We will begin by making the sign of the Cross

We will begin by making the sign of the Cross Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen We pause to think of any special intention we want to pray for today. We light our Form Candle for all our prayers today.

5th Week in Ordinary Time Reader: Today marks the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 to fourteen-year-old Marie Bernade (St. Bernadette) Soubirous. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin appeared eighteen times, and showed herself to St. Bernadette in the hollow of the rock at Lourdes. On March 25 she said: "I am the Immaculate Conception." Since then Lourdes has become a place of pilgrimage and many cures and conversions have taken place. The message of Lourdes is a call to personal conversion, prayer, and charity. Together we pray: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen Monday 11th February Our Lady of Lourdes

Tuesday 12th February – Shrove Tuesday Reader: Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent starts: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It's a day of penitence, to clean the soul, and a day of celebration as the last chance to feast before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them. When a person receives absolution for their sins, they are forgiven, and released from the guilt and pain that they have caused them. In the Catholic or Orthodox context, the absolution is pronounced by a priest. Together we pray: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God

Wednesday 13th FebruaryASH WEDNESDAY Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10. According to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned

Leader: We come before you, our loving God, as we begin our journey through the 40 days of Lent. At this special time, we place in your hands the needs of our world. We ask you to be present to us, as we begin this day in the name of the +Father, and of the +Son, and of the +Holy Spirit. Amen. Reader 1: This special time of Lent is given to us as a chance to look at the way we live. It is a chance to ‘start again’, A chance to try a bit harder, A chance to live as followers of Jesus. Reader 2: Let us join with people all over the world, who are beginning this day, which we call Ash Wednesday, by asking forgiveness for the things we have done wrong. We bow our heads as a sign of saying sorry.

LEADER: Lord, have mercy, I am sorry. Help me to be more like you Lord. ALL: Lord, have mercy, I am sorry. Help me to be more like you Lord. LEADER: For those times when I have been greedy and refused to share what I have, with someone who has nothing… ALL: Lord, have mercy, I am sorry. Help me to be more like you Lord.

LEADER: For those times when I have been unkind, when I have ignored others, and caused them to feel lonely and unwanted… ALL: Lord, have mercy, I am sorry. Help me to be more like you Lord. LEADER: For those times when I have been dishonest and let others take the blame; for the times I think I am better than other people… ALL: Lord, have mercy, I am sorry. Help me to be more like you Lord. LEADER: We give thanks for the mercy and forgiveness of God, as We say together…

TOGETHER WE PRAY: Our Father, Who art in heavenHallowed be Thy Name;Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread,and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil. Amen. :

READER 3: When we say ‘sorry’ we want to leave those things behind us, like ashes are left behind from a fire. If we have ashes put on our foreheads, we are saying that we want to start again, and that we know we need God’s help to do this. This is why the priest or minister says, “Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News’. You can receive the Blessed Ashes today at Break and Lunch in the Chapel in North Block.

Leader: This is what Jesus says to us as we begin this season of Lent. A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. “Jesus said to his disciples. Be careful not to parade your good deeds in front of people to attract their notice, no, when you give to charity, or do a kind act, your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing. And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites, who make a big fuss when they pray, and want everyone to see them, no, when you pray, go to your room, pray to your Father in that secret place. When you fast from food or decide to go without something, do not go around looking miserable, so that you let everyone know that you are fasting, no, when you fast, put a smile on your face, so that no one knows what you are doing…” and then your Father, who sees what you are doing quietly and without showing off, will be very pleased with you.”The Gospel of the Lord All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

READER 4: All the things we see are gifts from God and they belong to everyone in the world. We are all made in the image of God and loved by God. We all share the dignity of being children of God. Therefore, all children of God throughout the world have the right to share in the good things of the earth. READER 5: Today, Ash Wednesday, we want to leave behind our selfishness and start again. We will look at the needs of others, not just our own needs. By our prayer, our fasting and our generosity, we will support our sisters and brothers in need.

LEADER: Blessed Ashes are available for all those who want to receive them today in the chapel in North Block during Break Time and Lunch Time, everyone is welcome to receive the Ash of repentance. WE WILL END BY MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN

Thursday 14TH FEBRUARY READER 1: We generally think of 14th February as St Valentine’s Day. We don’t know who Valentine was, but there are many legends about him. One of the stories names him as a bishop when the Roman emperor of the time made it a law that no Roman soldier should be allowed to marry. The emperor thought that his soldiers would not fight well in his many wars if they were afraid to risk dying in battle because of great love for their wives and families. READER 2: The story tells us that Bishop Valentine said that the emperor’s law was not right; it was unjust - men and women have the right to marry and have families. Soldiers began to approach the bishop, and so he arranged marriages secretly. Word got back to the emperor, but Valentine was courageous in speaking before him: “I have promised to serve God who loves us, and I obey his laws.” According to this legend, Bishop Valentine was put into prison where he died on this day - a patron saint of all who are in love.

TOGETHER WE PRAY: All: Father, we read in the Bible that the best way to describe you is to use the word “Love”. Your love for mankind is so great that you sent Jesus, your Son, to live as one of us. We pray that we may appreciate and value one another. God of love, lead us to grow in love. Amen.

Friday 15th February Reader 1: This was the birthday in 1874 of Ernest Shackleton, who would become an explorer of the South Pole. In the London ‘Times’ newspaper, Shackleton printed a small advertisement: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” Reader 2: 5,000 people replied to the advertisement, and Sir Ernest Shackleton selected 27 to join him in his exploration of Antarctica, the South Pole. Let’s pause for a moment to think why it might have been that so many replied to that advertisement.

Together we pray: All: God our Father, there are many difficulties and challenges in life, and we see or experience more of them each day we live. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may have courage and determination, and may live in such a way that we encourage one another. Enable us to transform whatever is negative, and remain positive in attitude throughout our lives. Lighten our darkness and keep us safe. Amen.

School Prayer Prayer of Saint Benedict We pray Lord, that everything we do may be prompted by your inspiration, so that every prayer and work of ours may begin from you, and be brought by you to completion. Amen Saint Benedict – Pray for us

We will begin by making the sign of the Cross