People Of Fidelity Capacities Prayer
Overview
This prayer is based on the capacity of FIDELITY.
The People of Fidelity prayer introduces participants to A Personal Creed as a style of prayer.
This prayer forms part of a series of 9 prayers that are based on the capacities of a Christian community as detailed in the Catching Fire Spiritual Formation Framework: Principle, Prayer, Presence, Welcome, Ritual, Journey, Purpose, Commitment, Fidelity.
The prayer is intended for use with staff groups in a Catholic school community but can be easily adapted to other contexts.
The structure and ideas 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 your own touches will not only make the experience more enriching for you personally, but also for the rest of your group.
In each prayer there is an invitation for the Prayer Leader to share an aspect of their own experience. This is an invitation only and is not named in the participants’ handout.
Each of the prayers in the series follows a common structure of:
Gather - Listen - Respond - Go Forth
Preparation beforehand:
- Print sufficient copies of the Fidelity handout for all staff from the end of the prayer leader guide attached here. (Double-sided A4; colour copied if possible but will print well in black and white.)
- Print additional copies of the Leader guide for those assisting as readers, etc.
- Print sufficient copies of the article Forgiveness and other acts of love.
- Ensure you have sufficient copies of the Fidelityprayer card to distribute towards the end of the prayer.
- Prepare strips of paper, pens/textas and glue sticks, sticky tape or staplers to make the paper chain.
- Prepare to play some quiet music.
- A bell or chime
- Identify three people to be Candle Lighters
- Identify one person as Bible bearer
- Sections identified as ‘Leader’ may be divided amongst different people but it is helpful to have a recognisable leader of the prayer.
Creating the space:
Where possible, arrange chairs in a circle or semi-circle around a prayer focus point. Try to create different heights in your prayer focus – even if you conceal a book or box under your cloth to create a different height. Items to incorporate in your prayer focus:
Approximate time required: 20 mins
Prayer
We Gather
The leader welcomes those present and acknowledges the gift of coming together in prayer.
Leader: Our prayer today continues our focus on the Capacities of a Christian community. In today’s prayer, we are called to be People of Fidelity who live out the best of the Catholic Christian educational tradition and stand together with all who work in the name of Catholic schooling.
Our prayer today will invite us to reflect on our Christian statement of belief – our Creed – and also on our personal beliefs about our work in Catholic schools.
Let’s prepare ourselves to enter fully into this time of prayer together by pausing and allowing ourselves to be still and to rest in the presence of God.
Ring a chime or bell then pause for a moment of silence. Ring the chime again to end the silence.
Leader: Let’s now begin by reminding ourselves that we gather …
All: In the name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Candle lighter 1: As we gather here in your name, Open our minds to know your voice. (light ‘head’ candle)
Candle lighter 2: Open our hands to do your work. (light ‘hands’ candle)
Candle lighter 3: And open our hearts to hold your Spirit. (light ‘heart’ candle)
Bible bearer reverently places the open Bible on the book stand in the prayer space.
Leader: Let us pray together,
All: God of faithfulness,
you call us to be people of fidelity;
honouring the best of the tradition we inherit.
Remind us of all our brothers and sisters who share in the mission and ministry of Catholic schooling.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our teacher. Amen
Leader: Let us pray together, our declaration of faith - our Creed – that unites us with Catholic people throughout time and throughout the world.
All: I believe in one God, the Father, almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit, was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Leader: This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We profess it in Christ Jesus.
All: Amen.
We Listen
Leader: Instead of listening to a reading from scripture today, I’d like to invite you to each quietly read and reflect on the extracts that you have from a book by Stephanie Dowrick.
(Silence or quiet music while people read and reflect.)
We Respond
Leader: To quote from what we’ve just read, “Fidelity asks of us that we have a sense of who we are ... that, through living observantly, we discover what our values are.”
Those who work in Catholic schools have a strong sense of community among their fellow staff members and a bond with all others who work in Catholic schools.
This bond is forged in the unique and valuable nature of the work we do.
It is sacred work, because it is precious lives we nurture.
In undertaking this sacred work we are called to honour the ministry of each other and all those in the past and still to come who will have given their head, heart and hands to the work.
Standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and holding to our hearts the community gathered here, I want you to take a moment to name for yourself a belief that you personally hold about your work; your ministry; your vocation in Catholic schooling.
(pause)
In front of you, there are strips of paper. I’m going to invite you to take one of those strips of paper and write a word, draw a symbol or write in full the belief you hold.
When you have done that, we’ll use the glue sticks / staplers / sticky tape to form a paper chain of our beliefs – our creed statement about our work.
(allow time for people to write their personal belief statement and then form the strips of paper into loops and into an interlocking chain.)
(once formed, place the chain of beliefs into the prayer space. Keep the chain on display throughout the next week.)
Leader: These are our beliefs. These are the beliefs of those gathered. We profess them in Christ Jesus.
All: Amen.
We Go Forth
Leader: Let’s draw our prayer to a close by praying together our closing blessing …
All: As we go about our day, O God;
As we strive to walk with Jesus as people of Fidelity,
Remind us that we do not work alone;
We are part of a company of travellers.
May your grace, mercy and peace,
Bless us, keep us and transform us all,
This day, now and forever.
Amen
Distribute the Quick Fire prayer card for this week, ‘Fidelity’ and remind the group of the invitation to continue the style of this week’s prayer throughout the week.
The Leader may wish to share a personal experience of witnessing or feeling the strength of personal belief in work/ministry in Catholic schools.
People of Fidelity ... Believe