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Helpful resources to support the planning and delivery of prayer and liturgy can also be found on our diocesan Chaplaincy website here.
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Catholic Life and Chaplaincy Notices
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| The Word of the Week is: | We are in: | The liturgical colour is: |
| Youth | Week 33 in Ordinary Time, Year A | Green |
You are invited to begin by making the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Word of the Week this week is youth.
Young people have a vital role to play in the life of the Church and in the world. They offer hope, inspiration and courage. The Church needs young people’s voices, involvement, and leadership for it to grow and we are all called to be young in our outlook and our attitude so we can live life to the full. Our school mission statement, taken from John 10:10 is “I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Sometimes as young people, it’s easy to feel too small to make a difference. You might feel overlooked or unimportant. The truth is that you are the future! In scripture when the disciples tried to keep the children away from Jesus for fear they would get in his way or take up his precious time, Jesus called them out and told them to stop. He said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Jesus wants everybody to be more like little children: to be joyful, to be considerate and loving, to be curious and to love life in a child-like way.
Did you know that the Catholic church has many opportunities for the youth of today to get involved? Approximately every five years, the church hosts World Youth Day which will next take place in August 2027. This is an opportunity for young pilgrims from across the world to deepen their faith together with the Pope who also attends. The location changes each time, and the next one will be held in Seoul, South Korea.
In addition to this, we have things available much more locally to us! The Briars is the Catholic Youth Retreat Centre for our diocese and is located about an hour away in the beautiful countryside of Derbyshire. The parish churches in Lincoln sometimes offer events and prayerful opportunities specifically aimed at young people too.
The largest Catholic youth event in the UK is Flame which takes place every two years. Flame reminds us that giving glory to God can be done in many ways and that young people are the future of the church. Watch this video of young people just like you exploring and expressing their faith creatively and coming together as one community in Christ.
Year 10, Year 11 and Year 13 – We have tickets available for Flame in March 2027! We would love for you to join us at this wonderful event specifically designed for you as the youth of today! See your form tutor or speak to Lucy to reserve your place.
Discussion Questions:
- As young people today, what does living life to the full mean to you?
- How do you think young people can make a difference to the world around them?
Click below to “Add Comment” and capture some of what has been said in your form for others to see or add them to your form scrapbook if you have one!
Dear God,
Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to young people like us. Help us to have the conviction to stand up for what we believe in, the courage to do good in the world and the determination to live our lives to the full.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
You are invited to begin by making the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
R./ Glory to you O Lord. +
…He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?…
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
R./ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Earlier this week in Buenos Aires in Argentina, Pope Leo XIV addressed the young people gathered before him.
“Dear young people, Christ loves us and wants us to share in his own life,” Pope Leo told an estimated 1 million participants at a youth vigil on his last night in Lima, the capital city of Peru where he was formerly bishop. “Christ offers you a life that not even death can take away.”
“Whoever you are and whatever you may have done, Jesus Christ knows you, loves you and wants you to be close to him,” the pope said. “No one has fallen so low that Christ cannot raise them up.”
“Share your bread with those who are hungry, open your doors to those who have no home, visit the sick and those whom no one wants to visit,” the pope told his young listeners.
Today, you are invite to think about your place within the wider world. What are your hopes and dreams for your own life, but more than that, what are your hopes and dreams for the world as you grow?
As you listen to the music today, I invite you to reflect as young people of today on your hopes and dreams for the future, both for yourself and for the world in which you will grow up and live. Pope Leo calls us to be generous in spirit and to love fiercely. How will you try to not only live your life, but to live it to the full?
Lord,
Help us to chase our hopes and dreams, to work hard for them, to be daring and courageous. Help us to recognise that our actions and words have consequences. May we be inspired and motivated to do what we can not only so we live our own lives to the full, but also so we help support others in living theirs to the full too in a more considerate and understanding world.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
You are invited to begin by making the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The World Day of the Poor is an annual Roman Catholic observance celebrated on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. It was established in 2016 by Pope Francis and first observed on November 19, 2017. This year, it occurred last Sunday on 15th November.
- According to the charity Save the Children, over 900 million children experience multidimensional poverty globally, facing deprivations in education, health, nutrition, and basic living conditions.
- More than three-quarters of children in extreme poverty live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- More than half of children in fragile and conflict-affected countries live in extreme poverty.
- In the UK alone, 4 million children (27%) live in poverty.
Catholic Social Teaching calls us to give Preferential Option to the Poor which means to put the needs of the poor first, and to show solidarity which means to show our support through our actions and words.
Your mission this week is to write your own prayer (or work in pairs or a small group) for those living in poverty. This can be done in several different ways on either yours coloured paper from your form time prayer boxes or on Post-It notes.
- You could write a prayer of petition, asking God to help those living in poverty for a better life or easier access to what they need to survive. You could ask that world leaders show greater respect towards human dignity and prioritise ensuring the world’s resources are shared more fairly.
- You could write a thank you prayer, thanking God that we have such easy access to clean water in this country, for the generosity of foodbanks or for charities who work hard to support people living in poverty.
- You could write a sorry prayer for the times when we are expectant, ungrateful or wasteful of food.
- Typically, prayers start with phrases such as ‘Dear God’, ‘Almighty God’, ‘Dear Lord’ or ‘Loving Father’.
- Prayers end with the word ‘Amen’ which means ‘I agree’ or ‘Let it be so’.
Every form should submit at least one prayer to Lucy towards our CAFOD Live Simply award journey, and all other prayers should be stuck into your scrapbook.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the food and drink we enjoy each day, for the splendour of the earth which grows our food and for the human hands who harvest, prepare and serve it. Help us to be less wasteful in our day-to-day life and to be more generous towards those who have less than us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Calling all Year 10’s, 11’s and 13’s for FLAME 2027!
On Saturday 6th March 2027, thousands of young people from across England and Wales will fill the iconic OVO Arena Wembley for the biggest Catholic youth gathering in the country: FLAME 2027! A jam-packed day of live music, dance, motivational speakers, praise and worship in a way you’ve never experienced before!
See the posters around school for more information or pop in to see Lucy in the Chaplaincy Office/Community Hub to ‘sign up’. There’s only about 20 spaces available! Register your interest directly with Lucy or with your Form Tutor ASAP!
Are you looking for a quiet space to go at lunch time? Have you considered the chapel?
Our school chapel (at the bottom of the Humanities staircase) is a welcoming and inclusive space for everybody. You do not need to be Catholic to make use of the chapel. Although it is primarily a place of prayer and worship it is also a suitable space for quiet reflection and wellbeing. Come into this warm and welcoming space this term and sit a while. Listen to some calming music, do something creative or engage with some of our prayerful resources. The choice is yours!
The chapel will be open throughout Thursday lunchtime. Anyone is welcome. You don’t need to stay for the whole of lunch either, just call in for as long as you’d like to and make sure you eat before or after you come. Thank you.
Here are some resources to help you with the planning of Celebrations of the word.
Open Bible – Search the Bible by keyword for scripture suitable to your theme.
Planning sheets – Use the planning sheets on this page to plan your Celebration of the word. Remember that somebody else should evaluate on the same sheet (or on a second copy) during or shortly after your delivery.
Seasonal music – Hymns and worship songs recorded by members of the Trust Chaplaincy Team suitable for different seasons and themes throughout the liturgical year.
Introducing Scripture – It is very important that we give scripture the reverence it deserves. We should use translations taken from the English Standard Version at Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s. Ensure you choose this version if taking scripture from sites such as BibleGateway. Scripture should also be introduced and concluded correctly, depending on where in the Bible it comes from. A helpful guide can be found below. Please note the specific instructions and additions when scripture comes from one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). Ordinarily, we stand for the Gospel and we stay seated for scripture which comes from elsewhere.
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