PRAYER SERVICE - A Communal Expression
SAINT BROTHER ANDRE CHAPLAINCY
NATIONAL TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION WEEK (Sept. 26-30, 2022)
A GUIDE FOR OUR PRAYER SERVICE
Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
Pray the Opening Prayer.
A Reading According to the Gospel of Matthew
Refection and Penitential Rite Kyrie Eleison (Lord Have Mercy)
Prayer of Intercession
Prayer of the Faithful
Sign of Peace
The Lord’s Prayer
Spend a few moments in silence
Conclude with the Closing Prayer.
Orange Hand Activity
Optional: Read and reflect on an area of focus from the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. Pray for the work that has to be done to bring healing and reconciliation.
INTRODUCTION
Reader: This week, Sept. 26-30, 2022 is the National Week for Truth and Reconciliation and Sept., 30th is Orange Shirt Day. This week recognizes the injustices suffered by our Indigenous brothers and sisters because of the residential school system in Canada as well as decades of systemic inequalities experienced by many Indigenous Canadians. We remember the lives of the children who died at these institutions and the intergenerational harm that flowed from this unjust system. With humble and contrite hearts, we acknowledge the role that the Catholic Church has played in this tragedy; yet we remain hopeful that we will find healing in the Merciful Heart of Jesus. We thank you for joining us as we begin this day of prayer for reconciliation and healing for all those whose lives were lost and all others who have been impacted by the legacy of residential schools in Canada.
Reader: We gather in the loving embrace of our Creator God and in the midst of the Holy Spirit flowing through our hearts. As we pray, we will read aloud, a communal expression, one side of the chapel at a time. (Everyone sitting on the left side is Group A and on the right side is Group B).
OPENING PRAYER
Reader: Let us begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Loving God, your holy word tells us that we are so precious in your sight that you know how many hairs are on our head. Each of us, from every culture is your beloved child. Thank you so much for loving us that much. As we celebrate National Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, help us to grow in love for your children in all cultures, so that our words and actions will tell everyone that they are precious in your sight. Amen.
GOSPEL
Reader: A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (Matthew 19:13-15 Jesus Blesses Little Children)
Then little children were being brought to Jesus in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." And he laid his hands on them, blessed them and went on his way.
The Gospel of the Lord.
ALL: Response - Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reader: Reflection
The gospel story we just heard from Matthew is also repeated in Mark’s and Luke’s
gospels. This means that this story is very important. Jesus loved children and didn’t want anyone-not even his disciples to prevent them from coming to him. Jesus wanted every child to know that he loves them and that they matter. Sadly, there have been times when adults-even in Catholic schools-have not shown Jesus’ love to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children and have made them feel like they didn’t matter. When Phyllis was six years old and was just starting school, something happened that made her feel that she didn’t matter.
PENITENTIAL RITE
Reader: Though you probably have never stopped to count, there are seven times during Mass that we ask God for forgiveness for the things we have done wrong. That’s how important saying sorry and asking for forgiveness is. God will always forgive us, but God asks us to make up for the things we have done wrong. Today, we will tell God that we are sorry for the way that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit like Phyllis and the many Residential School students have been treated by the Church. The response to each statement is Lord, have mercy.
Reader: Kyrie, Eleison (KI-ree-ay Ay-Lay-ee-zonn) Lord Have Mercy
Group A: For the times we have made First Nations, Métis, and Inuit feel like they didn’t matter. Lord, have Mercy. Response-Lord, have Mercy.
Group B: For the times we have treated First Nations, Métis, and Inuit as if they were not precious in God’s sight. Lord, have Mercy..
Response-Lord, have Mercy
Group A: For the times that we have not treated First Nations, Métis, and Inuit with the respect and dignity they deserve as beloved children of God. Lord, have Mercy.
Response-Lord, have Mercy.
Group B: Loving God, we are sorry that we have not always loved our neighbour as ourself, especially when we have not loved our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit brothers and sisters the way we should. Forgive us and strengthen us that through our words and actions we may show that we are truly sorry for our actions. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER OF INTECESSION Reader: Together, we offer our intercessory prayers;
Group A: Ever Loving, Merciful and forgiving Father, we come to you on behalf of your beloved children whose lives were lost as a result of the tragedy and injustice inflicted by the residential school system in Canada and the inter-generational effects that have harmed so many of our indigenous brothers and sisters.
Group B: Through the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, her beloved spouse Saint Joseph, patron Saint of Canada, and St. Kateri Tekakwitha, we ask for forgiveness and pray for healing for the families and all those affected by the role of the residential school legacy. We also pray for the healing of the religious institutions and the Canadian Government who were all instrumental in this injustice.
Group A: We pray for the departed souls, for those still traumatized because of this tragedy, especially for those who suffered the loss of children and their loved ones.
Group B: Father, touch the hearts and minds of those who are unable to forgive, fill them with your love. Pour your healing balm on them and set them free so they will be able to move ahead and fulfill the plan and purpose you have for their lives.
Group A: Give them the grace to know you in a deeper way so that even amid challenges, burdens and pain they can be bearers of your love and light.
Group B: We pray for our government, religious leaders, educators and all those involved in the administration and operation of the residential schools. Father, you said in your Word “All things work together for a good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”
Group A: Father, we are all called to know, love and serve you. Fill us to overflowing with your gift of love, peace and hope. As we the people of Canada look to the future, heal our land, help us to live as one nation and to embrace one another regardless of difference of opinion, race creed, culture or religion.
Group B: Father, give us the wisdom to remember that we are all created by you, and that as brothers and sisters in Christ, may we see Your Son, Jesus, reflected in one another.
Group A: Father, we praise and thank you for hearing and answering our prayers in the name of your Son Jesus, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reader: Let us offer our prayer through the intercession of ST. JOSEPH, OUR SOLACE IN SUFFERING
Group B: Compassionate Joseph, one with us in our human condition, together with Mary and Jesus you experience exile, hunger and violence. Refusing vengeance, you choose mercy. Your forgiveness breaks the circle of violence. Through your goodness, God’s hope for our humanity is preserved. Joy is yours, for the Kingdom of God is your inheritance.
Group A: Open our compassionate hands in times of war, famine and exile. Keep us from developing a victim’s mentality, and make our pain a source of growth. Sustain us in fulfilling our responsibility of cultivating inner peace, joy and serenity. In your wisdom, counsel us to close all doors to bitterness, so that, watched over by God, we may dance for joy. Amen.
Reader: Let us offer our prayer through the intercession of OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
Group B: Mother of Perpetual Help, today we face so many difficulties. Your picture tells us so much about you. It reminds us to reach out and help those in need. Help us understand that our lives belong to others as much as they belong to us.
Group A: Mary, Model of Christian love, we know we cannot heal every ill or solve every problem. But with God's grace, we intend to do what we can. May we be true witnesses to the world that love for one another really matters. May our daily actions proclaim how fully our lives are modeled after yours, Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL for Indigenous Peoples and for Truth, Healing and Reconciliation
Invitation to Prayer
Reader: My brothers and sisters, we pray to God who invites us to respond the needs of our community let us turn to the Lord in prayer, that we may have eyes to see plight of the needy and ears to hear the cries of the poor.
Group B: For the Indigenous community members, in their discovery of unmarked graves in their cemetery; that we would be able to stand in solidarity and walk with them as they journey through this difficult time. May the process of looking at grave sites at former residential schools, help us as a church to take ownership for its involvement in the schools and respond in compassionate and just ways.
Group A: Let us pray for the Indigenous Peoples, and in particular within our Archdiocese. May the efforts and steps we have taken towards relationship building and dialogue, continue to pave a path forward towards truth and reconciliation.
Group B: We pray with gratitude for the Indigenous community members of our archdiocese, who walk with us in a special way with their wisdom, guidance and love. We pray for healing for those who continue to carry the wounds of residential school experiences and the intergenerational effects within their families, and also for perseverance and strength as they engage with us as members of the church community.
Group A: For Indigenous children whose bodies have been located at former residential school sites, that they and their families find consolation within the broken heart of Jesus Christ, that they may have justice, and that God may have mercy on our Churches for the roles we have played.
Group B: For the survivors and intergenerational survivors of the Canadian Residential School system and their families, that they may encounter Christ's healing grace.
Group A: That we, as members of the church, learn how to listen to the voices of Indigenous peoples, the stories of survivors and intergenerational survivors of Residential Schools, as we work together for justice and healing.
Group B: That the Holy Spirit may guide our Church leaders in humility and justice, as they listen to and accompany members of the Indigenous community, recognizing the intergenerational pain that has been caused by residential schools and the impacts of colonization. May we all respond to their need for healing and reconciliation.
Group A: Let us pray for the Indigenous peoples of Canada. May there be a greater respect of their culture and identity, acknowledging the gift and blessings of who they are as the first peoples of our land.
CONCLUDING PRAYER:
Reader: O God of justice,
hear our prayers
and grant that we may always respond to the demands of the gospel,
and carry out your will in all things
until you bring us to your kingdom of new life.
Through Christ our Lord.
SIGN OF PEACE Reader: As a sign of our oneness in Jesus Christ, as children of God in our cultures, let us take a moment to exchange a sign of peace.
Reader: Let us now pray the great prayer of forgiveness that Jesus taught us, using the words he gave us:
ALL: Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
God of all nations, we thank you for the gift of all your children. On this day, we especially thank you for the gift of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. Help us to love our neighbour who comes to us from every culture, and to love them as ourself, so that everyone at our school would know that they matter, that they are important in your eyes, loved by us and by you. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
And may Almighty God bless us: Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ORANGE HAND ACTIVITY
All students will trace their hand on orange paper and then write on it one thing they can do (e.g. “love your neighbour as yourself.”) They will help remind us to love each other as Jesus wants us to. I would now like to call up one student from each grade to read what he/she has written on his/her hand.
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Teachers may choose to continue reflecting and praying using the texts below:
OPTIONAL (ADDITIONAL REFLECTION AND PRAYERS)
PRAYING FOR HEALING AND RECONCILIATION
Reflect on one or more of the following areas of focus from the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. Each section will provide the Call to Action followed by a Call to Prayer.
CHILD WELFARE
CALL TO ACTION #1: We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care by:
i. Monitoring and assessing neglect investigations.
ii. Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal communities and child-welfare organizations to keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside.
iii. Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the history and impacts of residential schools.
iv. Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing.
v. Requiring that all child-welfare decisions makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers.
LET US PRAY: We call upon You, our Father God, the Lord who loves children, and teaches us to “Let the little children come to me” (Mt 19:14). Children are important to You and are created in Your image. We ask that You protect children, and in particular, the vulnerable ones in our communities. Please open our eyes to the distress many are in. Open our hearts to love them the way You love them. Give us courage to do something that will make a difference in the lives of children who are powerless to protect themselves. If we are not engaged and interacting with children in need, please show us how we can. May we as individuals, as families, and as the body of Christ intentionally love and advocate for the children. We also ask that You will give great wisdom and compassion to all levels of government as they make decisions regarding the welfare of our children. Amen.
EDUCATION
CALL TO ACTION #63: We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues, including:
i. Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools.
ii. Sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to residential schools and Aboriginal history.
iii. Building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.
iv. Identifying teacher-training needs relating to the above.
LET US PRAY: Father God, transformative education only happens when people are fully committed to it. We ask, Lord, that Canada will maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues. We ask that policymakers, curriculum developers, and educators will pursue excellence in their calling to teach the next generation. We thank You for the thousands of teachers in Canada who teach because they want to influence the next generation. Please give them the wisdom and perseverance to pursue excellence and to be role models for their students to follow when implementing new initiatives related to Aboriginal education. We pray that as teachers and students embrace new resources and curriculum, they will subsequently influence their community and create a positive ripple effect of intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect. Amen.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
CALL TO ACTION #17: We call upon all levels of government to enable residential school survivors and their families to reclaim names changed by the residential school system by waiving administrative costs for a period of five years for the name-change process and the revision of official identity documents, such as birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, health cards, status cards, and social insurance numbers.
LET US PRAY: Father God, we lament the fact that the residential school system did not respect the significance of a person’s name. We see throughout Scripture that a person’s name signifies their identity, worth, character, reputation, authority, will, and ownership; and we learn that names are significant to You. Please forgive the ignorance that contributed to the pain and oppression of Aboriginal peoples. As Aboriginal people return to their original names and set out to claim their identity, may they also experience Your love and acceptance of them. Help them understand that You love them and their name. May those in Canada who are not Aboriginal take the time and effort to learn how to say the names and spell the names of those we encounter and know. Through the use of their original names, may they feel honoured. Amen.
HEALTH
CALL TO ACTION #19: We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, and to publish annual progress reports and assess long-term trends. Such efforts would focus on indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic disease, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate services.
LET US PRAY: Father God, we are disheartened that many Aboriginal people in Canada are living in deplorable conditions. Please forgive us for taking pride in our high rank of “most livable” place to live, while ignoring the situation of many Aboriginal people. We ask that those in health leadership will develop measurable goals, so we will know where success is happening and where more work is needed. We ask that the underlying issues that are causing these significant health issues will be addressed. For those in Your Church who are in the medical field, we pray that they will model the compassion of Jesus towards those who need healing, and that perseverance to help all of their patients will follow. May trust build between the Aboriginal community and the medical community. Amen.
JUSTICE
CALL TO ACTION #38: We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial and Aboriginal governments to commit to eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in custody over the next decade.
LET US PRAY: Father God, we grieve with Aboriginal families for the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in custody. We grieve that there is a correlation between children placed in the care of child- welfare agencies and the youth in the justice system. We pray that You will give the governments, churches, and other community organizations wisdom and determination to support Aboriginal families as they seek to alleviate the cycle of poverty many find themselves in. Move the hearts of Your followers to come alongside aboriginal youth who are currently incarcerated (as well as those at risk of detention) and show them Your love. Help these young people see the potential they have. Help them understand that they are made in Your image. Open their eyes to the opportunities around them. May we as a community also work to create opportunities for them. Amen.
RECONCILIATION
CALL TO ACTION #58: We call upon the Pope to continue action on an apology (2022) to Survivors, their families and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children in the Catholic-run residential schools.
LET US PRAY: Father God, today we bring the Catholic Church before You. We pray that godly sorrow over what has occurred will generate an earnest desire to continue to make things right. We pray, Lord, that the Pope will be moved to extend action on His recent apology, here in Canada, to all who have been victimized through Catholic-run residential schools. May those who have been victimized by the residential school system receive a sense of healing, peace, and freedom from pain that comes through forgiveness. Amen.
CALL TO ACTION #59: We call upon church parties to the Settlement Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies to ensure that their respective congregations learn about the church’s role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families and communities were necessary.
LET US PRAY: Father God, we humbly repent for the historical role churches in Canada played in destroying Aboriginal culture. We pray that going forward, the Church in Canada will be known as transformational history-makers in reconciliation and restoration. As members of Your Church educate their congregations, we ask that it will be a time of renewal as the Church seeks Your face and, in humility, we will all be led towards healing in this land. We ask, Lord, that all churches in Canada and their members will choose to live lives that reflect the love and humility of Christ, and that You will receive honour as true reconciliation occurs. We ask that people in Canada, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, will trust in and see You for who You truly are. Amen.
CALL TO ACTION #60: We call upon leaders of the church parties to the Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, in collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders, Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries and other religious training centres, to develop and teach curriculum for all student clergy and staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, the history and legacy of residential schools and the roles of the church parties in that system, the history and legacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families and communities, and the responsibility that churches have to mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence.
LET US PRAY: Father God, We bring before you today all universities that exist for Your glory. We ask that they will be able to create an overall plan that ensures all students will have a deep respect for Aboriginal people and their cultures. We ask, Lord, that our universities and seminaries will be places where Aboriginal students will feel welcomed and at home. Please develop leaders, both Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal, who have a deep passion for the work of reconciliation that is before Canada. Please expand the good work that is already being done, and give the faculty, administration, and the students courageous wisdom as they build relationships throughout Canada. Amen.
CALL TO ACTION #61: We call upon church parties to the Settlement Agreement, in collaboration with Survivors and representatives of Aboriginal organizations, to establish permanent funding to Aboriginal People for:
i) Community-controlled healing and reconciliation projects.
ii) Community-controlled culture and language revitalization projects.
iii) Community-controlled education and relationship building projects.
iv) Regional dialogues for Indigenous spiritual leaders and youth to discuss spirituality, self-determination, and reconciliation.
Father God, we recognize that the responsibility of reconciliation is not only at the government level, but also at the community level. We thank You for this because it means all people can be involved in the important work of reconciliation. We acknowledge that as followers of Christ, we are one Body, following Your lead (Ephesians 4:16; Romans 12:5). Please give us a spirit of generosity and dedicated commitment to establish permanent funding to Aboriginal people for the work of reconciliation, revitalization, relationship building, and regional dialog projects. We ask that Your Holy Spirit will powerfully move within all of these funded projects. Help people to witness Your love and compassion through the reconciling work of the Church. We pray that You will foster forgiveness in order to build restored relationships of trust. Amen.
ADAPTED FROM: Truth and Reconciliation Prayer Guide (https://www.cmacan.org/trc-prayer-guide/), St. Patrick Church, Gifts of Love Prayer Service YCDSB, CARFLEO Prayer Service, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops CCCB (https://www.cccb.ca/indigenous-peoples/)