JUBILEE OF MERCY This year Catholics around the world are celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy Over the next six weeks, we will be thinking about what the Jubilee of Mercy is and why we are celebrating with Catholics around the world

JUBILEE OF MERCY Week 1 What is a Jubilee year?

BIRTHDAYS CHRISTMAS EASTER WEDDINGS BAPTISMS Our Catholic faith is important in which occasions? What occasions do we celebrate?

So faith is an important part of many of the occasions we celebrate Sometimes though, we may become distracted by other parts of the celebrations- usually the parties and presents!

During a Jubilee Year, the Pope asks us to focus on celebrating our Catholic faith

FAQ Why did the Pope want a Jubilee Year? Pope Boniface VIII declared that 1300 would be the first Jubilee Year. Pope Boniface wanted Catholics from different countries to celebrate their faith. Thousands of people came to Rome to ask for forgiveness for the wrong things they had done and to join together as Catholics. When was the first Jubilee Year?

FAQ How often do we celebrate Jubilee Years? How long does this Jubilee Year last? Jubilee Years are usually celebrated every 25 years. The last Jubilee Year was in However, sometimes the Pope declares a special Jubilee Year. This year’s Jubilee of Mercy is one of these special Years. This Jubilee Year began on December 8 th 2015 and ends on November 20 th 2016.

So what is a Jubilee Year? A time when we ask for forgiveness A year when Catholics join together A big celebration of our Catholic faith

Prayer Dear Lord, Thank you for helping us join together as Christians for this Jubilee Year of Mercy. Watch over us as we celebrate your mercy with Pope Francis. Help us to think about our faith and ways in which we can do more to follow the path you have set us. Amen

What is a Jubilee Year? A time when we ask for forgiveness A year when Catholics join together A big celebration of our Catholic faith Can you remember?

JUBILEE OF MERCY Week 2 What happens during a Jubilee Year?

What do you think could be happening in this photo?

The Holy Door The Holy Door is in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Usually the door is sealed shut. However during a Jubilee Year, the door at St Peter’s is traditionally opened by the Pope.

Why is the Holy Door important? By walking through the doors, people are asking God to forgive them for their sins (things that they have done wrong). This means that they are moving closer to God.

Holy Doors are opened in some Cathedrals and churches across the world. This is so that people who cannot journey to Rome can still experience walking through the door. Westminster Cathedral has its own Holy Door which you can walk through. Holy Doors are opened at the beginning of the Jubilee and then sealed again at the end of the Jubilee. Did you know?

Why do you think people walk through the Holy Door? God is forgiving them for their sins (things that they have done wrong) This means that they are moving closer to God

Prayer Dear Lord, Let us celebrate this Jubilee Year with others around the world. We ask for your forgiveness for the things we do wrong, so that together, we can move closer to you. Amen

What is this? Why is it important?

JUBILEE OF MERCY Week 3 What is mercy?

Jesus explains to us what mercy is in his parables. This reading is from the Parable of the Lost Son Luke

The Lost Son There was once a man who had two sons. The younger one said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’ So the man divided his property between the two sons.

After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money.

He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread across the country, and he was left without a thing. So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat.

The Lost Son At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat, and here am I about to starve! I will get up and go to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.’ So he got up and started back to his father.

The Lost Son He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms round his son, and kissed him. ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’

The Lost Son But the father called his servants. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Then go get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! For this son of mine was dead, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began.

What can the ‘Lost Son’ teach us about mercy? When the son came home, how could the father have reacted? Why was the father so happy?

What can ‘The Lost Son’ teach us about mercy? Instead, the father welcomed his son with open arms and forgave him The father could have punished his son for wasting money and acting badly This is mercy

What can ‘The Lost Son’ teach us about mercy? When we act wrongly but then ask for forgiveness, God will always welcome us back with love and kindness. Jesus is telling us that God is the father in this story

Mercy “is the best thing that we can feel: it changes the world... a little mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”

Prayer Dear Lord, Help us to be merciful in our lives. When we could act with anger and hate, let us instead act with love and kindness. In this way we can follow your teachings and move closer to you in this Jubilee Year. Amen

Mercy “is the best thing that we can feel: it changes the world... a little mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” What is mercy? Can you remember?

JUBILEE OF MERCY Week 4 Why is this year’s theme mercy?

Pope Francis chose mercy as this year’s theme. He chose mercy because he believes that there is not enough mercy in the world. If people did act with more mercy, the world would be a better place

How can we show mercy to others? Imagine that you are in the following situation. What would you do? You and your best friend move into a new class. Both of you soon become friends with three of your new classmates. The five of you become inseparable. You spend all of your break times together and go to each other’s houses at the weekends.

How can we show mercy to others? One Friday, you invite your friends round to your house after school. They all say that they are busy and cannot come round. At school the next week, they start running away from you and whispering behind your back. You try to talk to your best friend, but he tells you to go away and leave them alone. You sit by yourself at lunch and don’t have anyone to play with at break times.

How can we show mercy to others? After a couple of weeks, someone else in your class sees you on your own and asks if you would like to play. You say yes and join a new group of friends. Soon after, you see that your old best friend is upset. The group have started to ignore your old best friend and treat him as you were treated. Your old best friend comes to you and asks if he can play with you.

What would you do? Could you show mercy? How would you feel?

Often it can be very difficult to show mercy, especially when others have done us wrong. During this Jubilee Year, we can reflect on why and how we can show mercy to others.

Prayer Dear Lord, Help us to be merciful in our lives. When we could act with anger and hate, let us instead act with love and kindness. In this way we can follow your teachings and move closer to you in this Jubilee Year. Amen

What is mercy? Can you give an example of a time when you could show mercy?

JUBILEE OF MERCY Week 5 What can we do in this Year of Mercy?

We have been supporting the Catholic Children’s Society with our Lenten collection boxes. The Catholic Children’s Society believes that every child deserves a happy childhood.

What makes you happy?

Spending time with family Going out with friends Going on holidays Fun days out Enough food to stop feeling hungry Sleeping somewhere safe Clean clothes A warm home to go back to Eating tasty food What makes you happy? What can make a child living in poverty happy?

Enough food to stop feeling hungry Somewhere safe to sleep Clean clothes A warm home to go back to For many children, these are the things that they worry about every day. You are collecting money in your boxes to help local children who live with these worries.

In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis calls on us to do more to help those who live in poverty, especially children.

Many children in the Westminster Diocese are living in poverty.

The money in your Lenten box will give children and their families food, basic furniture, and even shelter when there is no where else to turn. With your help, we can work to take away their worries and give them a happy childhood.

You can do this with your CCS collection box. The money you have collected in your Lenten boxes will help the Catholic Children’s Society help local children living in poverty.

Prayer Dear Lord, Help us to follow your example and be ‘Merciful like the Father.’ Pray that at times when we could act wrongly, that we instead show love and forgiveness to one another. Let us live our lives with mercy. Amen

How can we follow Pope Francis’ teachings and help children living in poverty? Can you remember?

JUBILEE OF MERCY Week 6 What can we do in this Year of Mercy?

What have we been doing during Lent? During Lent, we have been thinking about how we can follow Jesus’ example in our everyday lives

What qualities was Jesus known for? Helping those in need Resisting temptation Showing forgiveness Loving others Keeping faith in God Being self-giving

Pope Francis explains how important it is to follow Jesus’ example, saying that Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy

Jesus showed his Mercy through these qualities, especially by... Helping those in need Showing forgiveness Loving others Being self-giving

During Lent, we have seen how Jesus was always merciful. He always helped those in need. He showed forgiveness to those who had done wrong, loved others, and always put others before himself. In Jesus, we have the best example of mercy. By thinking about how we can follow Jesus’ example, we have been reflecting on how we can show more mercy in our own lives.

Jesus “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” Luke What does Jesus teach us? “But I tell you who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who ill-treat you” Luke “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” John By acting with love and kindness So how can we show mercy?

Celebration Together, we are going to celebrate how we have followed Jesus’ example and acted with Mercy this Lent. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy we will join together with other Catholic schools. On Thursday 9 th June, our school will go to the Catholic Children’s Society’s Good Shepherd Mass at Westminster Cathedral.

Celebration We will send our footprints to the Cathedral, to show how we are following Jesus’ example by showing mercy to others.

Prayer Dear Lord, Help us to follow your example and be ‘Merciful like the Father.’ Watch over us as we join together at Westminster Cathedral to celebrate our faith and share our love for you and others. Amen