Lord Jesus, we ask for Your help as we begin this new school year. Allow us to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before us. Open our eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open our heart and mind to new friends and new teachers. Give us a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with our studies and courage to accept new opportunities. Help us to be attentive to one another and let us experience Your presence in our new friends. Jesus, inspire us to do our best this year! Amen
Lord, Give us insight to see realistically “what is”; but make us dreamers and give us vision of all the possibilities for “what can be.” Use us as your instruments to form, inform, reform, and transform those who come to us. We ask this in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen
Loving Creator, Map your goals for us in our hearts. Make our classrooms oases in the busy world. Make them places of warmth and trust. May our affirmation of our students enable them to know that their opinion counts. Free them to stretch themselves as they seek holistic growth in a safe, nurturing, Christian environment. Amen
Dearest Father in Heaven, Bless us all and bless this day of new beginnings. Smile upon this staff and student body, And surround us, Lord, with the soft mantle of your love. Teach this community to follow in your footsteps, And to live life in the ways of Love, faith, hope and charity. We ask this through your name, Jesus Christ… Amen
God, I am not sure if you really exist. Accept me with all my doubts and fears and show yourself to me in such a way that I can somehow move forward. Show yourself to me as love, Show yourself to me as forgiveness Show yourself to me as new life, as the promise of a new beginning. Amen
Lord God, You are a global God. Grace us and grace our students with global vision in our mission to spread your love. May we be trailblazers as we bring that “touch of magic,” that touch of your love, to those we meet each day. We make this prayer in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen
Loving Father: Make us feeling people, who empathize with the many emotions which pervade our buildings each day. May we harness the energy of those feelings and use it in building a learning community of students, faculty, administrators, staff, and parents within the nurturing environment of our schools and homes. Amen
May the blessing of the Holy Trinity go with us today. May God’s strength keep us secure. May Christ our true Wisdom guide our learning. May the Holy Spirit make us glad and good. May the enfolding of the Trinity hold us and bring us, at day’s end, safely home. Amen.
Lord, keep us strong so that we can carry out your works: feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked and being a voice for those who suffer persecution. Bless us this year, so that we may all experience rich friendships, authentic success, and purpose in all we do. Amen
Lord God, In our work as Catholic students and teachers, let us reach out to all, remembering that anonymity is not acceptable for anyone in our communities. May we live our lives so that people recognize you in us…so that wearing the cross would not be incongruous to those who know us. May those in our schools be “pearls” to us, valued for the unique beauty they bring to our communities. Amen
Creator God, May our lives be quilted together in love made visible, as we laugh, love, labour, and learn together. Enliven our spirits that our inner beings may give form and strength to all we do. Finally, grant that we who serve in Catholic schools may love you much, may love one another, and may never forget why we came! Amen.
Loving God, Look upon these students. Let them enjoy their learning and take delight in new discoveries. Help them to persevere in their studies and give them the desire to learn all things well. Look upon these teachers. Let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience and endeavour always to bring the truth to eager minds. Grant that students and teachers alike may follow Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, forever and ever. Amen
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Catechetical Sunday 2011
I received an email yesterday from Brian Flaherty asking whether I knew of any commissioning prayers for teachers for the beginning of the school year. I sent him a quick email with two services I found, but after a little more digging I came up with some other resources, and I thought it would be a good idea to share them with you.
The best resource I found–though I didn’t find it in time for my email to Brian–is the USCCB’s Commissioning Service (pdf format) intended for use this year on Catechetical Sunday, September 18, 2011. There are options for commissioning teachers during Mass and outside of Mass.
Second, there is the Blessing of Students and Teachers from the official Book of Blessings. This is the blessing that the USCCB commissioning service is based on.
Next up is a commissioning ritual in Microsoft Word format from the Catholic Education Office of the Diocese of Wollongong, Australia.
Finally, the National Association for Episcopal Christian Directors has a pdf document titled Commissioning of Church School Teachers that might be able to be modified for use in Catholic schools.
Are you familiar with other commissioning services? If so, I’m sure Brian and others would love to know about them. Mention them in the comment area below.
I really appreciate Brian’s question since it gave me a chance to address a real need. If you have a question, feel free to submit it using the contact form on the “About” page.
www.nicksenger.com
Dear God,
A new school year is about to begin
and my classroom door will soon open
to the students you’ve assigned to my care…
Open my mind and heart to each of them
and especially to the ones
who will challenge me the most…
Help me challenge my students, all of them,
to study, to learn, to grow in knowledge
and even a little wisdom…
Help me remember, Lord,
how young my students are:
give me patience to help them grow up
and insight to know the help they need…
Help me to understand that sometimes
my students may not understand me:
may I be clear in the things I say and do,
and in how I say and do them…
My students don’t know the burdens and worries
my heart brings to the classroom,
so help me remember, Lord,
how anxious and heavy my students’ hearts may be…
Keep me from favoring any particular students, Lord,
except for those who most need my help…
Let my decisions in the classroom
be fair and just, honest and true…
Send your Spirit to fill me with gifts
of knowledge and understanding, counsel and wisdom…
Lord, open my mind and heart to my students’ parents,
especially those who will challenge me the most…
Help me challenge parents to challenge their children
to study, to learn and to grow…
Help me to teach as you would, Lord:
help me be understanding when I need to be firm,
gentle in all things,
and patient until the last bell rings…
A new school year is about to begin, Lord,
and I wonder,
what will you teach me today?
Amen.
— A Concord Pastor
Other prayers for a new school year
www.patheos.com
+Sign of the Cross Leader
Loving God, thank you for the joys that summer brought to us. You have blessed us with time to spend with family and friends, rest and relaxation, and a break from school work. As we return to our studies, inspire us to take on a new interest in new classes and new topics. Be with us as we discover old friendships and start new ones. Amen.
Reader 1A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:13-16)
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”Leader
Take a moment to reflect on your summers. When were you “salty”? When were you “light”? (Pause) Now think of the coming school year. How can you be the salt for this school? Who will you inspire today?
Leader Let us offer prayers of petition to our Lord.
Reader 2 The response is, “Lord, hear our prayer.”
For our school, may it continue to be a beacon of light to the students, teachers, staff, and parents involved in this community.
We pray to the Lord. (Lord, hear our prayer.)
Reader 3 For the Church, may it continue to bring light to those in darkness.
We pray to the Lord. (Lord, hear our prayer.)
Reader 4 For all people who have made this new school year possible, especially faculty and staff. Bless their work now and throughout this school year.
We pray to the Lord. (Lord, hear our prayer.)
Reader 5
For the students, may join together in unity and support of one another in the classroom, in clubs, and on sports teams.
We pray to the Lord. (Lord, hear our prayer.)
Leader Lord, we ask all these things in your holy name, amen.
+Sign of the Cross
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