Father’s Day prayer ritual

Class prayer ritual for Fathers Day or significant male role model

Objective: To recognize the important role that significant males, Dads, (or significant male role models) play in the lives of young people.

Without a dad? Dads do mean a lot to many people. Not everyone has a dad living with them. Spend some time thinking about your dad. What would like to do for them? What would say to them?

Before the liturgy:

Reflective music is played (“Celebrate Father’s Day” As One Voice for Kids – 140 or “The Man in the Picture” by The Bobkatz on Album “Sweet Water”) while the liturgical cloth (suggest green) is placed in the prayer space with a bible opened to Luke 4:16-19. Significant symbols related to ‘Dads’, male figures or ideas from the students.

We gather

Bring students to a quietness and stillness by a rain stick.

[30 seconds in silence]

Leader: We gather in the name of our God to reflect on our place in our world.

I invite [name] to come forward and light the [school/class ] candle .

Voice 1: Father’s Day has become a day of celebration and remembering in almost all countries around the world. It has become a day not to only honour your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfather’s, uncles, grandfathers, and other significant adult males are honoured on ‘Father’s Day.’

Voice 2: Father God at this special time of the year we pause to give thanks for our dads, uncles, grandfathers and other special males in our lives. Guide those children who do not have dads with them to remember the special men that help them in their lives. Amen.

We listen

Leader: Let us listen to the word of God adapted from Luke Chapter 2: 41-49.

[5 seconds silence]

Voice 1: Mary and Joseph went looking for Jesus when he was not with the group of travelers. They started to look for him among their relatives and friends. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting with the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding of the answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this?’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me?

Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’

[5 seconds silence}

Students to reflect on:

How do you respect your father?

What are the special times / opportunities in your daily life that you and your Father (or significant male adult) could sit and talk to each other, ask questions?

[Prayer Leader to ask a Father/Grandfather to talk about the high/lows of being a Father]

We respond

Prayers of intercession and candle lighting ceremony:

1.We light a candle for all fathers in our community….(pause)

May we continue to love and nurture our children and cherish our precious gift of fathering. May we offer friendship, support and encouragement to each other. We especially pray for . …… Lord hear us.

All: Lord hear our prayer

2. We light a candle for all our fathers and grandfathers who have died…..(pause)

We give thanks for their love, their laughter and their labour. We give thanks for the way they shaped our values, our faith and our family traditions and rituals. May they rest in peace….Lord hear us

All: Lord hear our prayer

3. We light a candle for all fathers who have experienced the death of a child…(pause) May our God of Comfort and Healing embrace them in their sadness and surround them with love and care….Lord hear us

All: Lord hear our prayer

4. We light a candle for all fathers who are divorced, separated or widower…(pause)

May they put their trust in God when they are feeling abandoned, unloved, confused and cut off. May they make new beginnings and find inner peace...Lord hear us

All: Lord hear our prayer

5.We light a candle for all fathers in war torn lands, all fathers who are refugees, all fathers who watch their children die of starvation, all fathers who live in violent situations….(pause)

May they be given the right to rear their children in peace, dignity and delight. ….Lord hear us

All: Lord hear our prayer

For all the quiet prayers in our hearts today…..

[pause 10 seconds]

Lord hear us

All: Lord hear our prayer

The story Father’s Day

When I was six years old, I never thought I would feel happy inside again. My father had just died.

He had been sick for a very long time and never could play with me. The Father’s Day after my dad died, we had to make cards for our dads at school. I made mine for an angel. No one seemed to understand how sad I was inside not to have a dad, and not to have anyone to make a card for.

Then the most wonderful thing happened. My mum met Michael. On New Year’s Eve we all sat down together and said our thanks for the past year and our wishes for the New Year. I told Michael that my wish was that he would be a dad to me. Michael’s eyes filled with tears, and he said yes – but only if he could really be a father to me, not just do all the fun stuff. I said yes. Of course, Mum thought this was pretty wonderful, too.

I want to thank Michael for being my dad, for being there for me and for taking away much of the sadness. I want to thank Michael for getting Mum to say yes to a lizard, for throwing a soccer-ball with me and for being at all my soccer games. But mostly I want to thank Michael for teaching me that parents can come to us in many different ways, and that a person who did not help to create you can be as much of a parent to you as someone who did. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

[Acknowledgement: Paul Skippen’s Acceptable Time prayer series]

We go

Invite all Father’s (grandfathers etc) to stand, and ask the assembly to raise their right hand in blessing.

God, we ask your blessing on all those here, and in our hearts, whom you have entrusted fatherhood.

May your Holy Spirit constantly inspire them with justice and mercy, wisdom and strength, patience and self-giving love. May they receive your grace abundantly, and may they come to experience you through the care and love they give to us. Amen.

Sign of the Cross