CTK – Almsgiving- Prayer Resources – W/C 9/3/26
Hello everyone, and welcome back to CTKPray.
The prayer theme for this week is Almsgiving (Year A)
This week is the Third week of lent – prayer table cloths should be purple
Chaplaincy Notices
- There will be a non-uniform day on Friday 13th March to raise money for the Lourdes Pilgrimage. Please bring in £2 in cash to hand in during form time or pay on Arbor.
- Oscar Romero Hub logo competition – Very last chance to enter your submissions – Please see poster for details – we would love all of you to get involved!
- SVP meeting – Tuesday 10th March in the chapel 12:45-1:15
- Oscar Romero Hub Day Mass – Tues 24th March, am – if anyone would like to walk down to Good Shepherd Church to take part in a Mass with our feeder primary schools, please come and speak to Beth or Vicky
Here are some ways to introduce this week’s theme of Almsgiving...
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 Almsgiving means to you all.
Watch this video
Prayer
Prayer
God of All Goodness,
Give me a heart for generosity.
Show me how to hold my possessions lightly,
Ever mindful of their temporary value.
Inspire me to share what I have in full measure,
So that others are able to live without need or want.
Let me know the grace of a bountiful life,
One overflowing with gratitude for all that I have to give.
In the name of your generous Son, Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
Take a quiet moment now to reflect on the word Almsgiving 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 John 4:5-42
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you O Lord
So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Just then his disciples came back. They marvelled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.”
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
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
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 Almsgiving.
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
Watch this video and think about what you have to give – let us know some of your ideas in the comments…
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Look at this quote from St Teresa of Calcutta (also known as Mother Teresa).
Find out more about her and how much she gave to other people – can you find any other quotes from her that show how important it is to give to others? Let us know in the comments…
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:
Almsgiving Reflection Questions
What does almsgiving really mean beyond just giving money?
Why is almsgiving an important part of Lent?
How does giving to others help you feel closer to God?
Who in your life or community could you help this Lent?
How do you feel when you give to someone in need, and why?
Do you think that small acts of kindness really make a difference? Can you give an example…
In the comment section below…
Answer one of these questions together as a form.
Almsgiving is not just about giving money — it is about giving from the heart. It calls us to notice the needs around us and respond with generosity, kindness, and compassion.
C – Community
When we share what we have — whether it is time, talents, or resources — we help create a school community where everyone feels supported and valued. Small acts of generosity can make a big difference.
A – Achieve
Set a goal this Lent: maybe it’s supporting a charity fundraiser, volunteering your time, or helping someone quietly without expecting anything back. Ask God to guide you as you strive to become more generous and selfless.
R – Respect
Almsgiving teaches us to see the dignity in every person. It reminds us that everyone deserves care, fairness, and compassion. Let your giving come from a place of respect, recognising that we are all equal in God’s eyes.
E – Encounter
Through almsgiving, we encounter Christ in others. Each time we give, especially to someone in need, we reflect the love and generosity of Jesus. Take time to reflect on how your acts of kindness bring you closer to God and to those around you.
Here are some song suggestions that you could use this week
This week in school, our theme is Almsgiving.
Almsgiving is the practice of giving to those in need. It is a way of showing love and compassion for others. Almsgiving can also be a way of expressing our gratitude for God’s blessings. Almsgiving is an important part of Lent, as it allows us to share with those in need and to be an example of mercy in the world
Conversation Starters
Use these questions to start a chat together:
How is almsgiving different from just donating money?
Who in our community might need extra support right now?
How can our family show generosity beyond money (for example, through sharing our time, talents, or kindness)?
What is one practical way we can practise almsgiving together this week?
Reflection
Lord, thank You for all the blessings in my life.
Please help me have a generous heart that wants to give to others.
Help me give cheerfully, sharing even a little of what You have given me, to show my love for You.
Amen
Mission
Together, choose something to do:
Volunteer together at a local food bank, community garden, or church project. Even small acts, like helping a neighbour or writing encouraging notes for people in need, count as almsgiving.
Choose a charity as a family and find creative ways to contribute, like collecting spare change, organising a small fundraiser, or donating clothes or books.
Look for ways to serve each other in daily life: help with chores without being asked, share meals with someone in need, or set aside something you’d normally spend money on and give it to someone less fortunate.
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