Photo Credit: Adam Arroyo via Compfight
St. Brigid’s blessings flow.
Photo Credit: Adam Arroyo via Compfight
St. Brigid’s blessings flow.
Good morning & welcome to the hall today
for our Christmas Prayer Service.
Advent is the special time in the Church’s year
when we get ready to celebrate
the birthday of a very special baby.
What was his name? (Jesus).
Does any one here know when is Jesus’s birthday?
Yes that’s right we celebrate Jesus’s birthday
on Christmas Day.
How many more sleeps is that? ( )
Sign of the Cross
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame
and shine out bright’.
We can be like ‘candles’ who share
the light and warmth of God’s love
with everyone we meet.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
On the night Jesus was born,
there was a light in the sky over the place where He was.
Does anyone know what was that light in the sky?
It was the Christmas star shining out bright.
So now we are going pretend that we are going on a journey
like Mary and Joseph and the donkey
nd the Shepherds and the Kings
And to find our way we have to follow God’s shining star.
But first let us get ready for our journey
by making the best possible start when we say
Good Morning to God; this is the best way to start each day;
Father in Heaven, you love me
You are with me night and day
I want to love you always
In all I do and say
I’ll try to please you Father
Please bless me during the day
Amen.
Yes, Christmas is Jesus’s birthday.
Hands up who is doing a Christmas play ?
What job do you have in the Christmas play?
Hands up who is an angel?
Who is a shepherd?
Who is a wise man or a wise king?
Is any one a Whoops a Daisy angel?
I’m sure that after all your hard work your play will go well.
Who knows who told Mary that she was going to have a baby?
It was an angel who came to visit Mary
to tell her the Good News,
that she was going have a baby,
that was going to be the Mother of God.
So stand up and spread your wings you are an angel
and we will sing ‘Mary Will You Take This Baby Boy’
Where did Mary live?
Mary lived in a place called Nazareth.
Who was Mary’s husband?
Mary was married to a carpenter called Joseph.
Mary and Joseph had to go on a journey.
Where were they going?
They were going to a place called Bethlehem.
Why were they going to Bethlehem?
They were going to be counted!
The reason they had to go to Bethlehem
is that that was where Joseph’s family were from.
As well as getting ready for a new baby
Mary and Joseph had gone on a journey
from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
This journey is a long long journey
and there were no cars…
or buses…
or trains…
So how did Mary get there? Mary travelled on a donkey
And how did Joseph get there? He walked
The roads were rough and rocky.
The journey would have taken about a week,
so it would be like if you started walking today – Sunday
and you kept walking ….
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
…til next Sunday.
And what happened when they did get to Bethlehem?
Well Bethlehem was full of people.
Mary and Joseph went looking but there was no place to stay.
Mary and Joseph went knocking on all the doors
Poor Mary and Joseph had no place to stay
So now it is time for us to say sorry for times
when we closed the doors to our minds and our hearts.
And if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say our Sorry Prayer
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
Is any one the innkeeper in their Christmas play?
What does the kind innkeeper say?
Yes, luckily one kind innkeeper said,
‘Would you like to stay in my stable?’
So let us open our doors and our hearts and our minds
like the kind innkeeper who let Mary and Joseph stay in his stable did.
That night Baby Jesus was born,
and Mary loved her baby so much
just like your parents love you
Silent Night
Shepherds were minding their sheep.
Who came to tell them that Baby Jesus was born?
Yes angels came to tell them that Baby Jesus was born.
And how did the Three Wise men find Jesus?
The Three Kings or the Three Wise Men in the East saw the star,
they followed the star and found the Baby Jesus.
‘We Three Kings’
The Three Wise Men brought presents.
What presents did the Three Wise Men bring?
gold,
frankincense
and myrrh,
I’m sure Mary and Joseph would have said thank you.
And now it is time for us to say Thank You to God
God our Father I come to say, thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning, please send your light.
Amen.
‘Away in a Manger’
Thank you, dear Jesus, thank you
for coming down from Heaven to save us.
Thank you for Christmas time.
Help us to get ready for Your coming this year.
Amen
So as we get ready for Christmas.
Let’s remember that it is a special baby’s birthday
and celebrate as we go
Jingle Bells.
Good morning & welcome to the hall today
for our Christmas Prayer Service.
Photo Credit: Markus Grossalber via Compfight
Advent is the special time in the Church’s year
when we get ready to celebrate
the birthday of a very special baby.
What was his name? (Jesus).
Does any one here know when is Jesus’s birthday?
Yes that’s right we celebrate Jesus’s birthday
on Christmas Day.
How many more sleeps is that? ( )
Sign of the Cross
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame
and shine out bright’.
We can be like ‘candles’ who share
the light and warmth of God’s love
with everyone we meet.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
On the night Jesus was born,
there was a light in the sky over the place where He was.
Does anyone know what was that light in the sky?
It was the Christmas star shining out bright.
So now we are going pretend that we are going on a journey
like Mary and Joseph and the donkey
and the Shepherds and the Kings
And to find our way we have to follow God’s shining star.
But first let us get ready for our journey
by making the best possible start when we say
Good Morning to God; this is the best way to start each day;
Father in Heaven, you love me
You are with me night and day
I want to love you always
In all I do and say
I’ll try to please you Father
Please bless me during the day
Amen.
Yes, Christmas is Jesus’s birthday.
Hands up who is doing a Christmas play ?
What job do you have in the Christmas play?
Hands up who is an angel?
Who is a shepherd?
Who is a wise man or a wise king?
Is any one a Whoops a Daisy angel?
I am sure that after all your hard work your play will go well.
Who knows who told Mary that she was going to have a baby?
It was an angel who came to visit Mary
to tell her the Good News,
that she was going have a baby,
that was going to be the Mother of God.
So stand up and spread your wings you are an angel
and we will sing ‘Mary Will You Take This Baby Boy’
Where did Mary live?
Mary lived in a place called Nazareth.
Who was Mary’s husband?
Mary was married to a carpenter called Joseph.
Mary and Joseph had to go on a journey.
Where were they going?
They were going to a place called Bethlehem.
Why were they going to Bethlehem?
They were going to be counted!
The reason they had to go to Bethlehem
is that that was where Joseph’s family were from.
As well as getting ready for a new baby
Mary and Joseph had gone on a journey
from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
This journey is a long long journey
and there were no cars…
or buses…
or trains…
So how did Mary get there? Mary travelled on a donkey
And how did Joseph get there? He walked
The roads were rough and rocky.
The journey would have taken about a week,
so it would be like if you started walking today – Sunday
and you kept walking ….
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
…until next Sunday.
And what happened when they did get to Bethlehem?
Well Bethlehem was full of people.
Mary and Joseph went looking but there was no place to stay.
Mary and Joseph went knocking on all the doors
Poor Mary and Joseph had no place to stay
So now it is time for us to say sorry for times
when we closed the doors to our minds and our hearts.
And if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say our Sorry Prayer
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
Is any one the innkeeper in their Christmas play?
What does the kind innkeeper say?
Yes, luckily one kind innkeeper said,
‘Would you like to stay in my stable?’
So let us open our doors and our hearts and our minds
like the kind innkeeper who let Mary and Joseph stay in his stable did.
That night Baby Jesus was born,
and Mary loved her baby so much
just like your parents love you
Silent Night
Shepherds were minding their sheep.
Who came to tell them that Baby Jesus was born?
Yes angels came to tell them that Baby Jesus was born.
And how did the Three Wise men find Jesus?
The Three Kings or the Three Wise Men in the East saw the star,
they followed the star and found the Baby Jesus.
‘We Three Kings’
The Three Wise Men brought presents.
What presents did the Three Wise Men bring?
gold,
frankincense
and myrrh,
I am sure Mary and Joseph would have said thank you.
And now it is time for us to say Thank You to God
God our Father I come to say, thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night
and in the morning, please send your light.
Amen.
‘Away in a Manger’
Thank you, dear Jesus, thank you
for coming down from Heaven to save us.
Thank you for Christmas time.
Help us to get ready for
Your coming this year.
Amen
So as we get ready for Christmas.
Let’s remember that
it is a special baby’s birthday
and celebrate as we go
Jingle Bells.
Photo Credit: eNriKeFot☮ via Compfight
Good morning & welcome to the school hall on this special day
when we remember the people we love who have gone home to God.
Sign of the Cross x3
(God came down…In the name of the Father… As Gaeilge)
Candle Prayer; ‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
First song: This little light of mine.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song; If I go climbing/rowing/swimming/ driving/ flying/ sleeping
Now it is time to say GOOD MORNING
to God our Father in Heaven
and to remember how much he loves us.
Father in Heaven, you love me…
I’ll try to please you Father. That is not always easy.
But if we do make mistakes and are sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say SORRY to God
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
And now it is time to say THANKS to God
God our Father I come to say,
thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning,
please send your light. Amen.
What day is it? Month?
Next month: November is the month of the holy souls
and we believe that just as Jesus died and rose again
to share new life with God Our Father in Heaven;
so too are all our loved ones happily living their new life with God
Good News! The Bible tells us there will be no more tears in heaven.
Those who have gone to heaven will never be hungry or thirsty
because God is there and he minds them.
Photo Credit: jenny downing via Compfight
Jesus tells us not to worry.
He says if God looks after the flowers in the fields
and the birds in the trees so well,
surely he will look after us even better.
He says the flowers in the fields don’t worry
so why should we.
Song; The Flowers in the Fields
Even though we cannot see the people we love
who are in Heaven,
we remember them.
We have photos to help us remember,
and memorial cards, we light candles.
When my Granny died I planted lots and lots of bulbs
and every spring when they flower I think of her.
Now I need some helpers to help me plant some bulbs.
Here is a prayer to say:
God through your goodness
we have these little bulbs to plant.
God we ask you to care for these daffodil bulbs
and help them to grow.
God with the work of our hands
we have planted these bulbs.
Keep these bulbs safe.
Watch over them through the dark of winter,
until the light of Spring shines again, Amen.
Now try this one;
The little bulbs are now fast asleep
safe in the earth they lie
The children have covered them over
and said little brown bulbs goodbye
The bulbs are asleep,
but the sunshine and rain will help them
wake up to new life in Spring.
Even though we cannot see the people
we love who are in Heaven,
we remember them.
We know they are with us always.
They never go far away.
They are our friends in heaven, there to help us.
We can be happy, remembering that
and remembering them.
So let’s finish with a happy song.
Final song: Jesus is my friend
Dia duit!
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Dia ‘s Muire duit!
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Dia ‘s Muire duit ‘s Pádraig !
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Dia ‘s Muire duit ‘s Pádraig ‘s Bríd !
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Dia ‘s Muire duit ‘s Pádraig ‘s Bríd ‘s Naomh Colmcille
Photo Credit: Geoff Sowrey via Compfight
Photo Credit: Sheila Steele via Compfight
End of Year Prayer Service
Good morning & welcome.
We are all here today with
new friends and old friends
and all our kind teachers.
We know that Jesus is our friend too
and so we sing our first song;
‘Jesus is our Friend’.
Now we will say the Sign of the Cross
in the three ways we know how;
(In the name of the Father…
As Gaeilge … and finally;
God came down from heaven to earth,
to remind us to love people on this side and this side
and not to forget ourselves. Amen … )
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song; ‘This Little Light of Mine’
Now it is time to say GOOD MORNING
to God our Father in Heaven;
‘Father in Heaven, you love me…etc.’
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say SORRY to God
‘O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen’.
Let’s sing a sorry song;
‘Forgive and Forget x2
Make up your quarrels, be friends.
Remember the King, when he cancelled the debt.
Be kind to each other.
Forgive and forget
Forgive and forget x2.
Show that you’re sorry, be friends.
So try to be brave when you’re sad and upset.
Cheer up and be happy.
Forgive and forget.
Yes today we are going to have
a special time together.
We are going to think about the time
we have spent together in school
We are going to think about the ways
we have grown and all that we have learned
We are going to thank God
for all the ways in which
we have helped each other
to grow,
to learn
and to play together every day.
And to do this we are going
to practise a song that we will sing;
‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray.
Thank you God we love you.
Thank you day by day’.
First we will give thanks to God
for the ways we have grown;
Our hands have grown,
our feet have grown.
Our whole body has grown.
We are getting taller all the time.
We are getting stronger all the time.
Sing; ‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray.
Thank you God we love you.
Thank you day by day’.
Let’s also give thanks to God
for all that we have learned.
We can sing from
the Alive-o programme (Veritas) :
‘Monday morning off to school I go’ etc.
We can play lots of different games;
We learned rhymes like;
Two Little Dicky Birds or Incy, Wincy Spider.
We know our numbers
Altogether;
‘I’ll show you one
I’ll show you two etc. to ten’.
We know how to read some words
Thank… you… God…
We can write some words.
Now take your magic finger and write
T-h-a-n-k… y-o-u… G-o-d…
Yes for all we have learned let’s all sing;
‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray….’
(from Alive-O – Veritas)
Now let us think of all the people
who help us to grow and to learn and play.
For all the people that help us especially;
For our family
For our brothers and sisters
For our teachers.
Sing; ‘Thank you God we love you
Thank you God we pray
Thank you God we love you
Thank you day by day’.
(from Alive-O – Veritas)
So we are going to say thanks to God and sing;
‘Mr. Cow …how do you, say to the Lord, ‘I love you’?’
Lord God, Thank you for this year.
Thank you for all the growing we have done
and the learning we have done
and the people who have helped us.
Thank you for all our teachers.
To finish, let’s sing out the Good News;
God is every where;
‘If I Go Climbing …’
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Good morning & welcome to this
Prayer Service for May.
May is the month when we remember
how much Mary our mother in heaven loves us.
Sign of the Cross x3
Let us bless ourselves in the three ways
we know how:
– In the name of the Father…
– As Gaeilge
– God came down from heaven to earth
To remind us to love people on this side
and this side
and not to forget ourselves,
Amen
Candle Prayer; ‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song; If I go climbing … on the highest mountain
rowing … on the widest river
swimming … to the bottom of the ocean
driving … far away flying …
on the biggest aeroplane sleeping … on the darkest night
Mary, our mother in heaven is always with us too.
She is a very special person.
She was chosen by God to be the mother of His Son, Jesus.
Mary is our ‘mother’ too because Jesus shared her with us.
She loves us just like our own Mums love us.
Now it is time for us to say sorry.
If we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say our Sorry Prayer
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen
Song; Forgive and forget
And now it is time for us to say A Thank You to God
God our Father I come to say, thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning, please send your light.
Amen.
What do Mums do?
Cook, clean, work at home, go to work, shop, care for you. The list is almost endless.
Did Mary our mother in heaven do such things? Yes of course…
Mothers are much more than people who look after us and do all this work!
They fill our lives with love
They make us laugh and smile
They listen to us and answer our questions
They have time for us
They make us feel wanted.
So we should thank Mums too.
Thank you Song; If I were a butterfly
Mary did all these things for her little boy, Jesus
Mums do all these things for us.
And when children are bold …
do Mums and Dads stop loving their children?
No. Mums and Dads don’t like the bold things
children sometimes do,
but they ALWAYS love their children.
Mary our mother in heaven may not like
the things we do sometimes,
but she ALWAYS loves us.
God our Father in heaven may not like
the things we do sometimes
but He ALWAYS loves us.
I have a story here about a Mother and her children.
They loved her and she loved them very much.
This story is called ‘Owl Babies’ by Martin Waddell
and here it is on Vimeo:
Before we sing our final hymn
we have one last prayer:
Repeat after me;
Mary our mother tells us
Do not be afraid,
God will always love you
Whatever you have done
God will always love you
As a father loves his child
He will always love you
Come back to home and know
God’s love last forever
Finish with one of the hymns about Mary that the children
are familiar with.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
This year Ash Wednesday is on 18th February.
Photo Credit: jezobeljones via Compfight
Good morning & welcome to this prayer service for Lent.
Jesus came to bring Good News
to help us to know God Our Father’s love for us.
Jesus loves us.
Jesus loves us so much He was prepared to give up his own life.
That is GREAT love.
We are going to sing a song about Jesus our brother and our friend.
Song: Jesus I love you and I know that you love me too.
Now we are going to bless ourselves,
the three ways we know how:
Sign of the Cross x3
1. In the name of the Father…
2. As Gaeilge
3. The special way we say it here:
God came down from heaven to earth,
To remind us to love everyone on this side
and this side
And not to forget ourselves.
Amen
Candle Prayer; ‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Song; This little light of mine
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
We know a song about that…
If I go climbing…
And it is time to say Good Morning to our Father in Heaven.
Father in Heaven, you love me.
You are with me night and day.
I want to love you always
in all I do and say.
I’ll try to praise you Father,
Please help me during the day.
Amen
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say sorry to God
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen
Let us ask God in song to forgive us
if there were times we have not shown love
and help us be good
Song: Forgive and Forget
Repeat after me…
Father in Heaven I give you this day,
All that I think & do & say.
Fill me with love & make me strong.
With you by my side I won’t go wrong
God our Father in Heaven will make us strong.
God our Father in Heaven is strong.
There’s nothing that he cannot do.
And now it is time to say thanks to God
God our Father I come to say,
thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family
and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night
and in the morning, please send your light. Amen.
And now we are going to sing our thanks to God;
‘If I were a butterfly’
When we were saying our sorry prayer we said;
‘Help me to live like Jesus’.
Jesus is our brother,
our friend and our teacher
This time in the Church’s Year is Lent.
Lent is a time for getting ready for Easter.
At Easter we celebrate when Jesus came back to life.
Easter is a time when we celebrate New Life.
Spring is here now and it is a great time for New Life
Green buds appear on the trees
The spring flowers start to grow
Baby lambs are born
Frogspawn turn into ……………………..tadpoles.
Tadpoles turn into ………………………..frogs.
Caterpillars turn into ……………………butterflies
(Take out pot, potting compost and seeds.)
God through your goodness we have these little seeds to plant.
God we ask you to care for these flower seeds and help them to grow.
God with the work of our hands we have planted these seeds.
Keep these seeds safe.
Watch over them in the dark earth of the pot,
until they grow into beautiful flowers. Amen
Song: The Flowers of the Field
Now try this one; The little seeds are now fast asleep safe in the earth they lie
The children have covered them over and said little brown seeds goodbye
The seeds are asleep, but the sunshine and rain will help them wake up to new life again
New Life is Good News, so we are going to finish up with a happy song;
Final Hymn: I’ve got that Joy, joy, joy
Photo Credit: Adam Arroyo via Compfight
St. Brigid’s Day 1st February
Prayer Service for the Infant Classes -Third
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Good morning & welcome.
We are all here today in the school hall with new friends
and old friends and our kind teachers and helpers.
We know that Jesus is our friend too and so we sing our first song;
*Hymn
Yes Jesus is our friend.
He has lots of friends.
Saints are very special friends of Jesus indeed.
Do you know any saints?
Lots of us are called after holy people in the bible
like Sarah or Hannah or Rebecca, Aaron, Stephen, Daniel.
Lots of people are called after saints like
Patrick, Kevin, James, and Elizabeth, Bernadette and Brigid.
Now it is a long time since there was any little girl called Brigid in the school,
but this year we are in luck and have a new girl here called Brigid.
Does anyone have a friend or a Mum or an Auntie or Granny called Brigid?
And of course our school is called St. Brigid’s.
A new month started today – what month is it.
Yes it is the 1st day of February.
The day many people say is the first day of Spring.
And it is St.Brigid’s Day!
So let us sing ‘We’ll sing a song to Brigid!’
Now we will say the Sign of the Cross
in the three ways we know how
(In the name of the Father… As Gaeilge …
and finally;
God came down from heaven to earth,
to remind us to love people
on this side and this side
and not to forget ourselves. Amen … )
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame
and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven
is always with us.
*Song; This little light of mine
Now it is time to say GOOD MORNING
to God our Father in Heaven.
Father in Heaven, you love me,
You are with me night and day
I want to love you always,
in all I do and say.
I’ll try to please you Father,
Please help me during the day
Amen.
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say SORRY to God
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen
Yes today celebrating St. Brigid’s Day.
She loved the poor, the sick and the old.
Because it is St. Brigid’s Day
Sister says there is to be no homework
for good children to celebrate 🙂
Now I know some of your teachers
have been talking to you about St. Brigid.
What do you know about St. Brigid?
Legend has it that when Brigid was born,
angels sang in the sky over the place she was born.
St. Brigid – father was a pagan chief.
He didn’t believe in God. Brigid’s mother was a servant
who knew about God and believed in God.
Brigid was born near Faughart,
a village a few miles north of Dundalk.
Brigid was minded by a foster mother
because her mother worked
in Connaught, far away from where Brigid lived
When Brigid was about your age,
she helped her foster mother around the house.
Any free time she had was spent in the nearby forest
with the wild animals living there.
Just like Saint Francis of Assisi,
she was very fond of animals.
Legends tell us she tamed a wild boar (pig)
and she loved nature and the beautiful world
God has made for us to live in:
*Hymn
She was very kind to the poor people
that called to the door
and was always giving away her father’s things.
When she was about twelve,
Brigid was waiting outside
the King of Leinster’s fort
for her Dad when she met a poor man.
He was covered in rags and mud.
What do you think St. Brigid did?
Yes she just had to help him.
There was nothing else in the chariot,
so she took her Dad’s sword
and gave it to the poor man.
How do you think her Dad felt about that?
He was furious.
Luckily the King of Leinster was there
and he believed in God like Brigid did
and understood why Brigid had done what she had done,
so the King gave her Dad an even better sword
and told her Dad to forgive her.
St. Brigid was told she couldn’t visit
her Mum in Connaught,
so do you know what she did?
Yes that’s right!
She visited her Mum in Connaught!
Her Mum had a job looking after
the druid’s cows at the druid’s farm.
*Time for a song
St Brigid worked with her Mum helping her,
making cheese and butter.
And guess what happened
when poor people called to the door?
Yes, you are right,
she gave away food at the door.
How do you think the Druid felt about that?
Well a very surprising thing happened.
No matter how much food Brigid gave away
there always seemed to be more food there.
The Druid realised that
there was something special about Brigid,
so he tried to give her all his cows.
She said she didn’t want that.
What do you think she wanted.
Yes for her Mum to come home with her!
Brigid believed in God, Our Father in Heaven.
She saw God in everyone and in everything.
She saw God everywhere.
So this story has a happy ending.
Brigid’s family was back together again.
*Hymn
Now we are going to say a special prayer
to keep us and our families safe:
Repeat after me!
St. Brigid’s Blessing
May no fire, no flame burn us.
May no lake, no sea drown us
May no sword, no spear wound us.
May no king, no chief insult us.
May all the birds sing for us
May all the cattle low for us
May all the insects buzz for us
May the angels of God always protect us
And we are going to sing a song to Brigid, one last time!
Photo Credit: Khalid Al-khater If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours” via Compfight
Prayer Service for the Beginning of Year
Good afternoon & welcome.
We are all here today in the hall with new friends
and old friends
and our kind teachers
and helpers.
We know that Jesus is our friend too.
Now we will say the Sign of the Cross
in the three ways we know how
(1. In the name of the Father…
2. As Gaeilge…
and finally;
3. God came down from heaven to earth,
to remind us to love people on this side and this side
and not to forget ourselves. Amen)
Candle Prayer; ‘
Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song: This little light of mine
Photo Credit: topher76 via Compfight
The best way we can make a
good beginning to this school year is
to let our little light shine.
How can we ‘let our light shine’?
Look for suggestions from students.
Now it is time to say HELLO
to God our Father in Heaven.
Father in Heaven, you love me,
you are with me night and day,
I want to love you always
in all I do and say.
I’ll try to please you Father,
please help me through the day,
Amen.
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
Photo Credit: Send me adrift. via Compfight
So let’s say SORRY to God
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
Let’s sing a sorry song; Forgive and forget
Photo Credit: Sharon via Compfight
And now it is time to say
THANKS to God
God our Father I come to say,
thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family
and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night
and in the morning, please send your light.
Amen
Photo Credit: Paulo Brandao via Compfight
And now we’re going to sing
Thank you to God
If I were a butterfly
Yes today we are praying for the beginning of the school year.
For some children it has been the beginning of going to school.
There are some children who are new to the school … and some grown ups too.
As we begin today, let us make our beginning special
by going to the very beginning of the Bible,
where we read about the beginning of the world!
Photo Credit: Chrismatos ♥90% OFF, sorry via Compfight
This story is adapted from a wonderful resource
‘Bible Stories to Draw and Tell by Julie A. Petras’
if you click on the book in this link you will see
the unique and clever way, this story is presented.
A long, long, long, long, long time ago
there was nothing
– nothing except GOD.
One day God said to Himself
I think I’ll create some things.
On the first day God said, ‘Let there be LIGHT’
and there was and God said it was good.
On the second day God said, ‘Let there be a SKY’
and there was and God said it was good
On the third day God said,
‘Let the LAND be here and let the SEA be there’
and God said it was g…..
Then God put PLANTS and TREES all over the land
and God said it was ……
On the fourth day God said,
‘Let there be lights in the sky’
and God created the SUN and the MOON
and God said it was …….
On the fifth day God said,
Let there be fish in the SEA
and BIRDS in the air’
and there were and God said ……..
On the sixth day God said
‘Let there be ANIMALS all over the land’
and there were and God said …
Then God said ‘I want to create some thing really special.
Something more like me’. So God created again.
What do you think God made?
(People)
And God said they were
‘Great!’
On the seventh day God took a rest.
Let’s sing out the Good News;
God made our beautiful world
& God is everywhere:
Photo Credit: Jesus Solana via Compfight
If I go climbing x 3,
If I go climbing, God is there.
If I go climbing on the highest mountain,
God is there cos,
He is everywhere.
If I go rowing … on the widest river …
If I go swimming … to the bottom of the ocean …
If I go driving … far away …
If I go flying … on the biggest aeroplane …
If I go sleeping … on the darkest night …
Lord God,
Thank you for this new beginning.
Help us to make the best of it
so that we will do good growing and learning this year.
So we are going to sing our last song for today now;
We have heard the Good News.
That makes us happy, so we are going to sing;
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
Photo Credit: Nina Matthews Photography via Compfight
Photo Credit: Juergen Kurlvink via Compfight
End of Year Prayer Service
Good morning & welcome.
We are all here today with
new friends and old friends
and all our kind teachers.
We know that Jesus is our friend too
and so we sing our first song;
‘Jesus is our Friend’.
Now we will say the Sign of the Cross
in the three ways we know how;
(In the name of the Father…
As Gaeilge … and finally;
God came down from heaven to earth,
to remind us to love people on this side and this side
and not to forget ourselves. Amen … )
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song; ‘This Little Light of Mine’
Now it is time to say GOOD MORNING
to God our Father in Heaven;
‘Father in Heaven, you love me…etc.’
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say SORRY to God
‘O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen’.
Let’s sing a sorry song;
‘Forgive and Forget x2
Make up your quarrels, be friends.
Remember the King, when he cancelled the debt.
Be kind to each other.
Forgive and forget
Forgive and forget x2.
Show that you’re sorry, be friends.
So try to be brave when you’re sad and upset.
Cheer up and be happy.
Forgive and forget.
Yes today we are going to have
a special time together.
We are going to think about the time
we have spent together in school
We are going to think about the ways
we have grown and all that we have learned
We are going to thank God
for all the ways in which
we have helped each other
to grow,
to learn
and to play together every day.
And to do this we are going
to practise a song that we will sing;
‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray.
Thank you God we love you.
Thank you day by day’.
First we will give thanks to God
for the ways we have grown;
Our hands have grown,
our feet have grown.
Our whole body has grown.
We are getting taller all the time.
We are getting stronger all the time.
Sing; ‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray.
Thank you God we love you.
Thank you day by day’.
Let’s also give thanks to God
for all that we have learned.
We can sing;
‘Monday morning off to school I go’ etc.
We can play lots of different games;
We learned rhymes like;
Two Little Dicky Birds or Incy, Wincy Spider.
We know our numbers
Altogether;
‘I’ll show you one
I’ll show you two etc. to ten’.
We know how to read some words
Thank… you… God…
We can write some words.
Now take your magic finger and write
T-h-a-n-k… y-o-u… G-o-d…
Yes for all we have learned let’s all sing;
‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray….’
Now let us think of all the people
who help us to grow and to learn and play.
For all the people that help us especially;
For our family
For our brothers and sisters
For our teachers.
Sing; ‘Thank you God we love you
Thank you God we pray
Thank you God we love you
Thank you day by day’.
So we are going to say thanks to God and sing;
‘Mr. Cow …how do you, say to the Lord, ‘I love you’?’
Lord God, Thank you for this year.
Thank you for all the growing we have done
and the learning we have done
and the people who have helped us.
Thank you for all our teachers.
To finish, let’s sing out the Good News;
God is every where;
‘If I Go Climbing …’
Photo Credit: eNriKeFot☮ via Compfight
Good morning & welcome to the school hall on this special day
when we remember the people we love who have gone home to God.
Sign of the Cross x3 (God came down…In the name of the Father… As Gaeilge)
Candle Prayer; ‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light, be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
First song: This little light of mine.
Why do we light a candle? To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song; If I go climbing/rowing/swimming/ driving/ flying/ sleeping
Now it is time to say GOOD MORNING to God our Father in Heaven
and to remember how much he loves us.
Father in Heaven, you love me…
I’ll try to please you Father. That is not always easy.
But if we do make mistakes and are sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say SORRY to God
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
And now it is time to say THANKS to God
God our Father I come to say, thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning, please send your light. Amen.
What day is it? Month?
Next month: November is the month of the holy souls
and we believe that just as Jesus died and rose again to share new life
with God Our Father in Heaven;
so too are all our loved ones happily living their new life with God
Good News! The Bible tells us there will be no more tears in heaven.
Those who have gone to heaven will never be hungry or thirsty
because God is there and he minds them.
Photo Credit: jenny downing via Compfight
Jesus tells us not to worry.
He says if God looks after the flowers in the fields
and the birds in the trees so well,
surely he will look after us even better.
He says the flowers in the fields don’t worry
so why should we.
Song; The Flowers in the Fields
Even though we cannot see the people we love who are in Heaven,
we remember them.
We have photos to help us remember, and memorial cards, we light candles.
When my Granny died I planted lots and lots of bulbs
and every spring when they flower I think of her.
Now I need some helpers to help me plant some bulbs.
Here is a prayer to say:
God through your goodness we have these little bulbs to plant.
God we ask you to care for these daffodil bulbs and help them to grow.
God with the work of our hands we have planted these bulbs.
Keep these bulbs safe.
Watch over them through the dark of winter,
until the light of Spring shines again Amen
Now try this one;
The little bulbs are now fast asleep safe in the earth they lie
The children have covered them over and said little brown bulbs goodbye
The bulbs are asleep,
but the sunshine and rain will help them wake up to new life in spring.
Even though we cannot see the people we love who are in Heaven,
we remember them.
We know they are with us always.
They never go far away. They are our friends in heaven, there to help us.
We can be happy, remembering that and remembering them.
So let’s finish with a happy song.
Final song: Jesus is my friend
Photo Credit: Dwayne via Compfight
Please note: This post is about preparing for the ceremonies
of First Confession and Communion
as opposed to faith formation and learning during the year.
I notice a significant numbers of visitors to this blog
are looking for information about preparation
for these ceremonies, hence this post.
Though the children will make their confession
on the altar, as part of their preparation,
I show the children the confession box
and explain that their grandparents
and perhaps parents made
their first confession in the confession box.
Teacher certainly did.
I sit in the priest’s compartment
and one by one they come into the side compartment.
It’s dark, they shut the door and it is an adventure for them.
I tell them about the anecdote in Frank O’ Connor’s
short story ‘My First Confession’ where the young hero
tries to kneel up on the arm rest!
Photo Credit: Werner Kunz via Compfight
We’ll also light candles another day.
The children really enjoy those two activities.
Then leaving nothing to chance,
I acquire that new year’s leaflet
in advance of the ceremony
and customize a copy for the priest,
writing in the names of the children
that he can call them up for their readings or prayer.
I used type out the prayers/readings
for each child and laminate them.
Now I prefer to have one laminated A3 sheet
with all readings/prayers/songs
on the lectern and we use this in every
practice. On the day the children are used
to using it.
Taking no chances I have a duplicate of this
in case it gets mislaid.
Art – Name Plates
Each child decorates a card with their name,
which goes on the seat that they are assigned to.
I code the back of these: writing on the R for right
and L for left i.e. to the right of the aisle/to the left
and the number seat the child is in.
Otherwise I am constantly check the ‘master list’
to check where I should be putting the cards,
and mistakes can be made.
I collect up these name plates after the First Confession
and use them again for First Communion.
Photo Credit: Eustaquio Santimano via Compfight
Wall Hangings
We do two wall hangings for either side of the church
with all children having a part to play in their composition.
This saves having to hang forty or so pictures
separately in the church. This work is integrated with
art. Making them can be time consuming.
Of course after all that practicing it can happen
that the children are so excited on the morning
that all the preparation goes out the window.
That is when I am particularly thankful that
we have the support of the older children in the choir.
Photo Credit: Ben Leto via Compfight
Parts One and Two of this topic here
and here.
There are great prayer resources here MargD Teaching Posters
Please note: This post is about preparing for the ceremonies
of First Confession and Communion
as opposed to faith formation and learning during the year.
Quite a number of visitors to this blog
are looking for information about preparation
for these ceremonies, hence this post.
If it is your first time preparing a communion class
you might find helpful ideas here.
How does one prepare for the First Confession ceremony?
I ‘role play’ being the priest. The children are introduced
to me by other children pretending to be the parent(s)
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
I’ll talk to the class about who’ll bring them up
and talk about ‘different kinds of families’.
I’ll get them very familiar with what to say
when they go up to the priest.
We also talk at length about
‘the examination of conscience’
and what they could say to the priest
about the ‘times they did not show love’.
But we never ‘practice’ these
‘times they did not show love’.
I advise the parents to talk to them
about what they could tell the priest
with them at home also so they know
what they will say when the time comes
Photo Credit: Waiting For The Word via Compfight
What about seating?
Traditionally, where I teach,
children sit with their families.
In other schools the children sit up the front
with their families sitting behind.
Some schools include a ‘service of light’ with candles
in the First Confession ceremony.
We have a choir from third and fourth to
support the children making their confession
and communion.
I allocate seating according to the job a child is doing
so that for example the children saying the first prayer
are sitting across the aisle from each other
and walk up together when their time comes.
Then we’ll book the church for two
perhaps three rehearsals.
Photo Credit: James Bradley via Compfight
The children may need to be taught
– how to genuflect towards the tabernacle,
and how to behave in church;
– how to bless themselves
with holy water on the way in,
– and not to kneel up on the seat
and look behind them.
Walking up the middle aisle
and down the side will need practice
as parents are inclined to turn around
and walk back the way they came.
This can be disconcerting for the children.
They will also need to learn how to receive
the host properly in their hands.
Our parish office provide us with a box
of unconsecrated hosts in the week before
Communion and we practice with these.
Parts One and Three of this topic here
and here.
Excellent prayer resources and visuals here: MargD Teacher Posters
Photo Credit: Waiting For The Word via Compfight
Please note: This post is about preparing for the ceremonies
of First Confession and Communion
as opposed to faith formation and learning during the year.
I notice a significant numbers of visitors to this blog
are looking for information about preparation
for these ceremonies, hence this post.
If it is your first time preparing a communion class
you might find helpful ideas here.
How long does preparation take?
This will vary depending on a number of factors,
for example;
– the teacher,
– the school ethos and traditions
– and the number of children in class
that are not making communion.
I find if I take time during religion class over a month
that is plenty in order to prepare for each ceremony.
If you over rehearse, the children will become jaded.
What prayers do the children need to learn?
Prayers can include the:
– Act of Sorrow
– Prayer for Forgiveness
– Prayer after Forgiveness
– Our Father
– Mass responses
– Confiteor
– Prayers before Communion
– Prayers after Communion
There are resources online e.g from Kandle.ie
Click HERE and scroll down to the end of the page
for two useful links.
Double check that you have the correct format
of ‘The Confiteor’ and mass responses
for your diocese as they can vary.
Every year, we collect up the booklets
at the end of the ceremony and store them,
for use with preparing the class, the following year.
If you go over the full ceremony once
to give the children an overview,
then you can practice it piecemeal over time.
Photo Credit: Kevin Labianco via Compfight
How else can you involve the children ?
I ask for children to volunteer to sing,
do a reading or say a prayer.
I assign them these jobs in pairs
so that the children can give one another back up.
For example I can pair, a more confident child
with a less confident one.
At both ceremonies the children go up on the altar
and say the Our Father with actions so we practice these.
Parts Two and Three of this topic
Finally great eye catching visuals for prayers here
on this great blog: MargD Teacher Posters
Prayer Service for the Beginning of Year
Good afternoon & welcome.
We are all here today in the hall with new friends
and old friends
and our kind teachers
and helpers.
We know that Jesus is our friend too.
Now we will say the Sign of the Cross
in the three ways we know how
(1. In the name of the Father…
2. As Gaeilge…
and finally;
3. God came down from heaven to earth,
to remind us to love people on this side and this side
and not to forget ourselves. Amen)
Candle Prayer; ‘
Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song: This little light of mine
The best way we can make a
good beginning to this school year is
to let our little light shine.
How can we ‘let our light shine’?
Look for suggestions from students.
Photo Credit: Major Clanger via Compfight
Now it is time to say HELLO
to God our Father in Heaven.
Father in Heaven, you love me,
you are with me night and day,
I want to love you always
in all I do and say.
I’ll try to please you Father,
please help me through the day,
Amen.
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
Photo Credit: °Florian via Compfight
So let’s say SORRY to God
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
Let’s sing a sorry song; Forgive and forget
Photo Credit: Amber McNamara via Compfight
And now it is time to say
THANKS to God
God our Father I come to say,
thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family
and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night
and in the morning, please send your light.
Amen
And now we’re going to sing
Thank you to God
If I were a butterfly
Yes today we are praying for the beginning of the school year.
For some children it has been the beginning of going to school.
There are some children who are new to the school … and some grown ups too.
As we begin today, let us make our beginning special
by going to the very beginning of the Bible,
where we read about the beginning of the world!
This story is adapted from a wonderful resource
‘Bible Stories to Draw and Tell by Julie A. Petras’
if you click on the book in this link you will see
the unique and clever way, this story is presented.
A long, long, long, long, long time ago
there was nothing
– nothing except GOD.
One day God said to Himself
I think I’ll create some things.
On the first day God said, ‘Let there be LIGHT’
and there was and God said it was good.
On the second day God said, ‘Let there be a SKY’
and there was and God said it was good
On the third day God said,
‘Let the LAND be here and let the SEA be there’
and God said it was g…..
Then God put PLANTS and TREES all over the land
and God said it was ……
On the fourth day God said,
‘Let there be lights in the sky’
and God created the SUN and the MOON
and God said it was …….
On the fifth day God said,
Let there be fish in the SEA
and BIRDS in the air’
and there were and God said ……..
On the sixth day God said
‘Let there be ANIMALS all over the land’
and there were and God said …
Then God said ‘I want to create some thing really special.
Something more like me’. So God created again.
What do you think God made?
(People)
And God said they were
‘Great!’
On the seventh day God took a rest.
Let’s sing out the Good News;
God made our beautiful world
& God is everywhere:
Photo Credit: josef.stuefer via Compfight
If I go climbing x 3,
If I go climbing, God is there.
If I go climbing on the highest mountain,
God is there cos,
He is everywhere.
If I go rowing … on the widest river …
If I go swimming … to the bottom of the ocean …
If I go driving … far away …
If I go flying … on the biggest aeroplane …
If I go sleeping … on the darkest night …
Lord God,
Thank you for this new beginning.
Help us to make the best of it
so that we will do good growing and learning this year.
Photo Credit: Khalid Al-khater If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours” via Compfight
So we are going to sing our last song for today now;
We have heard the Good News.
That makes us happy, so we are going to sing;
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
Photo Credit: Giulio Bernardi via Compfight
End of Year Prayer Service
Good morning & welcome.
We are all here today with
new friends and old friends
and all our kind teachers.
We know that Jesus is our friend too
and so we sing our first song;
‘Jesus is our Friend’.
Now we will say the Sign of the Cross
in the three ways we know how;
(In the name of the Father…
As Gaeilge … and finally;
God came down from heaven to earth,
to remind us to love people on this side and this side
and not to forget ourselves. Amen … )
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
Song; ‘This Little Light of Mine’
Now it is time to say GOOD MORNING
to God our Father in Heaven;
‘Father in Heaven, you love me…etc.’
I’ll try to please you Father.
That is not easy.
But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say SORRY to God
‘O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen’.
Let’s sing a sorry song;
‘Forgive and Forget x2
Make up your quarrels, be friends.
Remember the King, when he cancelled the debt.
Be kind to each other.
Forgive and forget
Forgive and forget x2.
Show that you’re sorry, be friends.
So try to be brave when you’re sad and upset.
Cheer up and be happy.
Forgive and forget.
Yes today we are going to have
a special time together.
We are going to think about the time
we have spent together in school
We are going to think about the ways
we have grown and all that we have learned
We are going to thank God
for all the ways in which
we have helped each other
to grow,
to learn
and to play together every day.
And to do this we are going
to practise a song that we will sing;
‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray.
Thank you God we love you.
Thank you day by day’.
First we will give thanks to God
for the ways we have grown;
Our hands have grown,
our feet have grown.
Our whole body has grown.
We are getting taller all the time.
We are getting stronger all the time.
Sing; ‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray.
Thank you God we love you.
Thank you day by day’.
Let’s also give thanks to God
for all that we have learned.
We can sing;
‘Monday morning off to school I go’ etc.
We can play lots of different games;
We learned rhymes like;
Two Little Dicky Birds or Incy, Wincy Spider.
We know our numbers
Altogether;
‘I’ll show you one
I’ll show you two etc. to ten’.
We know how to read some words
Thank… you… God…
We can write some words.
Now take your magic finger and write
T-h-a-n-k… y-o-u… G-o-d…
Yes for all we have learned let’s all sing;
‘Thank you God we love you.
Thank you God we pray….’
Now let us think of all the people
who help us to grow and to learn and play.
For all the people that help us especially;
For our family
For our brothers and sisters
For our teachers.
Sing; ‘Thank you God we love you
Thank you God we pray
Thank you God we love you
Thank you day by day’.
So we are going to say thanks to God and sing;
‘Mr. Cow …how do you, say to the Lord, ‘I love you’?’
Lord God, Thank you for this year.
Thank you for all the growing we have done
and the learning we have done
and the people who have helped us.
Thank you for all our teachers.
To finish, let’s sing out the Good News;
God is every where;
‘If I Go Climbing …’
We did it! On Saturday 18th May, we made our 1st Holy Communion.
We would like to thank Father Liam, Father Denis and Father Owen,
Sadie and Mary in the sacristy,
Paul our parish worker
and our teachers and families.
We had prepared carefully for many months.
Our grown ups were very busy getting us ready too.
We woke very early that morning and we were very excited.
Family and friends came from as far away as
Australia to help us celebrate.
It was a very special moment when we received 1st Holy Communion.
Rebecca said that it brought us one step further along our journey to God.
Photo Credit: Raul Lieberwirth via Compfight
This podcast is to help you practice the correct pronunciation
of the Prayer of the Faithful that is said in Irish
at the 1st Communion ceremony (Niamh & Shane).
You will be practicing this for homework this week.
Though you are very good already,
this might give you even more confidence.
Photo Credit: Christine via Compfight
Guimíd i gcóir ár gclann go léir.
Beannaigh ‘iad a Dhia agus coimead ‘iad
go slán sabháilte.
A Thiarna éist linn.
All: A Thiarna bí ceansa agus éist linn.
On Thursday 2nd May, we had a Passover Meal.
This is an annual event in the school
for 2nd classes who are preparing for 1st Communion.
If you want to read more
about what we do
at the Passover Meal,
On May 2nd some visitors are coming to school to present
the ‘Seder’ or Passover meal to both 2nd classes.
Photo Credit: . . via Compfight
Traditionally this is a joyful family dinner
which is held in the homes of Jews at Passover.
Through this ceremony,
we learn about the history of the Jewish people.
Our visitors will bring flat bread or matzah crackers,
Photo Credit: paurian via Compfight
parsley or watercress,
horse radish,
haroset (applesauce mixed with nuts),
eggs and juice.
The story of Passover is not only told in words.
It is also told by the food on the table.
On the table there is also flatbread, salt water and wine.
When the Jews escaped from Egypt,
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
they did not have time to bake proper bread
and could only make the bread that did not have time to rise.
Salt water reminds Jews of the tears which the slaves shed.
The meal ends with a search for a piece of flatbread which,
earlier on, has been hidden.
The meal will take about two hours.
The children do not eat much,
as the food is mostly mentioned is in small quantities
and is not to everyone’s taste.
It is fun. There is a lot of singing and high spirits.
The enjoyment of the celebration brings the children closer together.
It is a high point of the Communion class year.
The reason that 2nd class gets this opportunity
is that it gives them a better understanding of Communion.
Photo Credit: Mike via Compfight
As you know, at the Last Supper
when Jesus took bread and broke it
and said, ‘This is my body’
this was at the Passover meal
in the Upper Room, in Jerusalem.
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
We are looking forward to it.
We did a project on St. Francis of Assisi.
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
We did this because this the name
that the new Pope Francis chose,
when he became Pope.
Photo Credit: Giampaolo Macorig via Compfight
This is what we learned:
St. Francis was born over 800 years ago.
We learned that when he was young Francis was happy.
This was because he had a Mum who loved him.
He had a comfortable home.
He was handsome and had many friends.
His father was rich.
He bought and sold cloth.
The family lived in Assisi.
Assisi is a small town on a hill, in Italy.
Photo Credit: luigi via Compfight
So as a young man Francis spent
most of his time with his friends
and horse riding.
At that time, there was fighting in Italy.
Francis was an adventurous knight.
Photo Credit: Hartwig HKD via Compfight
In 1201 he was part of an army that attack
a nearby town, Peruga.
However, his side lost.
Francis was taken prisoner.
He spent a year in prison.
Photo Credit: Tony Hammond via Compfight
During that time, he was ill.
He thought about his life.
One day, after he had left prison,
he was walking near a church called San Damiano.
Photo Credit: fusion-of-horizons via Compfight
The church was ruined and broken down.
He seemed to hear Jesus speak to him.
He heard him say:
‘Francis, rebuild my broken church’.
St. Francis was known for his love of animals.
Photo Credit: Randy OHC via Compfight
He had a pet wolf.
He cared for the poor.
He left his fine clothes and his riches.
He lived simply.
Other young men joined him in this life.
He started an order of monks.
They are called the Franciscans.
They lived very simply.
He had a friend called Clare.
She wanted to live simply too.
She was joined by other women.
They became the Poor Clares.
Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight
Saturday 2nd March 2013 was a very special day.
We made our First Confession in Holy Rosary Church.
Our family and friends were there.
It was a happy day.
We had prepared well
at school with Teacher
and at home with our parents.
We had practiced the readings, songs and prayers.
We learned about the Lost Sheep and The Good Shepherd.
Our friend Paul, who works in the parish,
made a sacred space for us on the altar.
In the space was the shepherd and the sheep
that Paul had brought to class one day.
The singing bowl that we love was there too.
On Friday we all lit candles
and said a prayer that everything would go well.
Everything did go well.
The sun was shining and the sky was blue.
The ceremony was at 12.30 in Holy Rosary Church
with Father Liam, Father Denis and Father Owen.
Our parents brought us up and introduced us to the priest.
We told the priest about the times we didn’t show love.
He told us that God Our Father in Heaven forgives us.
That was a good feeling. We felt really happy.
Amy said she felt ‘lighter’
JC said he felt ‘amazing’
Tadhg said he felt ‘refeshed’.
Senan said he felt like ‘a clean white shirt
that had just been through the washing machine’.
Nicole said she felt ‘closer to God’
Alice said she felt that she was more ‘grown up’.
When we walked back down the church
and we felt that we were walking on air.
It was a good feeling.