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Prayer Program
Prayer Program
Prayer is generally understood
as our conversation with God. Conversations involve
both speaking and listening. Developing a prayer
life means learning to both speak and listen to God.
Sometimes children, with wonderful imaginations, are
very comfortable having spontaneous conversations
with God. Parents can encourage this by simple
expressions of thanks or gratitude to God, as well
as requests for help from God and the desire for
good things to happen for others. The listening to
God can be modeled when we appreciate beautiful
things, are awed at special events or allow music
and peaceful moments to touch us and share that
experience with our children.
The Church has a long tradition
of already written prayers that are important for
both community worship and private devotion. It is
some of these traditional prayers that we want
students to know as part of our Catholic faith.
These prayers enable people to express some of the
core beliefs of Catholicism and Christianity. They
are part of a common heritage.
The prayer program identifies
prayers that children should know at a certain grade
level. Teachers will use the prayer for that grade
to open their classes. However, these prayers will
only become part of a child’s life if they are used
at home. So parents should find ways to use the
prayers as part of the family’s daily routine.
Children who know the prayer for their grade at the
end of the school year will receive a lapel pin for
that year. At the end of five years children could
have a complete set of five pins. Each pin is a
religious symbol that highlights an element of
Catholic faith. To receive the pins students must
know be able to recite the prayer confidently and
know the correct actions that go with the sign of
the cross.
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Grade One Prayers
The Sign of the Cross
“In the name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.”
Touch your forehead
(Father), your heart (Son) and then your left and
right shoulders (Holy Spirit), in that sequence
while saying the words. The action forms the “Sign
of the Cross.”
The Doxology (Glory Be)
“Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as
it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.
Amen.”
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Grade Two Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer (Our
Father)
“Our Father, who
art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom
come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil. Amen.”
Act of Contrition
“My God, I am sorry
for all my sins. I will sincerely try to do better.
Jesus, help me and have mercy on me. Amen.
Grade Three Prayer
Hail Mary
“Hail Mary, full of
grace the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now,
and at the hours of our death. Amen.”
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Grade Four Prayer
Nicene Creed
“We believe in one God, the
Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of
all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally
begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from
Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father. Through him all things
were made. For us men and for our salvation he came
down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he
was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our
sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he
suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he
rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right
hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to
judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will
have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he
is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through
the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the
forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection
of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.”
(This prayer is used every
week at Mass and it has been since the 4th
century the official expression of what Catholic’s
believe.)
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Grade Five Prayer
Come Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them
the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and
they shall be created and you will renew the face of
the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy
Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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