Suggestions for the TCDSB Elementary School Staff Retreat Friday June 28th, 2013
Opening Prayer Service
Call to Prayer:
Good morning, we gather here this morning as the staff of______school. We gather at the end of the year of Faith across the Toronto Catholic District School Board. We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Faith, Hope and Charity Song
By Susan HooKong-Taylor
© 2012 Shue Be Dhoo Music
All rights reserved
We always give thanks for each of you,
And mention you in all our prayers to God;
Remembering to Him
Your work of faith and labour of love
And the hope you hold in Christ,
your steadfast hope in Christ.
Chorus:
Faith, hope and charity,
These three are all that remain.
Faith, hope and charity,
And of all the three, charity,
Charity is the greatest of these.
Now concerning the times and the seasons,
There is no need to be afraid,
For you are not in darkness—
Each one of you is a child of the light.
You are clothed in faith and love,
And the hope of salvation.
Chorus:
Faith, hope and charity,
These three are all that remain.
Faith, hope and charity,
And of all the three, charity,
Charity is the greatest of these.
Final Chorus:
Faith hope and charity,
These three are all that remain.
Faith, hope and charity,
And of all the three, charity,
And of all the three, charity,
And of all the three, charity,
Charity is the greatest of these.
Opening Prayer: TCDSB Prayer for Faith, Hope and Charity
Loving God, we pray, that the Toronto Catholic District School Board Community continue to witness to the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.
May we be people of Faith,
always willing to follow the example of Jesus in all that we do.
May we be people of Hope,
always trusting in your loving presence in our lives
May we be people of Charity,
always willing to give of ourselves to better the lives of others.
Together, may we be a community of faith, anchored in hope, with heart & charity.
Through, Christ our Lord, Amen.
Scripture 1 Thess 1:2-6
A reading from St Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians
(1:2-6)
We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit,
The Word of the Lord
Reflection –
(on the PowerPoint there is a series of quotes from the Saints of the TCDSB around Faith –with an instrumental piece of music in the background)
Closing Prayer
Texture of the Times
These are challenging times for Catholic Education in the Province of Ontario. The Ontario Bishops help us name some of these challenges from their document “This Moment of Promise” that was released to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Catholic Education in this province. You are invited to please respond as indicated on the slides.
Voice 1 In a world which ignores the human thirst for God
All: We are called to share the living waters of our faith
Voice 2 In a time when there is little reverence for the image of God in the human person,
All: We are summoned to care for human life with an ultimate respect
Voice 3 In a culture where communication is increasingly commercialized
All: We are invited to prayer and to worship
Voice 1 In a world marked by poverty, oppression and war,
All: We are commanded to work for justice and peace
Voice 2 In a society marked by personality cults,
All: We are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, and to reverence him in the poor, the lowly and the marginalized
Voice 3 In a time which often seems to be without goals or ennobling aspirations,
All: We are challenged to declare ours and to dedicate our lives to their achievement
Voice 1 In an age which seems more fearful of the future,
All: We are directed to give an account of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.