Created with Hope

Prayer by a 4th grade boy whose father is in jail and whose mother is dead:

Lord God, you created us with hope. We thank you for all the good things you give to us. Please forgive your children who went against you and help those who don't have any strength or can't see their families any more because of sickness and can't walk, see or hear. God, you have opened up the light and gates to heaven. We thank your son Jesus for dying on the cross for us. You give us sun, earth, land, trees, animals, grass, people. And at the end to our earth there would be hope.

Prayer to the Spirit

Group Prayer from Level II:  

Come Holy Spirit,

Fill us with your love and goodness.

Free us from our sins and help us on our path to heaven. 

We pray that your power will take the evil away from the planet you made us.

Thank you Holy Spirit, thank you.

Amen

Say a joyful Noise

Kieran, 5, made a prayer book during the atrium session to bring to bed with him every night.
p. 1 "This is Jesus.
My prayer is that Jesus is with us."
(Picture of Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem.)

p. 2 "This is Mary and Jesus.
Say a joyful noise."
(Picture of Mary and Jesus in the stable.)

p. 3 "This is Joseph.
Thank you for Jesus."
(no picture)

God, give peace to the people

Keith (age 8) wrote this prayer for an Epiphany celebration at his school. It was written a few months after September 11, during the war in Afghanistan.

"God, give peace to the people.
God, please give peace to the whole world.
God, please fill the hearts of people with joy and peace."

Do not be afraid for he is near

Another prayer from Julie, written in her missal when she was 8:

He is our place of rest.
His power is in us.
He is our shield.
He helps us in making peace.
The kingdom of God is all around.

Do not be afraid for he is near. (surrounded by crosses and lit candles)

Sing for Love and Pray for Peace

Kiaran, age 7, wrote this on the day of the Pentecost celebration, shortly after his First Communion:

Sing for love and pray for peace.
God in heaven has prepared a room for me.
The goal of heaven is mine.
Sing for love, and pray for peace.
You can't see Jesus in a blink of an eye, but he is around you and me all the time.
Oh, oh, h, oh, sing for love and pray for peace.
Pentecost is the day I love
a day of coming of the spirit's love.
Pentecost we celebrate as the birthday of the church.
Pentecost is the day of love
and the gentle coming of the dove.
Pentecost is the day the holy spirit came from above.
Tongues of fire came raining down on the birthday of the church.
Send me off, send me off to where I need to go.
Send me off, my life is the road that takes me where I need to go.

Thea's Prayer

("She" refers to the Spirit)

When She leaves on the wind like the ocean tide retreating, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She calls on the breeze like a whisper in my ear, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She hears my plea like the lambs a calling, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She keeps my love like the last leaf hanging on, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She lays down Her life like the shepherd does for a sheep, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She know I'm safe like the mother bird and her little chicks, Oh, Lord, hear my prayer.
When She is free like a box without a lid, Then Lord let me go free to be with her in heaven.

--written by Thea, age 12

Why do we need prayer?

During a conversation with a group of 9-12-year-old children about intercessions and petition, a catechist asked, "Why, if God loves us as you have said, and knows us and knows what we need AND how to give it to us--why then do we need to pray for ourselves and one another?" (The catechist was very honestly asking this question of the students, as it had puzzled her for years.)
Ursula, age 10, said, "If I give you the gift of my pencil--(and here she held out her pencil to the catechist)--the gift is not complete until you take it. That's what prayer is: taking the gift God is holding out to you."

During a conversation with kindergartners about intercession and petition I asked, "Why, if God loves us as you have said, and knows us and knows what we need AND how to give it to us--why then do we need to pray for ourselves and one another?" (I was very honestly asking this question of the students, because it has puzzled me for years!)

One answered, "We pray because we need something from God: love."

He helps us in making peace

A personal prayer from Julie's (8) missal:

He is our place of rest.
His power is in us.
He is our shield.
He helps us in making peace.
The kingdom of God is all around.

Do not be afraid for he is near. (surrounded by crosses and lit candles)

One of my favorite moments came when I was in the atrium by myself, cleaning and straightening after a delightful and chaotic Sunday morning, in which the children had planned a lovely prayer service. Left on the prayer table was a small slip of paper, no bigger than 1 square inch. It read:
O God, this werl needs to be com

The kingdom of God is all around

A personal prayer from Julie's (8) missal:

He is our place of rest.
His power is in us.
He is our shield.
He helps us in making peace.
The kingdom of God is all around.

Do not be afraid for he is near. (surrounded by crosses and lit candles)

God made the Sun, Jesus makes it shine!

The small group was around the altar. A child prayed "Thank you for making the sun."
Willa responded "God made the sun, Jesus makes it shine!"

Pentecost is the day of love

Kyle, age 7, wrote this on the day of the Pentecost celebration, shortly after his First Communion:

Sing for love and pray for peace.
God in heaven has prepared a room for me.
The goal of heaven is mine.
Sing for love, and pray for peace.
You can't see Jesus in a blink of an eye, but he is around you and me all the time.
Oh, oh, h, oh, sing for love and pray for peace.
Pentecost is the day I love
a day of coming of the spirit's love.
Pentecost we celebrate as the birthday of the church.
Pentecost is the day of love
and the gentle coming of the dove.
Pentecost is the day the holy spirit came from above.
Tongues of fire came raining down on the birthday of the church.
Send me off, send me off to where I need to go.
Send me off, my life is the road that takes me where I need to go.

Meditation with the Sand Labyrinth

From a catechist: "I decided to present the sand labyrinth to my Level 2 children. They each took a turn "walking" through the labyrinth and then later, I asked about their experience with it. One child said it felt weird but good.

"Another seven-year-old said it reminded her of Jesus. I asked in what way. She said, 'Well, going in made me think of Jesus as He carried his cross through Jerusalem. In the center was like where He was crucified with those two other guys. Coming out made me think of His time in the tomb and when I finally got out, it was like Jesus' coming to life again.'"

Why Do We Need Prayer?

During a conversation with a group of 9-12-year-olds about intercessions and petition, a catechist asked, "Why, if God loves us as you have said, and knows us and knows what we need AND how to give it to us--why then do we need to pray for ourselves and one another?" (The catechist was very honestly asking this question of the students, because she said it had puzzled her for years.)
Ursula, age 10, said, "If I give you the gift of my pencil--(and here she held out her pencil to the catechist)--the gift is not complete until you take it. That's what prayer is: taking the gift God is holding out to you."