OneLife Music - First Holy Communion Retreat

 Lord Jesus, we come to your sacred table to nourish ourselves, not with bread but with Yourself, true Bread of eternal life. Help us to recognise and celebrate your presence everyday in our lives. Walk with us on our journey of faith as you once did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Amen

Easter

As we return to school after our Easter holidays, our prayer table is dressed in gold to remind us that we are still in the season of Easter. Easter is a time of new life and celebration. In our R.E lessons, we will consider how the Lord appeared to his followers after his resurrection.

Gracious God, as we reflect on Easter, may we carry Your love and redemption in our hearts. Guide us in living out the Easter message daily and sharing Your light with the world.

Amen.

Holy Week

Lenten Almsgiving

During the season of Lent, we are reminded to fast, pray and give alms. As a school community, we have raised money for lots of different charities. Year 3 have raised money for Macmillian Cancer Research. We hosted a 50p games with lots of different activities in our school playground before having a day of oddness where we paid to dress in odd clothes, odd shoes and have odd hair styles.

Lord, we stand in awe of your infinite sacrifice. You gave your beloved Son, Jesus, for our salvation. As we give our tithes and offerings, help us remember that our sacrifices, no matter how small, are echoes of your great love for us.

Amen

First Confession

This weekend, we celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Thank you to Father Sean and Father Paul who listened to our sins and forgave us for the wrong choices we have made in our life. 

O my God, because you are so good, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you. And with the help of your grace, I will not sin again.

Amen

Lent

This week in school, we have been thinking about the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time where we act, pray and fast. To conclude every school day, we have listened and participated to One Life Music. On Friday, we have gathered we our school community and other schools from the Birmingham Diocese's for a Lenten Service.

God, may Your light guide my day, and your spirit bring me peace. Amen.

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Year 3 have had the great pleasure of leading our school and parish community in the celebration of Mass the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. We remembered the story of how the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is also a day for the sick. We pray and remember those around the world who are poorly at this time. 

O ever-Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; look with mercy on me. Amen

Knock Shrine

In class this week, we have been learning about Knock Shrine as a place of pilgrimage. Knock Shrine is in Co. Mayo in Ireland. In 1879, 15 people aged 5-75 had an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist. 

Onlookers stated how Mary had a golden crown on her head with her hands facing towards heaven. A lamb of God was also present on top of an altar.  We are reminded through this apparition to pray the Hail Mary.

Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland, you gave hope to your people in a time of distress and comforted them in sorrow. You have inspired countless pilgrims to pray with confidence to your divine Son, remembering His promise, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find”. Help me to remember that we are all pilgrims on the road to Heaven. Fill me with love and concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who live with me. Comfort me when I am sick, lonely or depressed. Teach me how to take part ever more reverently in the Holy Mass. Give me a greater love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Pray for me now and at the end of my death. Amen.

Blessed Carlo Acutis

This week, we have been learning about Blessed Carlo Acutis and how he lived his life through the Eucharist. Blessed Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 and sadly died in 2006. However, during his short life, he was inspired many Catholic's around the world due to his work with promoting the importance of the Eucharist. Carlo went to Mass daily, and confession weekly, often encouraging his family members to join him.

Carlo created his own website that promoted the Eucharistic Miracles that had taken place around the world. He also visited places of pilgrimage to grow his faith.

 The work and life of Blessed Carlo can be found on his website website  https://carloacutis-en.org/.

"To always be close to God, that is my life aim" - Carlo Acutis

Benediction

This week, we joined Deacon Tim for a service of Benediction. We gathered in the Sacred Heart side chapel in church and was joined by some of our parents. Deacon Tim spoke about the importance of the Blessed Sacrament and we thought about how we can continue to prepare on our journey of faith.

May the strength of God sustain us; may the power of God preserve us; may the hands of God protect us; may the way of God direct us; may the love of God go with us this day (night) and forever. Amen. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us.

Baptism of the Lord

In our journey of faith this week, we have been celebrating the Baptism of the Lord. As a school community, we have gathered for an assembly to celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. We listened to Matthew's gospel that told us about the Lord's baptism before looking at examples of religious art of the Lord's baptism.

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed Him to be Your Son, anointing Him with the Holy Spirit: grant that we may be faithful to our call as Children of God, listening to you, guided by Your Spirit, to fulfil our unique and definite purpose. Amen.

Merry Christmas

Year 3 would like to wish everybody a very holy and Merry Christmas and New Year. We look forward to continuing our journey in faith in 2024 as we prepare for the sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.  

Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger.

O Antiphons

In the week prior to Christmas and the coming of Christ, we are reminded to pray O Antiphons. The O Antiphons are based on Isaiah's prophecies from the Old Testament and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah. There are seven prophecies in total. 

Lord, our God, reveal Yourself to us in the persons, circumstances, and events of each day, especially in those who need our time and talents.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

This week, we joined our school community for a service in church to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We listened to Luke's Gospel which reminded us that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she was the mother the son of God. We take inspiration from Mary in our lives and are willing to answer God's request.

In class, our Liturgy Leads led a special Angelus before we discussed the importance of the Angelus to Catholic's around the world and what the prayer is reminding us of.

O Most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body and spirit, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, receive my prayers as I present them to God. O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, you intercede for us with your Son. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

We listen to God's Word at Mass

Our R.E unit has been focusing on listening to God's words in Mass. We have studied the Liturgy of the Word and understand what Testament the readings come from.

In our lessons, we have refined our Bible skills by exploring Bible stories in both the Old and New Testament.

We retold the account of The Call of Samuel and thought about if God was to call us, how would we respond and what message would he give.

Lord, May we be quick to listen and slow to speak  and would you give us the mind of the Spirit, who knows the deep things of God and reveals what God has prepared for us because we love you and obey you Lord!

Harvest Service

This week, year 3 led  a service for the Harvest.  We reminded our school community of God's provision for us and God's blessing for others. We thought about our Jesuit Virtues; Grateful and Generous and how they relate to the Harvest.

Almighty God, wonderful creator, giver of this beautiful earth on which we live, we give you thanks and praise. You have guided us all throughout the generations and you have taught us the need for care of everyone. We thank you for the harvest and the gifts that we can share.

Amen

Holy Rosary

As we have entered the month of The Holy Rosary, we gathered together to think about Our Lady.  We were reminded that Our Lady gave the Rosary to St Dominic as a special prayer, to help people remember and reflect on the life of Jesus. Our Liturgy Leads, led us through a decade of the rosary as well as singing a hymn called Ave Maria.

I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. (Our Lady to St Dominic)

Creation Assembly

This week in school, we led a whole school assembly about the Season of Creation. We retold the Story of Creation as recorded in the book of Genesis as well as thinking about the life of St Francis of Assisi whose feast day was Wednesday (4th October). We concluded our assembly by thinking about the Pope's message to everybody on earth about how we can protect God's creation and as a school community how we are going to be better stewards of what we God made for us.

O Lord, grant us the grace to respect and care for Your creation. Lord, hear our prayer. O Lord, bless all of your creatures as a sign of Your wondrous love. Lord, hear our prayer.

Gathering as God's Family

This week in our R.E lessons we have been thinking about Mass. We have learnt that Mass is a celebration of the Eucharist. Some of our learning focused on the first part of Mass; the Introductory Rite. The children sang Gloria which shows them praising God.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Feast of St Matthew

This week at school, we celebrated the Feast of St Matthew. Mrs Anthony led hymn practice in preparation for Mass on Thursday. During Mass, Father Sean spoke to us during the homily about the life of St Matthew and how he was disliked due to his job as a tax collector. Jesus explained that when he chose St Matthew to be his disciples that if people follow God, they will be taught happiness. St Matthew is an Evangelist which meant that he wrote the Gospel.

Father Sean then asked us to learn a prayer to do with St Matthew that he learnt when he was a young child.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Bless the bed that I lie on. Before I lay me down to sleep, I give my soul to Christ to keep. Four corners to my bed, Four angels there aspread, Two to foot and two to head, And four to carry me when I'm dead. I go by sea, I go by land; The Lord made me with His right hand.

CAFOD National Assembly

On Thursday, we started our school day with our first school Mass of the year. We celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. It was great to be back in church with our school and parish community and to see Father Sean again. After Mass, we watched the CAFOD National Assembly. We thought about the season of creation and how we can protects God's creation as well as helping those in need across the world. On Friday afternoon, Deacon Tim joined us in class to bless our classroom for the year ahead. We thank Deacon Tim for his time and his prayers.

Creator God, you reveal yourself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so as we gather in this place, come amongst us. Help us to discern your Spirit in the world around us. Let us find joy in the world that you created. Help us to worship you with all our being, and to hear and receive your word and your gifts. Amen

New Beginnings

Welcome to Year 3's Catholic Life Page. We have had a wonderful first week back. It has been fantastic to reconnect with our school community and begin another wonderful academic year.

A focus in our learning this week has been about new beginnings. We have shared our thoughts and feelings about our new beginnings during this school year and how we are going to use our school mission statement, class saint - Saint John Vianney, Jesuit Virtues and the wisdom and knowledge provided by God to support and guide us throughout the school year.

Lord, Our God,

In your wisdom and love you surround us with the mysteries of the universe. Send your spirit upon these students and fill them with your wisdom and blessings. Grant that they may devote themselves to their studies and draw ever close to you, the source of all knowledge.

We ask this through Christ our Lord,

Amen