Hymn
Option I. All Are Welcome (Gather 850)
- Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
- Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Option II. They’ll know we are Christians (Gather 835)
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, (2x)
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored:
Refrain:
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand, (2x)
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land: Refrain
We will work with each other, we will work side by side, (2x)
And we’ll guard human’s dignity and save human’s pride: Refrain
Prayer
Leader:
Leader:
All:
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Let us pray as one:
Good and Gracious God,
We come before you as the community of St. Margaret of Scotland,
gathered today to pray a Novena for clarity of mind and heart
during this search for new school leadership.
We ask you, O God, for support and strength,
direction and guidance,
joy and peace
as we seek to be people who share a common faith, concern and destiny.
Lead us the way we need to go, as our story unfolds before us.
We make this prayer, filled with hope,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading
We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know Him in the breaking of bread, and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship. We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes in community.
From The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day
Response
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
At dawn, fill us with your merciful love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let your deed be seen by your servants,
and your glorious power by their children.
Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us;
Give success to the work of our hands.
O give success to the work of our hands.
Word of God
Be filled with the Spirit,
Ephesians 4: 18b-20
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to God the Father.
Questions for Reflection
After leader reads questions aloud, all pause to reflect during one minute of silence.
- How is life in community at St. Margaret’s a source of joy and gratitude for you?
- In what ways should our embrace of the value of community impact decisions about our search for new leadership at our school?
Petitions
Leader: Christ hears and saves all who hope in him. Let us bring him our needs.
That our school will foster a spirit of cooperation and interdependence, welcoming and cultivating the sharing of our full humanity; we pray…
R. Lord, hear our prayer.
That our children will experience the encouragement, guidance, safety, and love of community at St. Margaret of Scotland; we pray… R.
That our community, inspired by the first Christians, will grow into a model of sharing and mutuality, and become a living experience of Gospel values; we pray… R.
For what else shall we pray?
Individuals may offer intentions.
Prayer of Saint Margaret of Scotland
Leader: Let us recall our mission as together we pray:
Loving God,
You call your people to holiness and create among them models of kindness.
We thank you for the life of St. Margaret of Scotland:
a woman of leadership and hope in a confusing world;
a wife and mother excelling in patience, dedication and love;
a teacher supported and inspired by a life of learning;
a generous friend and a loyal servant to the poor and helpless; a model of Christian faith and constant prayerfulness.
As we build our faith, help us to grow rich in the values of St. Margaret:
That faith, hope and love might inspire
our presence in the city and neighborhood,
our relationships with family and friends,
our concern for the education of the young,
our care for the poor and the weak,
our community’s prayer in word and sacrament.
Bless our parish and our school;
Let it be for us a community of love and sharing,
and a source of life and grace;
Let it be a witness to our neighbors
of your life, your presence and your love.
Through Christ, Our Lord,
Amen.
PRAYER IS PRINTED ON BACK OF COVER PAGE
Optional, following Novena:
Share your reflections from above questions, focused on the mission value of the day.
- Index cards available at the shared novena, or
- Email PraySMOS@gmail.com
- Comments received may be shared with the community and those who search for our new staff members.