CTK – Dialogue – Prayer Resources – W/C 21/09/2026

Please choose one of these Grace prayer to say at the start of afternoon registration.

In a few weeks these will be replaced by our school Grace prayer that will be written by you all.

• We give you thanks, Almighty God,
  for our food and all your gifts
  which we have received
  through Christ our Lord. Amen

• Lord our God, we thank you for the bread you give us. Help us to share what we have with those who are most in need. Bless us with generosity and justice. Amen.

• Father of mercy,
  we praise you and give you glory
  for the wonderful gifts you have given us:
  for life and health, for faith and love,
  and for this meal we have shared together. Amen

• Father, for our food
  we thank you, and for our joys:
  help us to love you more. Amen

Every prayer time begins with us gathering together.
To help us focus, you might dim the lights, light a candle or move a cross or religious object to the front. You might like to play this instrumental music to help create a calm atmosphere.

Choose someone to lead your prayer time.

All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today, we reflect on our theme of Dialogue. When we listen to Scripture, we enter into a dialogue with God. We hear His Word, reflect on what it means for us and consider how we can respond.

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Colossians

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

There are many different translations of the Bible. Another version of this last sentence is

“Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.”

Which version do you prefer? Which one helps you to understand the message more clearly?

Reflective Questions

You may choose to discuss these as a form, in pairs/groups or take a moment for quiet reflection.

• How can our words help to build bridges rather than create divisions?
• Who might we find it difficult to have a positive dialogue with, and why?
• What could you do this week to make your conversations more respectful and meaningful?

Let us pray…
Lord,
Help us to listen carefully to your Word
and to hear what you are saying to us.
Teach us to listen to others with open minds,
to speak with kindness and respect,
and to value different perspectives.
May our words build bridges, bring people together
and help us grow in understanding.

Amen

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen.

Every prayer time begins with us gathering together.
To help us focus, you might dim the lights, light a candle or move a cross or religious object to the front. You might like to play this instrumental music to help create a calm atmosphere.

Choose someone to lead your prayer time.

Leader: As we begin this time of prayer together, we invite you to join in making the sign of our faith:
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us take some time today to respond and reflect on our theme of Dialogue.

Dialogue means talking, listening and learning from one another. It is about being willing to hear different ideas and opinions, even when we do not always agree. As a Catholic school, we are called to treat everyone with dignity and respect and to make sure people feel that their voice matters.

Today, we are going to put this into practice.

In your form, you are going to play a quick “Would You Rather?” game. Your teacher will read out a series of choices. Move to one side of the room for one answer and the other side for the other answer, or you can put your hands on your head for one answer and hands on the table for the other.

After each question, choose someone from each side to explain why they chose their answer. Your challenge is to listen to their reason without interrupting. You might even hear an idea that you had not considered before!

Questions could include:

• Would you rather have the ability to speak every language or be able to understand every language?
• Would you rather always say exactly what you think or always listen before you speak?
• Would you rather have a conversation with someone who completely agrees with you or someone who has a completely different opinion?
• Would you rather be really good at explaining your ideas or really good at listening to others?
• Would you rather solve a problem on your own or work with a group who have lots of different ideas?

Your form also needs to choose your Prayer Rep for this year. Think about someone who is willing to listen to others, share ideas and help your form get involved in prayer and chaplaincy activities.

Once you have chosen your Prayer Rep: email [email protected] or comment the names in the comment section below

Let us pray:

Loving God,

Thank you for the people around us
and for the different ideas and experiences we all have.

Help us to listen before we speak,
to respect different opinions
and to make space for every voice to be heard.

Help us to have the courage to share our own ideas
and the patience to learn from others.

May our school be a place where everyone
feels welcomed, valued and heard.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen

Every prayer time begins with us gathering together.
To help you to focus, you might dim the lights, light a candle or move a cross or religious object to the front. You might like to play this instrumental music to help create a calm atmosphere.

Leader: As we begin this time of prayer together, we invite you to join in making the sign of our faith:
All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Your mission this week is to think about how our CARE mission statement can be linked to our prayer theme on Dialogue
For example –
Care: Take time to listen to others and show that their thoughts, feelings and experiences matter. Be there for someone who needs to talk.

Achieve: Use your skills to share ideas, solve problems together and learn from people who think differently to you.

Respect: Listen without interrupting or judging. Respect different opinions and make sure everyone has the opportunity to have their voice heard.

Encounter: Be open to encountering Jesus through the people you meet. Take time to listen to others and recognise the dignity and value of every person.

Your mission is to think of your own version of this (you can use the one above to help you) and to write this on your Form Time Mission poster. Display this on your form board so that everyone can see it. Try to follow these missions throughout the week.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father

We pray for our community and everyone who is part of it.
Help us to work together so that everyone feels valued, included and supported.
Guide us to stand up for what is right and to look out for those who are struggling or in need.
Help us to make our community a place where everyone can flourish and we can live out our school Mission.

Amen

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen

Here are some song suggestions that you could use this week …

This week in school, our theme is Dialogue.

Dialogue is more than simply talking to someone. It means listening, sharing ideas and being open to learning from one another. We may not always agree, but we can still listen respectfully and try to understand another person’s point of view.

As a Catholic school, we are called to recognise the dignity of every person. Dialogue helps us to build relationships, understand people who may be different from us and make sure everyone has a voice.

Conversation Starters

Use these questions to start a chat together:

• Why is listening just as important as speaking when we have a conversation?
• Can you disagree with someone while still respecting them? What might this look like?
• When has someone really listened to you? How did it make you feel?
• Why might it be difficult to listen to someone whose opinion is very different from our own?
• How could we make sure that everyone in our school feels able to share their ideas and opinions?

Prayer

Lord God,

Thank you for the people around us
and for all the different experiences, ideas and gifts we share.

Help us to listen before we speak,
to respect those who think differently from us
and to make sure every voice is heard.

Give us patience when we disagree
and courage to be open to new ideas.

Help us to build a school community
where everyone feels valued, respected and heard.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Mission

This week, put dialogue into action:

• Have a conversation with someone you don’t usually speak to. Ask them a question and really listen to their answer.
• In your family, choose a topic you have different opinions about. Take turns speaking and listening without interrupting.
• The Listening Challenge: In your next conversation, try to listen without thinking about what you are going to say next. Ask a follow-up question about what the other person has said.

The chapel is open most break and lunch times, we would love to see you!

SVP: Meeting Tuesday Lunchtime

Encounter Team: Meeting Friday Period 2