Welcome to this week’s Living Word.
The Word of the Week this week is Gratitude.
Gratitude is being thankful for what we have. After the news of the devastating loss of one of our own students last week, this Word of the Week is both difficult and yet beautiful at the same time, because although we grieve the loss of Tomiwa – a Year 11 student at our academy – we can take time this week to give thanks for his life and memory. We can also use this time to reflect on everything that is important to us and to call to mind everything we are grateful for.
Remember that the chapel is available for quiet reflection during break and lunchtime, and that you can always talk to any member of staff about anything.
Section 1: The Gratitude of Memory
We invite you to start with 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 Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
The Word of the Lord
R./ Thanks be to God.
When a community suffers a loss, words often fail us. We feel a heavy silence where a vibrant life used to be. In moments like these, rushing into forced positivity feels hollow and unfaithful to the pain we, or others around us, may be feeling. But Christian gratitude has never been about ignoring our pain; it is about honouring the love that caused it.
Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a place of hardship, yet his thoughts instantly turned to gratitude when he remembered the people he loved. This week, our gratitude begins with looking back. We lift up our hearts in thanksgiving for the gift of presence. We thank God for the quiet ways our community was made richer, kinder, and warmer because Tomiwa walked among us. Grief hurts because the love was real. Today, we choose to stand in that love, thanking God that we were blessed enough to share part of his journey with him.
Silent Reflection
Grief is love with nowhere to go.
Today, you are invited to take some time to reflect on those people who you miss, whether because you are separated by time or distance, or because they have died.
If you feel comfortable, you could share some special memories of your time with that person or you can simply spend time quietly remembering the happy times you shared together.
God of comfort, today our hearts are heavy, but our spirits are full of thanks. Help us to honour Tomiwa’s legacy by remembering him with positivity, and give us the grace to hold one another close in the days ahead. Amen.
Section 2: Tiny Graces
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
When our spirits are crushed, looking at the bigger picture can feel completely overwhelming. We might not feel like we have the energy to be joyful and we might question what their is to be grateful for. And that is perfectly okay! God does not demand giant leaps of faith from broken hearts; he meets us in the tiniest details of our day.
Think of the small graces that have sustained you over the last few days, and throughout this school year during any challenges you may have faced. It might be the friend who sat by your side when you were feeling sad or the member of staff who checked in with you. It might be the warm, sunny days, or even a shared cry with a friend who understands your silence. These are not coincidences; they are the gentle hands of God cushioning your heart. Today, let us look with the discipline of ‘micro-gratitude’. We look for the tiniest crumbs of grace scattered across a difficult week and a long term, and we whisper a quiet thank you for each one.
Discussion Questions:
Where have you seen a tiny glimpse of comfort or community care today?
Who are you grateful for?
Lord, when the road is heavy, open our eyes to the small kindnesses around us. Thank you for the smiling faces of a stranger, the hearts that pray, and the friends who sit with us in the dark. Remind us that you are in the quiet details, holding us together when we feel alone and broken. Amen.
Section 3: Thankful for the Promise
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
As a Catholic community here at Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s following the Living Word, our ultimate gratitude is centred on the promise of Christ. Our gratitude today is fierce and resilient because it rests on eternity. We hold fast to the promise that a day is coming when every broken thing will be mended, every tear will be dried, and love will have the final, permanent victory. When Jesus died on the cross, he gave everybody that believes in him the promise of eternal life in heaven.
To end our week, you are invited to consider who or what you are particularly grateful for and why.
Add your words of gratitude to a Post-it note and add these to your class scrapbook.
In addition, practice gratitude this week by saying thank you more; out of politeness to a stranger who let’s you pass by on the street or holds a door open for you, with sincerity and emotion for a friend or adult who does something kind for you, or in prayer to God who is always beside us.
Living God, you are our beginning and our end. Thank you for the unshakeable promise of eternity. We thank you that the light of your resurrection cannot be put out. Help us to trust always in this hope you offer and to share this hope with others. Amen.
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