CTK – Peace – Prayer Resources – W/C 8/12/2025
Hello everyone, and welcome back to CTKPray.
The prayer theme for this week is Peace.
Second week of Advent – Year A
Chaplaincy Notices
- This week is the second week of Advent. Form prayer reps please make sure that the prayer table cloth in form is now purple.
- Follow the star continues! Around school there will be a star for you to find, and it will change locations throughout the weeks. If you manage to find the star, come to the chapel to tell Beth or Vicky where it was, and your name will then be put in a draw to win a prize. The more you manage to find the star, the greater the chance of winning!
- Please continue to bring in food donations for the SVP to take to Arnold Food Bank. Keep these in your form until Friday 12th December when your form rep can bring them down to the chapel – thank you for your generosity.
Here are some ways to introduce this week’s theme of Peace...
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 Peace means to you all.
Watch this video created by the chaplaincy team
Members of our Chaplaincy team have created a video on the significance of the Advent wreath and how it links to our theme of Peace…
Prayer
Prayer
Lord God, Father of all,
We, your children, are all members of the same human family, your family.
We implore you to help us to accept your peace,
To be at peace with ourselves and to live in peace with others.
Help us to seek wisdom and justice in all we do.
Help us to be more understanding and compassionate when dealing with others,
To be ready to forgive when wronged,
To be willing to love when hurt and
To strive for harmony and peace when threatened.
Eternal Father, in your mercy, hear our prayer
And grant us your everlasting peace.
Amen.
Diana Ng, CAFOD supporter
Take a quiet moment now to reflect on the word Peace 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 3:1-12
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you O Lord
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Prayer Theme Scripture John 16: 25-33
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you O Lord
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
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 Peace
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 together and then answer the following questions as a form:
- What does Peace mean to you?
- What would a Peaceful community look like?
Use one of these questions to answer in the comment section at the bottom of this page
Advent Wreath
Design your own Advent Wreath:
This can be as simple as drawing a wreath on a piece of paper, or you can design and decorate one using any materials you have.
On your wreath, include the four Advent candles. You may also choose to write a prayer, a hope for the Advent season, or the name of someone you want to remember or pray for.
Once you have completed your individual wreath, it should be placed on your form’s prayer table throughout Advent as a reminder of hope, peace, joy and love.
Reflection
Pick one of the songs in the music tab to listen to.
As you listen, imagine Jesus welcoming you into this Advent season — offering calm, reassurance, and deep peace.
As individuals or as a form, reflect on one or more of the following questions:
- Where do you notice peace in your life right now — even small or quiet moments of it?
- How does the beginning of Advent invite you to slow down, breathe, and rest in God’s presence?
- What would it look like to let God’s peace guide your thoughts, reactions, or relationships this week?
- How might you become a bearer of peace to others during this season?
In the comment section below…
Answer one of these questions together as a form.
The lighting of the second Advent candle calls us to focus on Peace.
As we prepare for the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, let’s actively look for ways to bring peace to our school, our homes, and our lives this week.
C – Care
Show Care by being a calm and peaceful presence when emotions run high. If you witness arguments or tensions starting, choose self-control. Step back, stay neutral, and avoid judging.
A – Achieve
Achieve inner peace by focusing on your learning and responsibilities. When you approach schoolwork or challenges with disciplined effort, you avoid the stress and worry that come from rushing or putting things off.
R – Respect
Show Respect through the powerful act of reconciliation and forgiveness. If a relationship has been strained or you have been quick to judge, make a conscious effort to fix it this week. A simple, honest apology or an unexpected act of kindness can restore peace swiftly.
E – Encounter
Encounter God by dedicating time to inner stillness. Try to find a few peaceful minutes each day for quiet prayer or reflection. Use this time to share your worries and stresses with God.
You might want to create your own prayer on the theme of Peace that you have been reflecting on throughout the week, or you could use the prayer below.
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Here are some song suggestions that you could use this week
This week in school, our theme is Peace.
In a world that’s often filled with conflict and turmoil, we’re called to be peacemakers. This doesn’t mean simply avoiding arguments, but actively working towards reconciliation and understanding. In the season of Advent, we pray for peace in the world. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and he calls us to follow his example and to be peacemakers too.
Reminder that your child can bring home their form Advent Pack for a night for you to explore and share together…
Conversation Starters
Use these questions to start a chat together:
- Jesus is often called the “Prince of Peace.” What do you think that title means?
- Where in your life right now do you feel the most peace?
- When have you been a peacemaker recently?
- If you could rewrite one moment from this past week with more peace, what would you change?
Prayer
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Mission
Together, choose something to do:
- Make space for peace at home – choose one evening this week to switch off phones, TV, and music for 10–15 minutes. Light a candle and sit together in quiet. End by each person sharing one thing that brought them peace today.
- Look at a globe or a world map – find the places that are needing peace at the moment. Think about what you can do to help the people living in these places – could you support a charity who provides aid or commit to saying a prayer every day this week for them?
- Each person can choose one small action that will bring more peace into daily life e.g.,pausing before reacting in an argument, speaking kindly to a sibling, helping without being asked, saying a quick prayer before starting the school day. Share your actions and check in at the end of the week on how it went.
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