Belonging to God: Prayer and Worship

Belonging to God: Prayer and Worship

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer is the foundation of life at Cardinal Hume Catholic School, providing daily opportunities for all students to frame their thoughts, actions and will according to the Gospel so that each can discern their own vocation and live responsibly in community with others.

As with all Catholic Schools, at Cardinal Hume the purpose of prayer and collective worship is:

· For all to know that students are loved and to understand they are loved.

· To help all members of the community to find their purpose in life.

· To help all have an open relationship with God.

· To reflect on spiritual and moral issues.

· To foster and nurture relationships with God, students and staff.

· To experience a sense of belonging and develop a sense of community.

· To respond to and celebrate life.

· To grow in liturgical understanding and development.

· To reinforce prayers that are part of the Catholic tradition.

· To develop a common ethos and shared values.

· To enrich religious experience

· To actively participate in Collective Worship.

· To extend the exposure and experience of different types of prayer to staff and students.

Daily Prayer in Tutor Time

“Prayer is not just a task to be checked off our to-do list; it is a sacred conversation with the Divine.” Cardinal Basil Hume

Every day at Cardinal Hume Catholic School begins with prayer time in Tutor. These prayers follow the themes of the liturgical year, the priorities of the church and the needs of the students. By gathering to hear the Word of God, by being inspired by the lives of the Saints, or be led in prayer through music and media, students have the

opportunity to pray in the rich tradition of the church through prayers of adoration, petition, intercession and thanksgiving. These opportunities allow all members of our community to deepen their relationship with God, to love Him and to be loved by Him.

Communal Prayer

Inspired by the Benedictine tradition lived by Cardinal Hume, students begin assembly with the opportunity to embrace silence and, in the words of St. Benedict, “listen with the ear of the heart.” This offers all the opportunity to escape from the chaos of everyday life, and to create a silent space in which they can be attentive, listen to God and offer their worries to Him: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…a time to be silent and a time to speak…” Ecclesiastes 3:1,7.

Assemblies offer students the chance to gather, hear the Word of God proclaimed, and to have an opportunity to respond to the Word in their hearts and lives. Assemblies follow the liturgical year, reflecting a faith-based perspective on issues in the world.

The Sacraments of the Church

All students attend an annual year group Mass which gives students the opportunity to reflect on the role of faith at a particular juncture of their school careers. On the First Friday of each month, Mass is celebrated before school in the chapel for staff and Sixth Form Students. There is a regular Wednesday mid-week Mass in the school chapel for those staff and students who wish to attend.

Cardinal Hume Catholic School supports the sacramental preparation of our young people within our cluster of parishes, sign posting and supporting opportunities for Confirmation, for example.