CTK – Fasting- Prayer Resources – W/C 2/3/26
Hello everyone, and welcome back to CTKPray.
The prayer theme for this week is Fasting (Year A)
This week is the Second week of lent – prayer table cloths should be purple
Chaplaincy Notices
- Chaplaincy team – Mission team, meeting in the chapel Friday 6th 12:45-1:15 – Please remind your form tutor to register you
- Voluntary mass – Friday 6th March at 12:00 – Please come to the chapel to sign up
- Oscar Romero Hub logo competition – Last week to enter your submissions – Please see poster for details (found in form tray for tutors to collect and on CTK social media) we would love all of you to get involved!
- SVP meeting – Tuesday 3rd March in the chapel 12:45-1:15
Here are some ways to introduce this week’s theme of Fasting...
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 Fasting means to you all.
Watch this video
Prayer
Prayer
Gracious and loving God,
As we take time to fast, we come before You with open hearts.
Thank You for this practice that helps us slow down
and remember that we need You more than anything else.When we feel hungry or uncomfortable,
help us think about You.
Remind us that fasting is not just about giving something up,
but about making space for You in our lives.Teach us to fast with the right attitude —
not to impress others,
but to grow closer to You.
When it feels difficult, give us strength.
When we feel distracted, help us focus.
When we struggle, remind us that You are with us.As we go without something for a while,
help us understand how others might feel
when they go without food or comfort every day.
Grow compassion in us
and move us to care for people in need.Shape our hearts through this time.
Help us become more patient, more grateful, and more loving.
May our hunger remind us that You are our true source of strength.We trust You to guide us,
to teach us,
and to help us grow.Amen.
Take a quiet moment now to reflect on the word Fasting and what it means for you in your life today.
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 Luke 9:28-36
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here.
Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Prayer Theme Scripture Matthew 6:16-18
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you O Lord
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Let us take some time today to respond and reflect on our theme of Fasting
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.
Watch this video
Pope Francis
Pope Francis spoke a lot about fasting. Not just what we should give up, but what we should then do to fill that space.
As a form, what the following video and then use this to create your own fasting pledge. What will you give up and then what will you do in return…
We will give up ….. and do …… instead
Leave your pledge ideas in the comments below
Reflection
Pick one of the songs in the music tab to listen to.
As individuals or as a form, reflect on one or more of the following questions:
Fasting Reflection Questions
Can you remember a time when you gave something up for a reason that mattered? What did you learn from that experience?
How might fasting influence the choices you make each day?
What do you find most challenging about fasting — and why?
Have you ever felt stronger, more focused, or more grateful after going without something for a while?
How might God be shaping your character through small sacrifices or acts of self-discipline?
What can distract us from fasting with the right attitude, and what practical steps could help us stay focused and committed?
In the comment section below…
Answer one of these questions together as a form.
Our CARE mission reminds us that fasting can play an important role in our school community.
Fasting is not just about giving something up — it is about making space for God and growing in self-control, gratitude, and compassion.
When we fast with the right attitude, we become more aware of others and more thoughtful in the way we live each day.
C – Community
Offer your fasting for the good of others. Let it remind you to be patient, kind, and supportive. Small sacrifices can help build a stronger, more caring community.
A – Achieve
Challenge yourself to grow through fasting. It builds discipline and helps you focus on what truly matters. Ask God to guide you and give you strength when it feels difficult.
R – Respect
Fasting helps us understand what it feels like to go without. Let that experience grow empathy in you and encourage you to treat everyone with dignity and fairness.
E – Encounter
Use moments of hunger or discomfort as reminders to turn your thoughts to God. Take a few quiet moments to reflect, pray, or simply be still. Through fasting, we can encounter God in a deeper and more personal way.
You might like to write your own short reflection on how fasting could help you grow and support others.
Here are some song suggestions that you could use this week
This week in school, our theme is Fasting.
Fasting reminds us that God is our true source of strength.
It is a way of making space for Him by choosing to go without something for a time.
Fasting can be challenging, but it helps us grow in self-control, gratitude, and trust.
Through fasting, we learn that we do not need everything we want.
When we feel hunger or miss something we have given up, it can remind us to turn our thoughts to God.
Fasting helps us become more aware of people who go without every day and encourages us to act with compassion and generosity.
When we fast with the right attitude, we grow stronger in character.
God walks with us in the challenge, helping us to grow in patience, discipline, and love.
Conversation Starters
Use these questions to start a chat together:
What could you give up for a short time that would help you focus more on God?
What do you find most challenging about fasting?
How can fasting help us understand people who are in need?
Can you think of a saint or holy person who practised fasting? What can we learn from them?
Reflection
Loving God,
thank You for the gift of fasting,
which teaches us discipline and trust.
When we feel hunger or discomfort,
help us turn our thoughts to You.
Grow in us self-control,
patience,
and compassion for others.
Strengthen us when it feels difficult,
and remind us that You are our true source of strength.
May our fasting shape our choices,
deepen our faith,
and help us grow in love.
Amen.
Mission
Together, choose something to do:
Choose a Small Sacrifice
Give up something for the week — perhaps a snack, screen time, or another comfort — and use that time to reflect or pray.
Fast with a Purpose
Offer your fasting for someone who is struggling or in need.
Turn Hunger into Action
Consider donating food or money to a charity that supports people who do not have enough.
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