1. Prayers for the week 30 April - 4 May 2018
The Sunday Gospel this week is taken from the writings of St John.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire and are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for whatever you please and you will get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit and be my disciples.
Our prayers this week focus on five women who have faithfully followed this Gospel teaching of discipleship. Just four women have been named as doctors of the Church. Their lives have borne much fruit and they continue to be an inspiration to others. Let us pray that they will inspire us this week.

2. Monday 30 April
Saint Therese of Lisieux ( ) was a French Catholic who became a Carmelite nun at an early age. She died in obscurity at the age of 26. However, after her death, her autobiography – Story of a Soul was published and became a best-seller around the world. Her books explained her spiritual path of love and selflessness, and she became one of only four women to be declared a doctor of the Catholic Church.
Therese developed the “little way” of living that she sought to follow. At the heart of her philosophy was the belief that what was important was not doing great works, but doing little things well and with the power of love. She believed that if we can maintain the right attitude, then nothing will remain that can not be accomplished.
St. Therese, flower of love, pray for us. Fill our hearts with your pure love of God. Make us more aware of the goodness of God and how well He tends His garden. Instill in us your little way of doing ordinary things with extra-ordinary love. Give us the heart of a child who wonders at life and embraces everything with loving enthusiasm. Teach us to delight in God's ways so that divine charity may blossom in our hearts.
Amen

3. Tuesday 1 May
Saint Catherine of Siena ( ), was a sister of the Dominican Order and a scholastic philosopher and theologian who had a great influence on the Catholic Church. She is declared a saint and a doctor of the Church.
Born in the Italian city of Siena, she grew up there and decided very early in her life to devote herself to God, against the will of her parents.
Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. She remains a greatly respected figure for her spiritual writings, and political boldness to "speak truth to power"—it being exceptional for a woman, in her time period, to have had such influence in politics, on the church and on world history.
Lord God
Help us to follow the teaching of St Catherine. Give us the courage we need to proclaim the truth, to break the silence and to speak out against any form of injustice or prejudice. May the weak and the oppressed always find in us a companion to support and encourage them in their hour of need
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord
Amen

4. Wednesday 2 May
Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard, was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary, and polymath. She is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany and is declared a doctor of the Church.
Hildegard founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in One of her works as a composer, the Ordo Virtutum, is an early example of liturgical musical drama and is arguably the oldest surviving morality play. She wrote theological, botanical, and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs and poems, while supervising miniature illuminations in the Rupertsberg manuscript of her first work, Scivias.
Lord
We thank you for the life and inspiration of St Hildegard. Let us, like her, ensure that we care for all of creation. Help us to avoid waste and excess in our daily lives and to appreciate the wonders of the natural world. As individuals and as a school community, help us to support and develop environmental projects that will leave a lasting legacy for the benefit of our earth.
Amen

5. Thursday 3 May
Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515 – 1582) was a prominent Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun and author during the Counter Reformation, and a theologian of the contemplative life through prayer. She was a reformer in the Carmelite Order of her time.
In 1622 she was canonized by Pope Gregory XV, and in 1970 was named a doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI. Her books, which include her autobiography (The Life of Teresa of Jesus) and her seminal work El Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle), are an integral part of Spanish Renaissance literature as well as Christian meditation. She also wrote Camino de Perfección (The Way of Perfection).
Lord God
May we be armed with the sword of justice and the shield of truth but always wear a kind and gentle spirit. To be kind is not to patronise, to be gentle is not to be weak. May these virtues live and breathe within us, helping us to shine a light for all to see. Like St Teresa, may we always demand the highest standards of ourselves. Let our own words and deeds change the world.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord
Amen

6. Friday 4 May
Mary Ward (1585–1645) was a pioneering educationalist and the English founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known today as the Sisters of Loreto. She was regarded in her day as far too radical for a “mere woman”. She tried living in an enclosed convent but preferred running a school for both rich and poor girls in France.
Her efforts to found an order of teaching nuns, out and about in the world, were judged dangerous and her Institute was suppressed by the papacy in 1630, only reviving 73 years later and growing into a global force in educating young women worldwide. The only one of the woman this week not to have been name as a doctor of the Church, nevertheless, Mary Ward’s legacy, like that of Marie Madeleine, is both powerful and lasting.
Lord God
Help us to live with truth in all that we do and say. Let us commit our lives to the pursuit of justice. May we always be mindful of those living on the margins of society - the poor, the hungry, the dispossessed and the destitute. Food, water and shelter should never be regarded as luxuries by those who have little or taken for granted by those who have much. Let us work all our lives to balance the scales of justice. Like Mary Ward, let us leave the world a better place than we found it.
Amen

7. 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 ask ourselves this question “Who have you left a good memory with today?”
Let us say together 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
We end our reflection with a prayer inspired by our foundress followed by the school prayer:
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