Staff Prayer Ritual for Father’s Day: OUTLINE of Ritual We Gather: Welcome & Introduction

Lighting of the 3 Candles (extended today) Opening Prayer

We Listen: Scripture Reading Sharing

We Respond: Writing the names of our fathers

Special Blessing for fathers Closing Prayer

We Go Forth: Blessing

Dismissal Sign of Peace

The Environment Ideally, set out chairs in a circle – creating a space that where people can be present to one another. Three candles are placed near (or on) a small table in the centre of the circle. It is on this small table that the bible rests open. Beside the bible, is an empty bowl. You will need:

� a Leader of prayer; a Reader (who will read from the Bible); 3 people to light the candles at the appropriate times in the ritual.

� a Bible (open at the Reading) on a small table covered with the green cloth (as it is still the

Season of Ordinary Time).

� 3 candles + matches

� a bowl and some slips of paper (+ pens) on which people will write the names of their fathers at a certain point during the Prayer Ritual.

� Handouts for each staff member

� full text of the ritual for the Leader

Staff Prayer Ritual for Father’s Day: Detail We Gather Welcome & Introduction Leader: Today, we remember our fathers and all those men who have initiated new life ... Lighting of the 3 Candles Leader: We light our 3 candles, as we remember the head, heart and hands

of those we call ‘father’. Our first candle honours the wisdom and experience with which fathers guide their children ... One of the group lights the ‘head’ candle in the prayer space.

Our second candle honours their hearts which feel such protective love for their families ... One of the group lights the ‘heart’ candle.

Our third candle honours our fathers’ hands which work to provide sustenance and security for their families ... One of the group lights the ‘hands’ candle.

Opening Prayer Leader: Let us pray ... All: Creating God,

You are the Eternal Life-Giver. Teach us how to recognise, protect and encourage new life as it develops so that, with you, we may create a better world for all people. We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We Listen Scripture Reading

Reader: A reading from the gospel of Luke (Lk 11:11-13)

What parents among you will give a snake to your child when the child asks for a fish, or a scorpion when the child asks for an egg? If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children good things, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?

... pause ... Sharing Leader: I invite you to take some time to make some parallels between this image of a God who provides for us so faithfully all that we need for Life and your own personal experience of caring for your young - either for your own children or those you teach ... When you are ready, share what you can with the person near you ...

We Respond Leader: Let us take a moment now to write the names of our fathers on a slip of paper.

I invite you to place your father’s name in the bowl near the Word of God. After we have done this, we will pray a special blessing for our fathers. (Give enough time for everyone to do this ...) Now the Leader steps forward and takes the bowl with all the names of the fathers and holds it high while all pray this special blessing:

All: God of Abraham, Moses and Aaron; of Zachary, father of John the Baptist,

of Joseph, foster-father of Jesus, listen to our prayer:

Bless all who ‘father’ and protect new life in any way, these ‘fathers’ who teach and guide, who encourage and lead.

Invite them to the table of your eternal feast, these ‘fathers’ who work hard to provide for the life that has been entrusted to them.

Embrace them warmly in the intimacy of your love, these ‘fathers’ who lift up with strength those who are helpless and dependent.

Bless them today with all good things: with health, with laughter, with joy and with love, with pride in their ‘children’ and with the support of many friends.

May all ‘fathers’ who have protected and guided the life of others be themselves held securely one day in your strong embrace, there, for all eternity, to rejoice with their families and friends.

The Leader puts the bowl of names back beside the Word of God. S/he then invites the Closing Prayer as follows:

Closing Prayer Leader: Let us pray ... All: Faithful God,

Fill this world with a father’s love! We ask this through your Son Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray in the most intimate of terms when he called you his Abba. He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

We Go Forth Blessing Leader: May the God who gives us Life bless us all in the name of the Father,

+ and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: AMEN! Dismissal Leader: Go forth in wisdom to guide and protect Life in all those you meet today! All: Thanks be to God! Sign of Peace Leader: Let us begin with one another by offering a Sign of Peace and friendship ...