CTK -Counsel- Prayer Resources – W/C 3/11/2025
Hello everyone, and welcome back to CTKPray.
The prayer theme for this week is Counsel
Chaplaincy Notices:
- Holywell House Mass – Wednesday 5th November, period 3. If you are reading, please come to the chapel for a quick practice on Tuesday, period 1 (go to your lesson first to get marked in)
- SVP Meeting – Tuesday lunchtime, 12.45-1.15 (let your form tutor know that you will be attending) All are welcome to attend even if you’ve not been before
- Friday 7th November, 12pm – Voluntary Reconciliation and Mass. Please come to the chapel to sign up and to get a Mass Pass.
Week 31 in the Season of Ordinary Time – Year C
Sunday 2nd November – All Saints (Solemnity)
Monday 3rd November – All Souls’ Day (The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed), Feast Day of St Winefride (Holywell House)
Here are some ways to introduce this week’s theme of Counsel...
Extra-Ordo-Nary flip book
Read the theme and talk about what this word means to you in your pairs.
As a form, reflect on what counsel means to you all.
Watch this video
Prayer
Prayer
Holy Spirit,
You are my guide and my helper.
When I’m unsure of what to do,
help me to listen to Your voice in my heart.
Give me the wisdom to make good choices
and the courage to follow what is right,
even when it’s hard.
Teach me to see things the way God sees them,
and to seek His will in everything I do.
Be my light, my strength, and my guide each day.Amen.
Take a quiet moment now to reflect on the word counsel and what it means to you.
Below you will find this week’s Gospel reading from Sunday’s mass and another piece of scripture on our prayer theme.
If you would like to explore your own scriptures, the link below will take you to open bible which allows you to explore scripture on any theme. Please use the English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) translation –
https://www.openbible.info/topics/joy
Choose somebody in your form to read one of the scriptures below – you may also want to read this from the bible in your form room.
Sunday Gospel Reading Matthew 5: 1-12
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you O Lord
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Prayer Theme Scripture Acts 9:1-19
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were travelling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
If your reading is from a Gospel, we invite you to say/ sing the Alleluia beforehand.
Let us take some time today to respond and reflect on our theme of Counsel and the feast day of All Saints.
Please pick one of the below sections to help you to respond to this week’s theme. Let us know how your form gets on in the comments below.
All Saints Day
All Saints Day is a feast that is celebrated on November 1st in the Catholic Church. This year All Saints’ Day was celebrated on Sunday, November 2nd, because the Church sometimes moves special feast celebrations to a Sunday so more people can attend Mass.
Watch the video and then try to find out more about your form saint – maybe you could make a poster to put on your noticeboard or prayer table.
Let us know in the comments below what you find out about your form saint.
The Beatitudes – Sunday’s Gospel reading
Reflect on Sunday’s Gospel – the Beatitudes
Think about what Jesus said and try to reflect on how we can look at these statements today. Link to it our prayer theme of counsel which means giving good advice and helping others do the right thing, like Jesus taught in the Beatitudes.
“What might ‘hungering for righteousness’ look like in school life?”
“What kind of advice or support would a ‘peacemaker’ give?”
“How could someone who is ‘merciful’ show wise counsel?”
On the whiteboard draw two columns like this with the beatitude statements on the left – can you work together to think about how we can show these in school…
| Beatitude quality | How we can show it in school |
|---|
| Peacemaker |
| Merciful |
| Pure in heart |
| Hungering for what’s right |
In the comments below, let us know some of the ways that you came up with together…maybe as a form, you could focus on one of these during this week.
Watch this video about Our Lady of Good Counsel
After you have watched the video, in the comment section below write something about this video that really stood out to you.
Reflection
Take some time to reflect and listen to some music as you think about the following questions – pick one of the songs in the music tab to listen to.
- When have I felt unsure about what to do, and how did I try to listen to God’s guidance in that moment?
- How can I tell the difference between what feels easy and what I know is truly right?
- In what ways can I use the gift of Counsel to support my friends in making good choices?
In the comment section below… answer one of these questions as a form.
Your mission this week..
C – Community
Use the gift of counsel to make one wise choice that helps your community. This could be asking a teacher for advice on how to include someone who is lonely, or making a good judgment call to help clean up without being asked.
A – Achieve
When you have a piece of schoolwork that is challenging you or a goal you want to achieve, pause and ask the Holy Spirit for counsel. Listen for that inner voice guiding you on the best first step to take – whether it’s asking for help or just trying your best.
R – Respect
Use your gift of counsel to show respect. When you feel tempted to say something unkind or join in gossip, ask your inner “right judgement” to help you choose respectful words or to stay silent instead.
E – Encounter
Find a quiet moment to have an encounter in prayer before making an important choice this week. Ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of counsel to help you see the good and true path God wants for you.
You might want to create your own prayer on the theme of the Counsel that you have been reflecting on throughout the week, or you could use the prayer below.
Prayer
God of wisdom and love, you have sent your Son Jesus
to be the light of the world,
and continue to send your Holy Spirit among us
to guide us into the way of truth.
Open our hearts to your word
and let us ponder your actions among us.
Give us your Spirit of wisdom and
knowledge, of understanding and counsel.
With Mary, may we rejoice in your gifts,
and walk in the way of truth and love.
With all your people on earth and in
eternity, we ask this prayer through our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the unity of your loving Spirit,
one holy God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Here are some song suggestions that you could use this week
This week in school, our theme is Counsel.
Counsel, sometimes called ‘right judgement’ is the way in which the Holy Spirit enables us to make the right decisions in our lives. It’s a gift of the Holy Spirit, a supernatural wisdom that guides us towards what is good and true. It’s the inner voice that helps us discern God’s will in our lives,
especially when faced with difficult decisions
Conversation Starters
Use these questions to start a chat together:
- Counsel is described as an “inner voice” or “right judgment.” Have you ever felt something like that—a strong “gut feeling” that you absolutely should or shouldn’t do something? What did it feel like?
- When you’re facing a tough choice, who is the first person (in or outside of your family/group) you go to for counsel? What makes you trust their judgment?
- How can the gift of counsel help when you’re feeling peer pressure—when your ‘gut’ says one thing but your friends or society are saying another?
Prayer
God of wisdom and love, you have sent your Son Jesus
to be the light of the world,
and continue to send your Holy Spirit among us
to guide us into the way of truth.
Open our hearts to your word
and let us ponder your actions among us.
Give us your Spirit of wisdom and
knowledge, of understanding and counsel.
With Mary, may we rejoice in your gifts,
and walk in the way of truth and love.
With all your people on earth and in
eternity, we ask this prayer through our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the unity of your loving Spirit,
one holy God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Mission
Together, choose something to do:
- Talk about a big decision coming up (e.g., holiday plans, a new routine, a big purchase). How can you all use “right judgment” to make the best choice together? Could you pray together?
- Find out about more about Our Lady of Good Counsel – a title given to Mary that recognises her as a source of heavenly wisdom and guidance. Pope Leo has a special devotion to her.
- Choose a saint to find out more about (as All Saints Day was celebrated at the weekend)
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