Prayers for the week 19 - 23 March 2018 Our prayers this week are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948) was an Indian activist who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā (Sanskrit, meaning "high-souled"or "venerable") is now used worldwide. He is unofficially called the Father of the Nation. Born and raised in a Hindu merchant caste family in coastal Gujarat, India and trained as a lawyer in London, Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience as a lawyer in South Africa. After his return to India, he set about organising peasants and farmers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as a means of both self-purification and political protest. Some Indians thought Gandhi was too accommodating. Among them was a Hindu nationalist, who assassinated Gandhi on 30 January 1948 by firing three bullets into his chest. It is the fundraising week for Year 7

Monday 19 March Lord We thank you for the life and wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi. May we never seek wealth without work, pleasure without conscience or knowledge without character. Let us ensure that we care for all of creation. Help us to live ethically, to avoid waste and excess in our daily lives and to appreciate the wonders of the natural world. As we grown in knowledge and understanding, may we use this for the benefit of humanity so that we leave the world a better place for having lived in it. Amen

Tuesday 20 March Lord God May we always stand up for what is right, even if we are ignored, laughed at or fought against. Let us have the courage of our convictions and may we always oppose injustice wherever it appears. It is easy to follow the crowd and to do what is popular. Teach us to avoid falling into this trap if the crowd are wrong or if what is popular involves someone suffering. Let us always stand shoulder to shoulder with the oppressed and the marginalised. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord Amen

Wednesday 21 March Lord Give us the wisdom and insight needed to understand the changes that have to take place in order to make the world a better place. Then give us the courage and confidence to do something about it. Help us to avoid complaining and gossip which just drains energy and creates upset. Let us instead develop that positive spirit and an optimistic outlook that will make us good companions. Amen

Thursday 22 March Lord God Teach us not to fear failure. Let us become risk-takers, able to learn from our mistakes. Grant us the resilience to persevere especially when the going gets tough. May we also have a generosity of spirit that allows us to help others to get back up again when they fall. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord Amen

Friday 23 March Lord God Teach us to develop and appreciated the value of gentleness. Let it become a quality which helps us to keep a calm spirit, a peaceful heart, and control in our words and gestures, even when the circumstances seem to call forth, or at least justify, an explosion of displeasure or anger. A spirit of gentleness results in the right relationship with God, with ourselves and with others. May the gentleness that we display keep our heart always within the boundaries of justice, reason and love. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord Amen

Afternoon Prayer and Reflection Lord Thank you for the morning, for watching over me and walking with me. May I find joy and understanding this afternoon, in all I do. Grant me the zest and the strength I need to work for you until nightfall. Amen Let us pause for a few moments in silence and remember those family members and friends who need our prayers and support today………… Let us say together a prayer inspired by Marie Madeleine, but first, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen Loving Father, life-giving spirit – Marie Madeleine believed in your power, hoped in your promises and lived for your glory. We ask her to pray for us and be with us as we carry the FCJ spirit into the 21st century. Protect and guide the pupils and staff at Upton and at all FCJ schools in this country and around the world. Amen May the Lord bless us and keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen