NORES Supporting Catholic Education and Formation This PowerPoint is designed to explore the theme of being Chosen and Called Top and tail this PowerPoint with your own way of introducing / closing an assembly Eg. Sign of the Cross Song Prayer School Prayer Take as much or as little detail, from the slides and notes, appropriate to your setting MAKE IT YOUR OWN! NORES Supporting Catholic Education and Formation NORES is the Office for Religious Education, Evangelisation, Catechesis and Schools in the Diocese of Northampton. Registered Charity: 234091

Chosen and Called

We have all been chosen by God. God created each and everyone of us. He knew who we were going to be even before we were born. God chose us to be with him before the world was made.

God calls each one of us by name. Think about your name for a moment. Who chose your name for you? And why did they choose that name? Were you named after someone else in your family? God calls us each day to follow him and in doing so be the best person that we can be. God calls us to live a life of love.

A Reading from the Book of Samuel (Please see resource sheet with the reading divided into parts For either individuals / boys girls / year groups etc can read from the screen at the appropriate times)

Hannah was so sad because she didn’t have a baby…

She prayed every day for God to give her a child Hannah made a promise to God that if she did have a child she would I will give him to God for the whole of his life

God gave Hannah a baby boy and she named him Samuel.

Hannah kept her promise to God and gave Samuel to Eli the priest. Samuel lived and grew up in the temple. Hannah visited him every year.

“Samuel! Samuel!”

“Here I am, since you called me” “I did not call you. Go back and lie down.”

“Samuel! Samuel!”

“Here I am, since you called me” “I did not call you. Go back and lie down.”

“Samuel! Samuel!”

“Here I am, since you called me” “Go back and lie down and if someone calls say, ‘Speak Lord your servant is listening’”

“Samuel! Samuel!” “Speak Lord your servant is listening”

Speak Lord your servant is listening Samuel is a young boy when God calls him by his name. God calls us too, by our name. In silence let’s just listen to God for a moment calling us by our name And we reply, in the silence ‘Speak Lord your servant is listening’ Speak Lord your servant is listening

How can we listen to God? Sometimes it’s too noisy to hear God. Sometimes we’re too bust to listen. If we are still and quiet we can listen to God speak through his words in the Bible.

We can hear God speak through...... Scripture – the Bible Prayer The Saints Art Music Ordinary People Parents, grandparents, teachers Pope Francis Bishop Peter Priests Creation Silence

God spoke to Samuel and gave him a message. God had a plan for Samuel’s life. Samuel became a great servant of God. He became a prophet of God, someone who spoke out and encouraged others to listen to God and to follow God’s way. Samuel became a great leader. God has a special job for us to do But we will only know what it is if we listening carefully to God and asking God to show us his way.

What are you called to do? What sort of person are you called to be?

Let us pray that we will always listen to the voice of God. Speak Lord your servant is listening Let us pray for all world leaders that they will listen to the voice of God and follow God’s way. Let us pray for Pope Francis, Bishop Peter and our priests that they will lead us by their example. Let us pray for all those in any need: the sick, the lonely, the unloved and those who have no one to care for them. Let us pray for those who are sick and the people who look after them and also for those who have died. Let us join all our prayers with those of Mary our Mother who listened to the voice of God Hail Mary......

Spend a few moments in quiet prayer, everyday, to listen to the voice of God Invite the children to spend a few moments of quiet prayer, everyday, to listen to the voice of God. Print off this slide, on card and give it out to each class to place on their class prayer table for the week as a reminder to spend time in prayer each day And to listen to the voice of God. Then end the assembly with the Sign of the Cross