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PRAYERS AND ACTIVITIES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Catholic Education Week 2016: Opening Doors of Mercy

Introduction

Each year, the Catholic community of Ontario engages in a week-long celebration of the unique identity and distinctive contributions of Catholic education during Catholic Education Week. This year’s celebration is entitled, “Catholic Education: Opening Doors of Mercy” and will be held during the week of May 1-6, 2016. The overall scriptural theme is taken from Matthew’s Gospel, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” –Matthew 5:7. We are hopeful that as the body of Christ, we, too, feel our hearts embracing mercy in our community.

The five sub-themes for Catholic Education: Opening Doors of Mercy are:

Monday: Mercy that WelcomesLa miséricorde qui accueille

Tuesday: Mercy that LovesLa miséricorde qui aime

Wednesday: Mercy that ForgivesLa miséricorde qui pardonne

Thursday: Mercy that Lives the GospelLa miséricorde qui vit l’Évangile

Friday: Mercy that RejoicesLa miséricorde qui rend grâce

The purpose of the Secondary School Resource Kit is to provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful activities and reflections to deepen their awareness and understanding of both the gift and the responsibility of Catholic education. The Secondary Resource Kit contains:

Daily Prayers Further reflection on the daily gospel readings An outline for a one-day secondary school retreat A suggested movie list Scripture readings and quotes, organized by sub-themes Details of the May 3 Province-Wide Student Mass and Social Justice Activities

Feel free to adapt any of the materials in this package to suit your school’s specific needs. Materials may be found on the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) website at: www.ocsta.on.ca. We encourage all our partners in Catholic education to reference past issues of the Catholic Education Week Resource for prayers and activities, as many may be appropriate for this year’s theme.

Furthermore, the retreat outline offered for use with students, may be used at any time during the year and can easily be modified in whole or in part for use with adults (staff retreats, parent meetings, board office meetings, etc.). This or other retreats from past Catholic Education Week resource packages can be kept for use in future years.

Sincerely,

Catholic Education Week Resource CommitteePaul BeaudetteJanet BenthamSr. Pat CarterNancy DaviePaul De VuonoAmy LaFroyStephanie MaherCindy MorganKatharine StevensonSebastien Lacroix, Conseiller aux communications, Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud

Catholic Education Week Partners GroupNeil MacCarthy, Archdiocese of Toronto, Director, Public Relations & CommunicationsDan Smith, Archdiocese of Toronto, Liaison for Catholic EducationKris Dmytrenko, Archdiocese of Toronto, Communications CoordinatorCarole Allen, Friends & Advocates for Catholic Education, Project ManagerRoger Lawler, Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, General SecretaryLuke Stocking, Catholic Development & PeaceMatthew Marin, Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, PresidentNatasha Iaboni, Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, Vice-PresidentGeoff Grant, Toronto CDSB, Faith SuperintendentNick Milanetti, OCSTA, Executive DirectorSharon McMillan, OCSTA, Director of CommunicationsBrian O’Sullivan, OCSTA, Director of Catholic Education

CEW Song – Words and MusicNancy Bodsworth, Dufferin-Peel CDSB

CATHOLIC EDUCATION: OPENING DOORS OF MERCYSECONDARY SCHOOL RESOURCE KIT

Table of Contents

1. Morning prayers

2. Further reflection on the daily gospel readings for each of the five sub-themes of Catholic Education Week 2016

3. An outline for a secondary school retreat

4. Movie resources related to the five sub-themes of Catholic Education Week 2016

5. Scripture readings and quotes for student use related to the five sub-themes of Catholic Education Week 2016

Morning Prayers, Scripture Analysis andReflection Questions

StudentsYou are a most significant educational influence on each other.

We invite you to become active participants in the process of Catholic education. We urge you to bring your energy, enthusiasm and generosity to the task of building a Catholic community within your school and to shaping the vision of Catholic education. Your strengths and your weaknesses, your joys and your fears, your struggles and your searchings, will be welcomed in this community. Whatever your age, you are not too young to assume responsibility with and for your fellow students. You are a most significant educational influence on each other. You can help each other become disciples of Jesus Christ or you can hinder each other from becoming everything you are called to be. How you are with one another now, will significantly influence how you will be with others as adults. The future of the church and its mission of service in the world will be yours. For this, you will need courage, self-discipline and all the love you are able to give. Take up the challenge of growing into a sense of who you are as Christians, so that you can develop the talents you have been given and bring the best of yourself to the society in which you will be living. (Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, This Moment of Promise)

Depending on your school’s practice, these prayers can be used in a variety of ways. Some schools have daily prayer over the school intercom, while others invite prayer within the community of the classroom. Each day, schools are invited to offer their own prayers and special intentions, specific to the particular needs of their community of faith.

Each prayer emphasizes a sub-theme of Catholic Education Week. Following the daily prayers the gospel reading is broken open in a more fulsome way. Individual classes may choose to expand upon the prayer by delving deeper into the gospel that was proclaimed. Reflection questions have been provided for personal student reflection and/or to facilitate further classroom discussion.

You may wish to select one or two individuals per homeroom class, prior to Catholic Education Week, to serve as prayer leaders each day. These students could be trained by the school’s Chaplaincy Leader to facilitate a prayer experience within the classroom. The prayer leaders could serve to deepen an understanding of some, or all, of the sub-themes, by continuing the prayer begun in the morning and leading a deeper reflection, as suggested in the questions provided.

However you choose to use these prayers, scripture analyses and reflection questions, there is plenty of room to experience the gift of Catholic education. In each corner of this province there are young people being shaped by their Catholic educational experience and opening doors of mercy!

A Note about the Structure of the Daily Prayers

The Sub-theme each day is introduced with a citation from Pope Francis’ Papal Bull on the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus (“The Face of Mercy”).

Each day the Call to Prayer makes the connection between the sub-theme and one aspect of the Year of Mercy, to strengthen students’ awareness of the unique character of this extraordinary Jubilee. Here are the links that are highlighted for each day:

Monday: Mercy that Welcomes: the Opening of the Holy Door on December 8th

Tuesday: Mercy that Loves: the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, a council characterized by “the spirituality of the Good Samaritan”

Wednesday: Mercy that Forgives: the sending out of “Missionaries of Mercy” to offer extraordinary absolution during the Season of Lent

Thursday: Mercy that Lives the Gospel: the call to be more conscience of and to practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

Friday: Mercy that Rejoices: the holding of special Jubilee days for recognized groups within the church, including young people and catechists

The Contemporary Musical Interpretations offer an artistic way to engage the broad themes each day. Teachers may wish to look up the lyrics of each song and make connections to the Scripture passages. Songs and lyrics are easily accessed on the internet.

The Opening Prayer, addressed to Jesus, speaks with the voice of the individual student, asking for a particular grace or growth. These prayers lead into the Scripture Passage.

The Scripture Passages from John and Luke’s gospel provide illustrative examples, through the actions or parables of Jesus, of the various aspects of mercy represented in the subthemes.

The Closing Prayers, addressed to God, the Father of Jesus and Our Father, are more expressive of the faith we share as a Catholic community. They call to mind the special events of this year in the life of the universal church and also make a link to the quotations from Laudato Si' in the further reflections on the daily gospel reading.

These prayer liturgies are offered in the hope that they might strengthen our own faith during this special week as we celebrate Catholic Education: Opening Doors of Mercy.

MONDAY – MERCY THAT WELCOMES

“In this Holy Year, we look forward to the experience of opening our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society: fringes which modern society itself creates… Let us open our

eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help! May we reach out to them and support them so they can feel the warmth of our presence, our friendship, and our

fraternity!”--Misericordiae Vultus, 15

CALL TO PRAYERAt the beginning of Catholic Education Week, we gather as a community of faith in the midst of this Jubilee Year of Mercy, which began on December 8th when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at the Vatican in Rome. In his homily on that occasion he declared, “To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.” Let the opening of the Holy Door be for us an experience of God’s mercy, and may this experience of divine mercy open the doors of our hearts to others, especially those in need.

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUGGESTION:I’ll Be There for You (Theme from “Friends”) by the RembrandtsYou’ve Got a Friend by James TaylorStay for a While by Amy GrantHome by Phillip Phillips

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjJjvSGrvDJAhWIzz4KHUNWB5UQjRwIBw&url=http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/its-time-to-rediscover-gods-mercy-pope-says-at-jubilee-launch-77943/&psig=AFQjCNHK4lcwnZ8u3hyojpN4ITdi2gGbRA&ust=1450904273045508

Let us begin with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

OPENING PRAYERJesus, Son of God, we read in the Gospel how you encountered a foreigner, a Samaritan woman, and shared the Good News with her. In recognizing her as a person and a believer, you touched her heart in a transformative way. May we be like you in your willingness to reach out to others, especially those who are not familiar to us, and share what we have with those in need. We ask this grace through your Holy Spirit. Amen +

SCRIPTURE: John 4:1-42A reading from the Gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, ‘Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John’— although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized— he left Judea and started back to Galilee. But he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’ Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me

everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayers of the Faithful Reflecting the Needs of Your School

CLOSING PRAYERMerciful Father, you who blessed the Samaritan woman with the gift of living water offered by your own Son, guide your Church during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, that we may come to a deeper appreciation of the sacredness of all Creation, and our call to share its gifts with all people. We make this prayer through you, both Source and Goal of our faith journey. Amen +

TUESDAY – MERCY THAT LOVES

“The mercy of God is his loving concern for each one of us. He feels responsible; that is, he desires our wellbeing and he wants to see us happy, full of joy, and peaceful. This is the path which the merciful love

of Christians must also travel. As the Father loves, so do his children. Just as he is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to each other.”

--Misericordiae Vultus, 9

CALL TO PRAYERThe opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy in December coincided with the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. In the words of Pope Francis, “Before all else, the Council was an encounter: a genuine encounter between the Church and the men and women of our time… It was the resumption of a journey of encountering people where they live: in their cities and homes, in their workplaces… The Jubilee challenges us to this openness, and demands that we not neglect the spirit which emerged from Vatican II, the spirit of the Samaritan, as Blessed Paul VI expressed it at the conclusion of the Council. May our passing through the Holy Door today commit us to making our own the mercy of the Good Samaritan.”

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUGGESTION: Photograph by Ed SheeranColour Blind by Michael W. SmithFootprints in the Sand by Leona LewisCarry You by Amy Grant

Let us begin with the Sign of our Faith: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

OPENING PRAYERJesus, herald of the Good News, you walked many roads in Galilee, Samaria and Judea, and knew the threat of isolation and even hostility that attend those away from their homes and their communities. Your parable of the Good Samaritan, a foreigner who extended his loving concern to a fellow traveler, reminds us that despite our differences, we are all neighbours, and called to extend mercy to each other. Amen +

SCRIPTURE: Luke 10:25-37A reading from the Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’



CLOSING PRAYERLoving God, Creation is your first word to us, a wondrous proclamation of all your creatures in communion with you and one another. Help us, as your Christian church and your human family, to be more aware of our relationship, not only to all people, but even to the breadth of all beings that come from your life-giving hand. Open our eyes and our hearts to see in the other the reflection of you its maker, the author of love in the universe. This we ask in the name of your Son, and Holy Spirit, who never cease to extend their loving embrace to include every being who needs their care. Amen +

WEDNESDAY – MERCY THAT FORGIVES

“Jesus affirms that mercy is not only an action of the Father, it becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are. In short, we are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us.

Pardoning offences becomes the clearest expression of merciful love, and for us Christians it is an imperative from which we cannot excuse ourselves. At times how hard it seems to forgive! And yet pardon

is the instrument placed into our fragile hands to attain serenity of heart. To let go of anger, wrath, violence, and revenge are necessary conditions to living joyfully… Above all, let us listen to the words of

Jesus who made mercy an ideal of life and a criterion for the credibility of our faith: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7): the beatitude to which we should particularly aspire in

this Holy Year.”--Misericordiae Vultus, 9

CALL TO PRAYER:As we reach the midpoint of Catholic Education Week, the Gospel reminds us of the call to accept God’s forgiveness, and to extend that gift to others. The mercy of being forgiven is a key element of the Holy Year. During Lent, Missionaries of Mercy were sent out worldwide; priests to whom was granted the authority to pardon even those sins so serious as to be normally reserved for the Vatican. In many dioceses, from the Friday to the Saturday preceding the Fourth Week of Lent, the sacrament of Reconciliation will be available around the clock in an initiative called “24 Hours for the Lord.” This was done in the hope that all Catholics, especially young people, could rediscover through the sacrament of Reconciliation “a path back to the Lord, living a moment of intense prayer and finding meaning in their lives.”

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUGGESTION:Man in the Mirror by Michael JacksonThe Prodigal by Amy GrantI’ll Be There for You by Michael W. SmithWhat Faith Can Do by Kutless


OPENING PRAYERMerciful Jesus, when challenged by the Scribes and Pharisees about your willingness to forgive sinners and eat with them, you told them the beautiful parable of the wayward son and his forgiving father. Help us to be like the younger brother who was not afraid to return home for forgiveness, and like his father whose love proved greater than his anger; who opened his heart to his son’s return. Amen +


Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.’

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’



CLOSING PRAYERCompassionate Father, you welcome without reservation all your children who desire to return to you. We are always in need of your forgiveness, and yet we know whatever it is we have done to hurt one another and to damage your creation, you wait hopefully, anxious for us to return home to you. Bless your church with a merciful heart and hands that extend forgiveness, reconciliation and healing throughout the earth. Amen +

THURSDAY – MERCY THAT LIVES THE GOSPEL

“We cannot escape the Lord’s words to us, and they will serve as the criteria upon which we will be judged: whether we have fed the hungry and given drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger and clothed the naked, or spent time with the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-45). Moreover, we will be asked if

we have helped others to escape the doubt that causes them to fall into despair and which is often a source of loneliness; if we have helped to overcome the ignorance in which millions of people live,

especially children deprived of the necessary means to free them from the bonds of poverty; if we have been close to the lonely and afflicted; if we have forgiven those who have offended us and have rejected all forms of anger and hate that lead to violence; if we have had the kind of patience God shows, who is so patient with us; and if we have commended our brothers and sisters to the Lord in prayer. In each of

these “little ones,” Christ himself is present.”--Misericordiae Vultus, 15

CALL TO PRAYERPope Francis has called on the church, during the Jubilee Year of Mercy, to reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. “Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching so that we can know whether or not we are living as his disciples. Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. And let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear patiently those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead.”

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUGGESTION:Beatitudes in Glory and Praise - #182


OPENING PRAYERLord of Discipleship, when Zacchaeus expressed his yearning to find out more about you by climbing the sycamore tree, you welcomed him into your company. In asking to be able to eat with him, you granted him mercy for his unethical practices, and in return he repented and promised to make up for the wrongs he had done. Be with us in our lives, to call us back to you when the opportunity arises to do those things that will be of benefit to others, especially the neediest among us. Amen +


Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’



CLOSING PRAYERGod of Renewal, through Jesus you brought justice not only to the house of Zacchaeus, but to his city of Jericho as well. Grant that same grace to our towns and cities, our forests and oceans, so that what was exploited might be restored, and what was taken from people, particularly the poor and indigenous, may be rightfully returned. Amen +

FRIDAY – MERCY THAT REJOICES

“In the parables devoted to mercy, Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father who never gives up until he has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion and mercy. We know these

parables well, three in particular: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the father with two sons (cf. Lk 15:1-32). In these parables, God is always presented as full of joy, especially when he pardons. In them we find the core of the Gospel and of our faith, because mercy is presented as a force that overcomes everything,

filling the heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon.”--Misericordiae Vultus, 9

CALL TO PRAYER:As we arrive at the end of Catholic Education Week, having travelled this journey of mercy together, we rejoice in this Year of Mercy which continues for several more months. Individual celebrations will be held in the weeks and months ahead for a number of groups, including a Jubilee for the sick and persons with disabilities in June at St. Peter’s in Rome, a Jubilee for young people at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland in July, and a Jubilee for catechists – teachers of Religious Education – in September in Rome. In the words of Pope Francis, “In passing through the Holy Door, then may we feel that we ourselves are part of this mystery of love, of tenderness? Let us set aside all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved. Instead, let us experience the joy of encountering that grace which transforms all things.”

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUGGESTION:I’ve Got Joy by Wes King

Let us begin our prayer with the Sign of the Cross +

OPENING PRAYERJesus the bringer of freedom, by extending forgiveness and healing to the man who was bound by paralysis, you showed the primacy of mercy over the law. May we, in the face of liberation in all of its forms, be like those in the gospel – even the ones who initially challenged your authority – and give glory to God for his wondrous deeds of saving power through you. We make this prayer in the name of your Holy Spirit. Amen +

SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:17-26A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.

One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ – he said to the one who was paralysed – ‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.


CLOSING PRAYERSaving God, in the person of your Son you have given us an experience of joy and an encounter with love that we cannot help but want to share. Help your church, by contemplating the face of Christ through the remainder of this Jubilee Year, to be a convincing herald of mercy by proclaiming to everyone the great mystery of God’s loving care for all of creation. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Lord. Amen +

MONDAY – MERCY THAT WELCOMES

Earlier this year, Sister Mary was sitting at the carpet with her Grade 2 students teaching her religion lesson. There was a knock at the door and the principal was standing beside a new student who looked afraid and apprehensive. The new student was introduced to the class. As soon as the principal had finished saying her name, Joy jumped up and asked Sister Mary if the new student was Chinese. Sister Mary replied that she believed so. Joy suddenly spoke to the new student in a Chinese sounding dialect. Sister Mary asked Joy, “What did you say?” Joy smiled and said, “Welcome to our class!”

Just as Joy welcomed the new student to the class, Jesus welcomes the Samaritan woman to a new life in her community. “Many Samaritans from that city believed in [Jesus] because of the woman’s testimony…” The woman had not been respected or welcomed by other women when they went to the well, which is why she meets Jesus there at noon. Her merciful encounter with Jesus breaks the walls of exclusion and judgment and she is free to witness to truth and grace.

For reflection:Have you ever been new at school or in an activity and felt the apprehension of this new student? What causes this fear in us?

Have you ever reached out of your comfort zone to welcome someone who was obviously looking distressed? Is that easy or difficult for you? Explain your answer.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ 13Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ 15The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’… 39Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’

John 4: 7-15, 39

How do you think mercy relates to the act of welcoming someone?

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the refugees who are arriving in Canada from Syria. Describe some of the many adjustments you imagine they are making as they settle in our country.

For further reflection – The mercy of Laudato Si'

On May 24, 2015, on the Feast of Pentecost, Pope Francis released his Encyclical Letter on the environment, Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home. This letter is addressed not only to the church, but to the whole world, with the message that mercy extends beyond the human race to the whole of creation.

Mindful of the welcome being extended globally to refugees, this quote highlights a major theme of Laudato Si': that creation is given to all people, and the effects of climate change and environmental degradation are borne disproportionately by those least responsible for them: the poor.

“Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the Creator, since God created the world for everyone. Hence every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged.” (Laudato Si', 91)

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ 13Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ 15The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’… 39Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’

John 4: 7-15, 39

TUESDAY – MERCY THAT LOVES

Bobby was a student very familiar to me as the vice principal at his secondary school. Although I had no personal dealings with Bobby, I felt certain I could predict the type of student he was. I encountered all too many of Bobby’s kind – often out of uniform, in the halls with his friends or out in the smoking area instead of being in class. He was a quiet student, on the margins, seemingly disengaged from anything school related.

One morning in December, I was invited to attend a party organized by the five students in the life skills classroom and their special education staff. It was a beautiful celebration filled with images of good times throughout the semester, laughter, and song. Kyle, one of the hosts of the party, sat in his wheelchair. Kyle’s body tremored uncontrollably, no doubt due to the extra sensory stimulation in the room that morning. And there, sharing the armrest of his wheelchair, was Bobby – looking into Kyle’s face with such care and compassion it brought tears to my eyes. Bobby, who I had categorized as yet another disengaged student, comforted Kyle and taught me a very important lesson about mercy.

We encounter God’s mercy when we experience human compassion in our time of need. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus teaches that our neighbour is the one who showed mercy. Jesus instructs us to “go and do likewise.” One would expect the Priest to assist the wounded man. But he did not want to become ritually “unclean” by touching the body of this unknown man, so he passes on the other side of the road – for even walking too closely to the body would defile him. Similarly, one might expect the Levite to help. Levites had the role of assisting the priests in the temple. But he also passes on the other side. Both the Priest and the Levite fail to do their duty. It is the unlikely Samaritan who proves to be the true neighbour. The Samaritans were a mixed race between the Jews and the Samaritan people and were not liked by the Jewish people. Samaritans were bound by the same laws as the Jews, but it is the Samaritan who risks defilement to help the man in need.

This parable is a reminder that we can experience mercy that loves in unexpected encounters from unexpected

29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ 30Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” 36Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ 37He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

Luke 10:29-37

individuals. May we be ready to offer mercy at all times to our neighbour, rather than passing by on the other side.

For reflection:When do young people often “pass on the other side” rather than showing mercy to the other? Provide specific examples. Why do you think this happens?

Describe an instance in your life, or that of someone you know, when mercy was offered unexpectedly. What were the feelings associated with that encounter?

When have you pre-judged someone to later find your assumptions to be wrong? Ask for God’s forgiveness and for the ability to encounter each person as an individual, created in the image of God.



God’s love for humanity is expressed in the wonderful gift of creation, in which all creatures are connected. Love expresses itself in relationship, and the care of the Good Samaritan for his fellow traveller expresses the relatedness that underlies the entire created order.

“Peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually without once again falling into reductionism. Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful

29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ 30Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” 36Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ 37He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

Luke 10:29-37

pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth.” (Laudato Si', 91)WEDNESDAY – MERCY THAT FORGIVES

Janice and Carolynn were in Grade 9 and excited to attend their first high school dance. They saw the occasion of a school dance as a chance to experiment with alcohol.Janice and Carolynn were so drunk, they could not even remember the events of the evening. They were caught by their vice principal and called to the office the following Monday morning.

Janice and Carolynn were suspended for their actions. The school administration felt this merited a restorative circle experience upon the girls’ returned to school. Students, teachers and administration are trained in the practice of restorative circles in many Catholic schools. A circle experience brings together several individuals of a community who share their perspective about a conflict or problem in the school community.

Several community members took part in the circle including Grade 11 students who were part of the student council and had worked on the dance, the custodian, the vice principal, the chaplaincy leader and the principal. Through the circle discussion, Janice and Carolynn realized how their actions had affected many people in the school community. The Grade 11 students expressed how they had worked so hard to plan the dance and because of the girls’ actions, future dances were in jeopardy of being cancelled.

Janice later remarked that it would have been easier to just serve a suspension than to face the people who had been harmed by her actions. However, reconciliation and restoring conflict are paths to restoring balance and right relationship. Mercy that forgives seeks to understand.

Paige is a graduate of Mother Teresa High School. She had experiences of a restorative circle in Grades 9 and 12. Paige feels that the restorative practice approach is beneficial. She shares her thoughts, saying:

“Restorative circles are a way for everyone to work through their problems and conflicts together. The community then

25‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” 28Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” 31Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

Luke 15:25-32

grows together and accomplishes something this way rather than just a punitive approach. It helps you to consider other people’s feelings and to see and understand the perspective of the other. It can be helpful in bullying situations. Solving the problem becomes a constructive group effort, not just a teacher’s task. In the end, it is good for both the bully and victim to work through it together.”

In the famous parable of the Prodigal Son, the older son presents us with another perspective. How does it feel to know that unconditional love does not keep score? Sometimes all we want is fair. However, as Jesus teaches; “The last shall be first.” God loves our imperfection and accepts us even in our sinfulness. God’s mercy and forgiveness is for all.

Another consideration for this passage is the element of restoration. The relationship between the son and his father is restored. Forgiveness can restore us. When our hearts are open to God’s forgiveness and our forgiveness of others, life is put into right balance.

For reflection:Many would feel a suspension to be an appropriate consequence for being drunk at a school event. Why do you think the school also felt it necessary to have a restorative circle?

When we wrong someone, we need to consider how our actions may also impact others beyond the individual who was wronged. In the story of the Prodigal Son, the relationship between the brothers has been impacted by the younger brother’s actions. How might the father’s mercy shown to the younger son help to begin to restore this relationship?



In our never-ending need to ask God for forgiveness for our failings, we need to be mindful of the ways in which we have not been kind to the earth, and the call to never stop seeking to live a way of life that is more attuned to the needs of our fellow creatures throughout the planet.

“These situations have caused sister earth, along with all the abandoned of our world, to cry out, pleading that we take another course. Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years. Yet we are called to be instruments of God our

25‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” 28Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” 31Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

Luke 15:25-32

Father, so that our planet might be what he desired when he created it and correspond with his plan for peace, beauty and fullness.” (Laudato Si', 53)

THURSDAY – MERCY THAT LIVES IN THE GOSPEL

On his first day of high school in September 2007, a young man in Berwick, Nova Scotia named Charles McNeill was bullied because he was wearing a pink shirt. When a couple of senior students heard about it, they went out after school and bought 50 pink tank-tops, sent out messages to their friends inviting them to join the impromptu protest, and brought the shirts to school the next day. David Shepherd and Travis Price, who organized the response to the bullying, were handing out the shirts in the foyer when Charles walked in. His face spoke volumes. “It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,” Travis recalled. “I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders. Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.” In recognition of these events, the premier of Nova Scotia proclaimed the second Thursday of September "Stand Up Against Bullying Day," and “Pink Shirt Day” is now an international anti-bullying event.

The Grade Nine boy who was bullied for wearing the pink shirt to school that day was in all probability, like Zacchaeus, one of the “smaller” people in the high school crowd. Like Zacchaeus, he must have felt like an outcast on that first day of school. By choosing very clearly to stand with him, those Grade Twelves changed things not only for him, but for the whole community, and they sent a message about bullying that was heard around the world.

Pope Francis invites us to encounter Jesus by encountering others. In the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, as personal as they are, we can’t help but encounter those in need, and in so doing, experiencing the joy of the gospel. This is the mercy that transforms.

For reflection:What do you think Zacchaeus felt when Jesus called him by name and asked to join him at his home? How do you think Charles felt when he saw those Grade Twelves taking his side when he walked into school the next morning?

1He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ 6So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ 8Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ 9Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

Luke 19:1-10

Have you ever experienced this kind of mercy from others, especially from those whom you didn’t expect?

Can you think of any person or group of people in your school who might feel marginalized like Zacchaeus or Charles? What can you do to extend mercy to them? Be specific.



Pope Francis reminds us that the stewardship of creation is not just a personal preference; that the environmental efforts of so many across the globe are expressions, not only of the gospel, but of the essence of our very humanity, as creatures of a loving God.

In some countries, there are positive examples of environmental improvement: rivers, polluted for decades, have been cleaned up; native woodlands have been restored; landscapes have been beautified thanks to environmental renewal projects; beautiful buildings have been erected; advances have been made in the production of non-polluting energy and in the improvement of public transportation. These achievements do not solve global problems, but they do show that men and women are still capable of intervening positively. For all our limitations, gestures of generosity, solidarity and care cannot but well up within us, since we were made for love.” (Laudato Si', 58)

1He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ 6So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ 8Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ 9Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

Luke 19:1-10

FRIDAY – MERCY THAT REJOICES

Jason McElwain, a student with autism, had been manager of the Greece Athena High School varsity basketball team in Rochester, NY, for four years. In recognition of his hard work and relentlessly positive attitude, in February 2006, the coach placed his name on the roster for the division title game, hoping that if the team got a comfortable lead, Jason might have the opportunity to play.

With four minutes to go and his team ahead by double digits, Jason got his chance. Understandably, on his first time in a game, he had the jitters. “My first shot was an air ball (missing the hoop) by a lot, then I missed a lay-up”, McElwain recalls. But his teammates continued to feed him the ball, and he continued to shoot. “As the first shot went in, and then the second shot, as soon as that went in, I just started to catch fire.” Jason ended up making six three-pointers and another basket, finishing with twenty points. After each basket, the crowd got more excited and as the final buzzer rang, fans from the stands stormed the court in celebration and his teammates carried the excited McElwain off the court.“I felt like a celebrity!” he beamed. McElwain's mother saw it as a milestone for her son. “This is the first moment Jason has ever succeeded (and could be) proud of himself,” reflected Debbie McElwain. “I look at autism as the Berlin Wall, and he cracked it.”

Even though this event was an inspiring individual achievement on Jason’s part, there is no question that the role of his supports – his coach and teammates – was also critical. In the story of the healing of the man with paralysis, it is the determination of his friends to get him to Jesus, and their creative strategy (lowering him down through the roof) that moved Jesus (“when he saw their faith”) to heal him, both spiritually and physically.

For reflection: Looking back at some of the most joyful moments in your own life, who was it that “carried” you to that point? Who among your closest supporters helped make it possible? Where was the healing grace of Jesus in this event?

17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ 21Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 22When Jesus perceived their questionings he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? 24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ 25Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

Luke 5:17-26

Jim Johnson, Jason’s coach, said about Jason’s achievement, “I've had a lot of thrills in coaching, I've coached a lot of wonderful kids. But I've never experienced such a thrill.” How do these words resemble what the Gospel tells us about the reaction of the crowd at the end of the Gospel account of the healing of the paralyzed man?

In this Easter Season of joy and the inbreaking of new life, what connections can you make among:

the “Holy Door of Mercy” made in the roof of the house where Jesus was; the “cracking of the Berlin Wall of autism”; and the rolling away of the stone at Jesus’ tomb?



No one exemplifies the joy of creation more than St. Francis of Assisi, from whom Pope Francis takes his name, and from whose “Canticle of the Sun” the opening words of the encyclical: “Praised Be”, are taken. St. Francis, in so many of his actions, showed us the mercy that rejoices.

“Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever St. Francis would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them “to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason”. His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists.” (Laudato Si', 10)

17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ 21Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 22When Jesus perceived their questionings he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? 24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ 25Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

Luke 5:17-26

An Outline for a Secondary School Retreat“Blessed are the merciful,

for they will receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7

Although these activities are designed to be delivered outside the regular school environment as a retreat, they can easily be adapted for use in the classroom. Some activities could be adapted for adult prayer time. Each of the activities should be timed to include moments of quiet reflection. Breaks should be scheduled as deemed appropriate. There are more activities here than needed for a full day retreat so you can tailor the day to meet the needs of your group.

Time required: 4-5 hours or tailored for in class/group use

Opening Prayer:

Gracious God,Pope Francis invites us to celebrate a Holy Year of Mercy.During this Jubilee may our mercy welcome everyone.May our mercy be loving and forgiving.Throughout these days may we live the gospel more faithfullyand rejoice that God’s kingdom is growing in our midst.Let us open doors of mercy every day of this year of grace. Amen +

Community Building Activities:

Choose an ice-breaker or community building activity that is suitable for your group. These websites have activities that can be used by teens.

http://topten.org/content/tt.AU20.htmlhttp://wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.htmlhttp://humanresources.about.com/od/icebreakers/Ice Breakers Energizers and Activities.html http://www.jubed.com/youth ministry/http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Pagehttp://www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

SUB-THEME 1 – MERCY THAT WELCOMES

ACTIVITY 1

Purpose: to make everyone feel welcome as they arrive at retreat

http://www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com/

http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

http://www.jubed.com/youth%20ministry/

http://humanresources.about.com/od/icebreakers/Ice%20Breakers%20Energizers%20and%20Activities.html

http://wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html

http://topten.org/content/tt.AU20.html

Materials needed:nametags with each participant’s namegreeters and guidessound systemjoyful musictables & chairswelcome sign on tables with participants names – groups

Outline of the activity: As participants arrive for retreat, have greeters at the doors welcoming everyone with sincere words. Have guides bring/show retreatants where to put their coats, bags, belongings and where to get their nametags. Have joyful music playing as a sign of welcome to the day. Have a seat ready for each person in groups if that will be helpful to begin. If groups will be used for the activities, place a welcome sign on the table listing the participants in the group. This conveys the message that we are expecting you to be here and we have prepared a place for you!

ACTIVITY 2

Purpose: to meditate

Materials needed:chairs of varying sizestimerprayer chimes (if available)

Outline of the activity: Have chairs spaced apart so students can have their own comfort zones around them. If possible have smaller chairs for students with shorter legs (so they are able to have their feet flat on floor.) No instrumental music is played during a meditation. Silence is needed. Use the following instructions.

Leader Script:“We are going to experience a type of prayer called meditation. It is a very simple form of prayer. It requires a couple of things:Feet flat on the floor. If you are not able to put your feet flat, sit on the front of the seat so your feet can touch flat.Put your hands on your lap.We are going to close our eyes gently when we begin. I will not be closing my eyes so I can be aware if something needs attention.We are going to breathe deeply in and out and as we do so we will say silently a word that is Aramaic (the language that Jesus spoke). The word is ma ra na tha.Say it with me aloud ma-ra-na-tha. Four separate syllables. Ma ra na tha.Repeat the word to yourself as you breathe in and out.It means Come, Lord Jesus. (If you have non-Christian participants, invite them to say “Breathing in, Breathing out.”)

I will time our prayer for five minutes (twenty minutes for experienced meditators). When our prayer is completed, I will ask you to open your eyes.Try to keep your body as still as you are able.Let us begin. Ma ra na tha.” Ring chime three times at the beginning.

Using the timer, allow students to pray for the allotted time.When the time is completed, say, “Thank you, you may open your eyes.” Or ring the chime three times at the end.

If students are not able to sit still for five minutes, give them a chance to settle but end the meditation if there is too much noise. If they are only able to sit for a minute, that is fine. Do not scold the students. Prayer is intended to be a time of grace and not a time of grief.

Do not analyse the prayer time. Simply let it be their quiet time with God.

ACTIVITY 3

Purpose: to look for and learn words in different languages that say welcome

Materials needed:Handout #1 – Many Ways to Say Welcome!paper (half sheet of 8.5 x 11)markerspencil crayonscrayons

Outline of the activity: Ask participants if they know the word welcome in a language other than English. Share the handout with “Welcome” in different languages. Invite the participants to make a sign of welcome in a language that they know or don’t know on the half sheets of paper. Put the signs together as a Welcome Quilt on one of the walls of the space. Step back and appreciate that these are only a small sample of the languages of the world.

Many Ways to Say Welcome!

English – “Welcome!”

French – “Bienvenue.”

Spanish – “Bienvenido.”

Portuguese – “Bem-vindo!”

German – “Herzlich Willkommen!”

Japanese – “Yōkoso!”

Chinese: Mandarin – “Huan ying!” sounds like “hwang ying”

Bosnian & Slovenian - “Dobrodoŝli.”

Danish & Norwegian – “Velkommen!”

Dutch – “Welkom!”

Finnish – “Tervetuloa.”

Hawaiian – “Aloha.”

Indonesian & Malay – “Selamat datang.”

Latin – “Salve.”

Swahili – “Karibu.”

Ukrainian – “Laskavo prosymo.”

http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/welcome.htm

Handout #1

http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/welcome.htm

SUB-THEME 2 – MERCY THAT LOVES

ACTIVITY 4

Purpose: to explore the different meanings of the word mercy and love

Materials needed:chart paper for each groupthree markersoutline of Venn Diagram on chart paperhandout that prompts responses (for students who may require assistance)

Outline of the activity: Ask participants to write MERCY in one circle and LOVE in the second one of the Venn Diagram. Explain/remind participants that Venn Diagrams are used to show how two things/ideas relate to each other. Invite the groups to brainstorm the meanings of Mercy and Love and to see where these two concepts relate to each other.

Note: Some students may become silly but let the responses flow, i.e. begging for mercy from someone in war; love that is sexual. Monitor to ensure responses do not get inappropriate, but these words are not well understood by many in our society so it may take time for the discussion to move to a place of deeper understanding.

If time allows, ask groups to present their ideas to the larger group. A great discussion can be a teachable moment.

ACTIVITY 5

Purpose: to have an honest loving conversation with God

Materials needed:scriptjournal paperbreathing exercisepencils

Outline of the activity: Use the script to introduce the activity. Invite participants to journal or simply to pray. Participants may want to sit on floor or lie down to be more relaxed.

Script: God has a 1-800 number and also answers 911 calls. When you call God, you never get a busy signal, you are never put on hold, and you never hear an answering machine say, “This is God. I’m not in my office now…” We are inviting you to have an honest conversation with God…

Imagine that you are calling heaven and God is going to answer. What would you talk to God about at this point in your life? What do you think God would say to you? You can journal this conversation on paper or just imagine it in your mind. We will do a breathing exercise to get us started.

Gently close your eyes…Be comfortable…relaxed…Take a deep, silent breath and settle yourself.Breathe in…and breathe out.Fill your lungs with air, hold it…then let it leave your body.Breathe in all that is good and…breathe out all that is not good.As you breathe deeply let your body relax and be calm.

Begin your conversation with God. Imagine you are calling God on your phone. What do you think God would say to you? What do you want to talk to God about today?

Adapted idea from Leading Students Into Prayer: Ideas and Suggestions from A to Z by Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, page 23

ACTIVITY 6

Purpose: to explore how much Jesus loves me

Materials needed:Handout #2 - Letter from a Friend (one for each student sealed with a sticker with student’s name on it)ORa letter from participants’ parent in enclosed envelope (see sample letter to parents below)a quiet place to read letter with lots of room for each participantKleenex (especially for parent letters)

Outline of the activity:OPTION A – Explain that you have a letter from a friend for each participant. Ask them to wait until everyone has received their letter to open it. Ask them to read the letter to themselves. Once everyone has read the letter ask them if they can imagine that Jesus wants to send this message to them today. If appropriate for the group, ask them what stops them from having time for Jesus every day.

OPTION B – Use the sample letter below to invite parents to write a letter of love to their son/daughter.

High school years can be a struggle for teens and parents. Teens struggle to have autonomy from parents. Parents can be fearful that teens will be hurt or take risks. When parents put their love into words in a letter, teens can value it because it is on paper. If you don’t think you will get a letter from every parent, a letter from an older brother or sister, a grandparent, aunt or uncle can be as valuable.

If you choose to get letters from loved ones, be aware that participants may become emotional. Ensure each participant has the space needed to maintain privacy. You might want to have tissue available around the room.

Adapted idea from Leading Students into Prayer: Ideas and Suggestions from A to Z by Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, page 124.

Sample Letter for Parents

Dear Parents,

I am writing to ask for your help in a very special part of the retreat your son/daughter will be attending (date of your retreat). I would like you to write a “love letter” to your child, telling him/her about the deep love you feel.

In our busy and hectic lives we often forget to say the most important things to the people who mean the most to us. Please take this opportunity to tell your son/daughter all the special things you love about him/her, to share your favourite memories of your teen’s childhood, to express your loving hope for his/her future, etc.

You may write just one letter signed by either or both parents, or each parent may write a separate letter; that is up to you. However, it is very important that every teen on the retreat have a letter; so much so, that if I do not receive a letter for everyone, I will have to replace this retreat activity with something else. Send your letter in an envelope with your child’s name on it and mail it to me in an outer envelope.

Please get your letter to me by (date at least two weeks before the retreat) so that I can be certain I will be able to do this activity. The love letters are to be a surprise, so please do not mention the letter to your son/daughter ahead of time.

Thank you.

Letter From a Friend

Dear Friend,

I just had to send a note to tell you how much I love you and care about you. I saw you yesterday as you were walking with your friends. I waited all day, hoping you would want to talk with me also. As evening drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to refresh you. And I waited. But you never came. I was disappointed, but I still love you because I am your friend.

I saw you fall asleep last night and I longed to touch your brow. So, I spilled moonlight on your pillow and your face. Again, I waited, wanting to rush down so that we could talk. I have so many gifts for you. But you awakened late the next day and rushed off to school.

Today you looked so sad, so all alone. It makes my heart ache because I understand. My friends let me down and hurt me so many times, too. But I love you. Oh, if you would only listen to me. I really love you. I try to tell you in the blue sky and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in the leaves on the trees and breathe it in the colours of the flowers. I shout it to you in the mountain streams and give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature’s scents. My love for you is deeper than the oceans and bigger than the biggest want or need in your heart.

If only you knew how much I want to help you. I want you to meet my Father. He wants to help you, too. My Father is that way, you know. Just call me, ask me, talk with me. I have so much to share with you. But, I won’t hassle you. I’ll wait because I love you.

Your friend,Jesus

Handout #2SUB-THEME 3 – MERCY THAT FORGIVES

ACTIVITY 7

Purpose: to remind us how everyone is special

Materials needed:variety of gift boxes and bags at least one or two for each grouppapers inside for identifying giftsScript – one copy for each groupa brown paper bag for each group or a box wrapped in newsprint

Outline of the activity: Invite one student to select a gift box, a brown paper bag and as many other gifts so each group has the same number. Hand out the reflection to each group. Invite the

group to read the reflection together. Then open the gift boxes and bags to see that there are pieces of paper – at least one for each group member. The first gift box represents ourselves. Write on the small piece of paper what gift you offer others. The second gift represents our friends. Write on another small piece of paper what gift your friend offers you. On the small piece of paper from the brown paper bag, write a gift that a stranger might have to offer you if you shared your gifts with them (a gift that you need in your life that they may have). Discuss your thoughts and reflection as a group. This activity is given to us for the theme of Mercy that Forgives. Why do you think it was chosen for this theme?

Suggested ending of this activity – Play the song Friends are Friends Forever by Michael W. Smith (2003)

Adapted idea from Leading Students Into Prayer: Ideas and Suggestions from A to Z by Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, page 125-126.

ACTIVITY 8

Purpose: to learn the deeper meaning of the parable of the prodigal son/loving father

Materials needed:children’s lectionary version of the parable (one provided below)props (see list below, adapt as needed)

If possible, have group leaders or older students dramatize the parable. Props ought to be simple just to bring the story to life.

Note to teacher: When dramatizing this parable, please contextualize it to assist students to make meaningful connections. For example, the Father represents God and both sons represent the different responses that we can have to God’s great love for us.

Directions: Most students should recognize the story of the Prodigal Son. You may want to practice the skit before the retreat day so the students have an idea of what to do and where to go.

Narrator: should have a special book with the script inside (the script is found on the next page)Father: two bags with gold coins/monopoly money in a walletSon that stays: child with glasses and reading a book – well behavedSon that leaves: child with attitude, duffle bag stuffed with belongings, long sleeves that hide tattoos sleeves (when he becomes poor, he takes off this long sleeved shirt to reveal his tattoos)Farmer: overalls, straw hat and a shovelPigs: stuffed animalsServant 1: Leather coat – or a coat that kids would think is the bestServant 2: Big ring and sandalsServant 3: Platter with fake meat on it, maybe potatoes and carrots

Following the skit…

Debrief: How did you feel when the son asked for half of the family property?How did you feel when the son wasted all the money?How did you feel when the Father welcomed his son home?What does this story teach us?

The Children’s Lectionary version of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)There was a man who had two sons.The younger son said to his father,

“Give me my half of all the family property –all that would be mine after you die.”

So the father divided everything he ownedbetween his two sons.

A few days later,the younger son packed up all his thingsand left home to live in a faraway country.But he wasted all of his moneyliving a wild life.After he had spent everything,there was a bad famine in that countryand he became very hungrybut could not buy any food.

He went to work for a farmerwho sent him out to feed the pigs.The young man was so hungrythat he could have eaten the food the pigs ate,but no one offered him even that.

At last, he came to his senses and said to himself,“The people who work for my fatherhave more than enough food to eat,and here I am starving to death.I will go back to my father and I will say to him,‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you;I am no longer good enough to be called your son.Treat me like one of your workers.’”

So the young man started home.But while he was still a long way off,his father saw him coming and ran out to meet him.He took his son in his arms and kissed him.

The young man said,“Father, I have sinned against God and against you.I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”

But his father said to the servants,“Quick! Bring out the best clothes and put them on him.Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet.Get our best calf and prepare a feast.Let’s eat and celebrate because my son was deadand he has come back to life.He was lost and has been found!”

And they began to celebrate.

ACTIVITY 9

Purpose: to listen to and learn a song about forgiveness

Materials needed:Handout #3 – Father I Have SinnedYouTube version of the song “Father I Have Sinned” by Eugene O’Reilly, C.Ss.R.other versions of the same song or another song with the same messagea device to play music

Outline of the activity: Become familiar with the song “Father I Have Sinned.” Reference the lyrics below. Be comfortable helping others to learn the song. Ask the students to listen to the song without singing the first time. Once students have listened to the song, ask them “Who is the Father?”

Teach the refrain first, then the verses. Decide ahead of time, which verses you will teach, depending on the time you’ll have for each session. Make sure that at least the refrain is sung through and verse one.

Father I Have Sinnedby Fr. Eugene O’Reilly, C.Ss.R.

Father I have sinned, help me find my way.Remember not my sins, just let me hear you say:

I forgive you, I love you,You are mine, take my hand.Go in peace, sin no more,Beloved one.

Father I have turned, my back and walked away.Depended on my strength, and lived life my own way.

Father I have closed, my heart to those in need.Thought only of myself, a victim of my greed.

Father I have loved, if love’s the word to use.I’ve played so many games, they’ve left me so confused.

Father I’ve returned, I’m home with you to stay.Standing at your door, knowing that you’ll say

Handout #3

SUB-THEME 4 – MERCY THAT LIVES IN THE GOSPEL

ACTIVITY 10

Purpose: to experience a guided meditation

Structure: Participants need to be in a space where they can sit quietly without another participant

being too close physically. The lighting could be dimmed, if it is possible or practical. Gentle subtle instrumental music can be played in the background. The space ought to be free of distracting noises. The leader may want to practice reading the script slowly before actually doing the

guided meditation. The markers … indicate when a pause is to occur and longer markers like …………

indicate significantly longer pauses. The longer pauses give the participants time to use their imagination to respond to the

guidance of the meditation. Usually the leader will get a cue from the group about when the next line should be

offered for reflection, i.e. movement in their bodies. The leader’s voice should be calm, directive and lower in volume than a normal teaching

voice. The initial instructions can be offered using a normal voice, then after the ****** a

prayerful voice can lead the meditation.

Meditation script:

We are going to experience a guided meditation. During this time I invite you to use your imagination to help you to pray. If the guided nature of this experience is not helping you, just allow yourself to relax and be calm. Try to keep your body still. If you are able to enter into the experience do so.

Sit with your back and your legs completely supported by the chair you are on. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor and your hands are resting on your lap in a relaxed fashion. Gently close your eyes and relax the muscles in your face. Breathe deeply in and out …… doing so without making any sound.

************************

Breathe in peace …… and breathe out stress ……Breathe in calm …… and breathe out tension …Breathe in all that is good and … breathe out all that is not good …

Pause, allow everyone to focus on their breathing for a minute

Sense your heart rate slowing …… and your breathing becoming deeper and fuller ……

If a distracting thought comes to mind …allow it to pass through your consciousness …do not react forceably toward it …simply allow it to pass through … as if on a river floating by.

Breathe in … and out …… In … and … out ……

Let the Spirit of God lead you ……… to a place of solitude ……… where you feel comfortable ……… a place of peace ……… a place where you can invite God to be with you …

A place where you can be still….with God….

A place where you can be safe …… and free …… and still ……A place where nothing can disturb you ……

Where you can be quietly aware of God’s presence ……… Aware of the silent breath of God ……… Breathing life into your life ……… Quietly … in … and … out…… Be still …… just slowly breathing with God ………… In and out … peacefully … calmly ……… Slowly breathing in rhythm with God ……… Slowly ……

Gently you realize that you are not alone ……not far from you …is Jesus …sitting with his head lowered …Jesus … with his eyes closed and free from distractions ……his hands folded in peacefulness … praying ……

He hears you approach … he smiles as though he has been waiting for you …He invites you to sit with him …Both of you sit comfortably with your legs stretched out in front of you

You feel peaceful simply by sitting beside him …Jesus looks at you with loving eyes …Helping you to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are …

He asks you … how are you doing? ……………………………………………………………

What is making your heart peaceful? ……………………………………………………………What do you say to Jesus? ……………………………………………………………He asks you … what are you working on these days? …… how are you growing? … what is the growing edge of your life at this time?…………………………………………………………What relationship in your life is most significant for you? ……………………………………………………………………What part of your day is most comfortable? ……………………………………………………………………Where are you struggling? ……………………………………………………………………Jesus smiles gently and again you feel loved and accepted ……Loved and accepted ……by the One who knows everything there is to know about you ……

Jesus says “I have big plans for you …plans that will make you content …… I love you and want you to be happy … deeply happy ……… I want good things for you … what do you want for yourself? …

Jesus says, “I want you to use your gifts.When you use your gifts you will feel a sense of purpose in your life.You will be able to help those around you.When you help those around you, you will feel happy.Service is a gift that I give you. When you serve, you can have a sense of accomplishment, a sense of your own goodness. You are good! … I love you …I truly love you.

He asks if you would like him to pray with you …He closes his eyes and bows his head …And your spirit is lifted …… and you feel peaceful …… and cared for …

As you get ready to leave, the sun breaks through the clouds above youand its rays warm you … filling you with light, with promise, with energy …It is time to leave and you say goodbye for now.

When you are ready … you may slowly become aware of your breathing …Aware of your sitting …Aware of where you are …Open your eyes … remain quiet and still …Hold onto the peace and gentleness … and love …Breathe …

In the style of the guided meditation found in Time With Jesus: Twenty Guided Meditations for Youth by Thomas F. Catucci, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana, ISBN 0-87793-499-1. An excellent resource for high school teachers and chaplains.

Debrief: Sometimes people are not able to enter into the meditation … and that is all right. Simply taking time to breathe and relax is all we need to experience.It is one way to pray. It can be helpful for some people.How do you feel?Are you more relaxed now than before we started?

ACTIVITY 11

Purpose: to look at the corporal works of mercy

Materials needed:chart papermarkerscontainer to hold slips of paperlittle slips of paper with works of mercy written on them

Outline of the activity: This activity can be done in small groups or as one large group.It can be done as Pictionary or mime. On small pieces of paper write one corporal work of mercy per paper. Participants either act out or draw the work of mercy and others guess what work is at play.

Corporal Works of MercyFeed the hungryShelter the homelessGive drink to the thirstyVisit the imprisonedClothe the nakedCare for the sickBury the dead

ACTIVITY 12

Purpose: to find students who have lived the Gospel call in different ways

Materials needed:Handout #4 – Mercy BINGOpens or pencils

Outline of the activity: Each participant receives a Mercy BINGO card and a pen or pencil (see Handout #4). When the activity begins, each participant looks for someone who can sign the square designated for a particular good work. Each person can only sign their name once/card. First team with completed cards wins.

MERCY BINGO

Someone who has given up their seat on bus/subway

Someone who has given change

to the poor

Someone who has shared their

lunch with another

Someone who has smiled at a

stranger

Someone who has picked up

litter

Someone who has visited a sick

person in hospital

Someone who has attended a

wake or funeral

Someone who has prayed for another person

Someone who has fasted from something other

than food

Someone who has donated

money to D&Por Share

Lent

Someone who has opened a

door for someone at school

Someone who has donated used

clothes

MERCYFree

Someone who has taught

something to someone

Someone who has written a

letter about some injustice

Someone who has read a

passage of the Gospel according

to John

Someone who always speak the

truth

Someone who has prayed for

him/herself

Someone who has brought in food for food

drive

Someone who has seen war on television and

felt compassion

Someone who helped a friend study for a test

Someone who enjoys feasting on good food

Someone who has held a small baby and was

amazed

Someone who worked

collaboratively with another

person

Someone who has lots of patience

Handout #4

SUB-THEME 5 – MERCY THAT REJOICES

ACTIVITY 13

Purpose: to go for a walk outdoors and appreciate the gift of nature

Materials needed:hatwalking shoes sunblock may be helpful

Outline of the activity: On a beautiful day it is great to go for a walk to breathe in fresh air and listen to the sounds of nature. Invite the participants to walk around the retreat centre and to appreciate the signs of spring around them. Give the participants a specified amount of time to walk so everyone returns in time for the next activity.

ACTIVITY 14

Purpose: to dance like no one is watching

Materials needed:a popular upbeat song (Happy by Pharrell Williams)device to play songspeakers to be able to hear song

Outline of the activity: Most people like to dance to express happiness. Play an upbeat song and invite the participants to dance for the duration of the song. Let this be a fun time between listening types of activities. Get a participant to begin a grapevine dance step by grabbing one person’s hand, then that person grabs someone else’s hand … and the line of dance eventually includes many people. Participants may want to sing as well.

ACTIVITY 15

Purpose: to eat a treat like an apple

Materials needed: Eat something that everyone can eat as a treat

Outline of the activity: It is good to have a piece of fresh fruit. Usually juicy and tasty fruit help us to celebrate life and all that God provides for us in creation.

Closing Blessing for the Retreat Day

May God wrap her warmth around you like a shawlto hug you tight;God’s light glow bright within youto guide your steps at night;God’s strength flow sure all through you –hold you up against hurt and fear;and whisper in your heart,Dear friend: My love is always near. Amen +

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen +

Persons Are Gifts

Persons are gifts!Persons are gifts which the Father sends me wrapped!Some are wrapped very beautifully;they are very attractive when I first see them.Some come in very ordinary wrapping paper.Others have been mishandled in the mail.Once in a while there is a “Special Delivery!”Some persons are gifts which come very loosely wrapped;others are wrapped very tightly.

But the wrapping is not the gift!It is so easy to make this mistake.Sometimes the gift is very easy to open up.Sometimes I need others to help.Is it because they are afraid?Is it because we are afraid?Does it hurt?Maybe they have been opened up before and thrown away!Could it be that the gift is not for me?

I am a person. Therefore I am a gift, too!A gift to myself first of all.The Father gave myself to me.Have I ever really looked inside the wrappings?Am I afraid to?Perhaps I’ve never accepted the gift that I am…Could it be that there is something else inside the wrapping than what I think there is?Maybe I’ve never seen the wonderful gift that I am!Could the Father’s gifts be anything but beautiful?I love the gifts which those who love me give to me.Why do I not love this gift of myself from the Father?

And I am a gift to other persons!Am I willing to be given by the Father to others?Do others have to be content with the wrappings…Never permitted to enjoy the deeper gift?

Every meeting of persons is an exchange of gifts.But a gift without a giver is not a gift;it is a thing devoid of a relationship between persons who see themselvesas they truly are: gifts of the Father to each other for others!A friend is a gift not just to me but to others through me…When I keep my friend – possess him/her – I destroy his/her “gift-ness.”If I save his/her life for me, I lose it;if I lose it for others, I save it.

Persons are gifts – gifts received and given … like the Son!Friendship is the response of person-gifts to the Father – given.Friendship is EUCHARIST!

-G. Nintemann

Movie List Related to the FiveSub-Themes of Catholic Education Week 2016

Movies are a great medium for exploring themes with intermediate and senior students. This list of movie titles is offered as a suggestion for Religious Education, Arts or Social Science classes. Clips of movies can be used to illustrate the specific themes. Both Schindler’s List and Les Miserable have many such scenes.

Movies that include all five sub-themes of this year’s Catholic Education Week:

Schindler’s List Les Miserables (2012)The Interpreter SeabiscuitUnbroken Into the WildFireproof Patch AdamsTo End All Wars CaptiveFacing the Giants The Blind SideEntertaining Angels City of Joy

Some of these movies have graphic moments of violence. It is important to prepare students for these moments by previewing the movie before sharing it with students so you can caution them and they can close their eyes should they choose to do so.

While watching the movie invite the students to identify which scenes of the movie illustrate the sub-themes of Mercy that welcomes, loves, forgives, lives the gospel and rejoices. Students may have viewed these movies in another context so they do not have to focus on the story line but they can be engaged by looking for evidence of the sub-themes.

Scripture Readings and QuotesRelated to the Five Sub-Themes of

Catholic Education Week 2016

God’s mercy never comes to an end; it is new every morning. Lamentations 3:23Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Matthew 5:7Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. JesusWhen one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. Helen Keller, Author, Political Activist and LecturerIn moments of surprise we catch at least a glimpse of the joy to which gratefulness opens the door. David Steindl-Rast, Catholic Benedictine MonkA little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just. Pope FrancisI believe in peace. I believe in mercy. Malala Yousafzai, Activist for Female EducationThe confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord’s mercy motivates us to do better. Pope Francis

Mercy that WelcomesWhoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:5Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Romans 12:13When you listen generously to people they hear the truth in themselves, often for the first time. Rachel Naomi Remen, Author, Teacher and Promoter in Integrative MedicineOur listening creates a sanctuary for the homeless parts within another person. Rachel Naomi Remen, Author, Teacher and Promoter in Integrative MedicineLaughing is the shortest distance between two people. Victor Borge, Comedian, Conductor and Pianist“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.” Jean Vanier, Catholic Philosopher, Theologian and Humanitarian“There is no hospitality like understanding.” Vanna Bonta, Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel“As a way of life, an act of love, an expression of faith, our hospitality reflects and anticipates God's welcome. Simultaneously costly and wonderfully rewarding, hospitality often involves small deaths and little resurrections. By God's grace we can grow more willing, more eager, to open the door to a needy neighbor, a weary sister or brother, a stranger in distress. Perhaps as we open that door more regularly, we will grow increasingly sensitive to the quiet knock of angels. In the midst of a life-giving practice, we too might catch glimpses of Jesus who asks for our welcome and welcomes us home.” Christine Pohl, Associate Provost and Professor of Church and Society/Christian Ethics“May we greet each other with a smile, hug and speak kind words.” Lailah Gifty Akita, Founder of Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/popefranci521204.html

Mercy that LovesLittle children, let us love, not in word of speech, but in truth and action. 1 John 3:18Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. 1 John 4:7Above all, clothe yourself in love. Colossians 3:14Love your neighbour as yourself. Matthew 19:19I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice. Hosea 6:6The important thing is not to think much, but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love. St. Thérèse of LisieuxWhen you plant seeds of love, it is you that blossoms. Ma Jaya Sati, Spiritual TeacherPrayer and love are learned in the hour when prayer becomes impossible and the heart has turned to stone. Thomas Merton, Catholic Writer and MysticLove isn’t something that you find. Love is something that finds you. Loretta Young, ActressWhat does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of (all). That is what love looks like. St. Augustine

Mercy that ForgivesPlease forgive the trespass of your servant. 1 Samuel 25:28But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Nehemiah 9:17Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:12-13Forgiveness means letting go of the hope for a better past. Lama Surya Das, Poet, Chant Master, Spiritual Activist and AuthorThose who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect. Brené Brown, Scholar, Author and Public SpeakerWeigh the true advantages of forgiveness and resentment to the heart. Then choose. Jack Kornfield, Author and TeacherAn apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything. Lynn Johnston, CartoonistMay I see my own limits with compassion, just as I view the limits of others. Roshi Joan Halifax, Teacher, Anthropologist, Ecologist, Civil Rights Activist, Hospice Caregiver and AuthorI have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. Abraham LincolnI have often thought with wonder of the great goodness of God; and my soul has rejoiced in the contemplation of His great magnificence and mercy. May He be blessed forever! For I see clearly that He has not omitted to reward me, even in this life, for every one of my good desires. St. Teresa of AvilaFirst of all, you ask me if the God of Christians forgives one who doesn’t believe and doesn’t seek faith. Premise that – and it’s the fundamental thing – the mercy of God has no limits if one turns to him with a sincere and contrite heart; the question for one who doesn’t believe in God lies in obeying one’s conscience. Pope FrancisOne forgives to the degree that one loves. Francois de La Rochefoucauld, Author

Mercy that Lives the GospelWhen we begin to believe that there is greater joy in working with and for others, rather than just for ourselves, then our society will truly become a place of celebration. Jean Vanier, Catholic Philosopher, Theologian and HumanitarianNothing graces the Christian soul so much as mercy; mercy as shown chiefly towards the poor, that thou mayst treat them as sharers in common with thee in the produce of nature, which brings forth the fruit of the earth for use of all. St. AmbroseLord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow your love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy! St. Francis of Assisi

Mercy that RejoicesRejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12: 12Let your faithful rejoice in your goodness. 2 Chronicles 6:41bI will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love. Psalm 31:7Do not rejoice when your enemies fall. Proverbs 24:17My spirit rejoices with God my saviour! Luke 1:47It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6Rejoice with those who rejoice. Romans 12:15Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. Karl Barth, TheologianThere is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. Margaret Fuller, Journalist, Critic and Women’s Rights Advocate

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