‘There are many rooms in my Father’s house’. This is ‘The Family Room’. We hope you find plenty here to do together as a family. Welcome!
We encourage you to use this time to pray as a family by:
-
- Praying for specific family and friends, and all key workers who are working so hard across the world at this time
- Encouraging your children to consider something they can be grateful to God for each day,
- Praying to our Guardian Angels (see prayer example attached)
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – 8 September – Praying for teachers and learners on Education Sunday
Why is this our Family Room activity today? Today is Education Sunday, a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education that has been celebrated by people of all faiths in England and Wales for more than one hundred years. Education Sunday is organised by Churches Together in England (CTE) – an organisation that includes the Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Orthodox, Lutheran and Quaker churches. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the gift of education that we receive, and to thank those who teach us. This year’s theme is “He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”
What does this theme mean? Through our Baptism, we are called to be missionary disciples – as Pope Francis calls us – people with Jesus at the centre of our lives who are taught to listen to His Word, to understand what it means in our lives and to put it into action so that, by our words and actions, we help other people come to know and love the person of Jesus. In order to do that, like the man in Sunday’s gospel, we need first for our ears to be opened to hear the Word of God and, as we grow in love and understanding of Jesus and His message, then for our tongue to be freed to have the courage speak up and share that love and knowledge with the people we meet.
What can we do as a family? This week, spend some time together sharing as a family. What have you learned over the summer holidays, about yourselves and each other? What do you want to learn this year at school? Parents, what learning hopes do you have for your children? We also encourage you to make a list of all the people who are involved in your education. Throughout the week, take a moment to thank the people on your list – if you know them, you can thank them in person!
What we can all do is pray! This week, we encourage you to pray together as a family for all teachers and learners. You can use this prayer.