Catholic Identity

Dear Families,

Let us Pray….               

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on our lives. 

You have provided us with more than we could ever have imagined. 

You have surrounded us with people who always look out for us. 

You have given us the Sacred Heart Parish & School Community, family and friends 

who bless us every day with love, kind words and actions.

Amen

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 

Year C Sunday November 13th

"Your endurance will win you your life."

Preparing to hear God's word

Can you remember a time when you felt sad or upset? Who helped you to feel better? 

The Gospel Story

In this gospel reading Jesus is reminding his followers that it isn’t easy to be a disciple. In fact, Jesus tells them that they will have hard times in their lives and that terrible things may happen in the world. However, Jesus tells them not to be afraid, but to keep trusting and believing in him.

The Gospel

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke 21:5-15

Your endurance will win you your life.

Some people were talking about the beautiful stones used to build the temple and about the gifts that had been placed in it. Jesus said, "Do you see these stones? The time is coming when not one of them will be left in place. They will all be knocked down."

Some people asked, "Teacher, when will all this happen? How can we know when these things are about to take place?"

Jesus replied: "Don't be fooled by all those men who will come and claim to be me. They will say, 'I am Christ!' and 'Now is the time!' But don't follow them. When you hear about wars and riots, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that is not the end.

Nations will go to war against one another, and kingdoms will attack each other. There will be great earthquakes, and in many places people will starve to death and suffer terrible diseases. All sorts of frightening things will be seen in the sky. Before all this happens, you will be arrested and punished. You will be tried in the Jewish meeting places and put in jail. Because of me you will be placed on trial before kings and governors. But this will be your chance to tell about your faith.

Don't worry about what you will say to defend yourselves. I will give you the wisdom to know what to say.”

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

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​Reflecting on the Gospel

As a group, brainstorm suggestions about what can be done to make people feel better when they are sad.

Even a smile, a friendly 'hello' or a helping hand can sometimes make all the difference to someone who is lonely, upset or in pain.

First Reconciliation

Congratulations to Nate, Harlow, Alfio and Hunter who completed their first reconciliation with Fr. John after Parish Mass on Wednesday 2nd November. Please keep these children, our 2022 Sacramental children and all our Sacred Heart students, staff and families in your prayers.

Introducing our Children to the Gift of Pray?     (continued)

Prayer, even in its simplest form, embodies the power of grace—our ever-present connection to God. As adults, we need to appreciate the immense blessing of lifting our hearts and minds to our Heavenly Father in prayer.                                 

Daily prayer is how we respond to God’s invitation to a deeper relationship that nurtures our spiritual well-being.  As a community of faith, we find great joy in sharing our spiritual blessings. This includes introducing children to the gift of prayer.

As Jesus traveled on his journeys, he often paused to pray to his heavenly Father. Jesus’s own disciples were inspired by watching Him pray and asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.                                                                       

When children see us pray, they, like Jesus’s disciples, are also inspired to know how to grow closer to God in prayer. Each of us are called to hand on the gift of faith to children and to teach them the different forms and expressions of prayer – including spontaneous prayer, liturgical prayer, and reflective prayer – that will empower them to build a lifelong dialogue and relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Liturgical Prayer

Catholics pray communally, each with assigned roles and parts to pray. This more formal prayer is called liturgical prayer. Children who attend Mass regularly become familiar with liturgical prayer and its patterns and rhythms as well as the various roles (i.e. presider, assembly, reader, song leader, and so on) as well as the various ritual actions and gestures (i.e. singing, processions, lighting candles, and so on). . When we involve children in liturgical prayer, we help them to pray, not as individuals, but as members of a community of faith.

Reflective Prayer

In the Catholic Tradition, there is a long history of praying in such a way as to invite Jesus to speak to us through our imaginations. This type of prayer is called reflective prayer. St. Ignatius advocated imaginative or reflective prayer, something that is recognized as one of the hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality. We can teach children Ignatius’ approach to imaginative prayer by encouraging them to place themselves fully into a story from the Gospels and to use all of their senses to participate in that story, paying attention to what they feel, hear, see, smell, notice, and even taste. Above all, we can teach them to pay attention to what Jesus says in the Gospel story and then invite them to use their imaginations to hear what Jesus might be saying to them. This type of prayer enables children to encounter Jesus in a very personal way, bringing Jesus into their hearts.

As you bear witness to the Gospels and nurture the faith in God’s youngest disciples, it helps to remember that a mature faith is a faith that is not only believed, celebrated, and lived, but also prayed.

                                         ( Loyola Press by Joe Paprocki, D.Min.)

DATES FOR TERM  4

Prayer for this week

GOD BLESS.

Debbie Turvey

RE Leader