News
Faith in Our Community: First Week of Lent
This week saw the beginning of Lent, a special period of joyful preparation for Easter. Lasting 40 days, Lent is a time of prayer in which we come together as a community through our faith.
The week has been very busy, starting with our beautiful Ash Wednesday Masses for Junior School and Senior School. In their Mass, our Juniors learned that no matter the hardships they way face throughout their day, Jesus loves them and this something to always remember. Our Seniors were reminded that kindness is key to strengthening our relationships with others and with God. After receiving our ashes, we went back to our day with a new perspective and ready to begin our Lenten journey.
Throughout Lent, we are making sure our Manresa Oratory in the Junior School is a place that we can be close to God in prayerful reflection. On Mondays and Tuesdays, we will be taking part in Collective Worship with our friends before school, on Wednesdays we will have a Eucharistic Service, and on Thursdays a short Stations of the Cross where will we will reflect on the different stations. We are looking forward to all of the different things we will learn, all before the school day starts!
In Senior School we are celebrating Mass each Thursday in our Sodality Chapel – allowing our whole community to come together. As well as visiting the newly renovated St Aloysius’ Church for Mass, we’ve also been very delighted to be able to host our Christian Formation and Celebrating Success assemblies again. At each assembly, we pray our prayer of dedication to inspire us for our school day:
Father,
we stand in your presence in prayer and praise.
We thank you
for our health and happiness,
for forgiveness and healing,
for our talents and for our friends.
We thank you
for the wonderful world
you have given us to explore
and to use to your greater glory.
We thank you
for the gift of Jesus Christ, your Son,
who died that we might have life
and live it to the full.
Send your Spirit
to accompany us on our daily journey.
Give us wisdom
that we may find you in all things.
Give us understanding
that we may learn our lessons well.
Give us compassion
that we may show your face to those we meet.
Give us generosity
that we may share the gifts you have given us.
Give us faith
that we may have confidence in ourselves.
Above all give us love
that we may bring joy into the lives of
those around us.
We ask this through Christ or Lord.
Amen.
