Welcome to this week’s Living Word!
Our Word of the Week is Witness.
Witness is the sharing of our faith with others. It is a way of testifying to the truth of Jesus Christ and the Gospel message. Our witness can be a way of celebrating the hope and joy that we have in Jesus and a way of powerfully sharing the good news with those around us through not just our words but by our actions too.
Section 1: Moving from ‘fan’ to ‘follower’
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 Holy Gospel according to John.
R./ Glory to you O Lord. +
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me… I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord
R./ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
In the scripture, the disciples are feeling massively stressed out and confused. Jesus is talking to them about leaving, and they feel like they’re being ghosted. But Jesus drops a huge promise: not only is he preparing a place for them, but they (and we!) are going to do ‘greater works’ than he did.
But how can we be expected to do we do ‘greater works'” than Jesus? It’s not about having more power; it’s about the witness. Jesus was one person in one place at one time. Now, through the Church, his ‘works’ are happening everywhere at once through all of us.
Being a witness isn’t just about quoting the Bible at people or saying, “Well Jesus wouldn’t have done that!” It’s about being the hands and feet of Jesus in our school, your homes, and our common home – the world. When you stand up for what’s right, you aren’t just sharing Jesus with others; you’re providing the evidence that he is still working today.
Discussion Questions:
- What might examples of the ‘greater work’ be for teenagers in 2026?
- Why does being a witness often feel like a challenge rather than an invitation to do what is right and good?
- What examples – either words or actions – can you think of that Jesus gave us in scripture of how to live? Today, do that same thing in your own life. Don’t just leave this conversation behind in form time and carry on with your day; be the ‘greater work’ in someone else’s day.
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!
Lord, help me to understand that you don’t just want me to talk about you; you want me to act like you. Give me the strength to choose mercy and kindness. Help me to be a living witness of your love today. Amen.
Section 2: Living Stones
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.
To be a witness means to be solid. In a world where some people change their ‘truth’ based on what’s trending, a witness is someone who stands firm. Standing up for your faith means being the person people can lean on when things get tricky. In scripture, the apostle Peter called followers of Jesus ‘living stones’. When he said this, he was calling on them not to just stand around saying they believed, but instead to live out their faith by sharing the message of the good news through words and actions. This was not an easy task! Not then. Not now. Sometimes it can be hard to be a witness, but when you find the strength to share the good news you’re showing that a life built on Christ doesn’t crumble when the world around you gets loud and difficult.
As you listen to this Eastertide worship song, read the lyrics and think about how the lyrics link to the theme of witness. As they retell the story of what happened to Jesus and remind us of how this links to our own lives today, we pray that we will all find an inner strength that helps us to be a witness to what we believe in even when that isn’t easy.
After you’ve watched, take a couple of moments to think quietly about the following questions:
- How can you witness to others when life feels dark or confusing? Does your witness help to show people where the light can be found?
- “No guilt in life, no fear in death.” If you truly lived without the fear of what people think of you, how would your witness change at school tomorrow?
Prayer: Let us pause for a moment of silence.
Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be part of this school community. When I feel small or rejected, remind me that I am precious in your sight. Make me a ‘Living Stone’ – solid, dependable, and brave enough to stand up for the truth, even when it’s hard. Amen.
Section 3: Mary’s Witness
Please send somebody from your form down to the Chaplaincy Hub to pick up the small sheets of paper you will need for today’s mission activity.
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
At this point in the Gospel story, the disciples are panicking. Jesus has just told them He’s leaving, and they feel like they’re losing their GPS signal. Where should they go next? What should they do without him physically there to guide them? But since we are in the Month of May, let’s look to the person who never lost their map or their confidence: Mary. Mary was Jesus’ mother. She was the first and greatest witness. When she said “Yes” at the Annunciation, she committed to ‘The Way’ before anyone else even knew what ‘The Way’ was.
To be a witness like Mary is to trust ‘The Way’ (Jesus) even when the path ahead feels unsure. In May, the Catholic Church honours Mary as the “Queen of Apostles” because she showed the others how to stand firm in faith even at the foot of the Cross as she watched her only son die. Being a witness doesn’t mean having no fear; it means having a “Yes” that is bigger than your fear.
Pause and Reflect: The disciple Thomas needed to see in order to believe. Mary believed before she ever saw. Which one do you relate to more?
The Activity: The “Magnificat” Manifesto
Mary’s song (The Magnificat) says God lifts up the lowly.
- On your paper, write out your own Magnificat Manifesto either individually or in small groups. Use these reflections and sentence starters to help you. Add these to your scrapbooks when they are done.
- Mary saw that the world was an unfair place with much suffering: “In our world/school today, I/we witness the silence surrounding…
- Mary describes a world where things are fixed. “Like Mary, I desire a future where…”
- Mary said “Yes” to her part. “Inspired by Mary’s “Yes”, I/we will be a witness by…”
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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