Back To School Prayers

Elementary

When we see – En voyant
Jesus,
You showed us how to see those who are blind, those who are small, those who are fearful and those who climb
trees.
We can see with our eyes.
More importantly we can see with our hearts.
You invite us to see with our hearts, to see deeper than the surface.
Guide us this year.
When our attention is called to someone or something, remind us to be loving, compassionate and kind.
Then we will see like you see and we will be one.
Amen.

When we listen – En écoutant
Loving God,
You have created us with hearts for listening and caring for others.
Help us to remember that everyone needs to be heard and have their story honoured.
Give us a spirit of patience and compassion to listen to others.
Help us to understand that the path to peace and unity is through listening.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, who listens to our every need.
Amen.

When we reflect – En réfléchissant
God of grace and goodness,
You gather us together as a community of faith, to pray and give thanks for the gift of a new day.
As we begin this new school year, help us reflect on who we are and who You created us to be.
Give us the wisdom to recognize You in our relationships with others.
Guide us to be understanding and thoughtful in our actions.
May our actions help us bring peace to our school, families, and the world.
Touch our hearts as we approach this new day with respect and kindness.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

When we learn – En apprenant
God of grace and love,
Be with us this year as we change and learn and grow.
Open our hearts and minds to the beauty and wisdom of those around us.
Guide us to see and celebrate our differences as opportunities for learning and understanding.
Help us to ensure that our school is a place of warmth, welcome and acceptance where each and every person is valued and heard.
Teach us to appreciate the many gifts we can offer to each other as members of one school community.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

When we act – En agissant
Jesus,
Thank you for always being part of our lives, showing us your love every day.
Help us to use our words and actions to care for others, and for the earth and all its creatures.
When we talk about our faith, show us how to also put those words into practice, by caring and forgiving, by being generous and including others.
Help us to make loving choices, and to help your family to grow stronger every day.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
 

Secondary

When we see – En voyant
We are many, we are one.
Our world tends to have a vision that judges and critiques, usually in negative ways.
Jesus, help us to see with eyes that are kind, compassionate, accepting and inclusive.
Broaden our perspective to allow differences and to learn creativity and diversity in expression.
Our spirits want to foster what is positive and celebrative.
We are many, we are one in the family of God.
Amen.

When we listen – En écoutant
God of all people,
You are our source of goodness and love.
Open our hearts to be present to each other and help us to understand the importance of listening.
Give us wisdom to see that we can grow through listening to others.
Strengthen our spirit so that we may overcome conflict and embrace our differences when we listen.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, who listens to our every need.
Amen.

When we reflect – En réfléchissant
Loving God of goodness and grace,
We are many; we are one in the community of our school.
Our uniforms identify us as members of this body of (name of school).
This year we will reflect on the meaning of being many and yet one.
Through the body of Christ we share a humanity that is far more than any one individual.
May we celebrate our unity and diversity every day this year.
Amen.

When we learn – En apprenant
God of love and infinite wisdom,
Instill in us the courage it takes to learn, unlearn, and re-learn, to seek the truth and guide us into action.
Give us the ability to listen deeply to every voice—not just the loudest, but those voices that are not always heard.
Please provide us with empathy and foresight as servant leaders, to affirm, support, and empower one another.
As we embrace your wisdom to strive towards reconciliation, let us unite as one body in Christ.
We ask this through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, one body forever and ever.
Amen.

When we act – En agissant
Liberating God,
Again and again in our history, we have seen your loving power at work, always close to your people in their needs.
We ask you to inspire us with words and actions that unite and heal, that renew and give hope.
Help us daily to put into practice the faith we proclaim, and to live it authentically, in a way that speaks to our
world of your love and compassion.
May your teachings guide our speaking and our acting, and may our values take shape in the choices we make.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.