Charism of compassion
Overview
This prayer is on the charism of Compassion. A charism is like a living gift. It is a way of living or doing, inspired by Jesus, which links us to God. As you pray with your staff, we hope that you will develop a clearer appreciation of how each charism can impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
In this prayer module, your charism is linked to the spirituality of the de La Salle Brothers and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and to the prayer style of walking prayer.
Introduction to the Charism of Compassion prayer
Gathering
Each of the prayers in this series of Charism Prayers starts with a brief ritual that serves to engage and focus everyone to the spirit of the prayer. As well as being a means of focusing your staff, it is also a way to add another level of meaning and understanding to the charism.
The ritual for your prayer involves having a small stone for each person to carry. Compassion encourages us to have “warm” not “cold” hearts.
When you first take your stone it is cold (maybe putting them in the fridge will emphasise this), as you walk through the prayer, the stone - like our hearts - should warm up in your hand.
Reading and Reflection
The reading is Luke 10:25-37. The reflection material invites us to consider what it means to be people compassionate towards the needs of others. There are no handouts accompanying this prayer.
Prayer
This prayer is similar to the process for praying the “Stations of the Cross”. Instead of sitting down to pray you will need to set up the stations included in your material.
The prayer starts with everyone together and then all are invited to move among the stations. To conclude the prayer everyone comes back together.
You may wish to copy each station onto coloured paper or mount them on card leaving them on display for a few days.
Surprises
Add to the experience of the prayer by continuing to bring your prayer’s charism to people’s attention during the week. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Make a sign: “Compassion -Whom have you stopped to help today?
- Make a Seed cut-out write on it – “Have you planted the seed of compassion today?”
- Place a Rock & Rose on the staff table – Put a sign with it:” Heart of stone? Heart of love?”
The structure and ideas we have included are just suggestions. Please feel free to modify or add to the wording to make the experience more personal and relevant for your staff. Adding you own touches will not only make the experience more enriching for you personally, but also for the rest of your staff.
Prayer Leader notes
Using the notes:
Sections to be read by the leader are marked with Leader: at the beginning.
Texts in bold type are notes and guiding information for leaders and provide a guide for what to do or say.
Resources:
Setting up for prayer:
- Prepare a prayerful space suitable for your staff to gather around. Have ready…
- The ‘Head’, “Hands’ & ‘Heart’ candles to light in the opening prayer.
- Your staff candles.
- The prayer intentions book.
- Along a wall or around the room (or laid out on tables), put up/out each of the 10 elements of the prayer. Print what you need to set up the elements from the prayer leader guide.
- Make sure your stones are available in a basket or bowl which can be passed around.
- Don’t worry how far people have to move to get to each station – moving time is thinking time.
- Encourage people to respect the prayerfulness of this time and to refrain from talking unnecessarily.
- Consider having no chairs set out near you prayer space- the prayer could star t with all standing up.
Charism of Compassion Prayer
We Gather
Introduction
Explanation of the Prayer Stations
Leader: Before we begin we would like to let you know that today’s Staff Prayer involves moving through a series of Prayer Stations.
Many of us would be familiar with the ritual of praying the Stations of the Cross in which we move to each station to reflect and pray. During our prayer, we will be moving amongst the prayer stations in a similar way.
There are 10 prayer stations in total. These are grouped into 5 pairs–you can move to any station in any sequence. As you come to each station, don’t rush. Spend as much time at each station as you wish. Take your time and enjoy the opportunity for some quiet moments with God.
It is not necessary to visit every station if you are unable to in the time set aside. Before we begin our prayer let me outline the activities at each station.
Prayer Station Group One: The Gospel World
Station 1 - Reading the scriptures
At this station there is a reading from Luke’s gospel. Take some time to read and reflect on it. Listen for the message that is there for you.
Station 2 - Post It
Think about the key words you took from the scripture reading. Take one of the blank post-it notes. Write these key words or message you took from the scripture onto it and post it beside the image of the Good Samaritan. Take the time to read the thoughts of others.
Prayer Station Group Two: The Real World
Station 3 - Reading the news report
This station has a transcript of an ABC radio report. As you read it look for the links to the charism of Compassion.
Station 4 - ‘Compassion card’
Take a piece of card/ paper. Think about the images, thoughts and words that have come to your mind about compassion during this prayer time
Use the pens to then create a compassion card. Something with symbols, images or words on it that you can take with you as your own reminder of the place of compassion in your life.
Prayer Station Group Three: My Inner World
Station 5 - Reading the reflection
This station has a reflection for you to read and reflect upon.
Station 6 - Completing the reflective questions
This station is an opportunity to take a reflecting sheet and consider the questions on it in relation to your own life. You may wish to write on the sheet with the pencils provided.
Prayer Station Group Four: The Educators World
Station 7 - Reading the reflection
This station has a reflection with a focus on how compassion translates in one way for us as educators. Read it thoughtfully and reflect on the questions it presents.
Station 8 - ‘Message bowls’
This station has two bowls and a pile of paper. There are two steps…
Step 1. Take a piece of paper and write a message for your colleagues about compassion – (something you would like them to remember in their work – a phrase that has spoken to you –( a “Compassion is” statement) and place it into a bowl.
Step 2 is to take a message already in the bowl and read it. Think about it. Look for its meaning in your life. When ready replace it in its bowl.
Prayer Station Group Five: Our Prayer World
Station 9 - Silent prayer time
Use this station to sit in prayer for people on your staff. Think of them 1 by 1. Hold them in compassionate prayer. Pray for the challenges they may have that you are aware of and those only they know.
Station 10 - Intentions prayer
In the spirit of compassion, think about the people in your life in need of support and prayer. Add their name to the staff intentions book.
Prayer Stones
Leader: Our prayer this week invites us to walk with Jesus in compassion. To have compassion means to be literally moved at the centre of your being by what you witness and to respond out of that.
Jesus’ entire ministry was marked by this capacity for compassion and it remains central to our ministry too.
As we begin this prayer on compassion I invite you to take a stone. (Pass stones around the group)
Hold it in your hand.
Feel its coolness.
In the book of Ezekiel God says,
“I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 11:19)
Walking with this stone reminds us that like the stone, our hearts - for all kinds of reasons - can become cold, hardened and lacking warmth. But we are called to be stronger and gentler than this.
Keep the stone in your hand throughout our prayer today.
Opening Prayer
Leader: God of compassion,
You lead us on life’s journey
As we gather here in Your name,
Open our minds to know Your voice.
(Light ‘head’ candle)
Open our hands to do Your work.
(Light ‘hands’ candle)
And open our hearts to hold Your Spirit.
(Light ‘heart’ candle)
Amen
At this point of the prayer –
Remind staff that at the conclusion of the prayer time you will call them back to the prayer space for a final prayer.
Encourage respect for the prayerfulness of this time and refrain from unnecessary noise.
Invite staff to take their stones and view the prayer stations.
After a suitable time call staff back to the candles.
Shared Prayer
Leader: As we pause now before our prayer time ends, we stop to light our staff/school candle.
(Light the staff/school candle)
We pause in silence to pray for the intentions we have added to our staff intentions book…..
(Place it into the prayer space)
and those who are already on its pages.
We add to these the prayers that are known only in our hearts….
As our candle burns throughout today, may the One who hears the cries of the poor listen to our prayers and may our hearts be opened to hear the response.
(Allow for silent prayer)
The Stone
Leader: Take a moment to again look at your stone.
Hold it to your cheek.
It is no longer cold.
Held close to you it has grown warm.
This week, may your heart be further changed ‘from stone to flesh’, from coolness to warmth.
May your eyes be open to the need around you; may your heart be opened
to respond. That is the gift of compassion.
Keep your stone – hold it as you pray this week as a reminder of this gift in which God calls you to grow…
We Go Forth
Closing Prayer
Leader: Let us pray together…
As we go about our day O God,
As we strive to walk with Jesus in compassion,
Let us remember that we are the face of Christ,
Who is with us always.
May your grace, mercy and peace,
Bless us, keep us and transform us all this day
Now and forever.
All: Amen
Prayer resources
The Gospel World
Station 1 - Reading the scripture.
You need to organise
- Display of “The Gospel World” Sign
- Display of instructions
- Copy of the reading enlarged and displayed OR
- Individual copies of the reading
Station 2 - ‘Post it’
You need to organise
- Display of instructions
- A display of Good Samaritan pictures
- Pads of post-it notes (not provided)
- Pens / pencils / markers