As we gather in prayer we respectfully acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Algonquin people.
Note: This Acknowledgment should not function as closure, resignation, or acceptance
of the past or present but should spark a desire to learn about the true history of this country and provoke thought, reflection, conversion of heart and lasting change.
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.
Today's Announcements
Have a wonderful day!
"If you find something beautiful walk all around it"
(Albert Dumont, Algonquin Anishinabek Elder and Poet Laureate)
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)
The word blessing is derived from the Latin word: Benediction., which means to say good things. (bene= good and diction= speech)
If you think back, there are so many things to say about this year, many of them are good.
if you could describe this word in one or two positive words, what would it be?
Happy feast of the Sacred Heart,
The feast of the Sacred Heart is our feast day, a day to celebrate; a day to look back and give thanks for the gift of another year.
Let us pray,
Lord God, giver of all that is good and source of our gratitude.
We give thanks for the many blessings we have enjoyed over the year. We are grateful for the challenges that have increased our capacity for trust and patience. We are grateful for the joy of discovery and learning. We are grateful for friends and those who have supported us and encouraged us this year. We are grateful for all the staff and students that have made this year so wonderful.
Lord, be with us in the days ahead. Grant us rest and a time of refreshment. Watch over us during all the activities and enjoyment of this summer. May this time of refreshment renew our energy and remind us to rely on your gifts in all that we do.
Bless our families and friendships and may we find you amidst the joys of our holidays.
With gratitude we pray,
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you
Have a wonderful summer!
A peace that surpasses all understanding...
"Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your circumstances to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of wholehearted trust in me produces the effect you desire and resolves all difficult situations."
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.
“The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy… (Pope Francis)
Personal Connection:
Do you know someone who doesn't know they are deeply loved? Pray for them today.
Are you uncertain that you are deeply loved, allow the Spirit of God to point you towards a love that is unconditional and uncompromising and unending.
Day 7: A love Worth Pointing to...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we all know people who don’t know or believe that they are really loved. We see how this uncertainty shapes the way they live; the way they treat themselves or how they try to live apart from others. In your Sacred Heart we discover how real love leads people out of isolation, how it restores them to life and how it offers them the peaceful assurance that life has meaning.
Let us love one another as you have loved us. (John 15:12)
Help us to love one another with patience and understanding. We ask for a spirit of peace to rest on everyone finishing up final assignments and working through RST's.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Dear friends, look at the real heroes who come to light in these days: they are not famous, rich and successful people; rather, they are those who are giving themselves in order to serve others. Feel called yourselves to put your lives on the line. Do not be afraid to devote your life to God and to others; it pays!'
(Pope Francis)
Personal Connection:
In an age of superheros, what does it mean to be a real hero in these times?
What does putting your life on the line for others mean to you? Does it mean putting someone else's comfort or needs before your own?
Day 6: A Heart on Fire with Love...
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.
"The teachings of Jesus so clearly run counter to the way things are usually done in our world...Even if we find Jesus’ message attractive, the world pushes us towards another way of living."
Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exultate # 65
Personal Connection:
The teachings of Jesus (the way of the Beatitudes) are not ordinary or undemanding, quite the opposite. We can only practise them if the Holy Spirit fills us with his power and frees us from our weakness, our selfishness, our complacency and our pride.
For the times we have not been able to love as Jesus loves, we ask forgiveness and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the times we have been able to show love in unexpected ways to those who least expect our love, we give thanks.
Day 5: Those who need the most love should get the most love...
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.
My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My soul will rejoice when your lips speak what is right” (Pr 23:15-16).
"Nothing could better express the pride and emotion a father feels when he understands that he has handed down to his child what really matters in life, that is, a wise heart." Pope Francis
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.
Personal Connection:
Do you look back on the sacrifices and hardships of this year as acts of love?
Where have you been wounded by the unending and unbearable trials of this year?
Allow the love of the Sacred Heart to show you the true significance of your efforts and know that Jesus shares your wounds so you might share in his healing.
Day 3: A Wounded Heart...
The Sacred Heart image shows the heart of Jesus as a wounded heart. This not only reminds us of his suffering on the cross, or the wound that led Thomas to believe in the risen Jesus, it reminds us that "the love of Jesus for us was not some theoretical love. Jesus actually suffered with us and for us..."
(Pastoral letter on the Sacred Heart by Cardinal Collins)
Let us pray,
Sacred Heart of Jesus, your wounded heart reminds us that real love cannot be superficial. The challenges of this year have taught us to really love; to love more like you; to make a gift of ourselves for those we love and for those we don’t even know.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, please bring healing to every part of our being that has been wounded or exhausted by the many challenges of this year.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Personal Connection:
"The Gospel invites us to peer into the depths of our heart, to see where we find our security in life...Jesus calls blessed those who are poor in spirit, those who have a poor heart, for there the Lord can enter with his perennial newness."
Pope Francis (Gaudete et Exultate # 67-68)
How has this past year led you to peer into the depth of your heart; to acknowledge your own suffering with gentleness?
How has this past year opened your heart to the suffering of others. How has this past year led you to become more compassionate?
Day 2: A Heart of Compassion...
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.
Personal Connection:
Plan a special activity, get outside for a class picnic, bake a cake to share, write a much-needed thank you note, dress up and take a cheesy class photo or screenshot photo, share stories, etc.
Whatever you choose, do something to mark this incredible year and celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart.
Q. What could you do to celebrate all the heart; all the effort; all the determination that has carried you through this unbelievable year?
Day 1: Prepare to celebrate...
Traditionally, June is the month of the Sacred Heart, so over the next 9 school days leading up to our special feast on June 24th,2022 we would like to talk about an aspect of the Sacred Heart each day
We’ll use the symbol of the Sacred Heart itself, to celebrate all the “heart”; all the effort; all the determination that has carried us through this unbelievable year.
By the time we get to Friday, June 24th, it should feel like a party. It's a wonderful feast day. So we hope you'll find your own way (as a family, as a class or group of friends) to make it a day of celebration and a day of joy.
Let us pray,
Sacred Heart of Jesus you reveal the unending heartbeat of God, a heart that beats with love, day by day and moment by moment. This past year, our hearts have had to beat with the same steady, reliable, faithful and life-giving love. Our hearts have become more like yours and for that we have reason to celebrate.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Catholic Social Teaching makes a bold claim. “We are all really responsible for all”
(Solicitude Rei Socialis 38).
Personal connection:
Belonging to each other isn't easy automatic, it takes a lot of love. Here's few things to think about.
When I make mistakes, I can own up to them and apologize.
Can I assume the best about others and forgive those who dismiss my point of view or my experiences?
Can I respect the “sacred separateness” of others and honor their personal boundaries?
We belong to each other...
From the Trinity (a dynamic communion of persons), we learn that at the heart of every of gathering and every celebration, there is a moment when we can discover (or re-discover) that we really belong to each other.
Even if we find ourselves hanging out on the margins of the party, every conversation; every chance to get to know each other a little better, is a chance to appreciate how just how connected we still long to be.
Let us pray,
Maker of Life, Creator God, throughout this season we celebrate every time we have received the grace to recognized the sacred gift in each person; every time we have been set free to come out of hiding or invite someone in so might find understanding and love. We celebrate how day by day we are beginning to embrace our shared and sacred responsibility to care for every inhabitant of this world. Above all we celebrate your presence and your delight in the created world and each human person. (Proverbs 8:31)
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in you...
St. Andrei Rublev painted The Hospitality of Abraham in 1411. Rublev portrayed the mystery of the Holy Trinity by depicting the three mysterious strangers who visited Abraham and Sarah. (Genesis 18:1-15).
As we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Mystery of the Trinity this Sunday, let us join in this wonderful activity of hospitality that makes God's mystery visible.
"Yes, Lord, I want to sit at the table with you. I love to enjoy your company. I’m eager to hear what you want to say to me…"
(Bill Gaultiere)
You can learn more about this icon here: Rublev's Trinity Icon
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.
"Saying thank you “is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are not an “accident,” but a divine choice…"
(Henri Nouwen)
Every life is a Masterpiece of God’s creation...
When you look in the mirror what do you see? When you look at another human being (regardless of appearance) what do you see?
Do you see a masterpiece of God’s creation, a being made in God’s own image; a being destined to live forever and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect?
Whenever you notice that you’re losing sight of your own value or the worth of another person; when challenging circumstances make it easy to overlook the awesome mystery of another human life, say “Maker fo Life, thank you for life”. "Thank you for each amazing, unrepeatable and sacred being I meet today."
Let us pray,
Maker of Life, the next time we see ourselves in the mirror; or look at the next person we meet, may our first thought be: "thank you for life, thank you for this amazing, unrepeatable and sacred gift of life."
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
“The strawberry teaches forgiveness and peace. The strawberry
is shaped like a heart, and strawberries are known to our people as heart berries.”
—Elder Lillian Pitawanakwat
Personal Connection:
The strawberry itself carries many teachings throughout Anishinaabe cultures and you can read about some of them in French and English HERE
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.
"Nature is the one song of praise that never stops singing."
Richard Rohr
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.
‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you…’
Ezekiel 36:26
Personal Connection:
If you could have more of any of these gifts, which one would most impact your life today? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
"The Spirit makes us see everything in a new way, with the eyes of Jesus..."
Yesterday we celebrated the great feast of Pentecost.
In the final words of yesterday's Gospel, Jesus says something that can offer us hope and make us think. He tells his disciples: “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all I have said to you (Jn 14:26).
“Everything,” “all” – these words are striking; but as Pope Francis points out: "God does not want to make us encyclopedias. The "all" Jesus is referring to, is not a question of quantity. "It is a question of quality, perspective, perception. The Spirit makes us see everything in a new way, with the eyes of Jesus." Pope Francis Pentecost Homily
Let us pray,
Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to the true staring point of the spiritual life. Everything begins in love. It is the love we have for Jesus that changes every perspective and all our perceptions.
Holy Spirit, through your gifts you create a new heart within us, a heart that is open, a heart that listens and a heart that trusts. Produce new fruit in our lives so that we might see with the eyes of Jesus in all circumstances and situations. We need your gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Come Holy Spirit, help us today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"The art of accompaniment teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other."
Joy of the Gospel, EG#169
"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.
"Laudato Si’ is a spiritual document that calls us into deeper relationship with Christ through the gift and the cries of creation. Jesus is our model par excellence who prayed with creation, and expressed the kind of tenderness to all life we are all called to. “Jesus lived in full harmony with creation...” (Laudato Si’ 98)."
There is a deep need to stop and listen to God’s voice in creation, in the poor, and in our own hearts...
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
“We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it." ― Pope Francis, Laudato Si: On care for our common home
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
Le Sentiment continuel de votre présence...
Mon Dieu, qui êtes en moi et en qui je suis…
Daignez de me donner ce sentiment continuel de votre présence, de votre présence en moi et autour de moi,
Toi qui sais reconnaître l'aimable en chacun d'entre nous, Toi qui sais voir la lumière au-delà de nos ombres parce que tu es aimable, parce que tu es lumière. Permets-moi, au cours de ce jours, de t'offrir le jeûne de tout jugement, de toute critique. De t'offrir le jeûne de toute anxiété, de toute souci.
Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avon confiance en toi.
Translation:
My God, You are in me and I am in you...
Please give me this continual feeling of your presence; of your presence in me and around me,
You who know how to recognize what is lovable in each one of us, You who know how to see the light beyond our shadows because you are lovable, and because you are light. Allow me, during this day, to fast from all judgment, from all criticism. and to fast from all anxiety and from all worry.
News:
Pope Francis will visit Canada on July 24th to 29th to formally deliver the Roman Catholic Church's apology for its role in operating residential schools that caused lasting pain and suffering to Indigenous Peoples in this country.
The Path of Reconciliation...
For thousands of years, indigenous people have sought to walk gently upon this land. We pause to recognize the hospitality and generosity of spirit offered to us by the Algonquin people.
It's important to note, that it's the very people who have been most wronged and harmed by Canada's colonial habits who have proposed the path of reconciliation to us. It would be understandable if they preferred the path of punishment or revenge, but with a wisdom we will one day appreciate more fully, they seek only reconciliation instead.
Let us pray,
Loving Creator, Creator of all peoples, you love everyone without exception or partiality (you do not play favourites).
Heal the wounds of your family and restore all creation to harmony and wholeness. In gratitude, we pledge ourselves to living more justly, acting more kindly and most of all walking more humbly upon the land with you and one another.
Let your Spirit of counsel guide us on the good path of reconciliation.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"True dialogue happens in appreciation for each other’s intimate convictions.'"
Father Julián Carrón
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.
A Public Thanksgiving Prayer:
"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..."
Great mystery, we look forward to getting to know you better today.
"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.
"People who pray aware of others are like "God's antennas in the world" and, as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, have "a heart attuned to God's mercy."
Help us to pray with more love in our hearts...
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.
"Peacemakers practice nonviolence to ourselves, to all others, all creatures, and all creation." Fr. John Dear
Donne-nous un cœur pur et confiant...
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.
"When my arms can't reach people who are close to my heart, I always hug them with my prayers."
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.
"I am always wary of decisions made hastily. I am always wary of the first decision, that is, the first thing that comes to my mind if I have to make a decision. This is usually the wrong thing. I have to wait and assess, looking deep into myself, taking the necessary time."
Pope Francis
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.
“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
G.K. Chesterton
Gratitude is a powerful teacher, it teaches us to see that what we have is enough (and sometimes it's even more than enough). Gratitude teaches us contentment and respect.
Let us pray,
We thank you, loving Creator, for the gift of the life we share.
We thank You for all the ways You have helped us and intervened on our behalf without us ever knowing.
We thank You for being with us, through the ups and downs of this life.
We Thank You for family, friends, teachers, mentors and all those who have helped us along the way. Bless them, Lord.
We embrace each life as a priceless gift from You.
Thank you for everything.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
What does is mean to live a "good Creator-given life"; to be part of this Sacred Circle?
In this Sacred Circle: We are all related;We live a compassionate and generous life; We respect all life, traditions, and resources. We commit ourselves to spiritual growth, discipleship, and consensus.
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.
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.
#ocsbReconciliAction #MooseHidePledge #MMIWG2S
Why red?
Red is a sacred colour and the most visible color in the world of the Spirit. The red dress is a visual representation of the pain and loss felt by the families of victims and their survivors.
Today you may see empty red dresses hung in windows and from trees, in remembrance of the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls. This day is a day to remember, to take action and to continue to look for these much-loved sisters, mothers, grandmothers, nieces and aunties.
Today is Red Dress Day.
We pray for all Indigenous women and girls today, we honour these much-loved mothers, grandmothers, wives, aunties, sisters and nieces. The health and genrational safety of our communities anf families, rely deeply on the essential gifts and profound wisdom they offer. Without them we simply cannot live well.
We express our sorrow and sadness for all daughters of the creator especially our indigenous sisters, who have gone missing and who should still be with us.
We are mindful of the ongoing legacy of colonial systems and unchecked prejudices that fail to bring them home or bring them justice.
We ask for comfort and care for families and community members left behind. We ask for the courage to acknowledge the injustice still happening today across this country and we humbly pray for the conviction to listen to this call for justice.
Creator, help us to find our balance once again, so that we might return to our senses and take up our responsibilities to all members of your sacred family; help us to make things right.
We ask this through Christ the Lord,
Amen.
“Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
«Voici que je fais toutes choses nouvelles.»
(Apocalypse 21,5)
2022 Hashtags:
#CEW2022
#RebuildRestoreRenew
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.
“Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
«Voici que je fais toutes choses nouvelles.»
(Apocalypse 21,5)
2022 Hashtags:
#CEW2022
#RebuildRestoreRenew
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
“Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
«Voici que je fais toutes choses nouvelles.»
(Apocalypse 21,5)
2022 Hashtags:
#CEW2022
#RebuildRestoreRenew
Rebuild, Restore, Renew Together...
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.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard"
(Psalm. 19:1-3).
"Creation’s voice goes out and translates into every known and spoken language."
(Juli Camarin )
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.
"Words have meaning and
names have power."
(Author unknown)
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.
"...Strengthen them when they need your strength, console them when their need your compassion,
and always build them up..."
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.
"Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are not an “accident,” but a divine choice... Every time we decide to be grateful it will be easier to see new things to be grateful for. Gratitude begets gratitude, just as love begets love."
Henri Nouwen.
Gratitude makes God visible...
It’s a good practice to stop and think over our lives looking for the concrete ways be have been loved. More important than counting all our reasons for gratitude is the knowledge that our gratitude is always directed to a person; to a person who loves us deeply. Gratitude is all about remembering to place our trust in the goodness of God towards us. In many ways, gratitude makes God visible.
Lord we are grateful for gifts of creation, family and friends who make your presence known to us. Be with us now and continue to make your presence known through all little things that announce that, above all else, we are loved.
Sacred heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
"The endurance we are called to is not a matter of human effort alone; it is the result of God's grace, a grace that strengthens the weak and gives youthfulness to all."
Pope Francis
Let us never grow weary of showing concern or offering hope...
I hope you enjoyed a restful and joy-filled weekend. As we begin this new week, let us gather in prayer to start our day.
Loving God, we give you thanks and praise for you for all the blessings (visible and invisible, ordinary and extraordinary).
We are grateful for the return of warmer weather, the gift of one another and the many blessings you offer us. Help us to recognize and receive those blessings now.
Lord, we want to be responsive to the needs of others and the struggles of our neighbours; we want to be sensitive to one another and never grow weary of showing concern or offering hope.
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.
The only reason
anyone should take interest or be attracted to Christ is precisely so that the beautiful things in life can last.
(Fr. Julian Carron)
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.
Meditate on the tenderness of God.
Tenderness is the heartbeat of God. Every little thing you do for those you love is a fresh declaration of the unending rhythm of the Risen Jesus at work in our world. Pray for families and situations this week that need the immense tenderness and tranquility of God. Pray for their safety and well-being.
Christ is risen…
Did you know every day this week is celebrated as if it were still Easter? Each day is offered to us as a meditation on the resurrection.
Jesus chose to reveal the truth of his resurrection through ordinary encounters. He entered the homes of his fearful disciples and shared meals with them. He spoke tenderly to them and listened to them. He reassured them in their doubts and made time for their questions.
Tenderness is the heartbeat of God. Every little thing you do for those you love is a fresh declaration of the unending rhythm of the Risen Jesus at work in our world. Pray for families and situations this week that need the immense tenderness and tranquility of God. Pray for their safety and well-being.
May the tenderness of the risen Jesus fall upon your family and those you encounter today. As you attend to the priorities of the moment; as you think of the needs of others, you bear witness to the risen Lord alive among us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
“Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
Do you realize what I have done for you...
Before sitting down for his last passover meal, Jesus humbly washed the feet of his disciples. It was a task normally performed by servants. Naturally, the disciples were deeply puzzled.
Jesus asked them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?" That's the ultimate question.
Over the next three days, (known as the holy Triduum) we will see Jesus be condemned, crucified and buried and on the third day, we will see him rise from the dead. No matter how puzzling these things may appear, we must allow Jesus' question to echo repeatedly in our hearts, “Do you realize what I have done for you?"
In time, the disciples would realize what Jesus had done for them. They would eventually build their entire lives around the things he did during their final days together.
If we allow ourselves to puzzle over Jesus' question, like the disciples did, we will find that it's also his response to our deepest questions about God and human suffering.
Let us pray,
Lord, through the eyes of those who witnessed your final days, we ponder what you have done for us. Through these sacred events, made present to us through the great sacraments and the liturgy of the church, we receive the ministry of reconciliation that you established among your disciples. Through these holy days offered to us so that we might rebuild our lives around what you have done for us, let us find the grace to do for others what you have done for us.
Sacred heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"What will you give me if I betray
Jesus to you?"
Matthew 26:14
Betrayed by my own thoughts and desires...
Before his final meal with his disciples, the plans for Jesus' impending arrest were already set in motion. Judas had struck a deal with those who wanted Jesus eliminated. For thirty pieces of silver he would betray Jesus to them.
Judas played his part perfectly, right up until the moment he realized he had been played. He had been set up by his own love of money. His desire clouded his thinking and by the time he realized it, he had betrayed himself, it was too late. In a panic, he even tried to return the silver, but the damage was done, Jesus' trial had already begun.
So in the end Judas lost everything and ended up with nothing. It's a pattern we see repeated over and over again in our own hearts. We've all been betrayed by our own desires; we've all had our minds clouded by empty promises. That's the hidden trap behind every sinful temptation: to promise everything and deliver nothing.
Lord, admitting that we've been played, isn't easy. We know that temptations never show their true intentions until we've fallen for them. Give us clarity of mind when temptations cloud our thinking and when our poor choices leave us feeling discouraged and empty, let us not despair or let ourselves fall into the even greater trap of thinking it's too late to change. May the events of Holy Week shine a light on every empty promise and dishonest thought that would keep us from knowing your forgiveness and mercy.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward."
John 13:36
The meaning of "Holy":
"The word holy refers to anything that is set apart for God’s purposes. Holy Week is holy precisely because it is time that is set apart for us to focus on how we are spiritually renewed through the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus." (Link)
“A cluttered and overburdened mental space can be one of the biggest obstacles to simple living.”
Paula Huston
This week set aside time apart, to un-clutter our minds, lay down our burdens, and renew your trust in your friendship and acceptance.
Lord where are you going?
During their final meal together, the disciples began to understand what would happen to Jesus.
Jesus knew his hour to depart from this world had come and that where he was going, they would not be able to follow (at least not yet).
Jesus not only knew the difficult path set before him. He knew the fear and anxiety it would bring to his closest friends. So in his final words, he planted a seed of hope.
He promised them that despite the dark and terrible events about to unfold, that God's power and goodness would shine even brighter.
They would not understand it at first. Only in the light of the Resurrection, would the disciples come to understand the power of Jesus' promise.
In the hours that followed the last supper, his friends would betray him and abandon him in his hour of need. So like a seed buried in the earth, Jesus entered the darkness alone.
Lord we often find ourselves struggling to live a simple life. our inner space is often cluttered and overburdened with stress and many preoccupations. During this Holy Week we allow ourselves time apart, holy time, to spend with you. May it be a time set apart to un-clutter our minds, lay down our burdens, and renew your trust in your friendship and acceptance.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"The Resurrection of Christ is our greatest certainty; he is our most precious treasure! How can we not share this treasure, this certainty with others? "
Pope Francis
Place yourself on the path...
Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday which marks the beginning of Holy Week.
This week plunges us into the heart of our faith. Over the next few days we will accompany Jesus on his journey to the cross and through to the great feast of the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The world-changing and heart-changing events we commemorate this week remind us to slow down, to humbly place ourselves along the path of Jesus so that we might admire the way Christ responds to injustice and suffering. He reveals that he is one who suffers among us into order to bring us comfort and compassion in our on trials and struggles.
Jesus, during this week let us feel the hope and joy of journeying with you. Grant us the courage to "come out of ourselves" and carry life and hope to the places that need most.
Sacred heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"When we go to Mass, we do not go only to pray, no: we go to renew, to bring about again, this mystery, the Paschal mystery."
Pope Francis
Holy Week begins this Sunday...
Holy Week begins this Sunday. It is the highlight of Christian life because it plunges us into the heart of the paschal mystery: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Let us pray,
Lord Jesus, despite the cheers of the crowd that greet you as the awaited messiah, it is as a man abandoned and delivered to solitude that you walk the path upon which you will soon carry the cross.
During the most intense period of your life, you will be betrayed, denied, condemned, tortured, ridiculed, insulted, put to death. You will appear to have been forsaken even by God.
But it is your incredible response to all this that we find so attractive and admirable. Instead of responding to suffering and injustice with anger, resentment or hurt you offered forgiveness, compassion and steadfast love.
As we walk with you into these holy days, we bear witness to fact that nothing could turn you away from your ultimate work or reconciliation and redemption. As we follow may we become more like you.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God's love and mercy."
Pope Francis
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.
The Gentle Power of Beauty...
Consider the power nature has on us:
When the beauty of the natural world catches your attention, do you ever feel like you have to hurry up, quicken your pace and do more to fit in?
The power of nature calms us and undoes our restless and competitive tendencies. It restores hope and invites us to enter the joyful rest of our Creator.
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.
"For he did not despise the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him." - Psalm 22: 24
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.
“Fraternity is one of the fundamental and universal values that ought to undergird relationships between peoples, so that the suffering or disadvantaged do not feel excluded and forgotten, but accepted and supported as part of the one human family. We are brothers and sisters!”
Pope Francis
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.
"You will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is set on you...because they trust you."
Isaiah 26:3
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.
"We cannot life the spiritual life alone. The life of the Spirit is like a seed that needs fertile ground to grow. This fertile ground includes not only a good inner disposition, but also a supportive milieu."
Henri Nouwen
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 is such a holy gift...
(Henri Nouwen)
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.
Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
James 5:16
"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 approach the last weeks of Lent and the days leading up to the suffering of Jesus, Jesus reassures his disciples with these words:
“Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”
John 14:2
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.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:9
The seeds of peace
The mystery of faith we celebrate today, reminds us that the seeds of national and international peace are already planted in the broken soil of our own personal struggle for peace.
These seeds may be small, but we can trust that these seeds, like the mustard seeds mentioned in the gospel will grow into large trees in which the birds of the air can find a place to rest.
On this holy day we hear the words spoken to Mary: "Do not be afraid.", so that like Mary, Queen and Mother of Peace, we might offer up a little more space within our hearts for the peace of Christ to dwell.
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.
"Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness sake, O Lord!"
Psalm 25:7
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.
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1
Lenten Listening Practice #1:
If there was no TV to watch, phone to check, call to make, project to finish, how would you feel?
Take up pen and paper and make a list of all the reasons (excuses) that keep you from befriending silence or being alone with God.
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.
“The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
Luke 13:8
A moment of Special Attention...
As we approach the halfway point on our Lenten journey, we look to see what we're learning about ourselves and the areas of our lives that require special attention.
Hopefully we’re beginning to see the gentle ways God is present and involved in our daily lives.
If we’re open to it, perhaps we’re beginning to see how God is trying to speak to us during this holy season.
Like a gardener, God is leading us to remove the things that prevent us from growing and encouraging us to explore new areas of growth. By these gentle promptings, so gentle that we might not even notice, God is patiently forming and transforming us.
Let us pray,
Maybe over the past few days you’ve discovered a habit, an inner attitude or a discouraging message that has been getting in your way. Let us ask God to prune it away and may we find the freedom to let it go.
Maybe you’ve discovered an opportunity to grow, an insight or inner desire to pursue something more fully, let us ask God to clear the path ahead and may we find even more desire to set out on the next step of our journey.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, We place our trust in you.
Enjoy each and every moment...
Alors que nous entrons dans ce temps de repos et de rafraîchissement, Seigneur, sois avec nous.
Over this March break, grant us rest and a time to renew friendships and reconnect with the things we've been missing.
Veille sur nous lors de toutes nos activités et déplacements.
May this time renew us in spirit and lift our hearts and minds to you.
Bénis nos familles et nos amitiés et puissions-nous te retrouver parmi les joies de nos vacances.
With gratitude we pray,
Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avon confiance en toi.
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.
“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity,let us do good to all”
(Gal 6:9-10)
In his Lenten message Pope Francis reminds us Lent is opportune time to plant seeds of goodness and a chance to nurture the seeds of goodness that have already been planted in us.
Let us pray,
Lord, help us to recognize and nurture the seeds of goodness you have sown within the human family. Strengthen us is the work we share with one another and with you. In your word, you call us to sow seeds of goodness all around us and so unite ourselves by grace to you bountiful goodness.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
March 8th: International Women’s Day.
Today is International Women’s Day. This global day of celebration and action, focusing on equity and social justice, reflects our own Catholic vision that equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusivity are integral to the overall community.
Today we honour women of all times and all places:
Women of courage. Women of hope.
Women suffering. Women mourning.
Women living fully. Women experiencing joy.
Women delighting in life.
Women knowing the interconnectedness of the human family.
Women honoring the sacredness of the relational, the affective.
Women quietly tending the garden of human flourishing.
Women boldly leading the transformation of unjust global structures.
Women seeking Wisdom. Women sharing Wisdom.
Women receiving Love. Women giving Love.
Women: life-giving. Women reflecting the glory of God.
Women: the image of God.
Loving God, compelled by your faithfulness and love we commit ourselves to celebrating and honoring the full gift and dignity all women everywhere. We know that whatever denies, diminishes, or distorts the full humanity of women is not from you. Bless all women everywhere.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity,let us do good to all”
(Gal 6:9-10)
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.
Choose Gratitude
"Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. "
Henri Nouwen
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.
"Listening is not simply a source of information or a strategy for achieving a goal, but the way that God himself relates to his people."
Those who understand the power of listening, know that "in our contemporary world, time dedicated to listening is never wasted."
Just listening can say so much. In fact, Listening may be the truest and boldest kind of language there is. "Listening is not simply a source of information or a strategy for achieving a goal, but the way that God relates to us."
Let us pray,
Lord as we enter into the Lenten journey of listening and dialogue, we acknowledge how hard it is for us to really listen. In our prayer, help us to slow down and stop long enough to listen. In our fasting help us make space for others to speak and in our actions of service help us to respond to what we hear.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Listening Beneath The Surface.mp4Note: See transcript for works cited and additional references.
"Now is not the time to soundproof our hearts"
Pope Francis
Pope Francis announces a “Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace” on Ash Wednesday
“ I feel like a small battlefield in which the problems, or some of the problems, of our time are being fought out...Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.”
Etty Hillesum
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.
“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Black History Month Poster- Ikram.pdf"Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think,” (Pope Francis)
Awakenings & Truth
As we approach the end of Black History Month, we hope this month has given you a chance to think about the story behind the stories.
It's a painful truth: racism, prejudice and unchallenged cultural conditions reminds us, that today in Canada, the colour of a person skin still offers advantages to some and creates hardships for others. As such, we know that for many Canadians life will be made more difficult, more unfair, and more intolerable simply because of the colour of their skin.
Prions/Let us pray,
Seigneur, aide-nous à tendre la main dans l'amitié. Aide-nous à dépasser notre zone de confort afin que nous puissions nous rencontrer avec plus de compassion et respect. Par nos paroles et nos gestes, tu nous donnes l'occasion de participer à l'œuvre de réparation et de réconciliation.
Sacre Coeur de Jesus, nous avon confiance en tois.
Translation:
Lord help us to reach out in friendship. Help us reach beyond our comfort zone so that we might seek out and meet one another with greater compassion and openness. Through meaningful words and thoughtful gestures let su not miss the opportunity to play a part in the work of of reparation and reconciliation that still remains to be done.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"The real "work" of prayer is to become silent and listen to the voice that says good things about me. To gently push aside and silence the many voices that question my goodness and to trust that I will hear the voice of blessing-- that demands real effort."
Henri Nouwen
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1st Thessalonians 5:11
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.
"...Guide me in peace and direct me in peace and keep me from all dangers along the way..."
Traveler's prayer
Inhabit our prayers
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.
"It is a desire for life that connects everything, that makes us allies in the world." (Guilia Sodi)
Friday Check In:
Q. Thinking about the people we share life with, what are you thankful for each time you think of them?
La Semaine en Revue:
Q. En pensant aux personnes avec qui nous partageons la vie, de quoi êtes-vous reconnaissant chaque fois que vous pensez à elles ?
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.
"If there is one word that we should never tire of repeating, it is this: dialogue."
Pope Francis
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.
"Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think...”
Pope Francis
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.
"Sometimes prayer can feel like your just talking and no one's listening..."
It begins with presence...
Sometimes prayer can feel like your just talking and no one's listening. It might even feel like your just talking to yourself. Part of the reason we feel this way is that we just start saying words without first reminding ourselves that God is already here.
That's starting point for prayer; it doesn't matter where here is, God's presence is here.
Lord, as we begin this day in prayer, we start by remembering that you are here. Help us to be present as well. Help us to listen and help us to notice what needs our attention. Help us to be attentive to the goodness that surrounds us, especially the goodness we tend to overlook.
At the beginning of this week it is good to remember you are here.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
“We are all called upon to bear witness to and to proclaim the message that ‘God is love,’ that God is not distant from us or insensible to our human affairs. He is close to us, He is always by our side, He walks with us to share our joys and our pains, our hope and our strife.
Pope Francis
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.
Friday Check in:
Looking back over the week, what's one new and interesting thing you've been thinking about lately? What's one thing that brings you energy and joy?
La Semaine en Revue:
En repensant à la semaine, à quoi avez-vous pensé ces derniers temps ? Quelle est la chose qui vous apporte de l'énergie et de la joie ?
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 live in a culture of excessive haste, of “pathological busyness” (Ronald Rolheiser), where the only way to keep up to the pace of having too much to do (ie. the endless to-do list) is by hurrying. "
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..
How are You?
There are 3 parts to practicing self-compassion:
Being aware of how you feel in the moment (labelling your feelings; where you feel it in your body; identify the thoughts you are having)
Being able to react to yourself with kindness and compassion and find a way to get your needs met (think: What would I say to a friend if they shared this with me? or how would I react to a friend in need?)
Being able to recognize that we are not alone in this, and that we have common human experiences, feelings, thoughts, etc.
For some exercises on self-compassion, you can go to Self-compassion Exercises
for more ideas or and resources.
So, just for today, invite self-compassion in and see what it has to say.
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.
Black History Month Poster- Ikram.pdfAs 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.
" God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. After all this noise came a gentle whisper."
(Cf. 1st Kings 19)
How do we hear God's gentle whisper?
Making room to hear God's gentle whisper starts by naming the things you're wrestling with and sharing them with God as simply as you can. Once we get it all out, we can stop talking about it and stop thinking about it too. We can go for a quiet walk and set aside time for silence and trust we'll hear what needs to be heard. God's gentle whisper to will speak to us and we'll hear it in the simplicity of silence.
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.
""The more humble and lively our daily quest, the more intelligent the outcome will be...For this reason someone who already knows that his own religion is enough will never meet Jesus Christ, even if Christ were to knock on his door, sit down at his table, and speak for two or three hours, as he did with John or Andrew. He will never understand!"
(Fr. Giussani)
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.
"The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone, we must be compassionate..."
St. Josephine
Point to Ponder:
"The Saints were not superhuman. They were people who loved God in their hearts, and who shared this joy with others. Saints are people who belong fully to God. They are not afraid of being mocked, misunderstood or marginalized."
Pope Francis
Q. Which saintly quality (mentioned above) are you praying for? Which would make the most difference at this time?
St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us...
Today's Black history month story features a remarkable women. Her impact reaches around the globe and even into our own school board. She is a recently canonized saint and the patron of our newest high school: The St. Josephine virtual academy
Josephine was born to a wealthy family in Sudan and at age 9, was kidnapped by slave traders. Over the next decade, she knew the incredible hardship of being sold over a dozen times. Undaunted, she fought for her freedom in court and won.
After having won a historic victory, she joined the Daughters of Charity and dedicated herself to a religious life of service and prayer.
Josephine's humility, sweetness, and simple joy were infectious, and she became well known for her closeness to God and her willingness to undertake any task with kindness.
Josephine was canonized in the year 2000. She is also the patron saint of the Sudan and of survivors of human-trafficking.
We join our prayers to hers as we pray for all survivors; for those who suffer the indignity of oppression or find themselves bound by chains of any kind.
St. Josephine, pray for us
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you
"When it comes to Black Canadian History, what do you know?
Perhaps you only recently heard of Viola Desmond, he incredible Black woman who refused to move from the whites-only section in a theatre in Nova Scotia – but might this be the extent of your knowledge?"
Consider this, when it comes to Black History Month and the lessons you might have had in elementary school, what do you remember? Perhaps you’ll remember lessons on Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks – mostly African American history and nothing on Global Black History. Although African American history is very important to know, the fact that it is the only thing we get to hear about highlights the great erasure of Black Canadians in our history lessons."
28 moments of black-canadian history
So many beautiful stories needing to be told...
February 1st marks the beginning of Black History Month.
This month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn about the many forgotten histories, amazing stories and historic contributions of Black Canadians.
There are so many beautiful stories needing to be told and every day is a wonderful chance to hear them and make them better known.
But each day, especially this month and in the months to follow is not simply a chance to look back; it is also an opportunity to acknowledge the present, and with God’s grace, shape the future.
Let us pray for the grace to pay attention; to listen and hold onto the inspiring stories of courageous black Canadians. Let us work at being fully present to what they have to say to us today. May their witness help us rise to the challenges of our times and when we uncover important work to be done, may we act.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you. Amen.
How powerful prayer is! May we never lose the courage to say: Lord, give us your peace.
Pope Francis
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.
"Every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
John 15:2
Friday Check in:
Looking back over the week, what nurtured you? Where did you experience new growth? Where did you feel you where being pruned?
La Semaine en Revue:
En repensant à la semaine, qu'est-ce qui vous a nourri? Où avez-vous connu une nouvelle croissance ? Où avez-vous senti que vous étiez ébrancher ou élaguer?
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.
"Every spiritual tradition has known that in profound stillness the human spirit begins to be aware of its own Source."
-John Main
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.
"Young people are not to be judged by how seriously, tenaciously and loyally they take to their school work, but by how they use their free time."
Fr. Luigi Giussani
Personal Connection:
If you're wondering How to get an A in free time ask yourself, "Does my free time:
Remind me of what I should remember more often?
Make me better toward others?
Make me respond more thoughtfully or less impulsively?
Teach me to look at nature or life with profound intention?
Teach me to make sacrifices joyfully.
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.
“The Magi reached the goal because they sought it. Yet they sought it because the Lord, by the sign of the star, had first set out in search of them.”
Pope Francis, message for the week of Christian unity.
Keep us close to one another and to 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.
"Entering into reality as a whole teaches us to sift everything and to keep what is good, in other words it educates us."
Friday Check In:
Considering everything we've lived this 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?
La Semaine en Revue:
Réfléchissant à la semaine dernière, quelle a été la meilleure partie ? Quel a été le plus grand défi (le cas échéant) ? De quoi êtes-vous reconnaissant et pour quoi priez-vous ?
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.
"I want to truly live my life instead of watching it go by because I’m too busy to enjoy it.
What is your life telling you?
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.
"Listening also means being able to share questions and doubts, to journey side by side, to banish all claims to absolute power and to put our abilities and gifts at the service of the common good."
Pope Francis
Let us not soundproof our hearts...
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.
Asking someone if we can start over is powerful. A little honesty and humility is often all it takes to restart the flow of goodness that allows us to start moving forward again.
Do you need to give someone a chance to start over?
Do you need someone to offer you this second chance?
Let hope lead you to honest and humble dialogue; let hope lead you to take the next courageous step.
Hope nudges us to make a new beginning...
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.
“It’s up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it (racism)out.”
— Michelle Obama
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.
Jan 14th.mp4"The world needs hope. And with gratitude, with this habit of saying thank you, we transmit a bit of hope."
Pope Francis
Friday Check in:
1. What's been the best part of your week so far?
2. What's been the worst part of your week so far (if any)?
3. What are you grateful for?
4. What's your prayer intention?
1. Quelle a été la meilleure partie de votre semaine jusqu'à présent ?
2. Quelle a été la pire partie de votre semaine jusqu'à présent?
3. De quoi êtes-vous reconnaissant ?
4. Quelle est votre intention de prière?
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.
Jan 13th.mp4"Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God."
Pope Francis
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.
Jan 12th.mp4"Seek and you will find..."
The Gospel of Matthew 7:7
“Perhaps in prayer we ask for this and that, and He always gives us more! Always, always more”.
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.
Jan 11th.mp4"We must trust that the Spirit always comes to assist us in our weakness and grants us the support we need."
Pope Francis
Let us never grow weary...
Let us pray,
Loving God, we give you thanks and praise for you for all the blessings; all the visible and invisible gifts and all ordinary and extraordinary ways you draw our attention to the goodness of this life.
We are grateful for the gift of a new day and the many blessings that await us. Help us to recognize and receive those blessings.
We thank you for all the staff of Sacred Heart working so hard to make a difference in the lives of others each day. We thank you for every student; for every act of perseverance and patience they make.
Lord, the blessings we enjoy make us want to be more responsive to the needs of others and the struggles of our neighbours; we want to be attentive and sensitive to one another. Renew us in gratitude so that we might never grow weary of showing concern or offering hope.
Help us today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Jan 10th.mp4“The kingdom of God has come near"
Gospel of Mark 1:15
"Amid our ordinary lived experience, he wants to do extraordinary things."
Pope Francis
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.
Who could feel excluded from this invitation?
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.
Jan 6th.mp4"Let yourself be guided by the tenderness of God so that you may transform the world with your faith."
Pope Francis
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.
Jan 5th.mp4A New Year’s Blessing...
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.
As Pope francis recently said: The heart can't be photoshopped. The heart is too honest, too genuine for that.
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 events of Christmas, a manger, a lowly stable, a few shepherd's and a small family. These are the signs offered to us to help us understand that God always acts in simplicity: in the simplicity of the house of Nazareth, in the simplicity of everyday work, in the simplicity of prayer… Simple things. It's a powerful truth to hold onto, God always acts in simplicity.
The beauty and power of Advent often get lost amid the bustling activity that fills the Christmas season. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you seek a simpler life; a less complicated life, the season of Advent can help. Advent focuses us on what matters most; and challenges us to let go of what doesn’t matter as much as we thought.
Let us pray for attentiveness; to focus on what truly matters, without being distracted by trivial things or the things we can't control. Let us pray to be attentive to the opportunities hidden in our everyday routines and challenges. Let us pray for discernment as we go about our day and seek the grace we need to prepare for the upcoming holidays.
Day 17: A song for those who wait...
In the book of the prophet Isaiah we read a beautiful description of what to expect this Christmas:
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Day 16: A prayer for Joy
What to expect this Christmas...
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.
Pope Francis
Day 15: Why is Joy more...
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.
“Joy does not mean living from laugh to laugh. No, it’s not that. Joy is not entertainment. No, it’s not that. It is something else. Christian joy is peace, peace that is deeply rooted, peace in the heart, the peace that only God can give. This is Christian joy. It is not easy to foster this joy."
Third Week of Advent: Joy
This morning we light three candles. The first for the gift of hope given to those who are called to wait. The second is for gift of peace offered to those who have grown weary, discouraged or anxious. The third is for those who find themselves in need of joy; the kind of joy that is not tied to perfect performance or predictable circumstances. These are the lights we need to guide us along our Advent road. Along this road we can expect many encounters, some that might even change the course of our lives.
Let us pray,
We pray for eyes that can see the gift of the those who love us; people who, just by the way they treat us, speak to us or related to us, make us sense our worth, our goodness and our significance. Loving God, the miracle of Christmas,comes to us through those who love us as you love us. This has always been your way.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you
Day 14: What is joy?
"Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling fact: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion. God loved us first... (1st John 4:19)
Comfort and Joy Campaign:
On behalf of all the families we are supporting this Christmas season, we want to express our gratitude and thank you for your generosity. Thanks to you efforts our local food banks have been able to meet the increasing demands for support being felt across our city. Thanks to your generosity many local families will experience the much needed gift of comfort and joy this holiday season.
A vision of the world as your love would have it...
Lord, in this season of Advent you show us where we are needed and you strengthen us in our efforts to love. It is our joy to help bring comfort and joy to the places where they are needed most. In our efforts to support our neighbours you are helping us to see the beauty and dignity of each person. Under the guidance of your Spirit we are changing us in ways that change the world around us.
We are grateful to take part in building up your kingdom; we are grateful that during this holy season of Advent you have given us a vision of your world as your love would have it.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Peace came in the form of a Baby...
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!
"Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling fact: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion. God loved us first... (1st John 4:19)
Day 9 Bringing Comfort and Joy
Today’s story is about a family going through a cancer diagnosis and both parents having to leave their jobs behind.
Both parents were unable to work as one parent was ill and the other needed to take on caring for their spouse and the family. You can imagine the stress they were under and how hard it was to provide for the family. They’ve been surviving these hard times, in part, by relying on the food bank.
Please pray for this family, pray for all families served by the food banks and pray also for the food bank volunteers who give their time to support them.
Come Spirit of God...
Come Spirit of God, come fill us with generosity as we are challenged to share the goods and resources of this earth with everyone.
Come heal the divisions that keep us from seeing the face of Christ in all men, women, and children.
Come free us to stand with and for those who struggle to find work, shelter or security.
Come bring us understanding, inspiration, wisdom, and the courage needed to recognise the needs of others and make them feel welcome.
Come, O Holy Spirit, show us the way.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Prayer for Peace
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.
"Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling fact: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion. God loved us first... (1st John 4:19)
Day 8 Bringing Comfort and Joy
Today’s story is about a family of three
Although dad wasn’t happy to have to call the Stitsville Foodbank he knew he had to do it, it had come to a point where all they had left to eat were some onions and potatoes. They were only hoping for a couple cans of soup, that was it. They never expected enough gift cards to buy a week's worth of groceries and a few christmas gifts. They were overwhelmed to the point of tears by all the support they received.
Eyes that see...
Pope Francis recently tweeted: "If we practice seeing with the eyes of Jesus, we will always be able to recognize those who need our help."
Lets us pray,
Holy Spirit, help us to see one another with fresh eyes, to recognize in the familiar and unfamiliar faces we meet, brothers and sisters in our common humanity, brothers and sisters in Jesus, to be respected and loved.
Help us to see the world around us through the eyes of God the Creator, to recognize our common home as a gift to be safeguarded and a garden to be cultivated.
Restore our vision where it has been lost, and guide us in bringing change to where it is needed.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Advent Anthem
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.
Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling reality: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion.
This morning, as we light our two advent candles we reflect on God's way of bringing peace to humanity by entering into it fully.
In St. John's first letter we read:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him."
When people met Christ face to face they quickly realized they didn’t have to hide their humanity. In his presence, they began to see themselves differently and they began to live differently too.
In his presence their humanity was born.
Let us pray,
Lord, your birth as a human being, vulnerable and fragile, reminds us that not only are you moved to love us first, but that at your birth, our humanity is born anew.
Only when our full humanity is embraced are we able to offer gestures of true humanity to ourselves and others; only then are you born once again for all to see.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
At this time we invite everyone to share and reflect on this year's Advent message:
Advent 2021.mp4
"Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling fact: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion. God loved us first... (1st John 4:19)
Day 4 Bringing Comfort and Joy
Today’s story about a mom and her son highlights the value of giving gift cards.
Every Christmas season, this small family receives a Christmas Basket packed with food items and gifts. Although they were still extremely grateful, the son's allergy and his mother’s intolerance to dairy made it challenging for them to use much of the food donations.
Giving gift cards instead of traditional food items means that this family can all enjoy a Christmas meal suited to their needs.
Let us act in justice...
Heavenly Father, we pray for those who are struggling, socially, financially, emotionally and physically. We pray for the most vulnerable in our communities and among us. But, let us not just speak of the reality of the need, let us act in real and concrete ways to meet it. Help us to notice one another, to speak words of comfort and encouragement and to reach out in friendship and service.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Day 4: A Song of Hope
As we head into an extended weekend please take a moment to pick up a gift card or donate online. We really need your help to meet the needs in our community.
"Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling fact: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion. God loved us first... (1st John 4:19)
Day 3: Bringing Comfort and Joy
Today we’d like to tell the story of a single mom struggling to support her two daughters, one of them a small baby.
A new baby in the family can be expensive (diapers, formula, new clothing add up). Thankfully the food banks stock baby formula & diapers.
Every time they visit the food banks they feel no judgement from the volunteer workers and their little family is able to get the things they need.
This Christmas season, let’s help bring a little comfort and joy to this caring mom and her 2 little girls.
Open our eyes to see...
O Lord, open our eyes that we may see the needs of others; Open our ears that we may hear their cries; Open our hearts so that their needs will be met; Show us the places crying out for hope and help this season. Use us to bring comfort and joy to the places where they are needed most.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Day 3: A Prayer for Hope
Did you know that food banks can turn every dollar donated into two or three more? Since food banks have the power to buy in bulk, they can often buy food at wholesale prices. That means every dollar you give goes even further than a traditional donation of food.
"Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is a powerful reminder of a startling fact: God is moved by our humanity just as it is. Our human condition, imperfect as it is, sets God’s love in motion. God loved us first... (1st John 4:19)
Day 2: Bringing Comfort and Joy
Today we’d like to tell the story of a teenage girl and her family
She lives with her younger brother and sister; her mother, father and her grandparents. It's a full house and there's tension within the home. Her mom is looking for work, the grandparents feel sad that they can’t be of more assistance, and Dad is working extra hours to make ends meet. Her family is grateful for the local food bank in Stittsville. Thanks to their support, her mom worries less knowing that gift cards are on the way so that the whole family can enjoy a holiday meal like the one they were used to.
This Christmas season, let’s help bring a little comfort and joy to families like this one.
Show us where we're needed...
Christ our Light, shine upon our hearts and minds; show us where we are needed this season; prepare us for a Christmas where we are focused on what matters most, at peace with one another and ready to celebrate with gratitude.
In this Advent season grant us Lord God, a vision of the 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 peoples 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.
Day 2: What is Advent?
When planning your gift to our Christmas camping this year, know that gift cards are a great option. Gift cards allow moms and dads to be Santa for their children. They know what their children need better than anyone. Gift cards are a helpful and respectful way to support parents struggling through this season.
All gift cards are welcome, but gift cards to stores that sell groceries are the most helpful.
Note: Please ensure that the value of the card is clearly marked on the gift card or envelope.
Our Christmas Campaign Starts today:
Our annual Christmas Campaign to bring comfort and joy for 30 local families supported by the Richmond and Stittsville food banks begins today.
The campaign will run from November 29th to December 10th.
Once again we will be relying on school cash online donations and gift cards to help families in need.
Each day throughout our Christmas campaign, we’ll be sharing the story of a family who will benefit from your generous donation.
Bringing Comfort and Joy:
Our first story is of a family where one of the older teenage boys is doing his best to help his family cope with big challenges. His family recently suffered a small house fire and are dealing with challenges of rebuilding their home and family life.
In addition to this, his parents work in the service industry and their finances have been tight lately. So he's doing his best by working a part time job to help pay the cost of groceries each week, but he is worried about just how little his family has for their weekly meals.
Let’s help bring a little comfort and joy to a caring son and his family this Christmas season.
The holy season of Advent began yesterday. Advent is a time for the human heart to wait, while trusting in God's eternal time.
All: How long, O Lord, How long?
For those waiting for answered prayer:
All: Grant steadfast patience.
For those waiting in the face of uncertainty:
All: Grant unshakable confidence in your ultimate provision.
For those waiting for justice and mercy to reign:
All: Grant a glimpse of your goodness in a wounded world.
For all of us waiting for God's kingdom to come:
All: Grant that we might have the peace of Christ as we wait, the love of Christ as we act, and the grace of Christ as we speak.
This morning we light the first candle which reminds us that throughout history, God's people have spent time waiting, wandering, and wondering about the timing of God's eternal plan. Like the people of old, we long for God's presence to illuminate the areas of our life where we are called to wait. This morning we echo the words of the psalmist, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14)
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Day 1: What is hope?
Today is Friendship Friday:
Today is for spreading kindness like confetti! Researchers from the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory found that when people see someone else being kind, they are more likely to act kindly towards others themselves. Just think about how powerful that is! Share a smile, open a door, give a compliment… it costs nothing, but means everything. Don’t forget; in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one who feels like this?
Am I the only one who feels that’s something
not right (inside me)?
Am I the only one with a “manufacturing defect''
in my heart?
When I’m alone, that’s when I feel it...
this absence, this lack, this nothingness
Even when things are going well, I still feel it…
Even then I still feel something is missing.
Am I broken?
This is the biggest risk today: that after telling everyone we’re doing well, after trying to manage everything on our own, after having shown everyone our best side or our “optimized profile”, we end up isolating ourselves.
Pope Francis, said recently, that "our hearts can't be photoshopped" This intense feeling of lack is nothing to be ashamed of, it turns out that the very reality we try to hide from others, was put there to make us seek friendship with others.
Let us pray,
Lord God, we give thanks for true friendships. We understand more and more that true friendship is what finally allows us to look with sympathy at the crack in our own heart. We give thanks for those true friends, the people who make us feel free, fully ourselves, and completely taken seriously. Even if we've just met, they make us feel at home. Like you.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Today is Togetherness Thursday.
Many in the LGBTQ+ community, including LGBTQ + Catholics, live each day at a cultural collision point. Surrounded by mixed and hurtful messages, polarizing opinions and differing beliefs. It’s a really tough place to live.
We could pretend these tensions and realities don't exist. We could turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters and to ourselves. But this is not God's way.
“It is truly difficult for someone who belongs to the majority to understand the sense of insecurity suffered by the minority.” (cf. Letters to Communion and Liberation) Different lived experiences among us can lead us to withhold empathy and compassion. But “we are called to approach one another in the “style of God”; with “closeness, compassion and tenderness.” (cf.Pope Francis)
Let us pray,
Lord God, help us to love like you; to reflect your “style of love” to one another. As we listen to the ache in the lives and stories of LGBTQ+ persons, let us hear an echo of the ache in our own hearts. In the pursuit of perfect love, “No one escapes this world unscathed…we have all suffered our own versions of imperfect, unrequited, unsatisfying affections.” Together we face a shared question: “Will we ever experience exclusive, indissoluble, forever love with another human being?” (cf. Eden’s Invitation)
Lord God, to our deepest question, You offer more than words, You offer yourself. Help us to do the same.
So if we are left wondering, how can we talk to God about all this or how we should we share our lives with others? Only Christ opens a space wide enough to receive the whole person. He acknowledges our fear, insecurity, and sense of persecution even if others do not. He suffers in a deep way so that we might know the security that comes from being loved. His love is the path to the integrated life we all seek.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our Trust in you.
Wellness Wednesday
Today is Wellness Wednesday. Today is for reflecting on how kind you are to yourself. You yourself, as much as anyone else, deserves your love, compassion, and kindness. Protect your peace by taking time for self-care. Chase your joy by being your truest self. Nurture your soul by thinking positively about who you are and by getting excited about who you are becoming. Don’t forget; in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Reflecting on the need for self-care, Pope Francis said recently, “When we feel small in the face of a problem, small in front of a cross, an illness, when we experience fatigue and loneliness, let us not be discouraged. The mask of superficiality is falling away and our radical frailty is re-emerging: it is our common base, our treasure, because with God frailty is not an obstacle but an opportunity.” (Pope Francis)
Let us pray,
Lord help us to look at ourselves and our situation with compassion and tenderness. Let us not resort to harsh words, or condemning thoughts to motivate ourselves to change, rather let the love of those significant presences in our lives; those real friends who enable us to be our true selves, show us how to respond to our needs; let their kindness reveal new ways to show kindness to ourselves. Help us to see the self-care is not found in self-sufficiency, but in a trusting relationship with you, one another and ourselves.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Tech Tuesday
Today is Tech Tuesday. Today is for learning about the damaging effects of our words, posts, and actions when they are used to hurt others. Research in Canada shows that the average teenager spends 9 hours a day online. If almost ⅓ of your day is spent online, it is imperative that the messaging you send and receive is positive. Today we wear pink to collectively take a stand against all forms of bullying. Don’t forget; in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
The past year has reminded us how much we need each other and how much we rely on one another to meet our basic needs. The demands of the Pandemic meant being online, relying on virtual gatherings and social media more an more to stay connected. Unfortunately the shadowy side of life on online became more apparent too. We saw how social media could be manipulated to fuel suspicion, spread lies and vent prejudice.
Let us pray,
Lord God, your care extends to every detail of of our lives and your concern for each person's dignity opposes all that can isolate us, divide us make us feel our everyday lives are uninteresting or insignificant. Free us from the relentless pursuit of approval so that we might rest in our deepest identity. Today, we pray for those of us who have been harmed and those whose lives have been deeply affected by the messages and actions of others online.
In addition, we pray for those writing the literacy test today, may peace accompany you and remain with you throughout the day.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
“We cannot feel ‘alright’ when any member of the human family is left behind and in the shadows,”
Pope Francis
Throughout the OCSB, Kindness week kicks off today.
Kindness Week is a chance to celebrate the friendships and relationships, words and gestures that build us up each day.
It's also a chance to take a closer look at the realities that wear down our sense of equality and community.
Let us pray,
Lord God, In a world where we can be anything, let us be kind. Kindness remakes us into the people who bear your image.
Your kindness and deep concern for our humanity transforms us. It restores us and makes us the kind of people who think more and more in terms of the needs of the community and the priority of life instead of the needs of a privileged few and the priority of personal gain.
May this week lead us to new insight and a new mindset. We ask for the graces we need to realize the changes we all seek.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Monday
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” This week is kindness week and we are focusing on the things that matter in order to cultivate compassion, activism and allyship among us. Today is Movement Monday; take some time today to learn about how you can be a friend and ally to those around you who experience racism. Don’t forget; in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Expect the Unexpected:
Q. Can you name something unexpected that happened to you this week that you're glad happened?
We began this week with a new quadmester, a chance to make a fresh start and the chance to enjoy the things we expected and the gift of the unexpected. New beginnings reminds us that each morning is offered to us as a chance to experience something new; something good that we don't expect.
Let us pray,
Lord God, as we look back over our week, we realize that so often it is what comes to us unexpectedly; freely and by surprise, as a gift from heaven, without our having sought it, is what brings us pure joy. We thank you for these gifts, these unexpected graces that make it possible to say, "I can't believe this happened", "I can't believe I got through it" or "I can't believe this goodness, one that I didn't deserve, produce or even expect, has come to me.
As we head into the weekend and the day of rest offered to us to enjoy the goodness that is our life, we give you thanks.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"The encounter... enabled me to breathe freely because for the first time my restlessness and inquietude were looked at with fondness as a resource without condemnation..."
Q. Who are the people who make it possible for you to look at yourself with little more fondness or compassion?
It's tempting to the think that if we cover up how we really feel; if we don’t bother anyone with our needs, our questions or our doubts, that we’ll have more friends.
But true friendship is what finally allows us to look at ourselves and our situation with sympathy. Real friends make it possible to see that we don't have to hide the parts of our humanity that we don't understand.
Let us pray,
Lord, your loving gaze frees us to look upon our humanity with fondness and concern. Let our needs and our questions propel us towards encounter and community. Help us to live as people who are not frightened of their own humanity; to be the kind of people who enable others to look at their own humanity as well without censuring or covering anything up.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
This November Pope Francis’ call to pray and assist those who suffer from depression is an important and timely invitation.
Earlier this month, Pope Francis released his prayer intention for the month of November. He's inviting everyone to pray for and be near to those who suffer from exhaustion, burn-out, and depression.
As we enter into more wintery weather, shorter days and spending more time indoors, we are encouraged to lookout for one another; to notice the unmet needs experienced by others; to reach out to those around us who may be overloaded, discouraged or tired out by the exhausting rhythms of daily life.
Let us pray,
Loving God, you are one who notices; one who cares. help us to take note of the needs of others, help us to listen carefully and take what they say seriously. Help us to respond to each other and support one another.
Today, we pray for those who suffer from exhaustion, burn-out, and depression.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it's called the present."
We know that it's all too easy to focus on what missing or lacking in any given situation. Our efforts to make up for what's lacking in ourselves; to obtain what we feel is missing in our lives is a big part of each day. It's what moves us to set out each day in hope of finding the resources and support we need. All too often this search produces a kind of tunnel vision; a narrow focus that makes it easy to overlook what we have already received. Often as we look for a better tomorrow and miss the gift of today.
Let us pray,
Lord open our eyes and our hearts. Restore our vision for what we have already received. Reveal the significance and blessing of the wonderful people and moments we take for granted. When we underestimate the value of what we have already received; when we rush to create a better tomorrow without giving the a second thought to the gifts of today, help us to rediscover the treasures we already have.
Grant us renewed focus and energy...
Lord God, giver of all that is good and source of our gratitude.
We give thanks for the many blessings we have enjoyed over the past few months. As we begin a new quadmester,We are grateful for the joy of discovery and learning. We are grateful for friends and those who have supported us and encouraged us up to this moment. We are grateful for all the staff and students who make Sacred Heart a blessing each day.
Lord, be with us in the days and weeks ahead. Grant us renewed focus and energy. Watch over us and may this new chapter of learning remind us to rely on your gifts in all that we do.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
On October 31st , COP 26, the United Nations Conference on climate change, began meetings in Glasgow, Scotland. Although the conference ends this Friday, the real work is just beginning.
Communities from around the world have joined together in solidarity to pray for wisdom, for authentic leadership, for meaningful decisions and for immediate action.
Let us pray,
A Prayer for our Earth By Pope Francis
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.
Pope Francis published this prayer
in his encyclical entitled: Laudato Si.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you
“But we, who are journeying (on earth), are we fighting enough so there will be no more wars, so there will be no more domestic economies fortified by the arms industry?”
Pope Francis
In this season of remembrance we pray for all who have gone before us, those who have lived heroic lives (All Saints day), imparted legacies of wisdom and example (All Souls day); those that offer us a vision of service that we can aspire to (Remembrance day).
In this season, we not only remember “the fallen” but “The forgotten as well. We pray for them and we ask for their prayers at this moment.
Let us pray,
Lord God, the act of remembering reminds us that everyone is on a journey; a journey that entails facing many historical realities, many difficult situations. Our past, our battlefields and our cemeteries are a reminder to take pause and reflect on the nature of one’s own journey and where it is heading.
Help us to hear the urgent cry for peace throughout our world.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
Heavenly Father, we pray for the most vulnerable in our communities and among us. But, let us not just speak of justice, but let us act in just ways. Help us to notice one another, to speak words of comfort and encouragement to one another and to reach out in friendship and service.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
Solidarity is drawing closer to your neighbours
“Solidarity entails the awareness of being part of a single body, while at the same time involving a capacity on the part of each member to “sympathize with others and with the whole. When one suffers, all suffer. For solidarity is no mere ideal; it is expressed in concrete actions and steps that draw us closer to our neighbours, in whatever situation they find themselves.
As we wrap another week, we pause in gratitude, to give thanks for the generosity of our community.
Yesterday, the food bank came by to pick all the donations collected for the food drive. They were so thrilled with each cart of food we wheeled out. We ended up filling their largest trailer. In addition to collecting hundreds of food items we collected over 2000$ in online donations.
Thanks to the generosity of our local community, the food bank wanted us to know that they have never had to turn anyone away. The amazing flow of donations made it possible for them to meet rising needs throughout the entire pandemic.
Thank you for all your generous support. It's truly appreciated!
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. Bless the work of countless volunteers who work tirelessly to meet the needs of so many across our community. Provide caregivers and all volunteers with a much needed renewal of strength and hope. Bless us and unite us in our daily efforts to care for one another.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Image created by Amanda Strong:
Michif Indigenous filmmaker, media artist and stop-motion director based out of the unceded Coast Salish territory in Vancouver, British Columbia. This image appeared on the cover of the Sept 2018 issue of Kayak Magazine.
Fact of the Day:
What does Unceded mean?
You hear in the OCSB land acknowledgement that we are on unceded Algonquin territory - BUT do you know what unceded means? Unceded means that First Nations people never ceded or legally signed away their lands to the Crown or to Canada. A modern-day treaty process is now in affect to rectify this and acknowledge the lands taken from the Indigenous Peoples.
Treaty recognition week honours the importance of treaties and reminds us that “Recovering the true spirit and intent of Treaties is a priority. These agreements are not old, obsolete, or pointless. First Nations’ own histories and accounts of Treaty processes uphold important principles of reciprocity, respect, and renewal rooted in thousands of years of experience and presence on these lands. The Treaties hold the keys to a new path forward as living agreements regarding relationships between First Nations and settlers in the past, for the present, and towards the future.”
Treaties and the Treaty Relationship (Canada’s History)
Let us pray,
O Great Creator, we give praise and thanks to You for our lives and world. You make all things new and good, and you invite your peoples throughout creation to recognise one another through face to face encounter; to receive and share all that is good with each other. Thank you for how wonderfully and intimately You share Your life with us all. Likewise, we seek deepening relationships with each other and all Creation. Help us to recover the true spirit of encounter and relationship where promises are honored and relationships are repaired. Guide us on the path of communion and reparation.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Career Facts: Did you know?
Welding is one of the jobs in high demand in Canada due to new job growth rather than retirement rates. Welders who can read plans and blueprints are expected to be in the highest demand.
If you are searching for high-paying careers in demand, then aerospace engineering could be what you're looking for. The aerospace engineering labour pool could be short 3,900 workers during the period from now to 2026.
Electricians enjoy some of the best jobs in the skilled trades. Industrial electricians are in high demand. From 2017 to 2026, up to 1,200 industrial electrician jobs could go unfilled because of a lack of qualified workers.
As we continue through Career Week, we discern and reflect on which career we may choose to look into and pursue. We celebrate all of the gifts and talents that we have to share with others. We give thanks to all those who will provide us guidance and inspiration during this process and those who will mentor along the way
We pray,
Lord God, please give students the inspiration to find a career that reflects their personal gifts and talents. Please sustain their motivation to pursue it. Help them to reflect and discern their own passions and feelings. May these feelings guide each person to an inspired and fulfilling career. We ask that You open the eyes and mind of each person to many inspirations along the way. Bless this week of discovery and discernment.
Amen.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
"Remembering is what strengthens a people because they feel rooted," they have an identity and history, he said. "Memory reminds us that we are not alone. We are part of a people."
Pope Francis
Yesterday, on the 1st of November, we celebrated the feast of All Saints and today on the feast of All Soul’s day we commemorate the faithful departed. November is month of remembrance and prayer for all those who have gone before us into life everlasting.
Let us ask the Lord today to give us the grace to never lose or hide the memory of loved ones, the grace to continue to hope and the grace to understand the lights accompany us on the journey so that we do not lose our way; so that we can one day arrive where they await us.
Let us pray,
Lord God, it is not easy to remember, often we tire at the thought of looking back, of asking "What has happened in my life, my family, my people", but let this day be a day for remembering. A day where our faith in your promises gives us the sure hope that we will meet again; the certain hope that we will one day arrive where those we love and the love that that created us awaits us in its fullness.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Hope in the future rests on something that happens in the present."
“If you have a loved one who is seriously ill, so much so that he leaves little hope, and at some point you come to know that on the other side of the world another person with the same disease has been healed, this changes your gaze on the future”.
Only an event (something happening now), a presence, makes hope in the future reasonable and possible. Not just any presence, though. “Of course not. Not every presence knows how to give security in the storm like that of Jesus on the boat with his disciples..."
The saints are such presences, those hopeful souls among us, reminds us and offer us real reasons to hope, a way of seeing trusting God in our present situation, no matter the time or the place.
Yesterday many families around our community enjoyed Halloween festivities and door-to-door trick or treating.
Although the roots of Halloween pre-date Christianity, Halloween is a Christian word. Derived from an Old English expression, the word Halloween means “All Hallow’s Eve.” It is the name given to the evening before All Saints Day celebrated today on November 1st.
On this solemn Feast of All Saints, the Church invites us to reflect on the great hope, that is Christ’s victory over fear, sickness and death. The Saints and Blesseds are compelling witnesses to this hope, because they lived it fully in their lives, amidst joys and sufferings (cf. Pope Francis)
Let us pray, +
Lord God, on this day we honour the gift of the saints. We give thanks for the ways their example and prayers sustain our efforts to live a hopeful and holy life. We ask for their prayers today.
All saints, pray for us.
Today also marks the start of treaty awareness week and career week. May our reflections and activities this week lead us further along the path of reconciliation and help us discover and discern the gifts and talents we have to share with others.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Career week facts:
Did you know that unlike most countries, in Canada, people receive their paycheck twice a month.
Part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92 is to ensure that Indigenous peoples have equitable access to jobs, training and education opportunities in the corporate sector.
My Movie 2.movDraw us together in a spirit of friendship and solidarity...
As the month October draws to a close, a month dedicated to Down syndrome awareness. We once again acknowledge the wonderful gift of the members of our community and pray that we can continue to grow into our capacity to welcome and support one another.
Lord God, You who know how to recognize what is lovable in each one of us, You who know how to see the light beyond our shadows because you are lovable; because you are light. Allow us, during this day, to live without criticism, judgement; free from all anxiety and all worry.
Draw us together in a spirit of friendship and solidarity.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"What you're going
through matters."
The chaplaincy office is open for drop in visits or by appointment.
Let us pray for each other...
In prayer this morning, I invite you to pray for those struggling with mental illness and those seeking better mental health.
Lord, you know the struggles we face and the burdens we've been carrying. We pray for those who have been treated differently; as if mental illness was some sort of character flaw or personal failure; as if mental illness was somehow less serious or not as real as any other kind of illness.
Through our own struggles with mental health lead us to be more compassionate. Help us to offer hope to those who struggle; help us to listen and respond to one another without judgment; help us to offer one another an experience of your persistent and patient love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation."
(Pope Francis' 2nd Tweet as Pope)
Today is a new day...
Lets us pray,
Holy One,
Today is a new day; one in which we will encounter unknown circumstances, yet one we will greet with open hands anyway. We have been called to this day. Help us to be present to the present moment, knowing it is a gift. Though we may not have all of the tools and wisdom we could use in this day, we will bring what I have. May our spirits radiate hope, joy, and love, especially to those in most need. May our presence let them know that we care and they are not alone. We know we may not be able to fix all of the needs of this day, but may we be present to them and with your grace may that be enough.
Adapted from caregivers prayer by Nicholas S. Stewart MDiv, BCC
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
"Lord, give me the heart of a child and the awesome courage to live it out as an adult."
Catherine Doherty
October is Down syndrome awareness month. A time to grow in awareness and celebrate the wonderful gift of the members of our community who live with Down syndrome.
Lets us pray,
It is with joy in our hearts that we pray for you, that we ask God's blessing upon you today and every day. We love each day with you. We love your smiles, your honesty and the way you love your life. The way you live and love is inspiring.
You are wonderful friends.
We are so glad you are with us; so grateful you are such a big part of our Sacred Heart community.
God bless you now and forever.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Let us never grow weary of showing concern or offering hope...
I hope you have enjoyed a restful and blessed weekend. As we begin this new week, let us gather in prayer to start our day.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks and praise for you for all the blessings (visible and invisible, ordinary and extraordinary).
We are grateful for this season of gratitude, for the gift of one another and for the many blessings you offer us. Help us to recognize and receive those blessings now.
We thank you for all the staff of Sacred Heart working so hard to make a difference each day. We thank you for every student; for every act of perseverance and patience they make.
Lord, we want to be responsive to the needs of others and the struggles of our neighbours; we want to be sensitive to one another and never grow weary of showing concern or offering hope.
Help us today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Let us ask the Lord for this grace: that our hearts become free and filled with light, so that we can rejoice as children of God. Let us allow God to fill our hearts with his goodness and mercy."
Pope Francis
Jesus give us your grace; so that we can see you as you really are; give us a pure and confident heart; give us a heart without worry, without distraction, without discouragement and without heaviness.
Give us everything we need to be more dedicated and more confident.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.Jesus give us your grace; so that we can see you as you really are; give us a pure and confident heart; give us a heart without worry, without distraction, without discouragement and without heaviness.
Give us everything we need to be more dedicated and more confident.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Jesus give us your grace; so that we can see you as you really are; give us a pure and confident heart; give us a heart without worry, without distraction, without discouragement and without heaviness.
Give us everything we need to be more dedicated and more confident.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Jesus give us your grace; so that we can see you as you really are; give us a pure and confident heart; give us a heart without worry, without distraction, without discouragement and without heaviness.
Give us everything we need to be more dedicated and more confident.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Jesus give us your grace; so that we can see you as you really are; give us a pure and confident heart; give us a heart without worry, without distraction, without discouragement and without heaviness.
Give us everything we need to be more dedicated and more confident.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Jesus give us your grace; so that we can see you as you really are; give us a pure and confident heart; give us a heart without worry, without distraction, without discouragement and without heaviness.
Give us everything we need to be more dedicated and more confident.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
The Motherhood of Mary
Mary is a mom, and mom's just want the best for their children. As a spiritual mother, she listens attentively, and prays with us when we struggle to pray or even talk about what bothering us. For many people talking to her like a mom just makes sense.
Fr. Mark-Mary discusses how to really pray the Rosary and go deeper than the external mechanics. Primarily it’s about relationship and not simply recitation.
The month of October is traditionally set aside as the month of the rosary.
For centuries, the rosary has been considered a prayer for peace (whether it's peace for a single person or peace for an entire world). As we allow ourselves to be lead by the maternal guidance and reassurance of Mary, peace develops within us. It is the supernatural peace that no one else can give; the peace that Christ promised would surpasses all understanding.
Lets us pray,
Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Personal connection:
Reflect, today, upon the ordinary and “unremarkable” way of life of lived by the saints.
If you find that your life is in some ways similar, then rejoice in that fact.
Know that what you do each and every day, when it is done out of love and service of others, is a holy way of life.
Pope Francis's prayer
to St. Joseph:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis announced that 2021 would be the “Year of Saint Joseph”; a year dedicated to those live ordinary lives with great love.
Although Joseph is recognized and honored around the world today, during his lifetime he would have been someone who was mostly unnoticed. He was just an ordinary man doing an ordinary carpenter’s job. But that’s what makes Saint Joseph such an inspiration. Most of us are not called to live life in the spotlight. Most of us will never be publicly recognized for our day-to-day efforts. That’s why so many see the humble and hidden life of St. Joseph lived out in Nazareth, as an inspiring example of how to live out each day.
Let us pray,
Lord when our life is somewhat monotonous, hidden, unappreciated, tedious, and even boring at times, you offer us the example of Saint Joseph for inspiration. Through his humble and hidden life we learn to serve, day in and day out, with little or no earthly recognition. Thank you for his ordinary life lived with great love. When we get discouraged or feel overlooked, may we never underestimate the importance of serving in ordinary and hidden ways.
St. Joseph the worker, prayer for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
“Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God is enough.”
Prayer of St. Theresa of Avila
Gratefully we acknowledge that everything we are is a gift from God and that we are given to each other as living and breathing expressions of God’s companionship and presence.
Let us pray,
We give thanks for the beauty of each person made in the image and likeness of God; for each person who makes the reality of God's presence a certainty.
Our great hope is that the Power that became Presence in history, time and space, and that is hidden today in the fragility of our humanity, would be made visible and alive. That the face of Christ would once again become recognizable in us. That our companionship with the most vulnerable would give substance to hope. That with our eyes on Him, we can face the full reality of human fragility and the challenges it presents.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you
"To be wanted, to exist, means that I am continually wanted--wanted---,therefore I am loved...I am called out of nothingness in every moment."
Luigi Giussani
Q. How does gratitude challenge our assumptions about the universe and our place in it?
When you look in the mirror what do you see?
Do you see a masterpiece of creative forces; a being destined for life; a being worthy of the utmost reverence and respect?
Whenever you notice that you’re losing sight of your own value or sense of wonder for life; when challenging circumstances make it easy to overlook the awesome mystery of a human life, let yourself ponder the miraculous possibility of existence.
Gratitude for life “is the most fruitful way of deepening our consciousness that we are not the result of a randomness or chance, but a divine choice… (Henri Nouwen)
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, the next time we see ourselves in the mirror; or look at the next person we see, may our first thought be thank you for life, thank you for this miracle of existence.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Above all, our very nature requires us to be interested in others. When there is something beautiful within us we desire to communicate it to others. When we see others who are worse off than we are, we desire to help them with something of ours. This need is so original, so natural, that it is within us before we are conscious of it. We call it the law of existence...This is so true that, if we are not able to give, we experience ourselves as incomplete beings."
(Luigi Giussani)
We all know the joy that comes from being able to do something for others. It makes us happy to make others happy. This is a simple and powerful truth.
If you think about it, the people who help us the most, are the ones who have been willing to share their life with us.
So, Lord, we thank you for the mysterious way you have chosen, blessed and broken open our lives in a way that gives life to the people around us. In being given, we discover that the real question is not “What can we offer each other, but “Who can we be for each other?”
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits...the Lord crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103
Personal Connection:
When you heart starts saying all sorts of panicky things, listen to it, but then let your heart listen to what you have to say.
Speak the truth to your heart. The words of today's scripture passage, remind us not to forget the goodness that surrounds us.
Talk to your heart...
Our hearts have a lot of panicky things to say to us, but what do we have to say to our panicky hearts? Stress makes it easy to forget the things we know to be true. It makes it easy to forget the goodness of the people we share life with; it even makes it easy to forget our own goodness or the goodness of God.
Recalling the truth of who we are to God, who God is and what God has promised to do is a way to take back what fear and anxiety try to take away.
Let us pray,
Lord God, when our panicky hearts overflow with negative self-talk, help us to recall the truth; to remember the truth of our goodness.
Help us to notice the good things we've overlooked.
As we learn the goodness of each day, may we reclaim the peace that belongs to us in Christ.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Personal connection:
Asking someone if we can start over is powerful. A little honesty and humility is often all it takes to restart the flow of goodness that allows us to start moving forward again.
Do you need to give someone a chance to start over?
Do you need someone to offer you this second chance?
Let hope lead you to honest and humble dialogue; let hope lead you to take one step at a time.
A Fresh Start...
We know that living together isn't easy, especially when people are stressed, tired or anxious. In these moments living together brings us face to face with our own limitations; when patience, gentleness and kindness stop flowing. But it's in these moments that hope (located deep within us) nudges us to make a new beginning. This hope for a fresh start not only helps face the future, it also helps us face one another.
Let us pray,
Jesus you understood the difficulty of living together, 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 your example of forgiveness open a new way for honesty and love to circulate again. We trust that when we love each other mindful of our strengths and our weaknesses, it is then that you are surely in our midst.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
"It is a desire for life that connects everything, that makes us allies in the world." (Guilia Sodi)
Q. Thinking back over the past weekend and time spend with others what are you grateful for?
How many times have you or someone you know said, "we need to connect" or "It's so good to connect."
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." (Phillipians 1:3)
Lord, we give thanks for those moments that remind us that we are loved and taken care of. We thank you for the deep desire for life that connect us. We thank you for the connections that renew the promise of belonging to each other.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Thank you...
In this morning’s prayer we pause to give thanks for all the wonderful things that happen at Sacred Heart.
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 principal, a so many kind people we encounter each day.
Opening Prayer:
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.
Scripture:
In Paul's letter to the Colossians (3:12-17) we read:
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord, Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Thank you, loving Father in heaven, for the amazing grace of the life we share.
Thank you for all the ways You have helped us and intervened on our behalf without us ever knowing.
Thank you for being with us, through the ups and downs of this life.
Thank you for enabling us to rise out of discouragement and walk in joy.
Thank you for science and art and medicine, cell phones, and satellites and all the things that improve the quality of life.
Thank you for all the blessings of life: for family, friends and all those who have helped us along the way.
Lord, we thank you for the wonderful gift of our lives. We embrace it as a priceless gift from You.
Thank you for everything.
In gratitude and hope we pray for our world, our city, our church, our leaders and care workers; for the hungry, the homeless, the unemployed and the lonely; for farmers and all who help provide the food and services we rely on; for the sick, those who have died and those who mourn.
Watch over us and bless this season of Thanksgiving.
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we place our trust in you.
Gratitude Awakens Gratitude.mp4"May the Beauty of a grateful person renew your relationship with gratitude and may your grateful heart bless those you love..."
Gratitude Awakens Gratitude...
The following meditation asks four questions:
Who is the most grateful person you know and what's it like to spend time with them?
What's your relationship with gratitude been like lately?
How might sharing gratitude bring us together or even help us overcome what divides us?
What daily gift reminds you that someone cares; that a giver has noticed your needs?
Urgency, obligation, technology, and busyness all prevent us from encountering awe and wonder. Too often, we feel we have to go away from everyday life to the ocean or the mountains to recapture the mysteries of existence. But we need not go far to find wonder. We can look inside. For the greatest mystery is the one we most often take for granted: that we are alive.
“Gratitude is not warm feelings about what we have. Instead, gratitude is the ability to embrace the gift of who we are. That we are. In the multibillion year history of the universe, the gift is that each one of us has been born, can love, grows in awareness, and has a story. Life is the gift. And when that mystery fills our hearts, it overwhelms us, and a deep river of emotions flow forth. I am. We all are. What we feel when we contemplate this remarkable thing–that feeling is gratitude.”
Let us pray,
God, whose name in the Hebrew scripture is revealed to be “I AM,” we wonder at the meaning of the words that each one of us is created in this divine image. We can say with you, “I am.” We stand on this holy ground, on the edge of a wonderful reality, knowing that life is the greatest gift of all.
Thank you.
Note: I am grateful for the insights of Diana Butler-Bass on gratitude. This reflection is adapted from A 7-DAY GUIDE TO GRATITUDE: Growing in Awareness, Practice, and Prayer of Thanks.
"Every human being desires communion and peace. Everyone needs peaceful co-existence. But this can grow only when we also build inner peace in our heart. Many people live in a constant hurry. In this way all that they have inside them tends to be overwhelmed..."
Pope Francis
As we reflect on our desire for communion and peace, we hear the reassuring words of Jesus who says to us; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Lord, here in this moment, we are gathered to learn, to grow. Guide us in our our work and our community.
In the busyness of our wanderings, we often lose sight of Your presence around us.
Calm our spirits and bring us to see you in the whole of our lives and work. Help us to embrace the possibilities of renewal and redemption in our work each day.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
The Gentle Power of Beauty...
Consider the gentle power the beauty of nature has on us. When the beauty of the natural world catches your attention, do you ever feel like you have to hurry up, quicken your pace and do more to fit in?
The power of nature calms us and undoes our restlessness, it restores hope and invites us to enter the joyful rest of our Creator.
As we start a new week, on the feast of St. Francis, and find ourselves looking forward to the upcoming season of thanksgiving, we take a moment to pause, to stand still and marvel at the beauty of the natural world around us.
Each change in the season is fresh opportunity to stand in reverence before the awesome gift of our common home.
Creator God, You are present in the universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace all that exists with your tenderness. Pour out upon us the power of your love, a love that protects life and all forms of beauty. Bring healing to our lives and touch the hearts of all the people. Help us heal our planet.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
At times Reconciliation seems like an overwhelming concept, but if we remember the saintly wisdom of Mother Teresa’s, her example calls us to focus on simple, concrete actions which will collectively result in great change.
Some concrete action include reading books by Indigenous authors, listening to the testimonies of survivors, choosing one of the 94 Calls to Action and writing to an MP to encourage a commitment to change, learning about the inequalities in health care and education that exist in Canada, and fighting for clean drinking water and access to local schools for all Canadian communities so that no child is forced to travel away from home to access the basic right to education.
We are called to reflect on our learning from this week and to commit to one concrete action.
Let us Pray in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
We read in the letter of James, If a brother or sister is without clothing and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Today in prayer we wrap up our week of Truth and Reconciliation. We know that this week and these efforts at reconciliation do not end here.
Let us pray,
Eternal God, it is moments like this when we need you most. Guide us to keep the flame alive in our efforts of Truth and Reconciliation. Make us a people that never forgets and continues to learn about the true history of this Country. Help each one of us commit to the journey ahead and the much-needed work of building your Kingdom from ashes. We offer our Gratitude for the opportunity to build your kingdom of Love. We seek the truest of Joys in being your healing hands and listening ears in a broken world. We journey forward from this week, with new hope, for a kinder, gentler world, where love and justice reign.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Orange Shirt Day
On Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad calls on us to remember every child who was impacted by residential schools along with every child who continues to be impacted by colonial structures in Canada. In every decision we make, we must remember that Every Child Matters.
Orange Shirt Day
On Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad calls on us to remember every child who was impacted by residential schools along with every child who continues to be impacted by colonial structures in Canada. In every decision we make, we must remember that Every Child Matters.
Orange Shirt Day
On Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad calls on us to remember every child who was impacted by residential schools along with every child who continues to be impacted by colonial structures in Canada. In every decision we make, we must remember that Every Child Matters.
Orange Shirt Day
On Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad calls on us to remember every child who was impacted by residential schools along with every child who continues to be impacted by colonial structures in Canada. In every decision we make, we must remember that Every Child Matters.
Orange Shirt Day
On Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad calls on us to remember every child who was impacted by residential schools along with every child who continues to be impacted by colonial structures in Canada. In every decision we make, we must remember that Every Child Matters.
Orange Shirt Day
On Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad calls on us to remember every child who was impacted by residential schools along with every child who continues to be impacted by colonial structures in Canada. In every decision we make, we must remember that Every Child Matters.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
+Let us Pray in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
In the St.Paul's letter to the Corinthians we read:
"For just as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, though many, are one body, so also is Christ. For in the one Spirit are were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member, but of many. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.
Let us pray
Today we honour and commemorate the victims and the survivors of Canada’s residential school system.
Healing God, Embrace in your Love the 6320 and the growing number of young lives lost, victims of a system that was wrong.
Embrace the survivors and restore them and their families to wholeness and hope. We offer our gratitude for the truth that they share. Make us all a people of light, healing, and action so that their, and all of our efforts for truth, reconciliation and Justice continues to grow in Canada.
Amen
+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Chief Robert Joseph, Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada, has said that
“To reconcile is to weave a stronger and more vibrant social fabric, based on the unique and diverse strengths of Canadians and their community”.
This week we are reminded of the power that comes from communities who join together to support positive change.
Tomorrow is orange shirt day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Orange Shirt Day was created during the St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project in Williams Lake, BC, in May 2013. Former student, Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, told her story of her first day at residential school as a six-year-old girl, when her shiny, new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her. This prompted the realization for her that many survivors have similar stories.
Meet her, and hear her story briefly here: Link
+Let us Pray in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Eternal Spirit, we are small and vulnerable and Your love for us knows no bounds. Through you, we are connected with one another and capable of greatness when we come together. Draw us together in Spirit as we prepare for tomorrow’s commemoration. Cleanse us and draw us towards truth in our efforts to honour and commemorate orange shirt Day. Help us recommit ourselves to Truth and Reconciliation by truly being here and feeling both the pain and the Hope. Make us a people journeying towards positive Change together under the guidance of Your Great and Holy Spirit. Today, tomorrow and always. Amen
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Our Story...
Charlene Bearhead has said, “What is our own story but a collection of experiences we have with other people?”.
During the National Week of Truth and Reconciliation, as we bear witness to survivors’ testimonies, their stories become part of us, challenge our perspectives, and transform our lives.
We read in the Letter to the Hebrews, Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to inspire one another to love and good deeds, meeting together and encouraging one another. (Hebrews 10 23-25)
On our journey of Truth and Reconciliation, we turn in prayer today to the Algonquin Morning prayer as an intentional act of cleansing ourselves with hope in the purpose of Truth, Reconciliation, and healing.
Loving Creator,
Thankyou, (Meegwetch) for this day, Meegwetch for my life, Meegwetch for the joy that you bring me
each & everyday in the many ways that you do.
Cleanse my eyes that I will see only the good intent of others...
Cleanse my heart that I will feel only the good intent of others Cleanse my ears that I will hear only the good intent of others...
Cleanse my head that I will understand only the good intent of others...
Cleanse my mouth that I will speak only my good intent to others...
Cleanse my mind that I will think only good intentions towards others...
Cleanse my body that I will act only on my good intent towards others...
Meegwetch, Meegwetch, Meegwetch, Meegwetch.
After five years of testimony from over 6,750 survivors of Canada’s residential schools, the 94 Calls to Action were released in 2015. Six years later, there is still much work to be done. Reconciliation calls on all Canadians to learn the true history of this country and it's multigenerational impact. It then invites Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on Turtle Island to collaboratively forge a new path toward a stronger, more equitable society.
In Scripture St. Paul said, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
Let us pray,
God of Truth, Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds this week as we examine our past, commemorate orange shirt Day, and the National Day of Truth And Reconciliation.
Make this a time of humility and vulnerability where we don’t shut out the Truth.
Make this a time of Truth wherever it leads and patience and perseverance.
Make this a time of hope with Gratitude for residential school survivors who are sharing their stories.
Guide us all in your tender arms Lord as we journey into this week of Truth and Reconciliation with hope to strengthen and heal as the Nations of this place we call Canada.
Amen
Sacred Heart of Jesus, We place our trust in you...
God of love and mercy, we thank you for this week.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our time, our money and our enthusiasm for an important cause; we are grateful for the opportunity to dedicate it all cancer research and to those who suffer from cancer.
We pray for all survivors of cancer and those still suffering and running their own marathon of hope.
Bless everyone who participates in the commemoration of the Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you...God of love and mercy, we thank you for this week.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our time, our money and our enthusiasm for an important cause; we are grateful for the opportunity to dedicate it all cancer research and to those who suffer from cancer.
We pray for all survivors of cancer and those still suffering and running their own marathon of hope.
Bless everyone who participates in the commemoration of the Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you...
God of love and mercy, we thank you for this week.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our time, our money and our enthusiasm for an important cause; we are grateful for the opportunity to dedicate it all cancer research and to those who suffer from cancer.
We pray for all survivors of cancer and those still suffering and running their own marathon of hope.
Bless everyone who participates in the commemoration of the Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you...
God of love and mercy, we thank you for this week.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our time, our money and our enthusiasm for an important cause; we are grateful for the opportunity to dedicate it all cancer research and to those who suffer from cancer.
We pray for all survivors of cancer and those still suffering and running their own marathon of hope.
Bless everyone who participates in the commemoration of the Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you...
God of love and mercy, we thank you for this week.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our time, our money and our enthusiasm for an important cause; we are grateful for the opportunity to dedicate it all cancer research and to those who suffer from cancer.
We pray for all survivors of cancer and those still suffering and running their own marathon of hope.
Bless everyone who participates in the commemoration of the Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you...
God of love and mercy, we thank you for this week.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our time, our money and our enthusiasm for an important cause; we are grateful for the opportunity to dedicate it all cancer research and to those who suffer from cancer.
We pray for all survivors of cancer and those still suffering and running their own marathon of hope.
Bless everyone who participates in the commemoration of the Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you...
Father God, yours is the earth and all its fullness. We stand in awe of all that you have made. The unfolding of the universe and the wonders of the natural world reveal your goodness. Open our hearts to the gift of your divine presence and your splendour made visible in creation.
All that is good, all that is beautiful and all that is true comes from you. May the gift of wonder and awe lead us to walk gently on the earth; to live in solidarity with one another and lead us to the joy of lasting communion with you.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
We pause as the day begins. We pray for refreshment in our work and we give thanks for moments of laughter and the lighthearted moments that lift our spirits.
Let us share in your joy. Show us where to find joy in our day and let us smile and begin again when we start to take ourselves too seriously.
Lead us into greater joy and gratitude today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.We pause as the day begins. We pray for refreshment in our work and we give thanks for moments of laughter and the lighthearted moments that lift our spirits.
Let us share in your joy. Show us where to find joy in our day and let us smile and begin again when we start to take ourselves too seriously.
Lead us into greater joy and gratitude today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in you.
“Christians community is the place where we keep the flame of hope alive among us and take it seriously so that it can grow and become stronger in us.
Henri Nouwen,
Q. Who around you needs a small word of encouragement or reassurance?
Looking for goodness, is an act of hope. Looking for small signs of growth; noticing how we've made little steps forward and giving thanks for even the smallest positive change nurtures hope.
Let us pray,
Lord, in your goodnessess you help us to see signs of growth in ourselves and in the people around us. Help us to nurture these small signs of improvement with words of encouragement and reassurance.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Hope Quotes from Pope Francis:
— Enemy No. 1 is not out there somewhere, but inside oneself. "Don't make room for bitter or dark thoughts."
— "Believe in the existence of the most noble and beautiful truths" and trust that God, through the Holy Spirit, is ushering everything toward the good, toward "Christ's embrace."
— Believers are not alone in their faith. There are others who hope, too. "The world goes on thanks to the vision of many people who created an opening, who built bridges, who dreamed and believed, even when they heard words of derision around them."
— Never believe the struggles here on earth are "useless." God never disappoints and he wants that seed he planted in everyone to bloom. "God made us to flower, too."
More Hope Quotes Here
How to Have Hope:
As people of compassion and concern, we're able to bring hope to the forefront of every situation.
When life seems boring or gets discouraging, hope returns the moment we concentrate on doing good things for others.
No matter where we are, no matter how little we think we can do, there's always something we can do make life just a little bit better for someone near to us. The moment we see some things we can do that when hope happens.
Let us pray,
Lord God we ask for the courage hope each day to dream of a world still not seen, to invest ourselves in building bridge's and taking care of one another.
Today:
There are so many situations that need our prayer. Please take a moment to pray as class for the needs of our community, our world and your own personal intentions.
Let us pray for our leaders, the upcoming election and the peoples of Canada: may the Lord guide and strengthen us on our journey.
We pray for children, for those who take care of them and awaken them to faith, Lord, we pray.
Let us pray for the ill and those living in loneliness: may the Lord give them the strength they need.
Let us pray for those who are condemned to prison or exile: may the Lord sustain their hope.
That the fire of your Spirit may renew our energies and enable us to welcome those who do not know peace and acceptance in the Lord, we pray.
May your Church be constantly renewed at the table of the Word and the Eucharist, Lord, we pray.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
"Pope Francis pointed out that some people say “politics is dirty”, but Pope Paul VI held that it is “the highest form of charity”.
Q. How does your view of politicians impact whether or not you add them in your prayers?
Pope Francis recently invited everyone to pray for people in government and political leaders, rather than insulting them.
The Pope said St Paul, in his letter to Timothy (1 Tm 2:1-8), calls us to pray for everyone, “for kings and for all in authority” and that our prayers should be offered “without anger or argument”. St. Paul adds, so “that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”
Let us pray,
Father God help us to pray with a peaceful heart, without anger our argument for people in government and for politicians, that they “may work for the common good.”
We pray for our leaders who “have the responsibility to guide a nation”. We pray for parliamentarians, so that they might reach agreements that guide our nation forward. In light of all their responsibility, how can we leave them out of our prayers. Help us to bless our leaders and not insult them. Help us to pray for all of them.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Be Here and Now...
It has been said that "prayer is the opposite of multitasking". "That prayer is about gathering mind, body, emotions, thoughts, and spirit into the same inner space and staying there for a while." (Cf. Praying in Colour by Sybil MacBeth)
Prayer is a place where our minds (sometimes busy, sometimes blank), our bodies (sometimes restless , sometimes exhausted) and our spirits (sometimes anxious, sometimes hopeful), all have a place to be and be listened too.
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 the reality of your loving words and know how to make it real to others.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
Reflection:
"We live in a culture of excessive haste, of “pathological busyness” (Ronald Rolheiser), where the only way to keep up to the pace of having too much to do (ie. the endless to-do list) is by hurrying. "
Q. How can you focus when there is so many things to get done?
Q. How can you waste time in prayer when the to-do list is so long?
Q. How can you take a day off (like Sunday) when you’re behind on so many important things?
Q. Have we become perhaps the most emotionally exhausted, psychologically overworked, spiritually malnourished people in history? (cf. A.J. Swoboda, Subversive Sabbath,)
Don't rush your reflection, take time to let it sink in.
Praying the Sign of the Cross
Q. We often make the Sign of the Cross over ourselves, but have you ever prayed the sign of the cross?
By a few simple gestures we bring our whole selves to God—our minds, souls, bodies, wills, thoughts, hearts—everything we are and will become.
The sign of the cross is itself a powerful prayer.
The story of humanity and the story of God are interwoven on the Cross. The Cross tells the story of God who “wanted to take on our history and to walk beside us”. (Pope Francis).
September 14th is celebrated as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross or the Triumph of the Cross.
But how can a cross be a sign of triumph and hope?
If the cross could speak to us; if the Holy Spirit could speak directly to our spirit every time we look at the cross, he would say:
“Look. Keep your eyes on Him. He is here.” “Look how His arms open. Do you know why His arms are open like that? Because He’s not holding anything from you. He knows your struggle, and He won’t hold back anything in order to be with you so that in your struggle you can be with Him. Look at Him, keep your eyes on Him, because He sure has His heart set on you!”
(cf. Life Promises of Life, Fr. Vincent Nagle)
Let us pray...
Holy Spirit, you make the love of Jesus real to us when discouragement overtakes us, and when we're most tempted to give up or give in. In the cross you show us the real heart of Jesus, a heart that holds nothing back so that we don't have to hold anything back either.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
"To change the world we must be good to those who
cannot repay us."
Pope Francis
Q. considering what Pope Francis has said, who has loved or cared for you this way? Let them know how grateful you are.
Q. Is there someone around you who needs to be loved or cared for this way?
At the start of this new week we give thanks for the time of rest enjoyed over the weekend and the gift of thanksgiving and sacred encounter offered to us each Sunday at mass.
We believe that giving thanks gives us a deeper understanding of God’s goodness and when we call to mind all of our blessings, our perspective changes. This does not deny that challenges exist, but rather our faith calls us to focus on all of the good gifts that have come from God our heavenly father and all of the good He desires for us.
When we practice gratitude, we consciously reflect on our blessings, it lifts our spirits, calms our heart and it actually changes our brain chemistry. That change in us, changes things around us.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father help us to see beyond our current challenges to the opportunities to love and serve that are set before us. Give us the courage to reach out and share our gifts and goodness with others.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
“We were thought of before we learned how to think; we were loved before we learned how to love; we were desired before our hearts conceived a desire.”
Pope Francis
It's a powerful idea worth meditating on.
Q. Is there anything in our lives that is worthy of our gratitude that we did not receive as a gift?
In the world there are those who do not give thanks and those who do; there are those who take everything as if it is owed them, and those who welcome everything as a gift, as grace.
If you think about it, our whole existence rests on gifts we did not earn. It's an a idea worth thinking about.
“We were thought of before we learned how to think; we were loved before we learned how to love; we were desired before our hearts conceived a desire.”
If we view life like this, then ‘thank you’ becomes the driving force of our day.” (Cf. Pope Francis)
"Counting our blessings makes it easier to bless those who have blessed us..."
Q. How does counting our blessings make it easier to bless those who are a blessing to us?
How to be a blessing:
Be grateful towards those you live with.
Gratitude towards people is more powerful than gratitude for things. Telling others why you are grateful for them is a real way to bless them.
As we mentioned yesterday, the call to gratitude isn't intended “to lead us on a navel-gazing exercise where we contentedly count our blessings while other people suffer or struggle. No, counting our blessings makes it easier to bless those who have blessed us and to bless those most in need of our kindness.
We know that life's challenges can leave us breathless or even brokenhearted, but with God's help, they can make us more empathetic, more compassionate, more patient, more understanding of others.
Isn't it amazing how a spirit of gratitude can transform even our struggles into a source of blessing?
Let us pray,
Father, we thank you for the gift of life and the gift of each life.
We give you thanks for the moments of our day, even the challenging ones, that make more empathetic, more compassionate, more patient and more understanding of others.
We give you thanks for those who have blessed us by their patience and understanding.
May our prayers, our actions, our words and our presence bless those most in need today.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
"The goal is to enter into a spirit of gratitude that sets us free no matter what we're going through..."
5 ways to kick off the day with a spirit of gratitude:
Name someone that makes your life better.
Name something you are particularly proud of.
What makes you laugh?
What are you grateful for that you would like to share with someone else?
What is something unique that you are grateful for?
This year we turn to the Letter of St. James for inspiration for our new Spiritual Theme. (See James 1:2-3)
Our new spiritual theme is: “Gratitude Rooted in Joy, Fills us with Hope.”
The call to gratitude means more than simply focusing on our own gifts, the good things we have or the good things that happen to be going right for us at the moment. Rather, the goal is to enter into a spirit of gratitude that sets us free no matter what we're going through; no matter the ups or the downs of our situation. (see 5 ways to kick off the day...)
Let us pray,
Father, we thank you for the gift of life and the gift of each life.
Let these opening days of the school year be filled with a spirit of gratitude.
Free us from all the negatives that sometimes take up precious mind-space.
Help us to appreciate the the gifts and goodness we have already received.
May your Holy Spirit help us to see the entirety of our lives as your generous gift.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you...
Land Acknowledgment
As we begin our new school year, we respectfully acknowledge that our school is located on the ancestral lands and waters of the Algonquin people, who left their footprints on this place long before us. We recognize their long-standing relationship with this territory which remains unceded. This Acknowledgment should not function as closure, resignation, or acceptance of the past or present but should spark a desire to learn about the true history of this country and provoke thought, reflection, conversion of heart and lasting change.
Welcome back, and a special welcome to our grade 7 students joining us this year.
It is with gratitude that we pause now to pray together and to pray for one another. With hearts rooted in joy and filled with hope, let us ask God to bless us and this new beginning.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, as a new school year begins, we ask your blessing upon everyone gathered here today. Walk with us this year and guide us in our learning each day. May the days ahead give us the opportunity to get to know you and one another better.
Make us more attentive to the needs of our neighbour, more supportive to those who are new to our school and more aware of each person's gifts and goodness.
We thank you for everything that has prepared us for this moment. Free us to embrace each day with gratitude, joy and hope.
Bless our entire school family as we embark on this new school year.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, We place our trust in you.