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St. Augustine's School Prayer

Our Father in Heaven,

Look over and bless St. Augustine’s while we are working and playing.

Help us to respect and care for each other as you taught us to.

Give us the opportunity to do our best for you each day.

We look forward to being able to share our lives with our friends and families.

Keep us safe and give us the courage to be

people who want to know you more.

Amen.

I invite all families to pray this prayer at home, maybe one morning each week.

Prayer of the Week

Sunday 15th August was the Feast of the Assumption

LITANY TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

V. Lord, have mercy on us.

R. Christ, have mercy on us.

V. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.

R. Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven: -- Have mercy on us. (repeat at end of each phrase.)

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world:

God, the Holy Spirit,

Holy Trinity, One God,

Holy Mary, -- Pray for us. (repeat at end of each phrase.)

Holy Mother of God,

Holy Virgin of virgins,

Mother of Christ,

Mother of divine grace,

Mother most pure,

Mother most chaste,

Mother inviolate,

Mother undefiled,

Mother most amiable,

Mother most admirable,

Mother of good counsel,

Mother of our Creator,

Mother of our Savior,

Virgin most prudent,

Virgin most venerable,

Virgin most renowned,

Virgin most powerful,

Virgin most merciful,

Virgin most faithful,

Mirror of justice,

Seat of wisdom,

Cause of our joy,

Spiritual vessel,

Vessel of honor,

Singular vessel of devotion,

Mystical rose,

Tower of David,

Tower of ivory,

House of gold,

Ark of the covenant,

Gate of Heaven,

Morning star,

Health of the sick,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of Christians,

Queen of Angels,

Queen of Patriarchs,

Queen of Prophets,

Queen of Apostles,

Queen of Martyrs,

Queen of Confessors,

Queen of Virgins,

Queen of all Saints,

Queen conceived without Original Sin,

Queen assumed into Heaven,

Queen of the most holy rosary,

Queen of Peace.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

v. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

r. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer for the Year of St. Joseph

To you,

O blessed Joseph,

do we come in our afflictions,

and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse,

we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus,

we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood,

and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ;

O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence;

O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril,

so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection,

so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously,

to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.

Amen.

Scripture of the Week

Luke 1:39-56

Reflection

Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter

On the surface, today’s gospel passage has little to do with the feast of the Assumption. There is no scriptural account of the Assumption and so we draw on a different significant gospel passage that features Mary. However, the account of Mary rushing to her cousin and exuberantly proclaiming the Magnificat is an example of Mary’s joyful ‘Yes’ to life and to God that tradition tells us was rewarded in her bodily assumption into heaven.

Immediately prior to this account, the angel Gabriel has announced to Mary that she is to give birth to the Christ-child. Her humble response to the angel and to God is, ‘Let it be done to me according to your word’ even though she knew the shame and rejection her pregnancy would cause in her village. Whilst her initial response is subdued and humble, it is a ‘Yes’ to God’s will. Mary’s next instinct is an emphatic ‘Yes’ to life. The angel tells Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth, is also to bear a child. Elizabeth was an older woman and keenly felt the social and cultural shame of not being able to bear children. When Mary hears that Elizabeth is already pregnant she rushes to be with her. Where no life was thought possible, God has created life. Elizabeth would have been shamed and regarded as inadequate and of lesser standing because of her childlessness. In many ways, Elizabeth was deprived of her own life because she could not give birth. Mary’s “Yes” to God and “Yes” to life is confirmed and amplified by God’s granting fullness of life to Elizabeth.

Historical Context – Feast of the Assumption

Since the 5th Century there has been an active tradition and belief around the assumption of Mary. The tradition states that Mary was physically ‘taken up’ into heaven at the end of her life. It is believed that her soul and her body remained united. This ancient belief was defined as an infallible teaching of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1950. It is one of only two infallible statements that have been defined as such and both related to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast is celebrated on August 15 and is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Scriptural context – New life

The restoration of life to those who are shamed and oppressed that is exemplified in Elizabeth is a compelling theme of the gospel of Luke. Time and again, those who are ground down by a lack of life are given new hope and new life by the extravagant love of God. And throughout Luke, the recipients of this new life are women. The widow of Nain (7:11-15); the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet (7:36-50); the woman with a haemorrhage (8:43-48); Jairus’ daughter (8:40-56); and the crippled woman (13:10-17) are all examples of this outpouring of new life.

Living the Gospel – Saying ‘Yes’

In a world that is increasingly selfish and negative, there is a trend towards isolation from family, neighbours and community. In the face of social isolation, the call to a Christian life is a call to say ‘Yes’ to life itself and all it offers. To say ‘Yes’ to life is to say ‘Yes’ to life-giving relationships and decisions and ‘No’ to life denying relationships and decisions. To say ‘Yes’ to life is to say ‘No’ to those things that harm self and harm others. A ‘Yes’ to life is a ‘Yes’ to hope; to possibility; to love; to God; and to yourself.

Questions for Adolescents

How does Elizabeth’s response to Mary reflect an affirmation of life?

In what ways can you identify origins of the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer in this gospel passage?

Why do you think Mary is held up as a model of what it means to be a fully alive person?

What is an area of your life to which you need to say ‘Yes’?

Questions for Adults

What prompts Mary’s rush to her older cousin?

What is the significance of Mary’s arrival that suddenly makes Elizabeth fill with the Holy Spirit?

Why might this particular gospel writer begin his gospel with this emphasis on the affirmation of life?

How is it possible for you to acknowledge and support those in your community who are saying ‘Yes’ to life?

Religious Education Activities

Search online for the term Magnificat. Search for images, videos and music. Create a multimedia montage that conveys your understanding of Mary’s joyful prayer.

Use the Ignatian Examen, or another reflective process, to reflect on the week gone by and identify moments where you said ‘No’ to life and moments where you said ‘Yes’ to life. Acknowledge God’s presence in both the ‘No’ and the ‘Yes’ moments.

Compare the Magnifcat (the Canticle of Mary) with the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).

Assumption_CWG.pdf

Assumption_gpl_work.pdf

Assumption_WSG.pdf