and guide us.  Bring wisdom to our leaders and health care workers.  Give understanding to scientists. Provide caregivers with a renewal of compassion and generosity. Bring healing to those who are ill and protect those who are most at risk. Comfort the weary. Stabilize our routines and unite us in our daily efforts to care for one another.  

Bless the week ahead, fill it with good things so that we might discover that our lives are anything but ordinary.  Help us reclaim the hope that in our ordinary lives, you want to do extraordinary things.

Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.

Lord, before our day begins, we come to rest in you...

We experience the full weight of our troubles when we try to carry them alone.  We might be convinced that we have to look out for ourselves because no one else will.  We might even think we deserve the burdens we carry.  But Jesus showed a  special concern for the weary and the heavy burdened.  He called them to draw near and find rest in him. And who among us could feel excluded from this invitation? 

Let us pray, 

Lord God you see everything we're going through.  You know the full reality of the burdens we carry and the depth of our needs.  In this moment of quiet, before our day begins, we come to you, to rest in your company. Day by day we're learning to let go of the belief that we must carry our burdens alone.  So, with greater trust, we place every worry, irritation, and concern before you and ask you to take care of everything. We choose to leave our troubles with you so that we might enjoy this day to the fullest. Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Dear Friends how important it is to be gentle with ourselves.  And how often we move in the opposite direction.  Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Perhaps he meant to suggest that our first neighbor is really ourselves.   He knows that if we can't be gentle with ourselves, it will be difficult to be gentle with others as well.  So let us seek the gift of gentleness so that we might be understanding and patient with ourselves and everybody else. 

Let us pray,

Lord when we grow angry or impatient with ourselves, infuse our thoughts and our feelings with your gentleness.  Heal our self-inflicted wounds and whisper to our hearts: "be still now, be gentle with yourself, be gentle."

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Good morning Sacred Heart, 

Dear friends, the holy days of Christmas and the recent feast of Epiphany celebrated this past Sunday reveal the good news that our hearts need to hear over and over again,especially in these challenging times...God is with us.  Even when circumstances would lead us to believe otherwise, God is nearby.

These holy days do not remove the reality of the challenges we face, rather they renew our ability to accept life as it comes to us. To hold onto the beautiful things and goodness of each day.

Let us pray.

Lord of all kindness and encouragement, bless our community, our neighborhoods and our parishes throughout this coming year. May your Spirit of wisdom and good counsel be sensed among us and may your peace accompany us.  Make us a people of hope so that we might be a source of comfort for those most in need. Ready our hearts to support one another with patience and kindness.  Nourish our spirits with the inner strength we need most at this time and renew our confidence in your abiding goodness.

Watch over us, keep us safe and bless us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Advent is almost over.  The event of Christmas draws near and it's significance this year is not lost on us.  As it was in Bethlehem so long ago, we wait in hope for the goodness of God to break over a world broken and in need of healing.  

In this moment, our hearts might feel like the tiny cave in Bethlehem, unfit, untidy and unprepared in a thousand ways, but it's precisely in this kind of place that God chooses to enter into our world.  

The events and demands of this week have certainly activated the longings of our heart and made us aware of how deep they really are.  So let us pray for the grace to face every situation openly; to compare each event to the needs of our heart; and to embrace the experiences that satisfy us with fullness; those that match the depth of our longings and begin to fulfill what we've been waiting for.  

Let us pray,

Lord God, help us to pay attention to our hearts; to the complex of needs that define our humanity.  Let this Christmas be a Christmas for the heart, at time to listen and take the needs of our heart seriously and treat them as tenderly as you do.  In this time of great longing we allow you to enter into the little cave of our heart and fill it in unexpected ways.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

The birth of Jesus is the 'newness' that enables us to be reborn each year, and to find, in Him, the strength needed to face every trial."

Pope Francis

Lord God, as your children, never have we needed your joy and peace more than now.  You promise rest for the weary, peace for the anxious, and healing for the broken hearted.  In this Christmas season, release all the joy, all the happiness; the stockpile of good things that have been held back by our personal troubles and world events.  Give us a calm and quiet spirit. Show us again the beauty of that holy night so long ago.  

As we think upon your birth, we thank you that your love for us never changes, never fades, and that you never abandon the purposes for which You came.   In the coming days, be for us a Wonderful Counsellor, a Mighty God, an everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace. 

This past Sunday,Pope Francis greeted pilgrims to Rome and encouraged everyone "to think concretely about what we can all do, small or big, in our own lives as we prepare for Christmas. This could mean visiting someone who is alone, helping the elderly or the ill, or serving the poor or someone in need. It may also mean asking for forgiveness for our mistakes, paying a debt, clarifying a misunderstanding, or praying more. We can all find something concrete to do." 

Let us pray,

Lord you have entrusted each of us with task of discovering ourselves, our dreams and the mission to accomplish in this world. Help us to discover how our hopes and gifts can be translated into concrete actions to take care of those most in need.  This Advent, help us to take the time we need "to stop and ask ourselves how to prepare for Christmas" by asking how we can make our lives a gift to others.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Our Christmas campaign ends today, please send any gift cards to the chapel after the morning announcements.

Thank you once again for your incredible support!  

Donate today: only 2 more days to go...

Our Christmas campaign ends in 2 days.  Please donate online, bring in a gift card or place food items in the bin in the atrium.

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Donate today: only 3 more days to go...

This year, your donations will bring many smiles and even a few tears of relief to many local families.  Even if we can’t always see the results of our gifts, never underestimate the impact your generosity can have.

Our Christmas campaign ends in 3 days.  Please donate online, bring in a gift card or place food items in the bin in the atrium.

School cash online